Junior arrived at his dingy apartment in the early morning, bleeding from a shallow three-inch knife gash on his left side. He reflected bitterly on the turf-war job that caused it, questioning why he and his brothers had been involved and assuming his father owed someone a favor. In the bathroom, he cleaned up and dressed the wound himself, noting the many scars that marked years of close calls.

Seeking distraction, Junior pulled up Lauren Marchetti’s newest video on Me4U. He scrutinized her expression for grief or worry in the days since he and his brothers disposed of Tommy Marchetti’s body and car, but he saw no sign she knew about or cared about Tommy’s disappearance. Frustrated by uncertainty, he decided to call his father for information despite their strained relationship.

On the call, Junior’s father immediately berated him for being out of touch. Junior snapped back, mentioning his injury, and then asked if the news about Tommy had broken. His father responded with suspicion about Junior’s interest and insulted Lauren, which enraged Junior, though he kept his composure. Junior got the confirmation he wanted: Tommy was reported missing yesterday. His father then tried a guilt trip about returning home for his worried mother before hanging up.

Junior’s anger resurfaced as he remembered his father’s past intimidation over Lauren after Tommy assaulted him years ago. He interpreted his father’s words then as a threat toward Lauren and recognized that their unresolved conflict was headed toward a decisive confrontation. He admitted to himself he did not want to follow his father’s path.

Junior resumed Lauren’s custom video and masturbated while engaging with her dirty talk and instructions. He reveled in the parasocial intimacy, describing how he had studied her sounds and preferences over the years with the intention of using that knowledge to make her physically dependent on him. He acknowledged the manipulation and did not care, fantasizing about possessing her and paying her back for teasing him.

As the video progressed, Lauren teased, displayed herself, and simulated touching herself, escalating to climax. Junior imagined himself with her and climaxed at the same time she did on screen. Afterward, he listened to Lauren’s happy laughter and brief, intimate sign-off, which left him longing for that sense of aliveness.

Coming down from the high, Junior resolved that although he had not yet figured out how to escape his father’s control, he had to do it soon. He decided he was done with online interactions and needed to see Lauren in person, signaling a shift toward direct pursuit.