Emeline arrives for preparations at the Starlings. Rose prepares her alone, claiming Violet is unwell. Emotionally tense, Rose cries while working. Emeline wonders if the Starlings are hurt, but Rose angrily refuses to discuss it with her. She, then, reveals Emeline’s gown for the evening, which is blue, a Major “Defect” trait, implying it is a punishment. Emeline panics but wears the dress, wondering who is responsible. Rose applies dramatic makeup to Emeline and tells her that someone is praying she fails. Emeline is certain someone abused the Starlings, wondering if it is her fault. In the Pod on her way to dinner, Emeline receives a message from Collin saying he cannot attend.

Emeline arrives at her birth family’s residence alone and scared, dressed in blue. Her birth father, Vincent, and eldest brother, Richard, dismiss her. Her middle brother, Gregory, teases her about her blue dress but addresses her as his sister and offers a drink. Youngest brother Phillip arrives and confirms Collin is occupied. Seeing Emeline’s blue gown, he warns that it must be kept from the Press.

At dinner, Helen is shocked by the dress. Vincent wonders if they have offended the Illum and remarks that the color will be permanent when Emeline fails. During the meal, Richard announces his Mate is pregnant again, and Vincent asks Gregory about his new mating. Helen asks Emeline about Collin, and Vincent reminds her she must be an appropriate “vessel.” When Emeline thanks a “Defect” worker, Vincent lectures her on her supposed inferior status, revealing there was a proposed Elimination Act to eliminate all “Defects,” stopped only to avoid inbreeding. Phillip ensures that her contract with Collin would protect her from possible elimination.

Enraged, Emeline proclaims that minors are human and the elimination is murder. She confronts Vincent, asking if he would have her eliminated. Vincent confirms he would, calling her a disgrace who ruined their perfect lineage. Emeline accuses him of refusing responsibility and storms out, as Helen—whom Vincent reveals once wanted to save Emeline—now agrees with him. In the Pod, Emeline experiences a panic attack, hits the emergency button, and the Pod plummets. She throws herself out in High Town and runs barefoot through the rain toward the Wastelands. As she nears her building, Hal finds her and catches her before she collapses.

Hal carries Emeline into her building and up to her living quarters, comforting her until she calms down. He helps her remove the tight collar of her dress but tells her she looks beautiful in blue. Curfew begins, locking the doors and trapping Hal inside for the night. Hal hesitates to stay, but Emeline insists. She is concerned about his MIND chip, but Hal reveals he wears a metal cuff that makes him invisible to Illum technology. Emeline showers and loses her contact lens. Thinking about her birth family’s treatment, she tears up as feelings of loneliness suffocate her. She thinks she was delusional to believe a procreation contract would make her happy. Emeline reemerges to find Hal on her bed, wearing only his underwear.

Emeline notices Hal’s beautiful body, and he flirtatiously teases her, inviting her to sleep beside him. Emeline speaks about the dinner with her birth family and mentions the Elimination Act. Hal, then, shares his story: His Major “Defect” parents were killed by the Elite Force when they came for him. He was deemed an Elite offspring—an anomaly attributed to his supposedly perfect genes—despite having Major parents, and was sent to the Academy. Hal urges Emeline to trust what she sees, not what the Elite tell her. Emeline falls asleep with more thoughts, as Hal holds her. Dazed, she hears him whisper that he would do anything for love.

Emeline wakes up next to Hal. They almost kiss when Gregory suddenly knocks on the door. Hal hides in the bathroom while Emeline lets Gregory in. He has been sent to bring her to Collin. She runs to the bathroom but cannot find her lens and worries if Hal would be in danger. Hal reiterates to Emeline that she must trust her own judgement. Emeline leaves with Gregory.

In the Pod, Gregory discusses last night’s dinner, saying that their mother’s life is difficult. He also reveals that Collin is the Illum’s Enforcer and someone will pay for Emeline’s mistreatment. They arrive at Collin’s private residence, which is cozy and filled with books and art that capture Emeline’s attention. Emeline meets Collin’s twin sister, Nora, who is friendly and welcoming. She notices a connection between Nora and her brother. When Collin and Phillip arrive, Collin sees Emeline’s eyes for the first time without her lens.

Collin privately discusses with Emeline. He asks about her family dinner, and she accuses him of sending her the blue dress. Collin already knows about her confrontation with Vincent. He denies sending the dress and tells her that, as an extension of him, if someone hurts her, he takes it personally. He instructs Gregory to take the gown to a seamstress for examination. To protect Emeline, he tells Phillip to keep the dinner events private and label the situation as a trial. Collin warns Emeline that, as his Mate, she will be watched more closely by the Illum. He asks her to run to him if she ever needs safety. Emeline has many questions but keeps them to herself. Collin arranges dinner with Nora and her Mate, William, in three days.

During breakfast, Emeline learns that Nora and Phillip grew up together in the Academy and are like siblings. Collin and Nora reveal they are the first documented case of twins in centuries. Collin and Phillip discuss recent break-ins, and they mention the person responsible for the uprising is the Reaper. Collin notes that the Illum searches for the Reaper’s followers. After the men leave, Nora shows Emeline the news in her tablet, as the Press features a front-page photo of Emeline and Collin’s first kiss, with a headline questioning whether Minors belong in the clouds. Nora confirms that the Illum control the Press.

Emeline feels used by Collin, suspecting he orchestrated the kiss for the Press. Back at her office, she finds Hal waiting. He explains he avoided surveillance using trash chutes and moving outside camera windows, saying that the surveillance system is “outdated.” Emeline asks Hal about the Reaper, and Hal asks about the Illum’s discussions and her kiss with Collin. Emeline is frustrated. The two almost kiss but are interrupted by a whistle—a signal that the Elite are present. Hal explains that supporters of the rebellion use whistles as signals because cameras do not register them. Hal leaves.

On her way out, Emeline finds Lo, who remarks that she is not dressed in gray. A  man in gray whistles at Emeline, looking at her like she is a threat because she is an Illum’s Mate. Later, Lo visits Emeline at her living quarters and announces she has been approved for a Procreation Contract. She shares her painful backstory about her Minor mother ending up in the Sanctuary because Lo was deemed “defective” and her Elite father cast her away. Emeline discusses her experiences in the clouds with her until curfew. Over the next two days, Emeline has lessons with her HI, whom she names Frida. Emeline has dance lessons and spends the evenings with Lo. Collin remains mostly silent but sends flowers. Hal visits each morning, and they discuss art while avoiding larger issues between them. Emeline feels that the connection between her and Hal has an “expiration date.”

On the morning of the dinner with Nora and William, Hal arrives at Emeline’s office limping, claiming he had a hard shift. The two discuss a few paintings, and Hal emphasizes that human pain makes things more beautiful. Emeline receives messages from Collin about the night’s dinner and her new shortened work schedule. Hal becomes distant upon hearing the news, leading to a heated argument. Hal reveals that when he attended the Academy, his classmates were Collin, Nora, and Phillip. He calls them compliant and argues that they only see Emeline as a “defect.” A man delivers a box from Collin containing a ruby and diamond necklace and earrings. The argument escalates until Emeline accuses Hal of being just like the Elite, keeping secrets and scorning her. Hal leaves, and Emeline remains alone, full of “self-hatred,” wondering if Hal is the Reaper.