Victor pushes for an emergency hearing, claiming the child must be protected amid allegations. Adrian files motions that weaken Victor's standing. Media cycles scream about scandal and redemption, but most of the public misses the small, personal negotiations: who will change diapers at midnight, who will attend doctor visits, who will be trusted with bedtime stories.
Mei begins to feel the possibility of a life that is not only reactive. She starts to teach herself small things—how to fold a swaddle, how to read one-handed while the baby sleeps. The women who have guarded her become teachers and friends, sharing shame and triumph in equal measure.
Cliffhanger: A courier arrives at Renée's door with an envelope stamped in the same child's hand as the photograph—this time it contains a single page: "Find L. at the old pier house." The pier house is on Victor's private list of properties.