Scarlett and Lukas jump into the pool to celebrate her earlier success. After playful banter and kissing, he insists they leave the water to check her MCAT results, despite her attempts to stall. In the locker rooms, he dries her, gives her his hoodie, and keeps her focused on opening the email.

Lukas shares that he’s leaving the next night for ten days for the Nordic Swimming Championships in Estonia, followed by a training trip, and that everyone at Stanford expects his national-team commitments. Scarlett notices his arm tattoo depicting his mother’s hometown and learns his brothers share similar ink after their mother’s death.

He reframes their agreement: until Scarlett says stop, he claims both the right to take her apart and the responsibility to put her back together. Bolstered by his support, Scarlett opens the email and discovers a 526, far higher than she expected. Lukas says he anticipated a strong score because of her preparation and anxious self-doubt, and they kiss.

Scarlett then asks whether Lukas is still sleeping with Pen, worried because they’re not using condoms. He makes clear it is her business, says he helped Pen as a friend but hasn’t touched her since they broke up, and affirms he has no interest in anyone but Scarlett.

The scene turns intimate as Lukas takes control, checks consent (“stop” as the limit), and leads a rough, caring, consensual D/s encounter, including spanking. He challenges Scarlett to understand his motives and confesses he wants her because it’s all he wants to do and because she feels perfect to him. As Scarlett climaxes, her gaze lands on Pen’s locker, a reminder of lingering complications.