Father and Daughter becomes a major success, introduced as “Introducing Evelyn Hugo,” confirming the studio’s new persona for Evelyn. She savors the moment, thinking of her mother, and expects Little Women to be approved. Instead, Ari Sullivan orders a quick follow-up, Next Door, essentially repeating the formula with Ed Baker playing her uncle while Evelyn and neighboring characters fall into parallel romances.

While shooting, Don Adler visits Evelyn daily from a nearby thriller set, and Evelyn experiences first love and intense physical desire. On the lot, she keeps actresses like Ruby Reilly at friendly distance, recognizing the competitive environment, and relies more on Harry Cameron as a true ally. In Harry’s office, he explains Ari’s strategy: delay Little Women, reinforce Evelyn’s image through more light romances, ideally include a picture with Don, then surprise audiences later with Jo. With Sunset’s contract power limiting her choices, Evelyn agrees to the plan.

Evelyn and Don continue highly visible outings—dinners, lunches, tennis—that help both careers while they genuinely enjoy each other. Before the Big Trouble premiere, Don presents a ring box but withholds the formal proposal, privately securing Evelyn’s promise to say yes to a public engagement. Evelyn, eager to “do it right” and marry before consummating the relationship, agrees.

On the red carpet, Don proposes in front of photographers and publicists; Evelyn accepts, and he slips the ring on her finger. Harry applauds from the theater entrance, signaling approval. The engagement cements Evelyn and Don as Hollywood’s new romantic pair, further stabilizing Evelyn’s marketable image while postponing Little Women in favor of the studio’s broader strategy.