BASIC INFORMATION:
NAME: Lara Rutherford. AGE: 32. PLACE OF BIRTH: Aberystwyth, Wales, United Kingdom. AFFILIATION: The Rutherford Family. OCCUPATION: Businesswoman, socialite. FACE CLAIM: Alicia Vikander. AVAILABILITY: TAKEN.
BIOGRAPHY:
Lara Rutherford had indeed been Porto Velho’s biggest household name. Forget the movie stars, and forget the models. Forget even her father, a man who gradually allowed his reputation to fade in favour of her own. The once nameless, worthless orphan from a small Welsh town had been rescued by her adoptive parents and offered every chance at greatness.
It was simply not in her nature to shy away from it.
There had always been something about her that people found impossible not to love; even as a child, so unnaturally charming, she exceeded even her father in that respect. Lara had learned so much from him. Worked so hard to become someone he could be proud of. Whilst she might not have shared his blood, she was Andrew Rutherford, through and through; often in ways that her brothers were not. Perhaps their closeness had been a result of their similarity.
Family was easily the most important thing in the world to her. Success, though? That was a close second. Lara thrived on all fronts because she was too determined to fail. In academia, she had excelled whilst studying at Harvard Business School in ways others could only dream of. In her social life, she had both on the East Coast, and at home, made connections that would serve her well for a lifetime. In her reputation, she had projected her perfect façade and earned the respect and admiration of many.
Few who met her could help falling in love. Those who didn’t despised her out of petty jealousy.
None of it was by chance.
Lara worked tirelessly to portray herself in the most particular way. In public, she made sure to be polite, well-spoken, and thoroughly engaging. She made an effort with people from all walks of life, and was charitable to those who had little. She never engaged in petty rivalries stoked by the media. She worked hard, and refused to be seen as riding on the success of her father. She was witty, and classy, and everything young women aspired to be.
Those who believed a Rutherford level of success could be achieved by the kind of heart, however, were naïve. Behind closed doors, she was a queen of manipulation. Lara did not act out of turn unless it somehow benefited either herself, or her family in the long run. She played on peoples’ emotions to get the reactions she needed; preyed on their weaknesses without mercy. All that mattered was ensuring her family remained at the top of the hierarchy they had given meaning to.
It didn’t matter who she had to step on to achieve it.
Whilst initially it had been difficult to edge out of her father’s shadow, Lara soon found her own niche within the criminal world. Most people find odd—given her apparently gentle personality—her fascination with fighting. It was rare she was absent from the ringside seats whenever her family’s casinos played host to the big heavyweight boxing matches. It had confused her followers further when she and Amir had invested in an up-and-coming fighter from New York; paying for everything from training to his living arrangements in the hotel itself in the hopes of grooming a champion. The only thing she loved more than fighting was winning, after all.
Whilst she was not publicly shy about supporting the legitimate fights at her family’s casino, though, few would ever imagine the silver-tongued socialite would associate herself with the barbarism of brawling on an unregulated level. It amused her, how little they knew about the one they had placed on a pedestal. No, Lara had never laid a hand on another human being herself—that sort of classless fuckery was for the peasants, thank you very much—but that didn’t stop her from sitting back with a glass of champagne in her hand, watching as two grown men beat each other to within an inch of their lives.
No rules. Just blood. Pain. Pride.
Though it had originally started as a personal venture to pander to her own desires, it soon became clear that she was not the only person in their circles to find enjoyment in the sport. Lara had the kind of connections that made a gathering like this an absolute gold mine. Millionaires, politicians, sportsmen, upstanding members of society…if they could afford the price to get in, they flocked. They bet on their horses, and for a few hours of their lives, stepped away from reputations so respectable they were suffocating.
And they loved her for it.
Unlike the guest list for spectators, Lara is not particularly picky when it comes to those who do the fighting. They can be from any country, any walk of life, and any criminal organization. The only rule on which she will not bend is that only men can take part. They must also be invited by her directly, or another fighter who has already competed. Before they can fight, they are strictly and thoroughly vetted for any possible connections with law enforcement.
If they fail? They’re disposed of without hesitation. If they pass? They’re contacted with a time and a place, and offered their chance to make serious bank and an even more impressive reputation.
Of course, she knows that one day she will have to abandon her ‘hobby’ in favour of taking over as leader for her father, but she is adamant about making the most of it—and continue to dominate yet another area of London’s interest in the name of the Rutherfords—until that time comes.
The fall of her relationship with Amir wasn’t something she had seen coming. Sleeping with Ethan Hathaway had been an attempted power move on her part. The Rutherfords were losing ground, and she needed to sway the Hathaway family’s interests away from the French. Of course, the fact that he’d been Aurélie’s best friend was an absolute bonus… Unfortunately for her, Amir had found out about it, and after similar occurrences in the past, it had proved too much for him. The wedding was called off, and both Lara’s ego and heart were left bruised. Whilst she might’ve loved him, apparently, it hadn’t been enough for her to change. As a result, the woman lost her best friend and the only one she had ever showed her softer and vulnerable side to.
When her father severed his relationship with Amir, subsequently throwing him out of their circle—and Porto Velho, for that matter—she had acted as though she’d barely cared. Lara watched him leave and retreat back to London.
It hadn’t dawned on her that she might have to, one day, go back there herself.
When her turn came to leave Porto, she wasn’t happy about it. It had been her home for so long. Leaving felt too much like they were losing for her liking—and maybe they were—but jumping ship wasn’t her idea. Had anyone else but her father asked her to leave, she would’ve protested. She would have stayed and fought until nothing remained. But London gave her more opportunities and a new playground. The Rutherford name meant something here; their history old and bloody. Having someone other than Andrew leading the family is new to her, but Lara is also optimistic that now is her time to really forge her place in this new regime.
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS:
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Jasper Menzies (boyfriend, unplayable), Amir Dawar (ex-fiancé) FAMILY: Gideon Rutherford, Damon Rutherford (brothers), Yvonne Rutherford (sister, unplayable), Andrew Rutherford (father, unplayable), Cerys Rutherford (mother, deceased), Constance Rutherford (step-mother, unplayable) CONNECTIONS:
Adriana Amaro: Best Friend. Somehow, best friend doesn’t seem like a strong enough descriptor given that she sees the woman as more of a sister than she ever will Yvonne. Lara trusts few people completely, but Adriana is one of them. Whilst a part of her still begrudges leaving Porto Velho, she finds comfort in the fact that having her best friend follow makes London feel a little more like home. Adriana is family.
Diana Sehgal: Best friend. Even though she first met Diana whilst the girl was dating her brother Gideon, their relationship didn’t falter when the two broke up. Seeing her old friend was always the highlight of her trips back to London, and along with Adriana, they make up an immensely powerful trio on the social scene. Lara is eager to see what trouble they can cause together now she’s around full time to make the most of her Westminster Insider influence.
Katherine Mayfair: Enemy. After seeing everything Gideon has been through as a result of his break up with Satan, the fact she is the mother of her nephew is irrelevant. Lara is fiercely protective of her family. There is no way she’s about to let the bitch get away with dragging her brother’s name through the mud.
