CHAPTER 101: GIGI

At Eve’s high-profile funeral, Gigi sits with a grieving Slate in the back pew, both clinging to Rohan’s theory that Eve survived. Gigi recalls evidence: Alice’s death after drinking the same poison as Eve and Avery’s Crucible revelation that Eve’s name was Phoenix—rebirth implied.

Avery delivers a eulogy that doubles as a coded message, honoring Toby’s sacrifice and hinting that “wherever” Eve is, she belongs and should be present when Toby’s ashes are scattered. The crowd reacts to the spectacle, but Gigi and Slate focus on the subtext: hope that Eve is alive.

As mourners disperse, an attorney informs Slate that he is Eve’s sole heir, her will airtight despite her estranged mother’s interest. Stunned, Slate processes the responsibility and the likelihood that, alive or not, Eve won’t return.

Alone in the church, Slate confesses memories of Eve’s kindness to his dying mother, then vows to kill Eve if he ever sees her—for faking her death and leaving him the money. He hands Gigi one of Eve’s seals, admitting he doesn’t know how to handle the fortune or relationships.

Emotion turns intimate as Gigi steadies Slate, jokes about both challenges, and initiates a new “game” between them, signaling a tentative, risky connection amid grief and uncertainty.