Junior observed Lauren walking her dog through her upscale neighborhood, noting her casual outfit and reading her glances back at him as a sign she was unattached. He recalled surreptitiously planting a tracker in her handbag earlier at church and admitted he already knew where she lived from years of watching her. Seeing her comfortable and thriving soothed him, and he justified his obsession by telling himself she was safe and doing well.

A text from Junior’s father reading “Now” signaled an emergency, forcing Junior to leave. He revved past Lauren for a final look before riding off. That night, Junior and Alec met in the woods to bury a small but very heavy box by lantern light, joking nervously about its contents while digging an extra-deep hole on their father’s orders.

As they worked, Junior received a paywalled Me4U photo blast from Lauren and tipped for an explicit follow-up image. He pocketed the phone and resumed digging while Alec speculated wildly about the box, including a theory about a Bratva connection. Junior dismissed the ideas and suggested their father might be testing burial depth against a tracker, or simply tormenting them with uncertainty.

Alec pressed Junior about what he had said to Lauren at church that made her threaten to tase him. Junior deflected, then admitted provoking Lauren about their past to gauge her reaction. Alec accused Junior of having ruined Lauren’s life by denying their relationship in high school. Junior first claimed she was fine now, citing her income and lifestyle, then said he had denied the relationship to protect her from worse consequences.

Junior privately reflected that both their fathers had been prepared for violent escalation back then, and that his denial had been intended to shield Lauren and his brothers from their own father’s brutality. Out loud, he framed it as sparing Lauren the ongoing abuse any woman linked to him would face. Alec accepted some of this but insisted Junior still owed Lauren a profound apology and would have to do whatever it took to earn her forgiveness if he wanted a second chance.

They strained to lower the box into the hole, with Junior’s old knife wound bleeding through his bandage. Afterward, Alec unexpectedly told Junior to go and let him finish, noting that Junior still called Lauren “Lo.” When Junior rejected the idea of romance, Alec told him he was worthy of love. Junior left Alec to complete the burial, warning him not to talk to their father about Lauren and threatening to expose Alec’s prior mistake if he did.