Three days after confronting Nico and believing he had killed her father, Lauren secluded herself in her room, physically sore and emotionally shattered. When footsteps approach, she fears an intruder, then panics when Nico enters wearing gloves. Expecting a weapon, she freezes, but Nico places an envelope on her bed instead.

Nico says it is the deed to Velvet’s building, which he bought from Patrick McKinney with the intention of lowering rent and expanding the club as proof of his commitment to Lauren. He apologizes and insists he did not kill Tommy. Lauren examines the deed, sees notarizations and dates that match his timeline, and demands the truth about her father.

Nico explains that Tommy was last seen with Nico’s father but is not dead. He says the organization hides people as well as bodies, and that Tommy, who was cooking books for higher-ups including Lorenzo, warned Lorenzo about federal pressure. Lorenzo exfiltrated Tommy to Italy to work for a cousin. Nico shows Lauren current photo and video proof of Tommy in Tuscany and explains such media are used as leverage.

Pressed for full disclosure, Nico recounts that on his birthday he and his brothers staged a disappearance at the docks using a headless, handless corpse stolen from a morgue by Greg, relying on the city’s DNA backlog to delay identification if Tommy’s car turned up. Lauren also asks about surveillance; Nico admits there is still a tracker on her phone but says there are no others.

Lauren makes him detail the McKinney situation. Nico describes investigating McKinney’s gambling debts with help from Josh, identifying Tyler as the bookie, and then confronting McKinney to force the sale. Under pressure from Lauren, he admits he used violence and severed McKinney’s finger (which was reattached). He confesses he cannot continue doing such work and fears becoming his father.

Lauren refuses to accept the deed, insisting Nico keep the building as his leverage to escape his family. She grows faint; Nico catches her and tends to her, and she recognizes he came to make amends, not to harm her. They hold each other, exchange apologies, and Lauren acknowledges her pattern of pushing people away due to past betrayals. She commits to judging Nico by his present actions, even while recognizing his past lies and questionable methods.

As they soften toward reconciliation, Nico regrets not telling her the truth earlier and finally reveals a crucial piece: Tommy had threatened to kill Nico back in high school, which was why Nico lied then about their relationship. This revelation reframes their history and shifts blame back onto Tommy’s manipulation.