Two Birds, One Throne

 is the third episode of Inventing Anna.

Short Summary
With Anna giving her the cold shoulder, Vivian hunts down sources who can fill in the blanks; Anna's ex-boyfriend Chase and wealthy entrepreneur Nora.

Full Summary
Anna and Vivian sit in silence. Anna finally says she wants a reason because the visiting hour is almost over. Vivian says getting there has been difficult with the baby. Anna asks if she was sad to lose her job at Bloomberg. She also asks who the kid who tricked her was. Vivian doesn't answer and asks about the Anna Delvey Foundation. She asks where the idea came from. Anna insists that Chase didn't help her. They were building their businesses separately at the same time, not together. They were together for two years. Anna says she speaks seven languages and has a photographic memory. She's a genius with a talent for business. The idea was all hers. Being pregnant is a terrible excuse not to come see her. She's not special. People squat in fields every day to have babies. Vivian can get there or they're done. Anna tells her to bring her some underwear next time.

As Jack puts the crib together, Vivian talks about Anna not giving her anything. Jack continues talking about the baby while Vivian talks about Anna. Jack wonders if she'll still be working on the story when the baby comes. Vivian needs the wall to stay for now. Vivian starts to wonder if their relationship was just a front for their schemes.

Nora

Nora says she already spoke to Vivian once, but Vivian has a few more questions. Nora doesn't want the story associated with her. Her work is important and she can't jeopardize that. Vivian says Chase and Anna lived with her for a while. She's tagged in photos with Anna. She's listed as an advisor on Chase's app. Vivian can go digging on her own and include details including her name or they can have a conversation and her name can be shielded. Nora wants to be off the record and will not allow Vivian to record her. She can take notes only.

Nora says Chase and Anna stayed with her for several months in 2014. He put all his money into his start-up and she claimed she didn't want to take Daddy's money anymore. Vivian asks what their relationship was like. Nora says no, she had very little to do with either of them. They were Val's friends, but Nora saw through Anna immediately. Vivian asks about Chase. Nora didn't like him either.

Nora hears a noise and startles awake. She grabs a statuette off a table in the living room then turns on a light. Anna and Chase then walk in. She asks them how Fashion Week was and where Val is. Anna says he said he was going to Alabama to visit his dad. Nora's glad they're back.

Anna says Nora's an old bitch. Chase says she doesn't like Nora because Nora likes him so much. Anna says Chase is the one who is embarrassing. Chase says he has to kiss her ass for Wake. Tomorrow, she'll be doing the same for the Anna Delvey Foundation. She asks how many people they're meeting with and he says three. She thinks they'll need more than three people on the team to get financing.

Nora talks to Chase about a possible investor she can connect him with. Anna joins them and Nora comments on her sleeping late.

Chase gives Anna some bios to study before their meeting so she looks like she's done her homework. She reads them quickly and hands it back, saying she has an eidetic memory. He quizzes her and asks who she's meeting first.

First is Gabriel Calatrava, lead architect at Calatrava Grace. She explains to him what she's trying to build. He's intrigued, but wants to see what kind of collection she's looking at. If she can get a curator or gallerist on board, he's in.

Next is Sasha Thomas, a founder and lead gallerist at Thomas & Fortman. She explains her plan again. Sasha says she can't curate a collection without seeing a space, so she wants Anna to get an architect to sign on first.

Last is Richard Lavin, who manages all of Manhattan's high-end properties. She says they want the best and that's why they came to her. He asks who they are, if she has a creative team or investors.

Sasha loves the idea.

Gabriel says businesses like this rely heavily on the visibility of their founders.

Richard says he likes to choose who he works with.

Sasha asks who Anna is and why she should care.

Chase says Anna did a great job pitching. Anna says they need better people. They have to set up more meetings. Chase says it takes time. Maybe they'll meet someone at the party tonight. Nora brings Chase a jacket to wear to the event. She sees Anna dressed up and asks where she's going. Chase asks if she can come to Nora's event, but Nora says no. After Nora's left, Anna says she doesn't care and tells Chase to go. Anna watches through the window as Chase and Nora laugh together before getting in the car.

