Twenty-four hours have now elapsed and Achilles must begin hunting Tierney. Knowing she must have assumed a fake identity, Achilles assembles a team led by a Russian hacker named Jeremie. They search a database of 23,000 women from the tristate area whose identities were recently compromised. About one-and-a-half hours later, an unnamed soldier finds a photo of Louise Fisher, a Connecticut woman who strongly resembles Tierney. Jeremie quickly confirms this is Tierney’s alias and tracks her flight, discovering she is on her way to Venice.

Tierney lands in Venice and checks into a seedy motel. Her brother, Tiernan, calls to warn her that Achilles knows her location and is on his way. Tiernan has learned that information because Jeremie (a member of the Bratva Russian crime organization) told Alex (the Bratva leader, and the twins’ childhood friend); Alex relayed this information to Tiernan. Tierney deduces that she has about three hours before Achilles catches up to her. She emails Achilles, challenging him to a duel at Piazza San Marco (a central location in Venice). 

After buying weapons and a Venetian mask for disguise, Tierney waits in the crowded square, intending to lure Achilles into a trap and kill him.

Achilles arrives in Venice and purchases a mask. His father calls with news: He wants Achilles to marry Katya Rasputin (Alex’s sister) to consolidate a deal with the Bratva. Vello urges Achilles to “kill Tierney, make Katya your wife, and take the throne” (179). Achilles hangs up without committing, as he has just spotted Tierney. He pursues her, and they grapple; she distracts him with a kiss and stabs him in the thigh. As she attempts to flee, Tierney stumbles and sprains her ankle. Achilles approaches, but rather than killing her, he picks her up and carries her toward her motel.

Achilles carries Tierney back to her motel room. He treats both of their injuries with makeshift first aid supplies.

The narrative flashes back: On the night Tierney turns 17, Achilles promises to give her an engagement ring on her 18th birthday. They have been dating in secret for months; Achilles has not initiated sex because he does not want to upset or pressure Tierney. When he mentions having children shortly after they marry, Tierney grows distant and he becomes upset, fearing she is not committed to a future together. 

On Tierney’s 18th birthday, Achilles prepares to propose and break the news to his family. He drives to her house and finds it engulfed in flames. Achilles rushes inside to save her. He believes that the fire must have been set by Igor (at this time, the leader of the Bratva). Achilles finds Tierney unconscious in the house and carries her to safety; he is badly burned in the process (this is the origin of his severe facial scars). After getting Tierney to safety, Achilles collapses from his injuries.

Tierney wakes in the Venice motel room to find Achilles asleep next to her. She aims a gun at his head but finds herself unable to shoot him. Achilles awakens and coolly tells her to go ahead. Overcome with emotion, Tierney lowers the weapon and breaks down sobbing. Achilles takes the gun back, and they reconcile and have passionate sex.

Achilles details an escape plan for Tierney. He offers to give her money and instructs her to go to Prague, where his contact will be able to provide a new identity. He will tell his father that he killed her, which will hopefully prevent the Ferrante family from seeking her out. When Achilles reveals that his family wants him to marry Katya, Tierney is speechless and visibly jealous. Achilles tells her there is no other way, and they will both die if they don’t follow his plan.

Heartbroken, Tierney leaves Venice. Achilles has arranged a car for her and instructed her to take a meandering driving route to Prague (making her harder to track). As she drives, she phones Tiernan (defying Achilles’s instructions not to contact her brother). She confirms that Achilles let her go and instructs him not to tell anyone that she has contacted him. Tiernan and Tierney know that someone is leaking their secrets (because someone relayed the information about her collaboration with Rothwell to Vello after she confided in Tiernan), but they don’t know the traitor’s identity. Consumed with jealousy, she also asks Tiernan about Katya. Tiernan responds that “I don’t think Achilles can be happy with anyone who isn’t you” (205). 

After the call, Tierney continues her journey. After switching cars, she arrives in Vienna and checks into a lavish hotel.

Achilles secretly follows Tierney as she travels from Venice to Vienna. When Vello calls, Achilles lies that he has killed Tierney. As a cover story for why he can’t immediately return to the US, Achilles claims he needs to go to Naples and assert Ferrante power by subduing the Coppola family. Vello is hesitant and suspicious but agrees. After spending the night in Vienna at the same hotel as Tierney, he follows her to Prague. He observes her as she obtains a new passport from his contact and opens a bank account. He continues spying as she goes to look at the various apartments he has flagged as safe. 

Achilles becomes alarmed when Tierney goes to view an apartment alone. Fearing a trap, Achilles follows her into the empty unit. Tierney turns and sees him. Neither of them realizes that a second man is hiding in the apartment until it is too late. Before Achilles can react, Tristan Hale (a well-known assassin, whom Vello initially wanted to hire to kill Tierney) shoots Tierney in the head and flees. Achilles registers a fierce desire for vengeance against Hale but is focused on desperately trying to help Tierney.