Cole’s defense team asks him to explain the photograph depicting him choking a cheerleader. He says it is not what they think it is.

Brea meets with Teresa at the park. Teresa tells Brea she is six months sober. Teresa tells Brea that when she was a teenager, she told Cole she wanted to have sex with him, and Cole rejected her. Brea asks if she wants revenge on Cole because of the rejection. Teresa denies it; she says she is suspicious of Cole because she knew Suzanne was pregnant with Tony Romero’s child.

President Wright is in the Situation Room, dealing with a threat from China against a Philippine navy frigate. She is worried about it escalating into a war between the US and China.

The next day in court, Craig Donovan introduces the photograph of Cole with his hands around a cheerleader’s neck into evidence. Under cross-examination, he admits he knows the person in the cheerleading uniform is Timmy Gervin, the team’s equipment manager, not Suzanne. He admits that Cole and Timmy were joking around when the photo was taken.

The President sees the photograph of Cole. On a conference call with Tess Hardy and Cole, she berates Cole. Cole says he wants to testify so he can explain the context of the photograph. Tess objects, but Maddy supports Cole.

Brea gets a call from Daryna, the Ukrainian researcher. She tells Brea she has learned that there is “an active cabal” (388) spreading false rumors about the president to bring down the administration. Its leader is Rachel Bernstein, the vice president’s chief of staff. She has also learned that the Providence Mob was involved in the disappearance of Suzanne Bonanno’s case files. Brea wonders if Tony Romero had something to do with it.

Cole testifies in his own defense. He explains that an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader had said the Patriots would “choke,” meaning make mistakes, in their game against the Falcons. As a joke, they had Timmy dress up as a Falcons cheerleader. Cole then mimed choking him while quipping “Who’s choking now?” (394)

During a recess, Cole tells Tess Hardy he wants to explain more in his own defense. He wants to tell the jury he is innocent. Tess refuses to let him open himself up to cross-examination by the prosecution.

Brea watches the court analysis. They feel Tess did a good job. She hopes the jury finds Cole guilty.

President Wright prepares her speech and presentation to announce her Grand Bargain. Pearce is there to assist. He advises her not to go to New Hampshire for the closing arguments. She is worried.

The prosecutor, Hugh Bastinelli, gives his closing arguments. He reminds the jury of the evidence against Cole, including witness statements about Cole’s threats against Suzanne, the CCTV showing he was with her the night she disappeared, and his watch found at the gravesite. He encourages them to find Cole guilty.

Tess Hardy gives her closing argument. She reminds the jury that the state has the burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Cole committed the crime. She notes that the photograph is unconnected to the crime against Suzanne. She argues the trial is politically motivated and encourages them to find Cole not guilty.

Brea is overwhelmed and cries outside the courthouse. Detective Gagnon comforts her. Brea is relieved that Gagnon does not appear to recognize her voice from the anonymous tip.

Brea gets a call from Caleb Stringer, the Dartmouth alumnus who lived with President Wright, Cole, and Pearce. He tells her that Pearce had been in love with President Wright, but they were not a couple. Pearce was not happy when Cole moved into the residence. He also tells her that the girl who was allegedly raped is named Eva Clarke.

Brea finds Eva Clarke. She lives nearby. Brea interviews Eva. Eva tells her that the night of homecoming, she had had too much to drink. Cole carried her to a bedroom out of the way to rest and recover. Later, Pearce entered the bedroom and raped her. She never reported it to the police.

Brea is shocked by the revelation that Pearce is a rapist. When she pulls into her hotel parking lot, she is stopped by two FBI agents. They tell her they have been surveilling her at the behest of Dr. Graham to keep her safe. They tell her Dr. Graham had been working with the FBI to infiltrate and uncover “radical groups,” which is why he had written the anti-Wright blog posts. They tell him his death was not suspicious; he had long had heart trouble.

The next morning, Brea goes to the court to hear the verdict. The jury finds Cole guilty of second-degree murder.

Back in the hotel room, Brea gets an email from Daryna, the Ukrainian researcher. She has sent a dossier of anti-Wright blog posts written by Rachel Bernstein. She has also sent prison records showing that Tony Romero served prison time with John DeMarco, the man who gave the location of Suzanne’s body. She has also sent a surveillance photograph of Tony with Pearce. Brea feels “all the pieces click into place” (427).

Peace meets with the vice president. Pearce tells Faulkner that Cole plans to appeal the verdict. President Wright calls. She tells them she is planning on resigning.

Cole Wright is taken to the county jail. He is stunned. A Secret Service agent named Jeremy Knox is placed in the cell with him.

Maddy rehearses her resignation speech with Burton.

Brea goes to DC. She calls Burton Pearce and asks him, “Was Eva Clarke important?” (437). He agrees to meet with her.

Brea meets with Pearce in a local park. She tells him she knows he raped Eva. She suspects he stole Cole’s watch and planted it at Suzanne’s grave, or had someone else do it. She says she knows about his ties to Tony and Tony’s “vendetta” against Cole for stealing President Wright from him. She says Tony killed Suzanne, and Pearce decided to frame Cole for it because he was also jealous of Cole’s relationship with President Wright. Pearce says he will become Faulkner’s chief of staff after President Wright’s resignation, the Grand Bargain will be passed, and that Cole will be killed in prison.

Meanwhile, Jack is planning to murder Brea with a sniper rifle. Suddenly, he is arrested by the FBI.

At his bar, Tony celebrates Cole’s conviction. Suddenly, he is arrested by Detective Gagnon for the murder of Suzanne Bonanno.

Cole is released from jail.

Three days after Cole’s release, President Wright makes a speech to Congress. She tells them that her faith in Burton Pearce was misplaced and that he “arranged or approved the deaths of innocent people” (450) in the furtherance of his plot. She tells them Tony is also in jail. Then, she announces her Grand Bargain legislation. It is a long list of policy proposals to make entitlement spending sustainable while managing income-to-debt ratios, including immigration reform, tax hikes, student loan reform, and other policies. Congress applauds for a long time when she is finished with her speech.

Brea hears on the radio that Jack Doohan, her would-be assassin, has given evidence against Burton Pearce, his handler, and that Tony Romero’s trial for Suzanne’s murder begins next month.

Brea meets with her editor, Marcia Dillon, who has started her own agency. There is a lot of excitement about Brea’s book. Brea wants to make sure Garrett’s name is on the cover.

Brea goes to the music shop and gives them the fancy guitar Garrett had purchased shortly before his death. She asks them to keep it and let anyone who wants to play it do so. The shop owner shows her a video of Garrett serenading her that someone had taken. Brea is moved by the video.

Cole stands on the platform next to his wife, President Wright, as she takes the oath of office for her second term. He wraps his arm around her, and they tell each other “I love you” (465).