Jake murders Vanessa’s father by making it look like a heart attack, per Rowan’s orders. Rowan is building a war chest using Vanessa’s family’s half a billion dollars. 

Cyrus asks David Rosen if he’s interested in being Frankie Vargas’ running mate but Eli Pope goes to Vargas and offers $30 million in contributions. Then he blackmails Cyrus and threatens to tell Vargas that the shooting in Harrisburg that made him a hero was staged by Cyrus. Rowan wants Jake as Vargas V.P.. Cyrus goes to Olivia and admits what he’s done, asking for her help. 

Mellie’s team wants to ask Senator Wagner to be her running mate but he admits to dealing cocaine in college to pay bills. There’s one man who knows and Huck and Quinn convince him to change his name and move to New Mexico. But Rowan outs the drug dealing anyway.

Edison tells Olivia that Jake wants out. She secretly meets Jake and promises to get him out. Then she decides that he should be Mellie’s V.P. 

While in Abby’s office, Fitz finds Olivia’s medical files which shows she had an abortion. When he meets with Olivia in the Oval about the V.P. pick, he doesn’t tell her he knows but says he’s sorry he didn’t listen to her more when they were together. 

Olivia goes to Rowan’s house and tells he and Jake that an announcement will be made shortly that Jake is going to be Mellie’s V.P.. When she tells Jake to come with her, Cyrus holds a gun to his head. Olivia tells him to walk out the door with her and he does. Rowan doesn’t shoot him. 

Right before he’s about to be announced as Mellie’s running mate, Jake tells Olivia he doesn’t want it. He wants to live an unremarkable life, in an unimpressive house raising three unimpressive kids with Liv. She’s furious. She’s worked to hard and won’t settle for an unimpressive life. Jake realizes the only reason she saved him is to use him and he takes his place at Mellie’s side at the convention.

Cyrus considers having Michael killed when Tom finds out where he’s staying with Ella but then after telling Tom that he’s never had a more honest or true relationship, he pulls the rug out from under him and gets back together with Michael. Why, because Cyrus is going to be Vargas’ running mate. Olivia is angry because that was Cyrus plan all along. One of them will make it back to the White House. Olivia is determined that it will be her.