Chase comes in and says Greer wants to invest a million and there's buzz around the beta. Anna says she needs Nora for her Foundation. Chase disagrees, saying Nora just gives her stamp of approval on things. That's exactly what Anna needs because no one is taking her seriously. She needs Nora to get people to join her team. Chase says Nora is tough and her passion is supporting minority entrepreneurs. Anna being a woman doesn't count. Chase is the child of immigrants. And Nora doesn't seem to like Anna much. They'll find her someone.

Nora says Chase never took her seriously. She thinks Anna was with Chase because she thought he would introduce her to the right people. He was smart enough not to. Vivian asks why he was with her. Nora doesn't want to think about it and has no idea where Chase is now.

Nora comes downstairs and is surprised Anna's already up. Chase is at work building his app. Anna's admiring some art on the wall. It's a Polay, Nora tells her. Anna knows Polay and is a fan of her old work. Nora invites Anna to tag along to Bergdorf's.

At Bergdorf's, they meet up with Donna Zaveri. An employee leads them to another room, where Susan Alcott, a fashion designer; Patricia Conti, an actor; and Jodie Kleinsmith, a real estate developer, are waiting. They talk about 281 Park being up for lease. Jodie says someone should take it for their offices. Anna looks up the property on her phone. As Nora looks through racks, Anna asks how she knows the other women. They came up together in the days of the old boys' club. They made their own club. Anna says it still feels like a boys' club, even while building the Anna Delvey Foundation. Nora congratulates her on her venture and sends her to go pick some things out for Chase. He needs better clothes for his meetings.

Emily, Donna's assistant, complains about her while waiting in line ahead of Anna. The register attendant tells Anna that Nora left, but said she'd be adding some things. She offers Anna paperwork to sign for Nora's account. Anna sees that the bill is over $27,000.

Anna tells Chase she wants the Foundation at 281 Park. It's the perfect setting. Chase is only half-listening because he's been invited to Berlin for an Open Air. He wants to build some buzz again. Anna wants to go with him, but he wants to focus on work. Anna says he can't go because he's supposed to help with ADF. Chase says it will come together. He offers her a loan if she needs it. Anna says she doesn't need that and Chase promises to be back soon.

Vivian talks to Todd, who is drowning in discovery, about Chase's app. There was tons of buzz and then he disappeared. It's a mystery and if he lets her look through the discovery … He says no. Todd ignores a phone call and Vivian asks why. Todd says Anna calls him many times per day asking for things he can't give her until he gets through all the discovery. Vivian offers to help, Todd says Anna's a job to him, not a mystery. He asks Vivian to leave.

Anna goes to 281 Park.

Nora, Donna, Susan, Patricia, and Jodie mingle at an after-after-party. Anna sits on a couch alone and watches Nora. She looks at Chase's pictures. Nora asks Anna if she wants any takeout, as they're ordering. When she says yes, Nora hands over her card and says it'll be ready in 20.

Anna brings the takeout. Donna asks her where Chase is. She tells him he's at Open Air in Berlin, but Donna says Open Air was canceled.

Anna checks Chase's feed again and tries to FaceTime. He doesn't answer, so she calls. He pretends he's in Berlin until she confronts him and he hangs up. She calls over and over again, leaving a variety of voicemails for him. In her last message, she says she's going to take some pills despite drinking. She hangs up and eats chips.

Anna goes to the Wake office and sees Rafael Stukken packing things in boxes. She asks what happened.

Rafael tells Vivian that Chase hired him to build the app, but it's not what he does. He's a designer, not a computer programmer. Chase didn't care if it worked. He just wanted it to look nice. Then he stopped paying them. And he hid it all from Anna.

Rafael says she should talk to Chase, but she doesn't know where he is. Rafael doesn't know either. Anna asks if he would be able to tell where someone posted an Instagram from. He says he can. She hands him her phone.

