Nellie Davenport is a well-off widow who owns a vineyard in Sonoma and offers asylum to Chinese migrants, particularly prostitutes she rescues from brothels. During her investigation into Ah Toy's brothel, the two begin to develop a romantic relationship and business partnership, in which Nellie would act as Ah Toy's frontman for property purchase. Nellie was married to a wealthy businessman, who unfortunately was found dead in a brothel on Powell, where he had been sodomizing a year-old girl until his heart gave out.
And in that moment, she committed her life to helping young girls. Rather than arresting the men, which Nellie insists, the police simply escort them out. She then heads further inside, where she finds several cowering girls. It's not long before she makes her way to Ah Toy's brothel, where Ah Toy insists that all her girls are very happy and choose the life they live with her, as she gives them a job, food, a bed, and clean clothing.
Ah Toy tells Nellie that her girls can leave whenever they want, as she owns no one. Nellie hosts a dinner at her home, where they discuss her occupational hazards and generous contributions to the city's cultural and political life. Willem would like to see her married again, but Nellie retorts that a woman doesn't need to be married to have purpose, looking to Penny, who confirms that she finds her purpose in her work. Nellie agrees and notes that the city needs more fearless woman like Penny.
Blake can't imagine that Nellie's late husband would approve of her going to brothels to rescue woman, to which she replies that he was quite familiar with them himself. She was sitting in the same very seat when the Constable came and told her that Fred had been found dead in a brothel on Powell.
The police were very concerned with removing the body discreetly, but she found herself more concerned with the girls. Fred had a choice, and he chose to sodomize a year-old girl until his heart gave out. It was then that Nellie decided to commit herself to saving those young girls. Nellie returns to Ah Toy's brothel, but this time she was called. One of Ah Toy's girls would like to leave with Nellie for a better life. Nellie asks why Ah Toy had a change of heart, but Ah Toy reminds Nellie that she doesn't force any one of her girls to work for her and that they all can leave when they please.
