Bryce meets Tharion at the pier and reluctantly boards his stealth wave skimmer to investigate the synth deal on the river. As they approach a barge painted with snake eyes, Tharion counts six figures aboard. They stay downwind to avoid detection and observe the scene unfolding in the mist.

Bryce identifies one of the figures as the Viper Queen, recognizable by her signature purple raincoat. This contradicts the Viper Queen's earlier claim that she didn't deal in synth. Bryce and Tharion determine the Viper Queen is the seller, with crates of synth loaded on the barge. A tall, hooded figure faces the Viper Queen as the apparent buyer, while a second buyer beside them argues in apparent disagreement about the deal. Despite the dissent, the tall buyer hands the Viper Queen a sack full of gold—an enormous sum that Tharion estimates could pay for the entire shipment.

Bryce recognizes the gravity of the situation: the Viper Queen has been selling synth despite her denials, raising questions about whether she was involved in Danika and the pack's deaths or simply acquired the drug after it leaked from the lab. Bryce discreetly photographs the scene with her phone and begins pulling up Hunt's number to call for backup.

The Viper Queen declares the deal "the start of a beautiful friendship." The tallest buyer turns stiffly, clearly displeased, and the firstlights illuminate their face beneath their hood. Both Bryce and Tharion are stunned: the buyer is Hunt Athalar. Bryce is left in shocked silence, her world shattered by the revelation that Hunt appears to be involved in purchasing synth.