Alone in Verity’s office, Lowen knows reading the hidden manuscript is invasive, but she justifies it by telling herself it may help her understand Verity’s mind and work. When she notices how late it is and goes to find food, she hears a rhythmic creaking from upstairs and panics, briefly believing Jeremy may be having sex with his incapacitated wife.

Jeremy startles Lowen and immediately explains that the noise is Verity’s hospital bed, which automatically shifts her position to prevent pressure sores. Embarrassed by her assumption, Lowen follows him to the kitchen, where they share leftover pizza. Jeremy explains that he manages Verity’s nighttime medications after the nurse leaves, showing Lowen more of the practical burden of caring for Verity at home.

During dinner, Lowen tries to stay focused on work, but what she has already read in the manuscript colors the way she sees Jeremy. She asks about Verity’s unfinished series, then steers the conversation toward Jeremy and Verity’s past. Jeremy recounts meeting Verity at a party, pretending a limousine was his to impress her, and becoming inseparable from her. He also explains that Verity began writing while he was temporarily working in Los Angeles and that her publishing success changed their lives quickly.

Jeremy describes Verity as someone who loved fame and attention, while he preferred privacy and family life. The conversation turns darker when he accidentally refers to his dead daughters in the present tense and then admits how often he still expects Harper and Chastin to be there. Lowen, who recently lost her mother, relates to his grief, and the two share a rare, vulnerable exchange about how loss lingers and whether leaving a place full of reminders would help.

The emotional intimacy between them leaves Lowen unsettled and increasingly drawn to Jeremy. She breaks the moment by saying she needs to return to work, and Jeremy goes to prepare Verity’s medication, calling her "Low" as she leaves. Back in her room, Lowen chooses not to focus on the job she came for; instead, she carries Verity’s manuscript with her, barricades her bedroom door with a chest, and decides she has to keep reading.