Tag: transcript

Young & The Restless Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

Ashland: I know it sounds mad. Just hear me out. We can start over. Like we talked about. And thanks to adam, ironically, we will have all the capital we need to start our next venture.

Victoria: You don’t understand —

Ashland: I do understand. Think about the life we could have. No suspicions. No judgment. No family rivalries. Just the two of us…and this crazy, perfect love that we have found together. You want that…every bit as much as I do. Don’t you?

Adam: Well, you made the right choice, locke, by accepting my offer. And just in time — the deadline was almost up.

Ashland: You have a bad habit of getting ahead of yourself. I have some terms and conditions.

Adam: Well, you’re not in a place to negotiate. When I said you were making the right choice, I meant the only choice that is available to you. And after what you’ve done, you need to accept this deal or you need to suffer the consequences.

Ashland: And what consequences would those be?

Adam: My family will destroy you and your reputation in a way that you can’t come back from. So I will be the one presenting the terms.

Mariah: So we have one goal for today, one singular mission, and that is to find inspiration for our wedding outfits.

Tessa: Well, when I called her, our fabulous designer chelsea, she gave me a list of thrift stores that we could go to and check out. She told me that we should try on, like, a bunch of different things so that we can bring some examples of things that we like — different colors, fabrics, styles.

Mariah: Colors? I mean, what are we thinking?

Tessa: I don’t know, white?Ou thinking?

Mariah: Yeah. I mean, we should have a few nods to tradition, right?

Tessa: Matching white jumpsuits?

Mariah: Well, I think that matching couples’ outfits are more of a halloween tradition, less of a wedding tradition.

Tessa: Alright, wise guy. But we’re still doing ’70s glam?

Mariah: You are correct.

Tessa: So keep an open mind.

Mariah: Oh, I’m open to anything and everything, so let’s go find our dream outfits.

Sally: Getting takeout before a work session, too?

Lily: Yeah.

Sally: Being in the c suite means a lot more meals at your desk, am I right?

Lily: Uh, I guess it does.

Sally: Listen, I don’t blame you for giving me the cold shoulder. What I did with the wig and the disguise and keeping an eye on billy, it was…questionable. But I’m hoping that we can get past it.

Lily: Keeping an eye on billy?

[ Chuckles ] Is that what you call it?

Sally: What would you call it?

Lily: Uh, I don’t know, um, stalking, entrapment. Should I go on?

Billy: [ Sighs ] Just talk. Say it. Say anything. Can’t be that hard. Just say what’s on your mind. Of course, you can’t say that. Probably can’t say that either.

[ Sighs ] Or maybe you should talk about that.

[ Sighs ]

Nick: Hey, billy. What’s up?

Billy: Hey, listen, I can’t stop thinking about victoria and worrying whether she’s gonna let ashland get through to her with all his manipulations again. So I’m thinking I need to talk to her one last time and try to get her to see the light. What do you think?

Nick: No, don’t do that, alright? Stay out of it. It’s complicated enough.

Billy: Why do you say that?

Nick: Just let the family handle it, okay? We’re working on a way to get ashland out of our lives.

Billy: And what is it?

Nick: I promise you, I will fill you in at some point, but trust me when I say this — I have no intention of letting ashland get away with what he’s done to my sister.

Frank is a fan of fast.

He’s a fast talker.

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Lily: Look, I know that victoria is in a terrible position and that it’s stirring up these protective feelings in you again. But maybe instead of allowing yourself to get drawn into it, maybe you use this opportunity to try and contain it, you know, whether that’s through your podcast, right, like how you did with delia. Or — I don’t know — maybe in your own head.

Billy: I’ve been thinking a lot about the abuse of power and the collateral damage that it causes. It makes me so angry when I see it. And I understand that might sound ironic coming from me, being an abbott, because I have been afforded many privileges in life. And some would say that I have abused those privileges in the past. All I can say is that I have worked very hard to not be that person anymore.

[ Sighs ] But maybe that’s why it sickens me when I see it. Because it’s like a mirror reflecting all my wrongs in the past, but because I have been on the other side, it makes me want to fight to protect the victims of power. It’s like a veil has been lifted. I get enraged when I see someone with privilege use that power to grab more and more and more when they have plenty of money, a successful career, a loving wife. I get enraged on behalf of the victims. And it makes me want to do something about it.

Ashland: It’s perfect. When people walk through that door and look up at that portrait, they’re gonna see what I see — a strong, powerful beautiful woman watching over her empire. Victoria newman…building her legacy as the rightful leader of newman/locke.

Victoria: Thank you again so much for this incredible gift. Hanging in that place and what that means to me. How significant that is to me.

Ashland: I wanted to commemorate the merging of our companies and give you something special for our wedding. To me…that portrait represents a new beginning for both of us.

[ Knock on door ]

Nick: Can we talk?

Victoria: Now what?

Nick: I heard from mom. She said that adam went to ashland, offered him a whole lot of money to walk away from newman/locke. Is that true? Is ashland considering taking that deal?

Ashland: Okay. Let’s get down to brass tacks, then. What exactly do you and victor expect in return for this “generous” offer?

