After fatally shooting Min-soo’s father, Dong-min retreats to his home, locking himself inside with a gun. When the police arrive, he agrees to speak with Chief Hyun, but only if the chief enters alone and unarmed. Although Sang-cheol sneaks in through the back door as a precaution, his intervention isn’t needed. Chief Hyun skillfully appeals to Dong-min’s guilt over Bo-young and convinces him to surrender the gun.
At the police station, Dong-min shows no remorse for avenging Bo-young, but he deeply regrets how he treated Jung-woo’s family. He nearly begs for punishment, especially for pushing Geum-hee off the overpass. At Bo-young’s funeral, he quietly leaves early, sparing Jae-hee the discomfort of his presence—perhaps signaling a chance for personal change.
Meanwhile, Byung-mu’s father shamelessly pleads with Jung-woo to write an appeal for his son’s release from prison. Jung-woo delivers a cold, satisfying rejection, saying, “I also had a father who loved me.” Byung-mu will face his fate.
Meanwhile, Su-oh is back home but spends most of his time in the greenhouse basement, hiding a horrific secret: Da-eun’s body. In Su-oh’s disturbed mind, the room is a serene, fairytale-like sanctuary where Da-eun’s body remains perfectly preserved. He continues to protect her corpse, unaware of the deeper truth he’s hiding.
In a separate plot, Chief Hyun finds a scapegoat in Hee-do, revealing his long-laid backup plan. As more of the truth about Jung-woo’s innocence surfaces, Chief Hyun blames Hee-do for mishandling the investigation. Playing the role of a “concerned superior,” Hyun advises Hee-do to resign and let him fix the mess. Years ago, Hyun manipulated Hee-do into believing Jung-woo was guilty, even convincing him to plant blood evidence. Now, realizing he was used, Hee-do leaves incriminating evidence for Sang-cheol before disappearing.
Chief Hyun continues his deception, throwing others under the bus while maintaining an air of false humility. When Assemblywoman Ye threatens him with a damning painting of him at the warehouse, Hyun counters with evidence of her husband Hyung-shik’s crimes, including grooming Da-eun before her murder. The two reach a tense stalemate: Hyun will wrap up the case for Ye in exchange for a promotion once she becomes governor, and in return, Ye secures Su-oh’s release.
Elsewhere, Na-kyeom is consumed by jealousy over Jung-woo’s friendship with Seol. After confirming that Jung-woo has never returned her feelings, Na-kyeom flies into a rage, refusing to return to Seoul. She schemes to return to a time when she was the only person Jung-woo could rely on. Luring him to her home under false pretenses, she drugs him and plots to frame him for Seol’s murder. Fortunately, Sang-cheol tracks Na-kyeom’s movements and intervenes just in time, stopping her before she can hurt anyone. He also recovers crucial evidence that further implicates Hyung-shik in Da-eun’s death.
This puts Assemblywoman Ye in an even more desperate position as she scrambles to cover up her husband’s blunders. Despite her efforts, when Hyung-shik’s involvement in Da-eun’s murder becomes public, she orders him to turn himself in, though she has no real intention of letting him go to prison. Distraught, Hyung-shik tries to escape with help from a former patient, but Jung-woo catches him mid-plan. However, before Jung-woo can act, one of Ye’s minions injects Hyung-shik with a substance, leaving him unconscious in his car. Jung-woo manages to pull him out, but we’ll have to wait to see if Hyung-shik survives to face justice.
This gripping episode delivers intense twists as Dong-min faces the consequences of his actions while Chief Hyun masterfully shifts blame to cover his tracks. The ongoing power struggles between the characters reveal deep layers of manipulation, regret, and unrelenting jealousy. Na-kyeom’s deranged plan to frame Jung-woo adds tension, but Sang-cheol’s timely intervention keeps the stakes high. The dark secrets hidden by Su-oh and Assemblywoman Ye show just how far people will go to protect themselves. With mounting revelations, the tension builds toward an inevitable showdown, leaving viewers eagerly anticipating next week’s episode.