Kai’s mother and sister, Leonora and Abigail, show up at his house while Isabella is still present. They all exchange awkward greetings upon meeting, and Leonora bluntly tells Kai that she heard his meeting with Rohan went poorly. She also reveals that Tobias withdrew his candidacy an hour ago without giving a reason. This latest reveal causes Kai to make a connection between the stories in the National Star about his relationship and Tobias’s withdrawal, both a week before the CEO vote. He suspects that someone is toying with the vote. Leonora and Abigail suggest that Kai generate good press in order to swing the CEO vote back in his favor. To do this, they wish for him to go on a public date with Clarissa. Though he is set on rejecting this proposal, Isabella encourages him to do so to ensure positive media buzz. 

Two days later, Kai visits board member Richard Chu at his home. Kai meets with Richard in an attempt to gain his vote for CEO. He suggests that they work together because he is the best candidate for the job, and he promises to appoint him as senior advisor during his first year as CEO. Richard promises to think about it.