The chapter opens with The Villain (Trystan) reviewing his list of suspects for the office traitor. Over the past month, he has systematically eliminated names—the Malevolent Guards, Sage, Blade, Rebecka, and his siblings. His brother Malcolm has been holed up in his tavern since the explosion, and his sister Lydia has shown no suspicious activity. A compromised confidential shipment and the guvre's escape both point to one person who was unaccounted for during each incident: Tatianna. Trystan resolves to simply ask her rather than assume the worst, given their long history.

As Trystan approaches Tatianna's door, he hears Evie scream. Overcome with panic, he pounds on the locked door, which is reinforced by one of Clare's painted wards that blocks his magic. He hears Evie weakly call his name, and in a blind rage he smashes the door off its hinges. Inside, he finds Tatianna holding a small box near Evie, who lies crumpled on the floor in visible agony. His magic instinctively reaches out to find whoever is hurting her, but the gray mist swirls around Evie herself rather than Tatianna or Clare.

Trystan rushes to Evie, cradling her head and ordering Tatianna to stop. When Tatianna slams the box shut, Evie goes limp with relief. He carries her to the examination table and demands an explanation. Clare reveals that the dagger that once cut Evie is imbued with rare binding magic—it absorbed her blood and causes pain whenever she is near it. The only way to break the bond is to expose Evie to the pain repeatedly until the connection is severed. Evie confirms she consented to the procedure, wanting to be free of the dangerous, unpredictable magic embedded in her wound. Trystan, though deeply reluctant, respects her decision and instructs Tatianna and Clare to continue working together to help her.

Trystan then asks Tatianna where she was the night the guvre escaped. She laughs at the accusation and tells him she was at the Evergreen Tavern, verifiable by the barkeep. This alibi eliminates her as a suspect, leaving Trystan with no remaining leads on the traitor's identity. Blade then arrives to report that the two guvres are mating and their enthusiasm is threatening to collapse the office, requiring Trystan's magic to reinforce the structure. As Trystan departs, he ensures Tatianna and Clare will keep Evie safe, though her renewed screams as they resume the procedure test his restraint as he walks away.