At a high-society event a man is forced to kneel and repeatedly apologize to Ms. Smith, publicly humiliating the attendees. Zack's camp braces—Ned and others fume that the scandal will ruin them. They decide Layla's power comes from her bodyguard and resolve to 'deal with him' first. With the guard gone, they plan to strip Layla of protection, ruin her reputation and clear the way for Elaine to marry Zack. They end the meeting by promising to make her suffer—'when the time comes, she'll wish she were dead'—setting an immediate threat against Layla and her protector.