Alison calls Serena the next day, tells her she's at the spa in the Beverly Hills Casa Linda hotel, that that is where Byron is. "I suppose he didn't call you?" Alison asks bluntly. Serena feels like a fist is squeezing on her heart, and she can barely reply. Alison doesn't seem to need an answer, and she continues, "Look, I don't get involved with his personal shit...but he's got this woman with him, I can't explain it, I think she's messed with his head somehow..." Serena doesn't need to hear anymore, "I'll be right there," she says & hurries to Beverly Hills. Alison, talking on her cell phone in the hotel lobby, points Serena toward the spa. "Byron," Serena cries as soon as she sees him, and tries to hug him. She's just thrilled to see him safe again. But Byron folds his arms over his chest, preventing her from putting her arms around him. "What are you doing here? I didn't call for you..."

Serena stands aghast, Byron has never treated her with this kind of contempt. Her glance falls on the woman, obviously not just a woman, Serena thinks, but the goddess Larna told her of. A love goddess, the most vicious of any of the deities. "Go away now, Serena," Byron says, gesturing for her to leave.

Then he turns away from her without another word, giving all his attention to the woman he calls 'Odessa'. Serena tries not feel the heartbreaking jealousy. She had thought years of seeing his affairs paraded across every supermarket tabliod would have numbed her to it, but each one stabs a little deeper. He has a taste for beautiful women: now he's gotten himself a real goddess...

Alison comes in, looks over the situation & shakes her head sadly at Serena. "It isn't right," the redhead says under her breath, "He doesn't even care about his movie, he says he won't go back into production just yet." Serena glances over at them, standing, looking into each others eyes like young lovers, oblivious to the world. As she feels the hot burn of anger rise up in her, she reminds herself that this is not just some actress he's taken up with, he's being used by a power much greater than himself. He needs her help. "Give me a minute with them," she says to Alison, who leaves the spa, phone in hand, dialing.

"I think Byron asked you to leave," Odessa hisses, openly hostile. Byron says nothing.

They turn away from her again, embrace each other as though she didn't exist. Serena cannot begin to imagine how she is going to get Byron out of Odessa's grip. He won't even look at her.

The pain is unbearable.

Serena turns & slaps Odessa on the face. She knows better than to think it will accomplish anything, but it makes her feel momentarily powerful.

"Serena, I'm surprised at you," Byron says, suddenly speaking to her again, "If you were my friend, you'd be happy for me." Then he turns back to Odessa, "Let's go to our room, my love," he says, taking the goddess by the arm & leaving the spa.

NEXT