Gloria

Gloria is released after serving three years to save her boyfriend Kevin. She immediately faces Kevin, demanding the money he promised her and learns he won't pay.

The confrontation reveals Kevin's refusal to give Gloria the money she sacrificed to take the rap for him, fueling anger and distrust between them. Gloria leaves determined to find a way to secure the promised funds.

The gang's accountant tries to safeguard himself by creating a disk listing all involved in the operation. In a violent reversal, a henchman kills the accountant and several family members while grabbing for the disk, and seven-year-old Nicky narrowly escapes the carnage.

The seven-year-old Nicky is captured after the massacre and is brought to Kevin's apartment, where Gloria will later meet him. The boy's survival marks the beginning of a dangerous, emotionally charged rescue dynamic.

Gloria encounters Nicky at Kevin's apartment and faces a crucial choice: risk her own life to save him. The child’s innocence and intelligence begin to stir sympathy she had long suppressed. This meeting sets the stage for a fragile bond.

Gloria begins to feel love for the boy as his innocence and intelligence inspire her. She recognizes she never planned to care for a child, yet the connection grows despite the risks and dangers closing in.

Gloria tells Nicky she hates kids and attempts to abandon him in a subway, hoping to rid herself of the burden. Nicky refuses to be left behind and returns, forcing them to confront their bond.

As they spend more time together, their mutual affection deepens, and Nicky's cleverness and resilience begin to soften Gloria's hardened outlook. Their fragile family unit forms amid the chaos of the mob's pursuit.

News reports reveal the killings of Nicky's family, spurring him to run away from the hotel room they share. Gloria's resolve tightens as danger closes in around them.

Nicky escapes toward a train bound for 158th Street and Gloria frantically informs the police that her child is on that train. The mob's pursuit intensifies as she fights to protect him.

Nicky is apprehended by the authorities, and Gloria accompanies him back to the hotel. The close brush with danger cements their reliance on each other.

Back at the hotel, Gloria gives Nicky a bath as they settle in for the night. Nicky wakes and asks, 'Did it really happen?', testing the boundary between memory and nightmare.

Gloria and Nicky are separated in a crowded chase by Kevin's gang, and Nicky is captured again. The peril surrounding their bond intensifies, forcing new decisions.

Gloria meets Ruby at a race track and negotiates an exchange: Nicky for the accountant's disk. The deal underscores the gravity of their situation and Gloria's commitment to keeping Nicky safe.

Gloria takes Nicky to a boarding school, but they decide they would rather remain together as a family. The ending cements their choice to face the future together, away from the mob's reach.