Rafael says he got an email from Chase saying he's living in Dubai, working for the Sheikh. It's total bullshit. He told Rafael he only believes in face-to-face contact now. To meet, you have to email to set up a time. Rafael thinks he's just hiding out from the investors. Vivian says he won't go face-to-face with her.

Vivian tells Maud that Paul won't shut up about her not having evidence she has a story. Maud says Paul was an intern when she was writing cover stories. She should tell him to suck it.

Inside a store, Vivian and Maud shop for panties for Anna. Vivian's horrified by how much it all costs. Vivian is mystified by Anna's love life. Chase was so wrecked by her that he went completely off the grid. If he's working for the Sheikh, what if the Sheikh wants to call him. Maud says if he really is working for the Sheikh, he's staying at a hotel near the palace. She spent time in Dubai reporting on the Libyan Civil War, in a very nice hotel. Vivian decides she's not buying $50 panties.

Vivian starts calling hotels in search of Chase. Lou starts helping when he sees what she's doing. Vivian finally gets through to Chase and introduces herself. He hangs up as soon as she says she's a reporter. Lou says she can try again another day. Anna looks at Chase's feed again. She sees a picture tagged #OHIO of Chase in front of a house.

Vivian calls Suze Sikorski and introduces herself. Suze says Chase hasn't been home in years and wouldn't want her speaking to a reporter. Vivian asks if Suze met his girlfriend, Anna Delvey.

Anna comes to the table and Vivian quickly tells her she doesn't have the underwear. Anna sits down anyway. Vivian says she talked to Suze Sikorski. Anna loves her and she loves Anna. Vivian knows she also loved Chase. She went to Ohio to meet his family. The relationship was real and she loved him.

Anna gets out of the cab at his parents' house. Anna goes up to the front door and Roger Sikorski answers, followed by his wife. Anna's surprised to see that they're white. They ask if they can help Anna. Chase then appears behind them. He's surprised to see her.

Anna says Chase was just a convenience for her. He was just available. She enjoyed the game for a while, but then she got bored.

Anna is shocked that Chase didn't tell her he was adopted. He tells people he's the child of immigrants. He says that's true. His mother came from Canada when she was two. Chase says he went to Berlin and then his parents reached out, so he came home. Anna tells him to stop lying and asks what's happening with Wake. He says it's fine, but she knows it isn't. He makes excuses, but then admits they ran out of money. She wonders how he ran out of $3 million. He says a lot of it went to her, to support her lifestyle. She says he's the one who wanted those things and he can't blame her now. Chase says he has people chasing him down and he's trying to make it work. He just has to dig himself out and then he can help her, which he wants to do. They can't tell Nora anything. Her friend is about to give them $2 million. Once that comes through, it's all ADF. He begs Anna.

Vivian says that must have been disappointing, but Anna says people always are. It must be so lonely to be her, since no one else can keep up. Anna says she likes being alone. Anna gets up and leaves, saying not to come back without what she asked for.

Vivian takes the bus home.

Vivian tries calling Chase again. She tells him he wasn't just some guy. He's the star of her article. The facts show that he's the con artist. If she doesn't get his side, she has to print that. Or he can tell her what he knows and she can leave his name out of things. Vivian gets a video call on her laptop and rushes to answer it. Chase wants to be call “the futurist” instead of the “tech boyfriend.” Vivian asks what happened between him and Anna.

Nora welcomes Chase back and he maintains the lie about being in Berlin. He says it went well. Nora sends Anna to go pick up lunch for them while she and Chase talk.

On her way back with the takeout, Anna passes 281 Park again and stops to look.

Anna listens as Chase talks about what the app is to someone on the phone. She sees Nora gardening outside and joins her.

Nora sees Anna and asks if the glasses she's wearing are Nora's. Anna says no. Nora likes Anna's look. Neither of them has heard from Val, which is unlike him. Nora asks if something happened in Paris. Anna says no, except one night, at a hotel, they were having fun until the hotel locked them out. Val freaked out about his pills. Nora says he relies on them. Nora wonders why the hotel would do that. Anna says she would have paid, but her father, she thinks he's jealous of her success. Nora asks who was planning to pay, because Val can never afford anything with his salary. Anna says Chase was supposed to pay, but then he disappeared. Anna doesn't know why, but with everything that's happening with Wake. Nora asks what she means by that and demands that Anna explain. Anna makes her promise she didn't hear it from her.