Adam: It’s clear and simple. You sign a legal agreement relinquishing all control of newman/locke. And you agree to an annulment of your marriage with victoria.

Ashland: An annulment, not a divorce?

Adam: Well, a divorce applies to a valid marriage. Given the way that you fraudulently worked your way into her life, your union was never legally considered a marriage, so it would be annulled. Now, once you’ve signed all the necessary paperwork, we will wire money into an account that you give us.

Ashland: Why would I expect you to make good on that?

Adam: Why wouldn’t I? It’s in my best interests that you get the money you need to disappear.

Ashland: Yeah, well, if that’s the case, then why don’t we do it this way, okay? You wire the money first, and then I sign the agreement. For copd,

Victoria: Half a billion dollars to walk away from the company and from me.

Nick: [ Sighs ] Well, it’s the last part I’m concerned about. I’m sure you’re hurting. I just wanted to check on you.

Victoria: I’m fine. The last thing I need right now is your pity.

Nick: Come on, vick. It’s not pity. I’m worried about you.

Victoria: Do you know what’s really upsetting to me? Is that my family continues to doubt me and to intervene after I specifically told you all that I — I could handle this. I have been working really hard to convince ashland to set up adam, and then adam goes and he makes ashland an offer? He couldn’t bring himself to be a part of a plan that was mine — he had to make an end run around me with his own deal. And then he didn’t even bother to tell me about it. I mean, and now I’m playing catch-up, and it just makes everything harder.

Nick: Look, I get it. Adam’s motives are infuriating, but the blame for this whole thing falls on ashland. What he did was reprehensible. And we’re all grasping at straws trying to find a way to get this guy out of our lives, but more importantly, away from you.

Victoria: I had already come up with a solution. I didn’t need your input.

Nick: Who cares whose idea it is? If ashland is actually willing to sit down with adam and talk terms, then maybe adam’s plan is the best one we have.

Victoria: I can’t believe you’re siding with adam on this.

Nick: I’m not. We all want the same thing here, and that is to make locke disappear. And it sounds like offering him some money is the best thing we can do. So what do you think? Is he considering it? Is he wavering? Do I need to get involved in this?

Victoria: I don’t know what he’s gonna do.

Nick: Well, I’m telling you right now, I’m getting sick and tired of everyone treating ashland with kid gloves, trying to lure him in to these carefully laid-out plans. Well, I think all these plans are weak, and I think it’s time I get rid of this guy myself.

Victoria: Don’t you dare.

Adam: Okay, should we synchronize the paperwork and the payment to happen at the same time? 1, 2, 3, go?

Ashland: You can’t blame me for not trusting you.

Adam: I get it. But you are actually the one that has proven to be untrustworthy, okay? My family takes the greater risk by paying you first.

Ashland: We both have a lot at stake here.

Adam: Okay, okay, at this point, I don’t know — or frankly, I don’t care — what your motivations are, but I can tell you what ours are — we want you out. And my father has agreed that $500 million is more than a fair price to pay to achieve that. We have no reason to screw you over. And frankly, we don’t want to deal with whatever revenge plot you would concoct if we did. Because we know what you’re capable of. So all you have to do is take the half-a-billion-dollar leap of faith, you sign the agreement, and we’ll wire the money. It’s non-negotiable.

Lily: If you’ll excuse me.

Sally: I’ve learned that doing things on the up-and-up is the better path — the only path, really, now that I’m the coo of a major company. My behavior reflects on newman media, and I take that responsibility very seriously, so I have every intention of earning your respect and the respect of the other moguls in this town.

Lily: Look, that’s great, honestly. I really hope that’s true. But I think that as long as you’re partnered up with adam, you will find that people have a hard time taking you seriously.

Billy: I don’t think I can put that out there. I can’t say that.

[ Sighs ] Clearly ashland locke is on my mind. Although it did help me figure out why I feel so protective about victoria… I made a promise to not get involved in her personal life. So what now? There’s got to be something else to talk about because there’s so much going on. Starting with jack… and the pain that diane is about to wreak on his life. Let’s go there. People don’t need to have a lot of power to be manipulative. Some people have zero ability to tell the truth, to be honest. All they know is playing games. So how do you deal with someone who lies to you, who deceives you in such a massive, big way that it destroys lives? What do you do when that person weasels their way back into your life…only to do it all over again? Over and over and over again, causing you more pain and hurt. It’s not gonna take a genius to figure out who I’m talking about there. If I’m gonna talk like this, there’s only one solution. It’s my woke-up-like-this migraine medicine.

Lily: Well, I wish you luck with everything.

Sally: What can I do to make amends and wipe the slate clean? Because now that I’m the coo of newman media and you’re running chancellor, we’re going to be running in the same circles.

Lily: Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.

Sally: I heard that you’re going to be merging with hamilton-winters. Huge congrats on that. I’m just saying that who knows what kinds of business dealings we might be able to do in the future, and I would really like us to get along.

Lily: Look, getting along and being friends is something that has to be earned. Takes a level of trust, right? And I hope that you’re a better person than who you were when you first came into town. And I am always willing to give someone a second chance. But people have to show that they actually deserve it.

Sally: Challenge accepted. I do believe that one day we could be friends. And it’s something I would like to work towards.

