Lauren narrated from the voyeur room at Velvet, shocked to find Junior seated next to her after he had just offered a ten-years-late apology. She panicked about him invading her safe space and worried he might embarrass her or kink-shame the crowd. Spotting Taylor and Jackson in the audience, Lauren got no help; she could not find Ryan. Determined to eject Junior, she whispered a threat to call in a bomb scare, but Junior calmly said he would not embarrass her and briefly kissed her neck, which unsettled her by turning her on rather than frightening her.

As the performance by married couple Morgan and Stephanie began, Lauren tried to refocus. She reflected on Velvet’s shared-ownership structure and her investment with friends including Sylvia, Ryan, and Taylor. While Morgan teased and pleasured Stephanie onstage, Lauren’s body responded strongly, but her emotions were conflicted by Junior’s presence and memories of their teen sexual history and his later denial of her.

Lauren analyzed her reaction as a conditioned response to an early sexual imprint and resolved to separate physical arousal from emotional trust. She questioned Junior’s apology and his claim that he had hidden their connection to protect her, deciding not to be swayed. Watching Junior for signs of mockery or discomfort, she instead saw him transfixed, respectful, and clearly aroused by the consensual performance, which made her cautiously reconsider her fear that he would disrupt the event.

Lauren weighed other potential partners in the room, considered resuming her night with another attendee or seeking out Moriah, and reaffirmed a boundary against hate sex with Junior despite her attraction. Onstage, Morgan escalated the scene, removing Stephanie’s underwear, savoring her scent, and going down on her while stroking himself. Audience participation increased around them, and Lauren’s own arousal climbed.

Junior remained composed but physically affected, adjusting in his seat and gripping his knee, his attention fixed on the stage. Lauren’s thoughts ping-ponged between desire and self-protection, concerned about appearing hypocritical to Ryan and Taylor after sharing how much Junior had hurt her. After Stephanie climaxed, Junior addressed Lauren in a rough voice, intensifying the charged moment between them.

The scene transitioned as Morgan lifted Stephanie onto the bed, signaling the main portion of the show was about to begin. Lauren, still conflicted but in control of her choices, turned her focus back to the stage while remaining acutely aware of Junior beside her.