In Nathan's absence, Sarah visits Bethany, who is drunk and passes out and she and Gary take Bethany home. Bethany agrees to move back home, but she goes into a rage when Sarah and Gary will not let her out, smashing things and stabs Gary in the arm, before running off. Craig finds Bethany under a railway bridge, bleeding, and takes her to hospital, urging her to call Sarah, but she opts to call Nathan. Neil turns out to be a police officer when Sarah and Gary contact the police. Bethany wants to press charges against Sarah and Gary for locking her in, but Bethany is persuaded not to and Nathan takes Bethany to meet Neil and their old acquaintance Ian Yardley (Anthony Bowers) – whom she is urged to thank for collaborating with Nathan in the way how he helped her out. Tensions soon rise when Nathan's former girlfriend Shona Ramsey (Julia Goulding), who is dating David, finds out who Bethany's boyfriend is and orders Nathan to stay away from Bethany. At the party, Nathan continues to give Bethany spiked drinks and he gets angry with Bethany when she argues with Lara Cutler (Niamh Blackshaw), a 14-year-old girl who – unbeknownst to Bethany – is also a victim of Nathan's sexual exploitation, over a necklace. Nathan responds by burning Bethany's arm with a cigarette, but he feigns remorse about it and lures her to return to the party. Bethany later gives Nathan her engagement ring and three men are then sent into a room where Bethany is to have sex with them. Shona, who is beaten up by two men Nathan sent after her, leaves hospital and warns David that she is in trouble. Mel ignores Bethany's pleas for help and David tells Sarah that Nathan has been grooming Bethany. Sarah, David, Gary, and Shona race to the Salon and as they break into the flat, Nathan tries to clear the flat and Sarah finds Bethany upset and with her dress undone. Nathan is arrested for GBH and the sexual exploitation of a child. Bethany does not want to undergo a physical examination and wants to see Nathan, refusing to believe she was groomed. Bethany puts her engagement ring back on.
