Young & The Restless Update
Recap written by Christine
Ashland walked into the living room of the Tuscan Palazzo and told Victoria that he didnât sleep well because they were in separate beds last night. She thought he was blaming her for his insomnia, but he said that wasnât what he meant. He knew he had to give her space to process things. He asked how she slept. She thought she did more thinking than sleeping. He asked where her head, and more importantly, her heart were at. Before they could talk, Victor and Nikki walked in. Victoria thought they were supposed to be in Milan. Nikki said they left right after Summerâs wedding so they could make sure that The Palazzo was ready for Victoria and Ashlandâs wedding. Nikki noted that she was the matron of honor. Nikki was glad that they all got here early so that they could go over the details and make sure things would be perfect. Victoria changed the subject and asked about Summer and Kyleâs wedding. Nikki gushed about its simplicity and elegance, Summerâs exquisite Marchetti gown and how Summer and Kyleâs love shone through at the ceremony. Ashland beamed when Nikki said the best part was little Harrison, who thought he was a ring barrel instead of a ring bearer. Victor said that Harrison was looking forward to doing the same thing for Ashland and Victoria. Ashland couldnât wait to see his son. Nikki asked if everything was okay, and Victoria said yes.
Nikki and Nikki left the room, ostensibly to discuss the wedding plans, but once they were outside on the patio, Victoria revealed that Ashland and Camilla Rhodesâ lawyer forged a codicil to her will that left Ashland everything. Nikki was so shocked she had to sit down. She wondered if Ashland was hiding anything else. Victoria was inclined to believe this was the last secret since sheâd made it clear she wouldnât tolerate any more lies. She just wished heâd come clean in the first place. Nikki felt so awful for Victoria and asked what she could do to help. Victoria didnât say anything. Nikki offered to take care of canceling the wedding.
Victoria said all that mattered was protecting Newman/Locke. They couldnât let the family business be decimated by a scandal, or the merger. Victoria looked at this from every angle, and she said she couldnât do anything that would cause an investigation into Ashland or into Locke Communications Group. As a mother, Nikki wanted to know about Victoriaâs emotions. Victoria couldnât think of that now. The wedding had to happen, she stated. Nikki thought Victoria sounded like her father. Victoria was sure that her thinking was correct â they had to make sure there were no red flags anyone from the outside could latch onto â they had to keep this contained. Nikki didnât think this was the right path for Victoria, because she knew Victoria took wedding vows seriously. Nikki asked if this wedding was for show and if Victoria was forcing herself into marriage that shouldnât happen. Victoria said she wasnât forcing herself into anything. Nikki asked if Victoria could be playing into Ashlandâs hands. Victoria was adamant that she knew what she was doing. She thought Ashland was smart enough not to keep anything else from her. Nikki asked if Victoria thought she could have a happy marriage. Victoria said she could handle it. Her one concern was Billy, who seemed very determined to derail the ceremony. Heâd been leaving her messages saying he had information she needed to know. Nikki suggested that he did, but Victoria was sure that he didnât, because she was confident that Ashland told her everything. She said Billy couldnât sway her plans about the wedding, but he could ruin things if he found out the truth and exposed the story to the world.
Nikki hoped Victoria changed her mind about letting her brother attend. She said Abby was staying home, so it would be nice to have some family for support. Victoria replied that Adam was coming. Nikki scoffed and said he couldnât be Victoriaâs only sibling at the wedding. Nikki said Nick was upset he wasnât invited. Victoria said he shouldâve thought about that before he dug up dirt on her fiance. Nikki thought Victoria was lashing out at the wrong people, and she suggested Victoria should be upset with Ashland. Victoria asked how many secrets Victor kept from Nikki over the years that he only came clean about because he had no choice. Nikki said far too many, and she was trying to spare Victoria that pain. Victoria said no marriage was perfect â it wasnât like Ashland committed a crime against her and her family. He did this 40 years ago, and there was no need to relive it. She said she should’ve been able to trust Nick, but he betrayed her confidence. She wouldâve stood by his side if the role were reversed. What Nick did hurt Victoria more than anything. Nikki didnât want to argue about this. She asked what Victoria felt about Ashland. Victoria didn’t know.
Ashland guessed that Victor didnât really rush here to check on wedding arrangements. Victor told Ashland that Billy was trying to start trouble by digging into Ashlandâs past. Ashland already knew that. Victor said Billy might seem like an idiot, but he was also wily and tenacious. Victor had Adam watching Billy. Ashland wasnât worried about that anymore because he told Victoria everything, though he didnât want the story to go public. He assumed that wouldnât be an issue since Victor took care of Gaines. Victor said Gaines slipped off his radar, but heâd be found. He wouldnât allow anyone to ruin Victoriaâs wedding day.Victor asked how Ashland was doing. He knew firsthand how it felt when your past caught up with him. Ashland was alright, but the distress Victoria felt was weighing on him. He said Victoria gave him a reason to live, and he hated bringing her pain. Victor blamed Gaines and Billy for the trouble, but Ashland admitted he was the one to blame â the choices he made in the past came back to haunt him. Victor respected Ashland for taking responsibility and for coming clean to Victoria. Ashland hoped he didnât lose Victoria.
