25

On a gray Monday, Lucian basks in the aftermath of a sex-filled weekend with Sloane, trading irreverent texts that claim they’re finished while hinting at anything but. Colleagues notice his rare good mood. In a briefing with Nolan and Lina, Nolan reports Travers confirmed Tate Dilton attended the Metzer barbecue and was tied to Anthony Hugo’s informant list and to Duncan. The team concludes Tate both placed Nash’s name on the list and later shot him, before dying.

Lina seethes and declares she’ll tell Nash despite her NDA. She also reports a looming lawsuit against Morganstern Credit Corporation for predatory collections, noting its link to Sloane’s scam date. Lucian and Nolan agree their private campaign against Hugo continues, especially after Hugo’s men tailed Holly. Nolan teases Lucian about Sloane; group texts with Nash and Knox needle him further.

Lucian and Sloane resume flirtation by text, pivoting from declaring an end to their entanglement to arranging a covert post-event meetup on Friday—Valentine’s Day. After a work call with image consultants, Petula brings Grace, who reveals a tracking device was found on Lucian’s Escalade. Relieved he’d driven a different car to Knockemout, Lucian orders sweeps and increased security. He decides to leverage the tracker to mislead or expose Hugo, signaling a tactical escalation.