Edgar wakes Esme in the night and they spar over his constant care; Esme insists she won't fall for him while Edgar replies, "I only did this because I gave my word," saying their arrangement ends when the years are up. At Omar Casino Esme keeps winning, provoking dealers and rivals. Players raise the base to 100,000 and openly plot to "reap her." Edgar arrives at the casino and orders the home's deposit receipts, an action that turns Esme's gambling triumph into an immediate, unresolved threat.