Lily: Well, I’ll give you one thing, you definitely don’t lack nerve, that’s for sure. Maybe next time work on your subtlety.

Mariah: Oh, my gosh. You okay?

Tessa: Yep.

Mariah: Alright, um…

Tessa: Whew!

Mariah: Who do you think bought more?

Tessa: Let’s call it a tie.

Mariah: I call it a win for the both of us. Um…[ Sighs ]

Tessa: Okay, is it time for our fashion show? I cannot wait to see what you picked out.

Mariah: I mean, I really like the stuff I picked out for myself, but I’m kind of more excited at the stuff I picked out for you behind your back when you weren’t looking.

Tessa: [ Gasps ] You got stuff for me?

Mariah: I did. It’s just a few things that i thought you would look fantastic in, so I hope you’re not sick of trying on clothes because you’re gonna have a lot more outfit changes than me.

Tessa: Yeah, I’m not sure that’s true, because I picked out some stuff for you, too.

Mariah: You did? Oh, wow. Okay, um…so let’s dress each other, and then we can see how well we know each other’s style.

Victoria: Ashland is aware of how much my family hates him. But you need to stay out of it, nicholas. It’s just gonna rile you up. It’s not gonna accomplish anything.

Nick: Well, it is driving me nuts sitting around, doing nothing. And it’s not just because of everything ashland has done, but because of my concern for you. This whole situation has gotten completely out of control, and i know it’s taking its toll. I also know that the longer it takes us to get him out of our lives, the harder it is on you.

Victoria: I know, I know. I know you have my best interests at heart, but ashland is not gonna walk away from me and this company just because you confront him. In fact, if you personally attack him, it might have the opposite effect. He might just dig in deeper. And, yes, as furious as I am with adam for going off on his own and making this offer, we’re just gonna have to let it play out.

Nick: It’s very frustrating that you won’t let me help you get through this.

Victoria: It’s not your job to do that. I can get myself through this. Ashland can’t crush me. I’m stronger than you all think I am.

Nick: You think I don’t know that? Vick, you think I don’t know how strong you are? Anyone in the world would be overwhelmed by this. My concern is that ashland has dug himself in so deep with this family that we will never be able to get rid of him. Just the thought of him makes me want to strangle him.

Ashland: [ Exhales sharply ] Great. I see the newman brother are working overtime to protect their sister. When are you going to learn, nick, she does not need your interference? When I get a migraine,

“The young and the restless”

will continue.

Sally: Got us some tapas.

Adam: [ Sighs ] I can’t even think about eating right now.

Sally: Why? What happened? Did you meet with ashland?

Adam: [ Sighs ] Mm-hmm. He wouldn’t commit to the deal. I laid out our terms — that he had to walk away and annul his marriage to victoria. And he was stone-faced and he was cool under pressure, but i swear I saw something in his eyes when I mentioned annulment. It was like that got under his skin more than the prospect of losing control of newman/locke.

Sally: Huh. Maybe he really does have feelings for victoria.

Adam: I don’t even know how that’s possible, given what he’s done. Besides, the annulment wasn’t even the sticking point. It seemed like he was gonna agree to the deal, and then we just got caught up arguing about the logistics — how is gonna shoot first. Was he gonna agree to it or are we gonna send the money? And then it just became this game of chicken.

Sally: Where’d you leave it?

Adam: He said he needed to find out one last thing before agreeing to it.

Sally: What was the “one last thing”?

Adam: I don’t know. But I bet it has something to do with victoria.

Victoria: I need to speak with ashland alone. Please.

Nick: You know, on top of everything that you have done, you’re tearing apart my sister’s relationship with this family, and you couldn’t care less. Is there not an ounce of decency inside of you?

Ashland: Don’t worry. You won’t have to deal with me much longer.

Nick: I better not.

Victoria: Well, that could’ve been much worse. You defused the situation.

Ashland: Are you okay? Did he upset you?

Victoria: That doesn’t matter. What did you tell adam?

Lily: Hello.

Billy: Hey.

Lily: I’m gonna need wine with my dinner.

Billy: Is that relaxation or aggravation?

Lily: Oh, the latter. Getting takeout should not be so stressful. I ran into sally at society, and apparently she wants to be my new best friend.

Billy: Uh, yeah, that’s, uh —

Lily: Not happening at all.

Billy: Good.

Lily: Anyway, did you finish your latest podcast episode?

Billy: Kind of, yes. Something good came out of it, though. I figured out a way to turn my one podcast into two.

Lily: Wait, I’m sorry, i thought you were having a problem figuring out your next episode. Now you have an idea for two series?

Billy: Well, the first podcast about delia was, you know, all about me from my heart, and that felt amazing, but I also realized that the people that are listening, they know who I’m talking about.

Lily: Yeah, that’s probably true.

Billy: So I took some of your advice, and I started to unpack why I feel so protective about victoria, which led me to talk about the abuse of power, which inevitably led me to ashland locke. Then I started talking about emotional manipulation, which led me to diane and jack.

Lily: You think people are gonna piece it together when they find out that she’s alive?

Billy: Yes, I do. And the whole purpose of this podcast was to feel free to be able to say what was on my mind without feeling that I was going to expose myself or anyone i care about, to speak my mind without consequences.

