Evie, Blade, and Becky arrive at Briar's Peak, a cliff-edge clearing in Hickory Forest decorated with floating candles, magical food, and silver wine. The gathering is extravagant and filled with all manner of creatures—humans, pixies, unicorns, and forest sprites. Blade compliments Evie's appearance but fails to compliment Becky, privately admitting his thoughts about her were too inappropriate to share. The trio begins sampling the enchanted wine, and Evie raises concerns about poison, but Blade dismisses them after observing the crowd drinking freely.

Blade spots a handsome stranger flirting with Becky and rushes off to intervene, leaving Evie alone to search for clues about the core healer. She reflects on the guilt she still feels over compiling the list of potential traitors among The Villain's employees, and quietly hopes to spot Tatianna among the partygoers. An older red-haired man in dark robes approaches Evie, asks to see her invitation, and then introduces himself as Arthur Maverine—The Villain's father and the core healer Evie has been seeking.

Evie is stunned. Arthur explains that he received a letter that morning, apparently signed by Evie, requesting an invitation to the celebration. He reads the letter aloud, but Evie insists she never wrote it. Arthur is genuinely puzzled, and Evie realizes someone else forged the letter in her name to orchestrate this meeting. Arthur reveals that he knows about his son Trystan's life as The Villain. Evie awkwardly describes herself as Trystan's assistant, and Arthur gently implies there may be more to their relationship.

Their conversation is interrupted by The Villain himself, who appears behind them. Arthur is visibly shocked and emotional at seeing his son, reaching out to him, but Trystan coldly greets him as "Arthur" rather than "Father." He addresses Evie with clear anger in his eyes. Evie realizes the gravity of the situation: by not bringing the invitation to her boss immediately, she has inadvertently caused a public reunion between The Villain and his estranged father—something Trystan clearly never wanted. Panicking, Evie begins looking for an escape route.