Early Sunday, Evie enters a closed UPS store to access mailbox 1428, seeking direction after the Derby party disruption. She notes how her boss controls information through staggered drops, keeping her reactive and in the dark about clients.

Evie reviews how the job began: first the location, then the mark—Ryan Sumner—with a thorough dossier detailing his family history, attachments, and vulnerabilities. The report recommended a “Damsel in Distress” approach, and Evie built the Evie Porter persona to stand out—bohemian style, minimal makeup, memorable presence—calibrated to Ryan’s patterns.

She was told this identity could be long-term because Ryan’s work in East Texas is crucial to the objective. Pressure is high: six months earlier she failed to retrieve blackmail material for powerful client Victor Connolly, putting her on thin ice with her boss and under evaluation.

Lucca’s sudden appearance—using Evie’s true name—upended the plan, prompting this unscheduled check. The box is empty. Back in her car, Evie weighs options. Her gut says Lucca was sent by the same people who sent her, but calling the provided number is a last-resort signal that risks extraction or defeat. With no protocol for an impostor using her real identity, Evie recognizes she is operating in uncharted territory.