Lauren, aroused and conflicted after demanding that Junior grovel, stayed pressed to the stairwell wall as Junior knelt behind her, apologized repeatedly, and begged to make amends. Despite recalling his violent confessions and the harm he had caused, Lauren wrestled with her attraction and the sense of power she felt over him.

When Junior pleaded to touch her, Lauren consented. Junior brought her to a rapid, intense orgasm, and continued pleasuring her while she reminded him she did not forgive him. Their encounter was abruptly interrupted when Ryan and Taylor opened the door; recognizing consent, they teased the pair and informed Lauren that Sylvia had called a meeting.

After Ryan and Taylor left, Lauren and Junior stood and faced each other. Junior, his mask pushed up, sucked his fingers clean, reigniting Lauren’s desire despite her misgivings about his past actions. He noticed dirt on her dress, removed his shirt, and offered it to her; Lauren accepted, noting both his attractiveness and a bloodstain at his side that he dismissed.

Junior settled the shirt on Lauren and, after a quiet, loaded moment, told her to enjoy her night and left. Lauren then attended Sylvia’s meeting in the third-floor office, where Sylvia announced that their landlord, Patrick McKinney, was raising the rent again to fifty dollars per square foot per year.

The group, including Lauren, Ryan, Taylor, and others, discussed options: short-term financial cover, expanding ownership, a Kickstarter, reducing rented floors, and more aggressive ideas. Due to vice laws, Velvet’s operations were constrained to a members-only model without property ownership or liquor sales, limiting leverage and making them vulnerable to predatory rent hikes.

They concluded with a plan assigning tasks. Lauren, Ryan, and Taylor volunteered to scout alternate venues, research rental standards, and identify more progressive landlords. Lauren reaffirmed her dedication to preserving Velvet as the city’s sole play club and vowed not to let McKinney force them out.