Lily: So you’re gonna be like that late-night radio guy who gets the town all riled up?

Billy: Hey, maybe. I feel like the only way I can do that is by coming up with a persona, to do a podcast under a pseudonym.

Tessa: Are you ready?

Mariah: I was born ready, babe.

Tessa: Okay, here I come.

Mariah: Wow!

[ Gasps ]

I like the way you drive your car

all around town like the cat you are

I like the way that you move your feet

Tessa: Ooh!

Swing your hips to the beat

oh, yeah

oh, yeah

I like the way you sooth me

oh, yeah

oh, yeah

oh, yeah

[ Both sigh ]

Tessa: Ooh.

Mariah: Well, I am not sure that we found the perfect outfits, but —

Tessa: It was fun! And we found a ton of inspiration for our designer.

Mariah: Mm-hmm.

Tessa: [ Laughs ]

Mariah: But it doesn’t really matter what you wear, ’cause you’re gonna look gorgeous in anything.

Tessa: Right back at ya. Oh, this day, this theme — it’s gonna be so perfect.

[ Chuckles ]

This is the story of two homes.

Ashland: I can’t respond to adam and victor until I get an answer from you.

Victoria: An answer to what?

Ashland: To the question i asked you earlier. You never gave me a response. I don’t know if that was your intention, but I need an answer from you right now. Are you willing to walk away from all of this and start fresh? Because that’s the only way i will agree to their terms.

Victoria: And what are their terms?

Ashland: I cede control of newman/locke — which I’m willing to do, that’s fine — but they’re also insisting that we dissolve our marriage, that we get an annulment that acknowledges our marriage was based on a fraud.

Victoria: And you’re willing to admit that? That our love was nothing but a sham?

Ashland: No. Not our love. If in truth you love me as much as I love you. I’m willing to agree to all of it. Dissolve our marriage, get the annulment, cede control of the company. But my love for you, my feelings for you cannot be signed away and they cannot be bought for any amount of money, so the question remains. Do you love me?

Victoria: Yes, of course i love you. Of course I love you. And, yes, I would be willing to leave all of this behind for you.

Ashland: [ Sighs ] That’s all I needed to hear.

Lily: Wait, so now you think you have to hide your identity to do the podcast?

Billy: Well, that way, i could protect the people I care about, including you, and let’s face it — I’m the coo of chancellor. I can’t trash talk a bunch of people publicly without a bunch of lawsuits being thrown our way.

Lily: Yeah, I mean, look, i see your point, but I actually loved how personal and emotional your podcast about delia was.

Billy: Hey, believe me, I do too. And that’s why I think this can be good, right? I can still speak about the things that move me and have them focused on positive, life-affirming topics, and then when I want to…go at the bad actors of the world, I can do that. Speak freely under a pseudonym. I can speak truth to power without it affecting me and the people that I care about.

Lily: Well, it’s very bruce wayne and batman.

Billy: Yeah, billy abbott by day, the dark knight by night.

Lily: [ Chuckles ]

Billy: I can use a harmonizer to change my voice, make it unrecognizable. We can brand it like a completely different show. What do you think?

Lily: I mean, look, your passion is infectious, and i could see how being anonymous could open up the world for you, so why not? Might be fun, right?

Billy: Exactly, and I can say all sorts of things that billy abbott maybe couldn’t or shouldn’T.

Tessa: Alright. What about this — yay or nay?

Mariah: Nay.

Tessa: Okay.

Mariah: Uh, what about these two?

Tessa: Mm, I don’t know. Maybe a “maybe” pile?

Mariah: Do we have a maybe pile?

Tessa: Well, maybe we should start one.

Mariah: [ Chuckles ] Okay, well, let me ask you this — who do you think will be the first person to cry at the wedding?

Tessa: Oh, sharon, hands down.

Mariah: Yeah, agreed. She’s so excited to be helping plan this thing.

Tessa: Well, I am very grateful for all the help from your family with the planning, because it is gonna be one hell of a party.

Mariah: That it is. But only after the vows. Which, um, you know, have you given any thought to those?

Tessa: Oh, only every waking moment. Yeah.

Mariah: Oh, well, do you want to, you know, give me something?

Tessa: Oh, no, I am not saying a peep until may 13th.

Mariah: Great, now you’re making me even more nervous.

Tessa: Why?

Mariah: Because you’re a songwriter! It’s literally what you do. You turn words into beautiful lyrics. Your vows are gonna be so much better than mine.

Tessa: Stop that. Every time you speak from the heart, it is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.

Mariah: Thank you. I just can’t believe all of this is happening, you know? The love between us, I mean, the love around us is just gonna make the most amazing day.

Tessa: I mean, not that we need a wedding to confirm our love or to know that we’re forever.

Mariah: Yeah, but still. I am very excited that we get to share our joy with all the people that we love. For copd,

Tessa: Mm. You know, I was thinking… with all the wedding planning, we haven’t really focused on the adoption at all. Is that bothering you?

Mariah: Yeah, I realized that when I saw the adoption paperwork under the piles of the lists for the wedding.

