Bryce waits alone at the Pearl and Rose, drinking while the wealthy crowd sneers. Connor’s texts confess his feelings and ask for a chance. Forty-five minutes late, Reid arrives, preoccupied and unapologetic. He brushes off conversation with talk of investors and the distant Pangeran war, underscoring the elitism Bryce despises and her fraught place among the Vanir and Fae.

As Reid stays glued to his phone, Bryce decides she won’t be a box to check. She ends the relationship, swipes the wine, and needles a sneering Fae noblewoman who dangles a human companion, then strides out, choosing self-respect over access to his status and restaurants.

Outside, Bryce calls Fury and Juniper to meet at the White Raven and impulsively buys mirthroot, refusing the pricey new drug Synth. While waiting at the club, she texts Connor and sets a Saturday pizza date. Danika complains about missing the outing but stays loyal to Pack Night, while Connor promises not to go “alphahole.”

Fury arrives unseen and puts a knife to Bryce’s throat to prove a point about vigilance. She warns Bryce to avoid Synth, calling it dangerous. Sharing the pilfered wine, Bryce and Fury link arms and head into the White Raven to dance off the day, their plans marking a shift toward Connor and foreshadowing darker threads in the city’s party scene.