This week, we find billionaire Paul Marks and Alex Levy immersed in their passionate relationship amidst Marks' Hyperion venture to acquire UBA. Cory Ellison expresses his frustration with his team for not finalizing the deal with Paul and urges them to expedite the process. Leonard updates Cory on the heightened attention the potential deal with Paul is attracting due to the involvement of a political strategist. Leonard implores Cory to quell the scrutiny, as the matter has now reached the Department of Justice. Subsequently, Bradley visits Cory's office to tell him that Hal will no longer be an issue.
Cory invites Bradley to join him on a brief journey to Connecticut with the purpose of meeting the political strategist and preventing her from sabotaging the deal. Meanwhile, Alex and Paul spend time together, discovering common ground in their experiences with failed relationships. Cory introduces Bradley to the political strategist, who turns out to be his mother, Martha Ellison. The encounter exposes a strained dynamic between Cory and Martha. Nonetheless, Martha is taken with Bradley and her strong feminist stance. She extends an invitation for Cory and Bradley to stay for dinner, but their decline leaves her visibly disappointed.
Cory is compelled to cancel his prior commitments to make amends with Martha, causing Bradley to essentially be held hostage in a tense mother-son stand-off and miss out on the Evening News. Martha asks Bradley about her relationship with Laura, and Bradley happily reveals the two are back together... to the visible disappointment of Cory.
Meanwhile, Stella confers with her legal team regarding Paul Marks' proposition to assume the role of UBA CEO once he acquires the company. She harbors reservations about the offer, but her lawyers stress that it's a unique opportunity for her. They propose the idea of presenting a counteroffer, yet Stella realizes that if the deal falls through, she'll be compelled to depart from UBA.
The UBA team gathers at a charity fashion dinner hosted by Pierpaolo Piccioli, marking the first public appearance of Alex and Paul together since their affair began discreetly. Despite their hesitance to go public with their romance, Paul discovers that a photo of them has been acquired by the gossip publication, The Vault. Alex points out this is the same publication that outed Bradley and her relationship with Laura. Paul offers Alex two alternatives: either reveal their relationship before the photo is published or pay the publication to suppress the story. Alex opts not to disclose their relationship, leaving Paul to handle the unfolding crisis.
Bradley continues to find herself entangled in the tension between Cory and his mother. Following an uncomfortable dinner, Martha concedes not to meddle in the UBA sale deal. After a strange mother-son piano cover of Ain't No Mountain High Enough which results in Bradley missing her own mom, they finally leave. While heading home, Bradley commiserates with Cory over his challenging relationship with his mother.
At the party, news of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the abortion law leaks, eliciting sharply contrasting reactions. Chris Hunter, in particular, is deeply distressed by the development and posts a controversial message on social media. Conversely, Stella discovers that her friend Kate was terminated by Paul, prompting her to reevaluate whether she wants to re-enter business dealings with him.
Stella confides in Mia about her situation, who swiftly grasps that accepting the offer would mean displacing Cory from his position and possibly a promotion for Mia herself. Nevertheless, Stella asserts that her intention is to bring about positive change at UBA. Mia subtly suggests that men are typically reluctant to relinquish positions of power, indirectly nudging Stella toward accepting the offer.
In the episode's closing moments, Stella has a candid conversation with Cory in his office, revealing Paul's proposition. Throughout Stella's ascent to lead the new UBA division, Cory has been a supportive figure. Given her past encounters with Paul, Cory appears to be the more favorable option. Thus, she likely feels compelled to disclose Paul's plan to replace Cory after the takeover. Meanwhile, Cory encourages Stella to consider the offer, explaining that it implies the billionaire believes he can exert influence over her.