Tessa: [ Chuckles ]

Mariah: I still want to move forward with it. What about you?

Tessa: Oh. Hey, yes, of course. I want to bring a child into this family, 100%.

Mariah: Well, I think we have to face the fact that adopting and having a wedding at the same time was maybe a little bit too much. I just don’t know if I can do home study and lawyers and all the paperwork right now, you know? And I’m afraid a social worker would — would see that and think that we weren’t serious, when we are. It’s just…

Tessa: Yeah, no, I totally understand. We are on the same page. A month or two delay after we get married, I think, will only make us stronger candidates as parents. And I do have a lot of shows scheduled, which might make things a little tricky.

Mariah: Well, we will work around your schedule. And I promise I will take care of anything that I can while my wife is gone.

Tessa: I can handle some things from the road.

Mariah: So we’re agreed? We still want to move forward with a family?

Tessa: This is gonna be the best year of our lives.

Billy: Hello. This is “not billy abbott.” Geez. Of the lollipop gang. Let’s try this one. This is also “not billy abbott.” But clearly a baritone, probably a super villain.

[ Sighs ] Okay. Hello, this — whoa.

[ Chuckles ] This your local cable company, press one for billing. Ah. Hello? This is “not billy abbott.” Okay. I like that. That sounds interesting, and it doesn’t sound like me. Let’s try this one. Let’s talk about power. Everybody wants it. How much is too much? Then there’s that age-old question — does absolute power corrupt absolutely? Are those who crave power doomed to leave victims in their wake?

Ashland: Adam, it’s me. Have the paperwork drawn up.

Billy: Can the powerful who have been corrupted be redeemed?

Adam: Ashland’s taking the deal.

Sally: [ Chuckles ]

Billy: Is it possible to have power, to have everything you could want, and live a life with an open, vulnerable heart? Or will you only be destroyed?

Next week on “the young and the restless”…

Sharon: Of course I’m okay with rey going to chicago with you and connor. Why wouldn’t I be?

[ Knock on door ]

Adam: We’ve been expecting you.

Victoria: [ Screams ]

Nikki: Victoria?! Victoria?!

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Young & The Restless Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

[ Knock on door ]

Sally: Well, I was going to tell you what I’ve been thinking about for the last couple of hours, but…

Adam: I have been thinking about the same thing.

Sally: I’ll bet. I mean, you could point your mind towards the project that you pitched to victor and got approved, but…

Adam: But…this.

Sally: This is a big deal.

Adam: Yeah, it is potentially my birthday and christmas and a stock invested in splitting all rolled into one. If only the phone would ring. I could be getting a call from ashland right now saying he accepts my offer. Or he’s rejecting it.

Sally: Anticipation could be exciting, depending on who you’re waiting with.

Adam: [ Chuckles ] I mean, ashland is a smart guy. He had to do the math and realize that my deal was his best offer. It’s the only way that he can escape the mayhem with his dignity and his reputation intact. Right?

Sally: Clean slate, full bank account, can’t lose. I mean, I would take the offer.

Adam: Well, then why isn’t he jumping on it?

Sally: Because he’s toying with you. That’s what he does. He’s played this game 100 times.

Adam: I was — was flying blind. I just — I was totally going on impulse when I offered to give him that money to walk away from newman/locke. Telling that I was representing the newman family? What the hell was I thinking?

Sally: You were thinking like a leader.

Adam: [ Sighs ] It felt like the right move to make at the time. But maybe I just gave him another card to play.

Victoria: You went behind my back, daddy, to bribe ashland into leaving me?

[ Scoffs ] I don’t know what part is more offensive.

Victor: [ Chuckles ] It seems an offer was made, right, ashland? And you’re kind of considering it seriously?

Ashland: I don’t know what other option I have at this point. I want this turmoil to end, for your sake.

Nikki: The best way to end it is to admit to your lies and leave of your own volition.

Ashland: Tell your errand boy, adam, I will meet him at the grand phoenix to discuss the terms.

[ Sighs ]

Victoria: Does somebody want to tell me what’s going on here? Why the hell did you two do that?

Nick: No signs of a fight. I guess it was okay to leave you and ashland in the same room.

Sharon: [ Sighs ] How is a person supposed to believe anything that man says after what he did to victoria? You know, he started talking about how he’s gonna exonerate himself and that he’s innocent of all charges.

Nick: Thought we said we weren’t gonna engage.

Sharon: Well, I had to say something. I wasn’t in any danger. There were witnesses. Then adam came in.

Nick: What’d they say to each other?

Sharon: I don’t know. I didn’t want to get involved, so I made up some excuse and i ducked into the back, but i popped my head out now and then and watched them talking.

Nick: How’d they seem, like enemies, friends? Was it loud? Was it not?

Sharon: Mm, they were too far away for me to hear.

Nick: Well, what about, like, body language? You pick up on anything?

Sharon: I don’t know, seemed serious. High-key. They went out into the patio, so they obviously wanted privacy.

Nick: Okay.

Sharon: It was intense. I mean, nothing hostile, but they were both determined and very focused, like whatever they were talking about, their lives depended on it.

Victor: I got to come clean with you. I’m not the one who offered ashland money.

