After a sudden kiss, Sam Archer and Wendy Moore face immediate fallout when an ally warns Sam to leave Wendy to avoid trouble. In public, a woman accuses Wendy of sneaking behind Mr. Reed with other men and the confrontation turns physical while Jared’s lackeys try to silence her. Sam pays for Wendy’s injuries and, under pressure to keep her safe, tells her he will stay out of her life. Wendy refuses to back down: when her father asks whom she wants to marry, she names Sam — forcing both to confront the coming consequences.