After shooting Sheffield Grayson, Mellie is dazed and tries to justify that Sheffield was armed and about to kill Avery and Toby. Toby calmly takes the gun from Mellie, while Avery struggles to process why Mellie betrayed her and why Mellie returned.

Mellie insists the betrayal was never about money and reveals that she and Eli are siblings by removing a colored contact lens; one of Mellie's eyes matches Eli's distinctive blue-and-amber eye. Avery pieces together that Eli staged a threat to stay close to Avery and leaked information about Toby, while Mellie explains that she and Eli only wanted to draw Toby out of hiding and talk to him.

Mellie says Sheffield became involved after Grayson and Jameson visited him in Arizona and he sent a man to watch them at True North. Eli caught the man, and because Eli, Mellie, and Sheffield all wanted Toby found, their plans converged. Mellie denies that she and Eli meant to hurt Avery or bomb the plane.

The reason Mellie wanted Toby emerges when Mellie shows Toby a photo of her mother and says Toby knew her during the summer he disappeared. Avery realizes Sheffield's DNA claim was based not on Avery's DNA but on someone else's: Toby is not Avery's biological father, but he did father Mellie's younger sister, Evelyn, who goes by Eve.

Mellie argues that Eve, now nineteen, is the true Hawthorne by blood and deserves what Avery has. Avery recognizes that Eve is also a Laughlin descendant and offers to bring Eve to Hawthorne House, despite the pain of realizing Eve is the one who biologically belongs there. Toby refuses sharply, saying his daughter will not come to Hawthorne House, but he promises Mellie that if she brings him to Eve, he will take care of Eve discreetly.

When Mellie shows Toby and Avery a picture of Eve, Avery sees that Eve looks exactly like Emily Laughlin. Toby then tells Mellie he will help Eve, but first he needs to speak with Avery alone, signaling that Toby is preparing to explain or decide something important after the truth about his daughter is revealed.