Peyton Lane

"She was in this terrible marriage for years, and she finally gets out of it and then I have to watch as she falls for Secretary Moss, who doesn't care for her at all! (Hannah: "She broke up with him.") Yes. And I went to her and I told her that we could finally be together, but she said that she didn't want me. All these years of doing absolutely everything for her; of leading me on, and she was just...just using me! (Damian: "So you shot her?") Yes. She betrayed me. I loved her, but she betrayed me."

- Peyton Lane revealing herself as Charlotte's lover and killer

Peyton Lane is the main villainess from a three-episode arc during Designated Survivor 's second season.

She was played by Cariba Heine.

Peyton Lane is the longtime aide for Charlotte Thorne, a member of British Parliament and a potential future Prime Minister. In actuality, Peyton was in love with Charlotte, and there was an indication that she engaged in an affair with her married superior, who was on the cusp of divorcing her husband. However, Charlotte was also having an affair with former President and current Secretary of State Cornelius Moss, which drove Peyton to jealousy. After Charlotte ended things with Moss, Peyton stated to Charlotte that they could finally be together, only to be turned down by Charlotte.

Enraged over being jilted, and believing that Charlotte used her and led her on for years, Peyton turned heel and planned a murderous revenge on the woman she loved. In the very beginning of the episode, "Suckers," the evil Peyton tracked Charlotte while she was jogging, and shot her to death. After the murder, the villainess stole Charlotte's friendship ring, and had been wearing it ever since. Hannah Wells and Damian Bennett went on the case and met Peyton, who directed them to towards arms dealer Darius Cray, stating that Charlotte had been pursuing him. In the following episode, "Two Ships," Peyton was abducted by a pair of men who were demanding that Darius be extradited to Malaysia, but she was rescued by Hannah and Damien in the episode's climax.

Darius was cleared in Charlotte's murder, as was his wife, Catherine, who was revealed as the true head of the arms business. In the following episode, "Family Ties," Peyton was interrogated about Charlotte's affair with Moss, with Peyton stating that Moss couldn't have killed Charlotte due to him being a former President. Peyton was finally revealed as the villainess in the episode's climax, as Hannah and Damien learned that Charlotte's ring was missing, and they found photos of Peyton wearing the ring. The pair showed Peyton the photos, and it was at that moment that Peyton revealed her love for Charlotte and confessed to killing her, stating that Charlotte betrayed her. Following her confession, Peyton was handcuffed and arrested.