At dinner, Nora asks Anna about ADF. Chase says he was thinking they should change the name to avoid accusations of vanity. Nora says there's nothing wrong with it. She built Nora Radford and Associates. People tried to take it from her and never could because it didn't exist without Nora Radford. To succeed, Anna needs to secure connections in the art world. She invites Anna to a fundraiser. Chase was supposed to be her date, but Anna's going instead.

Anna watches Nora and Chase fight.

Chase tells Anna he had to admit to Nora what was happening with the company because she asked to see the company records. Chase is upset that now Nora is focusing on ADF. Anna says it'll all come together when it's ready, parroting his words back to him.

Chase says he should have known Anna had said something, but he likes to give people the benefit of the doubt. That's when she knew for sure. He was always supposed to go to the fundraiser with Nora, so he was still on the list.

People mingle and chat at the party as Anna and Nora arrive. They spot Chase some distance away, but ignore him. Nora introduces Anna to Michael Xufu Huang, a young gallerist. Nora explains what Anna's trying to do.

Michael introduces Anna to Sasha, who remembers her from their previous meeting. Nora introduces Anna next to Richie Notar, a chef. Anna would love to have him on board.

Gabriel says he got a call from Richie about her. They'll have to design a space around Richie's menu.

Nora introduces Anna to her friends as her protégé.

Richard says he's gotten lots of calls about her from his friends.

Anna is telling a story when Chase asks to talk to her. She excuses herself to talk to him.

Chase and Anna fight. He reminds her that he saw her passport. She reminds him that he's lied, too. She loved his parents and their house. She would have loved to have grown up there. He wonders where she did grow up. Anna says everything about Chase is a lie. But she's working at something. Chase says Anna has taken everything from him. He wants 40% of ADF. She repeats a quote he told her about dreaming together and then informs him John Lennon didn't say it. It was Yoko Ono.

Chase says he assumed Anna would stay at Nora's, but she packed and left that night. Vivian wonders why, but Chase doesn't know. He thinks it was just a game to Anna. In the end, Anna's in prison and Chase is working to improve technology in Dubai. He tells her about the work he's doing.

Lou asks if she's on Chase's side and she says she definitely isn't. He's just as tricky as Anna. She's not on anyone's side. Anna's just a little fascinating. She doesn't know why Anna worked so hard to make Nora her mentor only to cut her off as soon as it worked. Lou and Barry think she was a lone wolf, but Vivian thinks it's more than that. Maud asks if she checked with the defense. Vivian says that's a dead end. Lou says there's always two sides. Vivian says that's true and leaves.

Vivian goes to see McCaw and asks if Nora ever filed a complaint against Anna. McCaw refuses to answer and tells her to ask the defense. Vivian says the way her story is shaping up, Chase looks like the bad guy, so if she prints now, it'll look like they have the wrong person. McCaw says her story's inaccurate, but she has sources backing her up. McCaw says she can't share anything that's in the discovery with her, but she can share something that didn't make it in because someone changed their mind about pressing charges.

Vivian goes to see Nora again. She asks why Nora didn't mention her credit card records.

As Nora, Chase, and Anna get home, Nora gets a call saying there are strange charges on her card.

As Nora listens to the bank list the charges, Anna packs all her things upstairs, including the things she bought with Nora's card.

Back at Bergdorf's, when she's asked to sign for Nora's account, she says she needs to add a few things. She ends up spending hundreds of thousands over multiple trips.

At the party, when Nora gives Anna her card to get the takeout, Anna goes outside and writes down her card information.

Nora reviews all the charges and curses Anna.

