Avery calls Alisa from the car after learning that Drake is at the gates of Hawthorne House. Alisa says she has already obtained temporary restraining orders for Avery and Libby, but Avery is furious that Drake has still come to the estate. Alisa promises to use discreet police contacts, while Avery worries less about physical danger than about Drake manipulating Libby emotionally.

Oren drives Avery back with Grayson beside her. Grayson reassures Avery that Nash is with Libby and would stop Drake from hurting her, but Avery explains that Drake’s tenderness can be as dangerous as his violence. Oren warns that removing Drake may create a scene because the press has returned to the public street outside the estate, likely after Drake tipped them off.

When they arrive, Avery sees Drake outside the gates with uniformed police nearby and a large crowd of reporters watching. Realizing that footage of Drake being dragged away could be used to guilt Libby, Avery orders Oren to stop the car and decides to take control of the story herself. Oren insists on exiting first, and Grayson tries to stop Avery, but Avery challenges him by asking what he would do to protect his family.

Avery steps out in full view of the press, deliberately presenting herself as the bigger story. She turns the moment into an impromptu press conference, drawing the cameras and reporters away from Drake. When a struggle begins behind her between Drake and the police, Avery escalates by claiming she knows why Tobias Hawthorne changed his will and chose her.

Avery uses that claim as leverage, warning the reporters that if they publish anything about Drake, Avery will make sure they never learn the truth. The statement is a calculated lie, but it succeeds in shifting attention back to Avery and away from the man threatening Libby’s safety and peace of mind.