Overwhelmed with frustration, Imogen begs Lincoln for release, but he continues to deny her. She tells him she hates him and snaps that he cannot treat her like a child. He seems pleased by her defiance. He handcuffs her hands behind her back to prevent her from masturbating. He leaves for the night after turning on a lamp for her, which she appreciates.

Alone, Imogen reflects on her confusion over Lincoln’s behavior and how it conflicts with what Larissa taught her about pleasing men through obedience. She resolves to earn Lincoln’s trust and eventually secure her freedom.

Imogen wakes up sore from the previous night and still handcuffed, which makes it impossible to dress. Forced to walk through the house naked, she finds Lincoln in his study and politely asks him to remove the cuffs. After he unlocks them, he asks if she has anything else to say. She offers a formal apology, but this seems to annoy him. Internally, Imogen feels defeated by his confusing games. She resolves to stop trying to be what he or anyone else wants and to simply be herself.

Lincoln is internally frustrated by Imogen’s apology, as he wants her to be defiant, not obedient. He wants to know her true self, not a deferential persona. He worries that his strategy might not be correct but decides to persevere in hopes of baiting her into defying him.

When she confronts him, stating that being forced to walk around naked is degrading, he gives her his own shirt to wear. In the kitchen, Lincoln explains that their butler, Pierre, is taking the day off to mourn the anniversary of his wife’s and daughter’s deaths. Imogen suggests waffles for breakfast and admits that she prefers waffles over the plain oatmeal she usually eats. Lincoln is pleased by her choice, explaining that he wants her to express her own desires. He tells her it is okay to push back against rules she dislikes, which prompts her to admit she hates his no-panty rule. He immediately revokes it, admitting it was an exercise to make her speak up for herself. As a reward for her honesty, he promises to give her as many orgasms as she can handle.

After they eat, Lincoln takes Imogen to her bed for her reward. Noticing she is still sore from their last encounter, he forgoes intercourse because it would hurt her and instead performs oral sex on her. Afterward, she confidently asks to pleasure him orally as well. Though hesitant that she is only doing what she thinks is expected, he agrees. Later, as they lie together, she asks about his past. He admits to having many casual sexual partners but no serious relationships. When Imogen asks why he bought her, Lincoln withholds the truth: that he once promised someone he loved like a brother (presumable Imogen’s late father, Luca) that he would always protect her. Instead, he offers a partial truth: that he bought her because he wanted her.

Over the following week, Imogen and Lincoln grow closer. He is always gone when she wakes, but he shows his affection in small ways, such as buying her toiletries in her favorite scents and stocking the pantry with candy bars she likes. One day, Lincoln announces he must leave that night for a trip. Imogen is visibly disappointed, which pleases him. When she asks if he is going to another auction, he swears she is the only person he has ever purchased and that he did it to protect her. He promises to spend the afternoon with her before he departs.

Lincoln encourages Imogen to masturbate during his absence and gifts her several sex toys to experiment with. He promises to return Sunday evening, which is four nights away.

On the second night of Lincoln’s absence, Imogen is overcome with desire. She masturbates while fantasizing that he is with her. As she reaches orgasm, she whispers his name into the darkness.

Meanwhile, Lincoln approaches the home of hedge fund manager and gun lobbyist Adrian Farnham; Farnham purchased a woman at the auction.

With Edgar’s assistance, Lincoln breaks in and discovers a terrified young woman named Esme. After coaxing her out, Esme grabs an electric shock collar, spits on it, and throws it back into the cell in a final act of defiance.

Before leaving, Lincoln discovers a note with the name “Fraser Lane” written on it. He and Esme escape and meet Edgar at a rendezvous point. Edgar is going to help get Esme safely to an organization in Chicago that will help her find housing; Edgar is visibly shaken, as Esme bears a striking resemblance to Lincoln’s sister Olivia (who was Edgar’s soulmate)  Edgar and Esme depart, leaving Lincoln to grapple with his growing emotional vulnerability and intense feelings for Imogen.

Back at Rooks Blood, Imogen eagerly anticipates Lincoln’s return. She spends the day in a state of excited anticipation, singing and fidgeting enough to earn gentle reprimands from Pierre, who nevertheless seems equally eager for Lincoln’s return. After dinner, Pierre retires early while Imogen retreats to the library to read but cannot focus. When Lincoln arrives, the couple enjoys a passionate reunion.

On the night Lincoln return, he and Imogen engage in anal sex for the first time. Afterwards, Imogen asks him to spend the entire night with her. Lincoln tells her he wants to sleep in his own bed, but asks her to come with him. He carries her to his room, where they fall asleep in each other’s arms.

Lincoln and Imogen wake up together in his bed. When Imogen shares a sexual fantasy she had about him (waking him up with sexual acts) while he was sleeping, it leads to a discussion about consent. Lincoln asks for her permission to wake her up with sex in the future; she upsets him by replying, “But, sir […] you own me” (264). Her words force him to confront the inescapable power imbalance in their relationship, and he is overcome with guilt, feeling he is no better than her captors. His self-recrimination deepens as he recalls taking her virginity. Believing their relationship is fundamentally wrong, Lincoln walks out of the room.