Vivian is shocked at the amount and asks why Nora didn't tell people that Anna stole from her. She says it's private. She could have pressed charges, but it was humiliating. Vivian asks why Anna did it. Nora says she probably would have given Anna money if she had asked. She worked so hard to draw Nora in. Absurdly, after that, Anna sent her a gift. She's not sure if it was a thank you or a threat. She goes to get it as Vivian says if she presses charges, she might still get her money back. Nora says she got it back because her friend Donna is the CEO of Federal Credit. Nora's offended that Bergdorf's allowed her to make so many purchases. They know her tastes. Nora finds the gift and pulls it out.

Val announces that Nora got a package and brings it in. She opens the card and sees it's from Anna. She opens the package and she and Val both gasp.

Jack looks at the taxidermy peacock. Nora gave it to Vivian. It's probably worth more than everything in their apartment and Nora just gave it to her. Jack suggests using it as a college fund.

Vivian brings Anna her panties. Anna criticizes them, but Vivian says they're good enough and she'll wear them because Vivian knows about Nora's credit cards. She has a story with or without Anna. She needs to start talking if she wants any kind of control over the story. Anna says she forgot about the peacock. Vivian asks if she stole all that money. Anna says you have to work for what you want. She's always known that, but Chase didn't. He thought he was better than her. Nora treated her like a prop, so she used Nora as a prop. She got everything she needed. Anna won't admit to using Nora's credit cards. Anna says she made a pitch deck. It would be helpful for Vivian to see it before their next meeting. She thanks Vivian for the panties and leaves.

Vivian shows Todd the receipt for Anna's panties. He says he's not paying for them, but she's not asking for that. She wants him to see that they're on the same side. She cares about the story. She knows he's dealing with the same things from her Vivian is. Todd says Anna's been driving him crazy, so Vivian offers her help. Vivian tells him Anna wants her to see the pitch deck. Todd says no lawyer will ever invite a reporter to look through discovery, but even the best ones slip up sometimes and leave things where a reporter might see them. Vivian thanks him. As he goes to leave, he taps a box with his foot. Vivian grabs that box once he's gone and pulls out the pitch book. She takes pictures with her phone.

Vivian shows Paul and Landon what she has. Landon's impressed and tells her to take a couple more weeks, which upsets Paul. Vivian focuses on one of the pictures.

Richard says he keeps getting calls about Anna. She says she knows a few people. He says they must find her a property and she tells him she wants 281 Park.

Main Cast

 * Anna Chlumsky as Vivian Kent
 * Julia Garner as Anna Delvey
 * Arian Moayed as Todd Spodek
 * Katie Lowes as Rachel DeLoache Williams
 * Alexis Floyd as Neff Davis
 * Anders Holm as Jack Mercer
 * Anna Deavere Smith as Maud Lewis
 * Jeff Perry as Lou Shaw
 * Terry Kinney as Barry Klein
 * and Laverne Cox as Kacy Duke

Guest Stars

 * Kate Burton as Nora Radford
 * Donna Murphy as Donna Zaveri
 * Tim Guinee as Paul Hudson
 * Saamer Usmani as Chase Sikorski
 * James Cusati-Moyer as Val Boron
 * Gabriel Sloyer as Gabriel Calatrava
 * Armand Schultz as Landon Bloom

Co-Starring

 * Jason Schuchman as Lavin
 * Austin Ku as Michael Xufu Huang
 * Kyle Beltran as Alexi
 * Richie Herschenfeld as Richie Notar
 * Kathleen Garrett as Sasha Thomas
 * Adam Enright as Bergdorf's Employee
 * Geraldine Leer as Susan
 * Antu Yacob as Patricia
 * Matthew Griffin as Chateau Bellhop
 * Traci Godfrey as Jodie
 * TJ Lee as Emily (Donna's Assistant)
 * Iyesha Barrie as Register Attendant 1
 * Ethan Dubin as Rafael
 * Alice Ripley as Suze Sikorski
 * Robert Newman as Roger Sikorski
 * Mackenzie Bell as Register Attendant 2
 * Chloe Freeman as Art World Person #1
 * Ugo Chukwe as Art World Person #2
 * Assol Abdullina as Art World Person #3
 * Anthony R. Mottola as Art World Person #4
 * Nanie Mendez as Art World Person #5