Victoria and Nikki came back inside. Victoria mentioned the wedding, and Ashland was hopeful because it sounded like it was still happening. He asked if he and Victoria could go for a walk around the grounds. Nikki asked Victoria to show her and Victor to their room first, and she and her parents left. Once they were in the bedroom, Victor asked Nikki for a moment with Victoria. Nikki left, and they talked about Ashlandâs secret. Victoria said it was a lot to take in. Not just the money, but she assumed that Nick told Victor how Ashland got his name. Victor had been filled in, and he asked Victoria to forgive Nick. Heâd been looking forward to having Victoria, Nick and Adam together at the wedding. Victoria said Nick would have to earn her forgiveness. Victoria appreciated Victor doing what he could to keep the Camilla Rhodes story quiet and protecting Newman/Locke from backlash. Victor said that wasnât why he paid Gaines off. He did it because heâd never seen Victoria as happy as she was with Ashland. He knew this was good for the company, but mostly it was good for her, and that was more important than anything. She said she had every intention of proceeding with the wedding.
Downstairs, Nikki told Ashland that she had serious doubts about whether it was a good idea for Victoria to marry him. She said Victoria thought the wedding was the right choice for practical reasons, but she didn’t want to admit how much she was hurt. Nikki said she predicted all along that getting involved with Ashland would bring Victoria nothing but heartache, and that had proven to be true. She noted that there was his health, these secrets from his past â they werenât good omens. He said he wasnât superstitious. Nikki felt that if Ashland cared about Victoria, heâd call off the wedding. âRelieve her of this burden,â Nikki said.
At his place, Billy was on the phone with Hannah. He said he was flying to Italy alone. After Lily got back from California, she was going to pick up his children and bring them to Italy too. He said that there was a work emergency, and he needed to put out the fire. He asked Hannah to tell Victoria his change of plans, since she wasnât taking his calls. He hung up. Gaines was there, and he commented that it seemed more like Billy wanted to burn everything down. Billy gave Gaines a duffel bag full of money, and Gaines told Billy what Ashland did. He thought the readers would be interested. Billy said this story wasnât for clickbait -it was to prevent Victoria from making a huge mistake. Billy said that all the money he gave Gaines came from his personal account, and he wasnât letting Gaines leave until he got proof that the story was true. Gaines pulled out a copy of the letter that Camilla wrote to Locke, not the new one that Ashland and Gaines Senior forged. Gaines wouldnât give Billy the copy of the letter until he had a guarantee of protection from Victor. Billy said Victor would definitely come after Gaines, but Billy promised to protect him. Billy asked Gaines to read him the letter, since he wasnât willing to hand it over.
In the letter, Camilla said Ashland was like a son to her. She was impressed by his drive and ambition, and she thought the obstacles heâd overcome had been character building. Gaines stopped reading to complain that Ashland was a money-hungry tyrant. He then continued to read aloud. Camilla said she wasnât giving Ashland an inheritance, and she told him to go forth and prosper. Billy asked where Gaines proof was that Ashland and Gaines Sr. forged a codicil in the form of a deathbed letter. Gaines thought the letter was all the evidence Billy needed, and he said Locke would agree since heâd been paying Gaines to keep it hidden for years. Billy asked if anyone else knew about the forgery â a secretary or clerk, perhaps. Gaines said that nobody else knew. Camilla didnât have a family, and she was going to be leaving her estate to charities, but they had no idea theyâd been left in the will. Billy was intrigued and asked which charities, because in a way, Locke stole from them. Gaines said Camilla was eccentric, so sheâd planned to leave her money to charities for cats, exotic plants etc. Billy assumed Ashland was pissed he got passed over for felines and flowers, but Gaines said Locke was a bastard and master manipulator who convinced Gaines Senior that heâd been wronged by Camilla. Billy wanted to know why Gaines seemed to have such animus toward Ashland.
Gaines had spent his whole life being ignored by his father. Then Camilla introduced Gaines Sr. and Ashland. Gaines Sr. took to young Ashland right away, and it made Gaines Jr. sick. When Ashland inherited all that money, Gaines Jr. knew something was wrong, and so he did some digging and he found the real letter and original will in his fatherâs files. Gaines took the letter, and shortly thereafter, the other files got destroyed. Gaines Jr. confronted Gaines Sr. about the letter, and the father was angry and ashamed. Senior knew heâd be destroyed if the truth came out, so he insisted that Junior keep quiet. Junior kept it a secret until his fatherâs death. In the meantime, heâd kept reading stories about Ashland in the news and getting angrier and angrier. He felt like Ashland stole his father, and he said Ashland had to pay. Billy said Ashland had been paying. Gaines said the money Ashland was giving him meant nothing to Ashland. Gaines complained that Ashland built his business on lies and he pulled Gainesâ father into that deceit. Billy thought it sounded like Gaines Sr. was a willing participant. Gaines argued that his father was a good man who played by the rules until he was manipulated by Locke. Gaines conceded that his got some financial compensation â the forged codicil included a payment for him, and Locke gave him a lucrative position, so it seemed like a victimless crime. Gaines contended that the crime weighed on his father and drove him to an early grave. Billy said that Ashland might be heading for an early grave. Gaines knew, and when he first heard about it, he almost felt bad for Ashland. Gaines said the diagnosis made Ashland seem human, but when Gaines came to get his final payoff, Ashland was dismissive and condescending. Billy couldnât blame the man for being a bit rude to his blackmailer. Gaines asserted that Ashland was a fraud and master manipulator whoâd ruin people to save himself. Gaines came here and risked crossing Victor to give Billy what he needed to take Locke down. Gaines wanted his revenge and he wanted to blow up Lockeâs life while he was still alive to suffer.
