When an explosion debilitates Washington, Emily pledges to step in and complete the construction of the bridge in his name, a covert operation she must somehow orchestrate while entirely in the public eye and under Penbreak’s relentless scrutiny. To pull off this ruse, Emily recruits the help of O’BRIEN, her husband’s straight-arrow deputy.

In Brooklyn, the fishcake business is enough of a draw for the other tradespeople to capitalize on, but without the influx of Black laborers Shirley promised, some are beginning to question her leadership. The situation is compounded when Mrs. Tate turns her boarding house into a “Blacks only” drinking establishment that’s an immediate hit with the cul-de-sac community. However, Shirley disapproves, citing that Mrs. Tate’s new business exists solely to fast-track Black money into white pockets. Tensions mount, sides are drawn, and confrontation is inevitable.

Frightened by all the columns in the Herald, white laborers are quitting the construction creating costly delays. Against O’Brien’s counsel, Emily remedies matters by employing Black laborers to work on the bridge, a move that, at once, brings a rush of Black men and their families to New York; delivers the economic boon Shirley had promised the tradespeople; and, prompts Penbreak, to write a column that incites white men to riot, and in the ensuing melee, Percy goes missing.

Now, with their respective lives spiraling, Shirley and Emily have little to rely on, other than their strong will and sharp instincts, as they work against unimaginable odds to deliver the brightest future for both their families and the promise called America.