Victoria: Adam just took it upon himself? Why didn’t you just tell him, “ashland, no, I did not authorize adam to offer him money to go away”?

Victor: I’m going to discuss many things with adam, but i would not contradict him to ashland. We need to work on this whole thing as a family, stick together, okay? However, it was kind of interesting to watch ashland’s reaction to the offer. He seemed kind of interested, didn’t he?

Victoria: Do not take that at face value. It was never gonna be that simple to get rid of him. He was testing you, just like you were testing him.

Nikki: If ashland was testing anybody, it was you.

Victoria: Oh, he was not, mother.

Nikki: Oh, yes, he was. He was watching you. Every time you moved or looked his way.

Victor: Well, he can sense that you’re torn. You know he’s trying to drive a wedge between you and our family.

Victoria: I am well aware of that. Look, maybe adam’s obnoxious interference will make it easier for me to pretend that I am completely fed up with adam and blame him for setting up ashland.

Victor: But you said that ashland doesn’t like your plan of planting false evidence against adam.

Victoria: I am not giving up. I’m gonna do everything that i can to get him out of our lives and out of this company. And I’m gonna do it without spending tens of millions of dollars. Wait a minute. How much did adam offer ashland?

Nikki: $500 million. Nothing like a weekend in the woods.

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Victoria: Where the hell does adam get off making an offer like that? We had a plan. We all agreed.

Victor: I will be speaking with adam. I don’t know what he was thinking when he made this plan, but he’s gonna hear from me, okay? Having said that, it’s irrelevant because we’re all trying to get rid of this bastard.

Victoria: Yes, I know, by moving forward with my plan.

Victor: But your plan has not come to fruition.

Victoria: And adam doesn’t want it to. I warned you over and over again that he would do anything that he could to try to undermine me and to try to make me look bad. This is really incredible. It’s all your fault.

Victor: Oh, yeah, what did i do?

Victoria: You should have put a stop to it before it started by letting adam know that you expected his full cooperation.

Nikki: Alright, alright. Victoria, there is nothing stopping you from executing your plan if ashland doesn’t take the money.

Victoria: “If”? Of course he won’t take the money.

Victor: Oh, yeah? Why? Because he’s eternally in love with you?

Victoria: I think you’re missing my point. I am never going to fall for ashland’s lies again. I know his mind far better than you.

Victor: Well, then kindly educate us.

Victoria: He would never accept a bribe, and he never backs down from a fight.

Nikki: If he doesn’t want the money, then why did he agree to consider adam’s offer?

Victoria: I don’t know. Maybe it was a part of his plan.

Victor: Oh, yeah? Maybe he doesn’t have any plans. Maybe this is the best option left.

Victoria: Well, I guess time will tell which one of us is right.

Nick: You know, I guess it could’ve been a business meeting. Adam is the temporary ceo.

Sharon: Of newman/locke? How did that happen?

Nick: Yeah, it was dad’s idea. He thought if he put adam in that role, it might convince ashland and victoria to not go to italy and stay in town.

Sharon: Well, I guess that worked. They stuck around.

Nick: Yeah, but adam resented it so much, he refused to go along with victoria’s plan to oust ashland unless dad decided to keep him in the big chair.

Sharon: Wow, that just sounds so —

Nick: Self-serving? Like the old adam? Imagine that. I actually tried to talk to him about it, you know, just to remind him how much progress he’s made and to let him know that it would be a real mistake to use this situation with victoria to his advantage or to allow ambition or sibling rivalry to get the better of him.

Sharon: Do you think he listened to you?

Nick: I don’t know. It was worth a shot.

Sharon: How’s victoria handling all this?

Nick: It’s hard to say. I mean, she’s pretty distant. She’s not listening to us. We’re trying to get her to come up with a plan “b,” just in case plan “a” doesn’t work. You know, I don’t think ashland is buying this at all, but she’s just so scared and defensive.

Sharon: Well, of course she is. She just had her heart broken by a man who one swept her off her feet. She’s probably feeling used and exposed.

Nick: Unfortunately, she’s still in love with him.

Sharon: Oh, no.

Nick: But she also knows that she can’t trust him completely, so when you add it all up, there’s no way in telling where she’s headed with all this or what to expect. In fact, I don’t even think victoria knows at this point.

Sally: You need to find some way to let this go. You did what you could. Seized the moment. You took bold, decisive action.

Adam: [ Exhales sharply ] That could fail miserably.

Sally: If this thing with ashland doesn’t work out, you’re gonna come up with something else. And do you know why?

Adam: Tell me.

Sally: Because you’re brilliant and relentless — a combination that is sexy as hell.

Adam: Well, that’s probably why we get along so well.

Sally: I read your mind.

Adam: Oh, you don’t say.

Sally: Do you know what I’m thinking right now?

Adam: Something like this?

Victor: Son, we have some serious business to discuss.

Adam: [ Chuckles ] I’m steve, I lost 138 pounds in nine months on golo

Adam: [ Clears throat ] Well, I’d love to hear more about what you’re here to say, but sally stays. I’m sure this is about ashland, and she is up to speed on everything.

Victor: Is she also aware of the reckless move you made offering this criminal millions of dollars to get out of the company?

