The day after giving Ben her phone number, Lucy sits in her mother’s office feeling immediate regret about how many bad decisions have brought her back to Texas. When Ben texts to ask whether she is free to meet his assistant, Lucy is wary but curious, especially because she remembers Paige from Ben’s previous podcast season. Even though Lucy recognizes that Ben may be trying to make her more comfortable before the interview, she decides to go to the Plumpton Suites anyway.

At the hotel, Ben introduces Lucy to Paige, who is warm, blunt, and openly fascinated by finally meeting the woman at the center of the case. Their early conversation focuses on how Lucy differs from the devious-looking photos that have circulated online. Lucy quickly understands that Ben and Paige are skilled investigators, and she becomes aware that even this casual meeting is also a way for them to size her up.

Paige asks Lucy a question no one else has been able to answer: why Lucy punched Ross Ayers in high school. Lucy explains that Ross had been taking up-skirt photos of another girl in their class. Because the victim was embarrassed and did not want people to know, Lucy told a teacher but kept the girl’s identity secret; when Ross escaped punishment because the photos had been deleted, Lucy punched him herself. This answer confirms Paige’s theory and shows both Lucy’s protective instincts and her willingness to act when authority fails.

When Paige presses further, Lucy admits that Emmett knew the real reason she attacked Ross, though she never told him the girl’s name. Paige reads this as proof that Emmett has kept many of Lucy’s secrets. Lucy tries to distance herself by saying she has not spoken to Emmett in five years, but her private thoughts reveal that he has called and texted her and that she ignored him after Savvy’s murder accusation shattered their friendships.

Ben then shifts the conversation toward Matt. Lucy says she recently saw Matt after years apart and that he asked to get together again, though she has not responded. Ben reveals his motive for asking: Matt refuses to do an interview for the podcast, and Ben wants Lucy to persuade him. Lucy points out the absurdity, since Matt believes she killed Savvy, but Paige bluntly asks whether he is right. Masking her panic with humor, Lucy ultimately agrees to try, giving Ben a possible path to another important witness.