Junior returns to his city apartment at 3 a.m. on Friday, bleeding from a three-inch knife wound to his side sustained during a turf war job his father had taken on as a favor. He examines the scars covering his torso, noting how close he repeatedly comes to death, then showers and dresses the shallow wound himself.

Wanting to know whether news of Tommy Marchetti's disappearance has broken, Junior reluctantly calls his estranged father. The conversation immediately turns hostile, but his father confirms Tommy was reported missing the day before. When his father suspiciously asks if the inquiry concerns Tommy's "whore daughter," Junior suppresses his rage. He reflects on years of resentment, recalling his father's veiled threat from a decade earlier that implied he would hurt Lauren himself if Junior didn't stay away. Junior recognizes a confrontation with his father is overdue—he no longer wants to follow in his footsteps.

To distract himself, Junior plays Lauren's latest custom video, which he had paid extra for dirty talk. He watches her undress and pleasure herself, masturbating along with her while mentally cataloging her preferences and tells, framing his obsessive study as strategic preparation for when he finally claims her. Mid-video, Lauren teases him with a remark calling him "grumpy," suggesting she has noted his impatience from past sexting sessions.

They climax together, and afterward Lauren laughs freely on screen, thanking her subscriber. Her happiness sharpens Junior's longing and discontent. He resolves that he must break free from his father quickly, because he is finished engaging with Lauren only through a screen—he intends to see her in person.