Adam: I mean, I’m the one who made the deal, so why did he run to you?

Victor: Because he doesn’t trust you because he knows you were lying when you said you had the backing of your family.

Adam: So what’d he say?

[ Clears throat ] Is he gonna take the deal?

Victor: What difference does it make what he says or said? You’re trying to buy some time, trying to figure out where the hell to get that amount of money from?

Adam: Come on, nobody has that kind of cash laying around.

Victor: This is your first move as an executive, as a temporary executive of newman/locke? What are you gonna do, draw the funds from newman/locke?

Adam: No, it wouldn’t be appropriate to use company funds for a personal family, matter.

Victor: Then where the hell were you gonna get the money from?

Adam: Victoria’s the one who brought ashland into this family, so she should be the one responsible for getting him out.

Victor: Your lack of sympathy for your sister is appalling. As a family, we don’t do this.

Sharon: I remember how worried nikki and victor were about victoria when she split with billy. After she was attacked. Nikki even asked me to help. I mean, I imagine in some ways this feels even worse for them.

Nick: Oh, yeah, they were all in on the wedding, and I was sent to the doghouse for even daring to doubt the guy.

Sharon: And now it’s all falling apart anyway.

Nick: The scary part is if it doesn’t fall apart completely and victoria tries to salvage her relationship with ashland.

Sharon: You mean if she chooses him over the entire family?

Nick: If she does that, it could cause a rift in the family that may never repair.

Sharon: Oh, nikki.

Nikki: Hi, sharon.

Sharon: You know what? Why don’t I get you your usual? Are you gonna stick around or do you want it to go?

Nikki: Make it to go, and we’ll play it by ear. Thank you.

Nick: What have I missed?

Nikki: You’re never gonna believe it.

Nick: Let me guess, something to do with adam.

Nikki: Oh, how did you know?

Nick: Sharon said she saw adam and ashland in here talking earlier, and from the looks of it, it was a pretty intense conversation.

Nikki: Apparently adam has decided that he’s going to handle this ashland situation all on his own.

Nick: Nobody asked for his help.

Nikki: No, no, we did not. However, he told ashland that the family had authorized him to make an offer of an ungodly amount of money to terminate his contract at newman/locke and to walk away from victoria.

Nick: Let me guess how ashland reacted — he went whining and crying to victoria, saying there was no amount of money that will ever replace her and that their love will last forever and ever.

Nikki: Actually, no, he went to your father first.

Nick: Why would he do that?

Nikki: To make sure it was a bona fide offer. It was the first your father heard of it, but he played along and pretended that the offer was authentic.

Nick: Are you telling me that ashland’s considering taking this deal from adam?

Nikki: I don’t know. Victoria says he’s just pretending to be interested.

Nick: Well, it’s probably hard for her to accept that she meant so little to him.

Nikki: [ Sighs ] She begged us to trust her to handle this, and god knows I am trying my best, but the more time she spends with him, the more opportunity he has to charm his way back into her heart.

Victoria: We should talk.

Ashland: I’ll do anything you want, but not here. We need privacy.

Victoria: That would be ideal, yes. I’ll grab us a suite.

Wait, oh, yes

Nick: $500 million?

Nikki: Can you believe that?

Nick: It’s the exact figure that victoria, abby, and I won in that lawsuit with dad.

Nikki: Coincidence?

Nick: Doesn’t feel like it.

Nikki: Have you ever heard of a golden parachute that large for a ceo that has barely spent any time in that position? Now, mind you, adam is asking him to do more than just walk away from his job, he has to say goodbye to victoria, too.

Nick: Look, he’s probably just flexing his muscles. You know, he gets rid of ashland, he impresses dad. He proves that he can handle things on all fronts, unlike victoria.

Nikki: Yes, that’s exactly the message he was sending — that he thought her plan was doomed to fail. And she saw that for what it was. She’s furious.

Nick: And she has every right to be. If adam was this convinced that victoria’s plan was gonna be so ineffective, then he should’ve come to us, and together we could’ve come up with an alternative option. Instead, he just goes off freelancing.

Nikki: I really don’t know that he has it in him to be a team player.

Nick: How’s dad reacting to this?

Nikki: Well, he’s not happy.

Victor: I assume your coo encouraged you to take this path. And you thought it was a good idea based on what, based on her extensive experience in corporate deal-making?

Adam: No, dad, this was my idea. And it was mine alone.

Sally: But once I did hear about it, I thought it was wonderful. Simple, clear, and direct.

Adam: Look, I wanted to provide ashland with the incentive to do what you’ve been telling him to do ever since you discovered he’s a fraud — to get out of our lives.

Victor: Are you forgetting that victoria already had a plan?

Adam: Can I get a show of hands of anyone who actually thought that plan could work? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?!

Victor: Stop it!

Adam: Okay? I am coming at the problem from a different angle.

Victor: Really? Hell of an angle. You slack off, you listen to her advice, and you agree to pay this bastard hundreds of millions of dollars. Are you serious?!

Sally: If I may, adam’s plan is only expensive if it works, but you haven’t even told us how ashland responded to adam’s deal. If he wasn’t interested or he just blew it off, then this whole conversation is moot, right? There’s nothing to argue about.

