Nancy explains that Ellery appeared in River Heights while Nancy was being chased by a Burner. Ellery was knocked unconscious while stopping the man’s car and was taken into the Drews’ home to recover. After drinking water there, which is against the coven’s rules because it can cause a Book Witch to forget that they are in a book, Ellery developed amnesia.

During her recovery, she and Carson Drew fell in love and married. Nancy, a natural detective, eventually discovered that they were in a fictional world, and Ellery was from the real world. By the time Ellery’s memory returned, she was eight months pregnant with Rainy. Ellery left to visit her parents, promising a quick return, but never came back.

Nancy continues to say that after Ellery’s departure, Fanshawe appeared and magically charmed Carson and the housekeeper to forget Ellery. Fanshawe also concealed the truth from Rainy, who is half-fictional, which exempts her from the coven’s strict rules. Realizing she can now alter stories, Rainy briefly tests this power by changing her hair and removing a scar before reverting to her normal appearance.

Nancy then reveals that she saved a suitcase of Ellery’s belongings, showing Rainy a handkerchief embroidered with the initials E.V.D. for “Ellery Viola Drew.” Nancy explains that she orchestrated the entire “March Hare” mystery so Rainy could discover the truth for herself, as a fictional character cannot simply be told who they are. Just then, Rainy’s grandfather Pops appears.

Rainy joyfully reunites with Pops. He explains that he had solved the mystery of Ellery’s past on his own and entered the book to confirm his theory before telling Rainy. He was then trapped inside when Mrs. Turner closed the book and locked it in the safe. Nancy had to rescue him by retrieving it. Together, they confess to orchestrating Rainy’s entire quest to force her journey of self-discovery.

Rainy expresses a desire to meet her father, Carson Drew. Pops warns her that Carson is still under Fanshawe’s spell and will not recognize her. They leave the decision to remove the charm to Rainy, who decides against it for now, unwilling to cause her father the pain of remembering his lost wife. Nancy reveals that she avoided Fanshawe’s spell by switching places with her counterpart from a later version of the Nancy Drew book series.

Nancy brings Duke and Koshka into the house. Carson greets them all, believing Pops is a traveling encyclopedia salesman. Nancy introduces Rainy as a new friend and Duke as her fiancé, fulfilling Rainy’s wish for her father to shake hands with the man she loves.

Outside the Drew house, Pops, Duke, and Koshka say their goodbyes and depart for their respective books. Rainy finds that she cannot tell Duke he must resolve issues with his own family, realizing that, as a fictional character, he must find his own path as she did. Alone with Nancy, Rainy confesses that finding her family is not enough to fill the void left by her mother’s death. Overcome with grief, she breaks down in Nancy’s arms.

Their moment is interrupted by the arrival of X. Now aware that Rainy is a fictional character, he pulls out a gun to kill her. Rainy, however, embraces her new powers as a half-human, half-fictional character and takes control of the narrative. She transforms X’s gun into a banana, summons lightning, and has a giant eagle steal his lighter. Finally, she brandishes a copy of Dante’s Inferno and shoves X into the book, banishing him to the Seventh Circle of Hell for his crimes against literature.

Six months later, Rainy reports that life has settled into a new normal. She frequently visits her father, Carson Drew, in his book, and he treats her like a daughter despite not knowing their true relationship. Nancy visits Rainy’s world using the alias Penny Nichols. Fanshawe is demoted from her leadership position in the coven, and Pops takes her place. As the new leader, Pops officially makes Nancy a Book Witch and relaxes the rule against falling in love with fictional characters.

To take advantage of this new rule, Rainy visits the retired author Medda Baker. She bribes Medda with a kitten to finish the final, unfinished Duke of Chicago novel—years ago, she had been approached to finish it after the author, Tom Hightower, died, but she never could. Rainy asks Medda to write her and Mrs. Turner into the story, and Medda agrees.

The chapter concludes with an excerpt from this new book, The Last Hurrah, in which the Duke instantly falls in love with his new secretary, Rainy March.

The narrative shifts to a reader named Frankie, a fan of the Book Witch series. She buys the newest installment, The March Hare Mystery, co-written by a new author, Jessa Charming. The book’s first line—“All stories are love stories if you love stories”—sparks a memory of hearing the same words from a woman resembling Rainy March at Maxine Blake’s funeral (296). Reading the novel inspires Frankie to pursue her lifelong dream of opening a bookstore in her town, though she is hesitant to take such a big risk.

Late that night, there is a knock on her door. It is the woman from the funeral, who confirms that she is the real Rainy March. Rainy tells Frankie she must open the bookstore. Before Frankie can process what is happening, Rainy thanks her for once fixing her umbrella and vanishes.