Peter Derns, [Timothy Hutton], is a recently divorced father and a high‑level executive at a Portland baked goods company who has just been released from a clinic after treatment for paranoia. On his first day back, he discovers the business has been swallowed by a major global food conglomerate intent on cutting costs and reshaping the corporate ladder. His relentless boss, Charlene Towne, [Faye Dunaway], demands a full product report by the following day, setting a tense tone for what lies ahead. With his personal assistant Lance, [Scott Coffey], unavailable, Peter frets about meeting the impossible deadline. Fortunately, the firm introduces a temp worker, the striking Kris Bolin, [Lara Flynn Boyle], described as a Stanford graduate who quickly wins Peter over by solving product issues and proving herself fiercely loyal and sharp‑witted.
Kris’s arrival reshapes the dynamic at the office as she earns Peter’s trust and helps navigate the new corporate terrain. At the same time, a chilling pattern emerges: a succession of tragic “accidents” befalling colleagues. Lance is maimed by a paper shredder, forcing him into a lengthy hiatus; Jack Hartsell, Peter’s workplace rival, is found dead from a wasp sting in a stalled car on the Marquam Bridge; and Roger Jasser, the company’s vice president, is later discovered in his office, dead in what appears to be a suicide. Each grim event seems to be followed by Peter’s unexpected, rapid promotions, leaving him uneasy about the price of advancement.
As Peter begins to question Kris’s choice of a low‑paid temp job given her impressive résumé, Kris explains that she prefers temporary roles to see how she fits within a company and to keep her options open, insisting she hasn’t found the “right fit” yet. A photo on Kris’s desk—of a man and a child—is introduced as her estranged husband, Mark, and daughter, Lizzy, hinting at a hidden past that may hold the key to Kris’s unusual presence in the company.
Peter’s professional life grows increasingly complicated when he resists Kris’s advances, only to find himself targeted by whispers of sabotage that threaten his career. He begins to suspect not only Kris but also his former rival, Brad Montroe, and even Charlene, fearing she may be maneuvering to preserve her own standing. With the help of Sara Meinhold, [Colleen Flynn], another secretary who shares his concerns, Peter digs into Kris’s background and uncovers troubling inconsistencies: Kris never attended Stanford, and her former boss died under mysterious circumstances. Confrontations escalate, Kris denies the allegations, and the office atmosphere tightens as rumors swirl.
The pressure culminates the next morning when Peter is shunned after someone frames him for leaking confidential information. Kris steps forward to take responsibility for the “computer error,” a move that earns Peter a promotion to vice president and Kris a promotion to marketing executive, cementing a dangerous balance of power between them.
Charlene rewards the pair with a weekend retreat at the company bakery. En route, Kris’s brakes are tampered with, si evolving into a night of danger. At the hotel, Peter learns of an emergency back at the bakery: a dead security guard and a disoriented Kris. He is knocked unconscious, and when he comes to, he lurches into the melee on a catwalk where Charlene is seen grappling with Kris. Peter intervenes to prevent Charlene from strangling Kris. In the ensuing struggle, Charlene falls from a plank and hangs from a railing, dying after a final, cryptic utterance.
Months pass, and Peter begins rebuilding his life with his wife, Sharon, and their son, [Daniel C. Swanson], Nathan Derns, while rising to the presidency of the company. In Charlene’s former office, he discovers identical framed photos left behind, a disturbing clue that Rosemary, Charlene’s secretary, [Lin Shaye], explains are stock photos that arrived with the frames. Recollecting Charlene’s last words, Peter realizes she had detected Kris’s duplicity as well. He confronts Kris, accusing her of orchestrating the bakery incident to eliminate Charlene—and perhaps himself. Kris maintains that the photo was a shield to deter unwanted male attention, but Peter sees through the ruse. With no solid proof and surrounded by doubt, he decides to end it: he fires Kris and orders her detention until the police can escort her from the premises, bringing a troubling chapter to a close.
> "The picture"
In the aftermath, the company’s future remains uncertain, but Peter’s personal life begins to mend as he steels himself for the challenges of leadership. He remains wary of the manipulative forces Kris represented, guiding the company forward while grappling with the moral ambiguities of power, loyalty, and trust within a cutthroat corporate world.