Billy asked who knew about the letter. As far as Gaines knew, it was just the two of them, Locke and Victor. Billy didnât understand why Victor would quash the story â he couldnât condone the wedding anymore. Gaines suggested that Victor didnât see what Locke did as a crime, since Victor probably did similar things on his way to the top. Gaines asked what Billy had against Locke. Billy said Victoria was the mother of his children, and she was a good person. Billy said heâd caused Victoria enough pain, and he didn’t want to see her suffer anymore. Gaines didnât buy that Billy was being noble. Billy didnât care if Gaines understood. He said the only person who needed to know the truth was Victoria. Since she wasnât taking his calls, he was going to Tuscany early, and he was taking Gaines with him, so Victoria could hear the truth from the horseâs mouth.
Sally and Chloe were at Society. Sally said she reached out to some people in the LA fashion world to let them know she was going to the Newman-Locke wedding. Since sheâd burned her bridges with everyone in the L.A. fashion scene, she knew that theyâd all gossip about what she was up to. Chloe wasnât thrilled that their plan now depended on gossip mongers â it was so risky. She also thought that Newman Media should be the ones publishing a story on the wedding. Sally thought itâd look self-serving if Newman Media put out a story about her designing Victoriaâs dress, but if another outlet did it, it would give Sally credibility. Chloe liked the idea of planting the story for other outlets to pick up, but she was still not sure Sallyâs plan to get Victoria to wear the dress would work. Chloe hoped that this plan didnât backfire. Sally said that this would help Newman media become a fashion powerhouse complete with their own designs, just like Chloe wanted. Chloe decided to go to the airport with Sally so she could get one more glimpse of the dress.
At Crimson Lights, Adam checked in with the security team and learned that they hadnât found Gaines. Adam wanted him to be located before Adam left for Italy. Sally arrived and smiled when she heard Adam on the phone with Connor. Adam told Connor how much he loved him. The P.I. walked in and said he had an update on Jesse Gaines. Sally seemed intrigued. Adam and the P.I. stepped out to the patio. Security footage showed that Gaines and Billy were together in Billyâs apartment. Adam said heâd take it from here. Adam went back to Sally. She asked what was with the cloak and dagger routine. He said that he had something to take care of, so heâd meet her at the airport. She said that if he was trying to impress her, sheâd been on private jets before. He wasnât trying to impress her or anyone else, he just wanted a comfortable ride. He said this was favor, not a date. She asked if this could at least be the start of a beautiful friendship, and he said no. she told him she was just teasing him.
Chloe arrived just as Adam got off the phone with a fashion editor. The editor had heard Sally was going to the wedding and that Newman Media was promising to give a scoop. The editor wanted confirmation. Sally started to tell Adam what to say, but Adam cut her off and said he was going to the wedding to show he was committed to playing a role in his family. This made it look like it was a self-serving business trip. Chloe said she was the one who leaked the story, not Sally. Chloe said she got excited and told a friend, and gossip traveled. Adam told Chloe that was reckless. He asked what if Victoria didnât wear the gown. Sally was sure that Victoria would love it. Adam said he was only giving Sally a ride, he wasnât going to get her an audience with Victoria, because his sister had enough on her plate. Sally was sure itâd all work out, and she thanked Chloe and Adam for having faith in her. He asked them not to allow any more leaks or gossip. He didnât want anything to take away from Victoriaâs big day. He left.
Sally thanked Chloe for covering for her. Chloe said sheâd rather Adam be mad at her than at Sally. Chloe was used to Adam being mad at her. Sally said the dress was very delicate, and she was glad she didnât have to stuff it into an overhead bag. Sally was going to spend the entire trip visualizing Victoria wearing her gown, because she believed in positive thinking. Chloe thought that Sally should listen to Adam, because there was a chance Victoria wouldnât wear the dress, and then itâd be a wasted trip. Chloe asked Adam to go easy on the flirting, because it wouldnât be good to cross Adam. Sally said fine, but she wanted this so badly that she was willing it into existence. Chloe couldnât believe sheâd hitched her wagon to someone nuttier than her, but she wished Sally left.
Adam went to Billyâs. Billy sent Gaines to hide, then he answered the door. Adam asked where Gaines was, and Billy pretended not to know who he was talking about. Billy said that he wanted Adam to leave so he could rest up for his trip to Tuscany. Adam stated that Billy wasnât going to Tuscany.
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