On May 20, Polly anxiously listens to radio reports on the Luciano trial from her parlor. With her own family estranged, her loyalty to her girls and the Lion has deepened. A broadcast reveals that the testimonies of sex workers and mob-affiliated bookers are being dismissed by the press as not credible. The announcer mentions that the next witness will be Nancy Presser, a former companion of Luciano. One of Polly’s girls, Angelica, overhears Nancy’s name and suspiciously questions Polly about the coincidence, as they had recently discussed her. Polly feigns outrage to deflect the accusation, but she realizes that Angelica isn’t trustworthy and could be a danger. Angelica’s comment about being a “cog in this big machine” gives Polly an idea for finding new, more credible witnesses to help Eunice’s case (312).

During the seventh day of the trial, Nancy takes the stand. Eunice coached both Nancy and Dewey about how to communicate with one another in front of the jury. Nancy testifies about her time as one of Luciano’s sex workers and recounts overhearing Luciano tell Betillo to destroy non-compliant brothels. On cross-examination, Luciano’s lawyer Levy attacks Nancy’s credibility by focusing on her heroin addiction. The questioning makes Nancy physically ill, and she flees the courtroom. During the subsequent lunch recess, a boy hands Eunice a note from Polly, summoning her to the New York Public Library. There, Polly warns Eunice that the prosecution’s witnesses aren’t credible enough. She suggests that Eunice find witnesses among the staff at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where Luciano lived for months. Eunice immediately grasps the strategic value of testimony from ordinary citizens who saw and heard Luciano’s operations firsthand.

That same day, Polly goes to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel to meet with Henry Woelfle, the manager of the Towers apartments. Woelfle acknowledges that Luciano (under the alias “Charles Ross”) is an undesirable repeat guest and plans to move back into the hotel permanently if acquitted. Polly explains that the prosecution needs credible witnesses to corroborate the testimony of the sex workers and bookers. She suggests that Woelfle’s staff, who served Luciano daily and would have seen his associates and overheard conversations, could provide the testimony needed to secure a conviction. Though concerned for his staff’s safety, Woelfle agrees to consider her plan.

Early on May 21, Eunice drives herself to a secret meeting with Polly at the Waldorf-Astoria. It’s the first time she has taken the wheel since her car was vandalized in March, and she goes without her usual driver, Mr. Johnson, so that Lisle won’t know she’s there. Polly leads her through a service entrance to a room where Woelfle, senior waiter Joseph Weinman, and chambermaid Marjorie Brown are waiting. Initially, both Woelfle and Weinman express fear for their families and refuse to testify in court. Marjorie then declares that her conscience demands that she speak out about the criminal activity she witnessed in Luciano’s suite. Inspired by her example, the two men relent and agree to provide their testimony as well.

Polly waits anxiously in the Waldorf garage while Eunice meets with the hotel staff. When Eunice returns smiling, she confirms that the meeting was a success. The witnesses will provide important testimony: Woelfle can identify Luciano as his guest “Charles Ross”; Weinman can place Luciano with Jimmy Frederico, a co-defendant he claims not to know; and Marjorie saw multiple co-defendants in Luciano’s suite dozens of times and witnessed girls who appeared beaten or drugged. Eunice praises Polly’s legal instincts, prompting a tense conversation about their different life paths. Polly reveals that she was forced into sex work after being raped, getting pregnant, and being cast out by her family. They acknowledge their respective hardships, with Eunice observing that while Polly’s beginnings were appalling, she has the ability to reinvent herself in a way that Eunice, as a Black woman, cannot.

Eunice reports her findings on the Waldorf witnesses to a deeply impressed Dewey, who assigns her to prepare them for trial. That night, she works late and misses Lisle and Junior. Upon arriving home after two o’clock in the morning, she finds Lisle waiting in the dark, dressed in a tuxedo. Eunice realizes that she forgot about a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) awards dinner held in his honor. Lisle is deeply hurt, explaining that he waited for her all evening and spoke of his pride in her during his acceptance speech. He tells her that their love might not be enough for either of them anymore, leaving the future of their marriage uncertain.

On June 3, a restless Polly goes shopping on Fifth Avenue, despite warnings from the Lion that she’ll be recognized. At the Saks makeup counter, she’s shocked to see Virginia. Polly is overjoyed that Virginia has left sex work and built a new, respectable life for herself. Understanding that Virginia’s new life is fragile, Polly decides not to risk exposing her, even though her testimony could be valuable. To support Virginia without revealing their connection, Polly buys two lipsticks and says that she’s delighted when someone “forges a new path” (350), and Virginia smiles back with gratitude.

Two weeks after the disastrous awards night, Lisle remains distant. At breakfast, Eunice impulsively invites him to the courthouse to see her work, and his noncommittal response gives her a sliver of hope. Later in court, Dewey calls Marjorie to the stand. Poised and confident, she identifies Luciano and points out three co-defendants she saw in his apartment dozens of times. On cross-examination, a defense attorney makes a critical error by asking if she saw only those three men, prompting her to identify a fourth, Jimmy Frederico. To cement her testimony, Dewey has her step down and place a hand on the shoulder of each man she recognized. After her appearance, Dewey rests the prosecution’s case. That evening, Polly calls Eunice at the office, shares the good news that Virginia is safe and working at a department store, and gifts her one of the two lipsticks she purchased. The call leads to a rare, friendly moment, and they agree to call each other by their first names, solidifying their alliance.

On June 7, a huge crowd gathers to watch Luciano testify. He denies knowing any of the defendants or witnesses and claims that he has done “everything [he] can to live on the right side of the law” (361). On cross-examination, Dewey dismantles Luciano’s testimony, catching him in lie after lie with documented evidence of a gun conviction and phone calls to women he denied knowing. Luciano’s repeated claims of “I don’t recall” become a joke in the courtroom (363). After the defense rests, Eunice spots Lisle in the crowd. He embraces her, telling her that he’s proud and finally understands the importance of her work. He promises to stay for the rest of the trial, and the mending bond with her husband makes Eunice feel like she has already secured the outcome that matters most to her.

Polly attends the trial’s final day in disguise to hear the closing arguments. Dewey’s summation concedes his witnesses’ criminal backgrounds but anchors the case on the unimpeachable corroboration from the Waldorf employees, especially Marjorie. After the defense’s weak closing, the jury returns a verdict in just a few hours. They find Luciano guilty on 61 counts of compulsory sex work, along with eight of his co-defendants: Thomas Pennochio, Dave Betillo, James Frederico, Abraham Wahrman, Jesse Jacobs, Benny Spiller, Meyer Berkman, and Ralph Liguori. As Dewey addresses the press and thanks his team, Polly reflects on her own legacy and decides that she will write her memoir to expose the truth of the sex-work industry. Before leaving, her eyes meet Eunice’s across the room. They share a smile, a silent acknowledgment of a victory that neither could have achieved without the other.