After leaving Margaret Grace Ives’s home at night, Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson drive back toward town, repeatedly landing side by side at lights despite trying to avoid it. They arrive at the Grande Lucia Resort and discover they are lodged on the same floor, with rooms adjacent to each other.

On the stairwell, Hayden proposes a practical schedule to split research time with Margaret during the monthlong trial: either Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, with Sundays alternating or off per Margaret’s preference. He aims to finalize paperwork the next day and start Friday and Saturday. Alice selects Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and Hayden agrees. Their banter is wary but softens slightly as he uses her name and bids her an impersonal good night.

Before bed, Alice plans to find a longer-term rental away from the resort. She sleeps poorly and rises early to work at Little Croissant cafe near Margaret’s street. There she meets Captain Cecil, who previously bought her a drink at the bar; she buys his coffee, keeps Margaret’s identity private due to the NDA, and receives his card and advice not to “wait too long.”

Alice sets up to research Margaret online, prepares notes for interviews to start as soon as her lawyer friend and agent approve the contract, and updates her group chat of coworkers about the trial and Hayden’s involvement. She emails editor Bianca Ribeiro requesting to handle remote stories while in town. Friends react with teasing; Alice defends giving Hayden the benefit of the doubt.

With her laptop battery dying and the sun up, Alice returns to the resort, noting she has booked a monthlong rental starting the next day. She leaves an iced green tea and a croissant outside Hayden’s door as a courtesy rather than knocking.

Later, dressed for a beach day, Alice notices the items untouched and feels a surge of anxiety tied to a personal history of fearing closed doors. Concerned, she knocks repeatedly and calls out to Hayden. After a muffled grunt, he opens the door, asking if there is a fire. The scene reveals Hayden is fine—and shirtless—defusing Alice’s worry.