Mike Handler, the owner of Guardian Construction, is in a private room at the Kingdom club after a paid sexual encounter, texting his wife false reassurances about being in Richmond. He considers himself a good man despite his transgressions. Three men—Roman and the Bang Bang Twins (Lucius and Lavon)—enter the room. Roman presents a contract transferring fifty-one percent of Guardian Construction to JCR Investments, explaining that Handler's company will win the upcoming Skids revitalization demolition contract and that they will be partners.

Handler laughs off the demand, offering instead to pay hush money, and threatens to bring the mayor and police down on them. Roman calmly notes he has a meeting with the mayor on Monday. The Bang Bang Twins pin Handler to the bed, and Lucius uses a vise grip to clamp and twist flesh from Handler's stomach and armpit. After enduring excruciating pain, Handler agrees to sign.

Later, around 12:30 A.M., Roman visits Jae at her apartment after dropping the signed papers at Trout's safe. He resists her teasing about a booty call and asks to simply lie with her. He privately reflects on his father's old apocalyptic musings about everything ending in ashes, and on the parallel between what he did to Handler and what his father did to others—taking a man's livelihood through coercion. He questions whether saving his family can end in anything but ashes.

Roman tells Jae a partial truth—that he'll be meeting the mayor about expanding business—while concealing the criminal scheme. Jae presses him about her brothers, telling him she refuses to be part of that life. Roman lies, claiming Terrance and Tracy may be seeking to go legitimate, and assures her he earns his money lawfully. They kiss and move to the bedroom together.