Two weeks later, Laikyn’s routine has become one of isolation, punctuated only by brief sexual encounters with Tyson before her shifts. One day, he abruptly announces they are going to his house before attending a party at the house of Lords. He informs Laikyn his parents will be there. Before they depart, Tyson instructs his subordinates, Colton and Finn, to manage the club and prevent the police detective, Collin, from entering the premises.

Tyson and Laikyn arrive at his secluded mansion, where she meets his butler, William. He shows her a spare room filled with her wedding dress and other personal belongings, which Tyson had secretly retrieved from their hotel. Soon after, stylists arrive with a selection of dresses. Two of the attendants tell Laikyn that her rare red diamond ring was rumored to be custom-made in Paris for millions of dollars.

Meanwhile, in his study, Tyson fields a call from his father, who reports that Tyson’s mother expects to meet Laikyn at the party. A second call from a blocked number confirms an unknown fact. However, the caller cannot provide a location, leaving Tyson furious.

In the master bathroom, Tyson prepares Laikyn for the party, ordering her to wear tight nipple bands under her dress. Later, in the limo, Laikyn initiates a kiss, which Tyson reciprocates before teasing her about what will happen later.

At the house of Lords, Laikyn and Tyson join a table with Ryat and his wife Blakely, and Sin and his wife Ellington. Tyson’s parents approach, and his mother scolds Laikyn for drinking champagne, assuming they are trying to conceive. Shocked, Laikyn accidentally spits her drink on her mother-in-law and flatly states they will not be having children, sparking a brief, tense argument that Tyson ends. Back at the table, Laikyn touches Tyson suggestively. He quietly warns her that if the nipple bands are missing when they get home, her punishment will be prolonged arousal without release.

In the restroom, Miller ambushes Laikyn, criticizing her for sexually submitting to Tyson, and insisting her husband is only using her for revenge. He reveals that their father deliberately allowed her marriage as part of a greater plan, despite actively blocking Whitney’s relationship with Tyson. He also claims that Whitney was pregnant before she died. 

After Miller leaves, Laikyn talks to Blakely and Ellington. Blakely says that Ryat told her Whitney had a stalker. The women exchange phone numbers. Meanwhile, Tyson’s employee, Colton, calls to report that Collin is at Blackout, asking for security footage and trying to speak with Bethany.

Laikyn is angry and resentful after the confrontation with Miller. Noticing the genuine love between Ryat and Blakely, and Sin and his pregnant wife, Ellington, Laikyn wishes she could have that with Tyson. She defies Tyson’s one-drink limit and consumes more champagne. During the evening, she notices her brother talking with the man who gave her the birth control shot on her wedding night. 

On the ride home, Laikyn refuses to explain her mood. In their bedroom, her defiance escalates until Tyson rips her dress off and has sex with her.

In the jacuzzi afterward, Laikyn confronts Tyson about not wanting children; when he is evasive, she concludes that it is because he feels she isn’t “good enough” to be the mother of his children. She declares that she doesn’t want children in their violent world anyway, then goes to bed.

The narrative flashes back three years to show Whitney telling Tyson she is pregnant. Tyson is horrified as the rules dictate Lords can only have children with their Ladies. Suspicious because they used contraception, Tyson later finds his condoms have been deliberately punctured, confirming Whitney sabotaged them.

The next morning, Laikyn sees a text on Tyson’s phone from Ryat stating that the missing girl’s body has been found. Stealing Tyson’s credit card, she meets Blakely for a day out. 

Meanwhile, Ryat brings Tyson a file revealing the missing woman was brutally tortured before she was killed. The method used to restrain her—barbed wire—links the murder to an unsolved case from their university years, perpetrated by a Lord who was never caught. Tyson reveals his own initiation involved killing the suspect’s mother. During their meeting, Tyson gets calls confirming Laikyn has bought a $350,000 car. Amused, he approves the charge and tells Ryat he is giving his wife a long leash.

Laikyn returns to Blackout with her hair dyed dark brunette. Ryat privately corners her and warns her to stay away from Blakely, citing that he knows “the truth about your family” (307) and what they are capable of. Laikyn defies him, making an arrangement to see Blakely the following weekend.

In the apartment, Tyson says Laikyn can keep the car. He then restrains her and administers a saline enema, calling it “preparation,” not punishment. A flashback reveals that Tyson first saw this practice when a Lord named Saint performed an extreme version on his chosen. In the present, Tyson instructs Laikyn to hold the saline for 10 minutes, then shower and report to his office before her shift.

Understanding the enema is preparation for anal sex, Laikyn reports to Tyson’s office. She finds Bethany there, who suggests she colored her hair to look more like Whitney.

When Bethany leaves, Laikyn willingly bends over Tyson’s desk, determined to thwart Bethany’s attempts at seduction by meeting all her husband’s desires. Tyson cuffs her and inserts a small butt plug. He instructs her to report to him every two hours during her shift to have it replaced with a progressively larger one.

During her shift, Laikyn serves Collin and his friends. Collin puts an arm around Laikyn, but she pulls away. The men claim that Tyson was engaged to Whitney and suggest that Laikyn’s ring was once her sister’s. Enraged, Laikyn storms into Tyson’s office and confronts him about his secret engagement to Whitney. 

A brief flashback reveals a text exchange between Tyson and a private number. When Tyson states that Whitney is pregnant, his contact instructs him to continue with the plan and “consider buying her a ring” (328). 

Laikyn refuses to have the plug changed and leaves. Later, Tyson sees Collin pull Laikyn onto his lap and observes that she does not fight him. Viewing this as a provocation, he decides on a punishment.