Adam: He didn’t reject it, did he?

Victoria: Tell me that you never took that offer seriously. Tell me that you were just trying to make adam feel self-satisfied so that he would let his guard down.

Ashland: I’m sorry to say that adam has every reason to feel confident right now. He’s finally on track to getting everything he’s ever wanted. He’ll be victor’s shining star. Respected, admired, and, yes, he will take over for me once I’m gone.

Victoria: “Gone”?

Ashland: Yes. I told you already I want to get the hell out of this place. Start someplace fresh.

Victoria: You were tired. I — I just thought you were fantasizing or that you felt discouraged.

Ashland: All of the above.

Victoria: You know there is still time to hold adam accountable for all that he’s done. Clearly you can see by now that he is trying to set you up, now that he’s made this final push to shove you out of the company, now he’s demanding that we end our marriage. Tell me that you’re not gonna give in to these demands. You’re gonna fight this, right?

Ashland: I know that you want me to plant evidence to incriminate adam.

Victoria: It’s the least that he deserves.

Ashland: I care more about what you deserve. Victoria, I can’t give it all to you anymore. We can no longer continue the life that we’d planned and loved and built, running newman/locke side-by-side and trusting each other implicitly. That life is not gonna happen. But I can still be the man that I promised you I would be on the day we got married.

[ Sighs ] The thing is…I’m a selfish man. Greedy and selfish. I don’t just want your love. I want your respect. And I know if I do this thing that you’re asking me to do, that’s what I’ll lose.

Victoria: And that’s your final answer. You’re not gonna do what’s necessary to bring adam down.

Ashland: No. The answer to lies is not more lies.

Victoria: But it’s all been lies, hasn’t it? From the very beginning.

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will continue.

Victor: I will tell you about my conversation with ashland after you assure that I’ve been heard and understood.

Adam: [ Clears throat ] Loud and clear. You want me to work for the good of the family, and honestly, that’s what I thought that I was doing.

Victor: Don’t ever go off on your own and make a deal of this magnitude without me knowing about it.

Adam: Listen, I was trying to help. Sometimes you got to think outside the boardroom. I made a judgment call.

Victor: You had no right to take the situation into your own hands — none!

Adam: Okay, look, I should’ve come to you before I made the offer, definitely, yes, but i wasn’t trying to get away with anything. I saw locke, the idea came to me, and I just ran with it.

Sally: It’s true. I was there. It was not something we had discussed. He was just inspired.

Victor: I don’t care if you were there or not! It was an impulsive decision. You shouldn’t have made it without consulting me and the family. Don’t you ever do that again! Isn’t that what you accused your sister of, having rushed into a plan?

Adam: Look, there were plenty of problems with victoria’s plan. Most importantly, he didn’t bite on the bait, which was me. And when I gave him my offer, i actually saw a big, beautiful light turn on behind his dead eyes, okay? He was intrigued. So what did the guy say?

Victor: He said he’s at the grand phoenix, waiting for you.

Adam: When? Right now?

Victor: Maybe he’s still there now.

Adam: Okay, uh, well, it’s past the point of no return. Unless you want me to kill this deal. Tell me now. Just say the word, and I’ll drop it.

Victor: Son, let me say this quietly. Once again, don’t ever make a deal without me knowing. Not a deal of that magnitude.

Nick: I mean, is there a chance adam’s plan could work, just paying him off? It’s not clever, it’s not overly complicated, but maybe that’s it’s saving grace.

Nikki: [ Sighs ] It’s easy money, if that’s what ashland is looking for.

Nick: You think he’s ready to give up control of the company?

Nikki: I don’t know. He asked your father to have adam meet him at the grand phoenix so they could go over the agreement. Although that could’ve just been a tactic.

Nick: Well, what does that buy him?

Nikki: I don’t know. More time? He’s always telling her how much he adores her and he would give up the world for her. This scheme feeds right into that. The poor thing, I mean, she must feel like we don’t support her and that we’ve given up faith in her.

Nick: And then ashland could twist things around, make it seem like it’s just the two of them versus the big, mean newman family.

Nikki: And then he can make this enormous sacrifice out of love.

Nick: When really it’s just a ploy, a way to pull her back to him.

Victoria: My god, you really are a piece of work, aren’t you?

Ashland: I don’t understand where this is coming from.

Victoria: Love really is blind, right, ashland? But guess what — my eyes have been opened.

Ashland: By your family.

Victoria: No, by you. There’s one thing I have known, that everybody knows about you, is that you are a fighter. You never surrender and you hardly ever show mercy, so there is no way in hell that you would ever let anyone set you up or sully your reputation. And then what, after that, you’re gonna take a payoff and you’re just gonna walk away from the company that you built with your wife? That wouldn’t happen.

Ashland: You’re making a lot of assumptions.

Victoria: The only reason you stopped looking for evidence against adam is because you know that there isn’t any. You know that he didn’t set you up. You’re 100% guilty. You have been faking your cancer for months. You falsified records. You bribed the doctors. You conned me into caring about you, and after I gave you my heart and my trust and after everything that you put me through, you at least owe me the truth. Can you not give me the truth?!

Ashland: You’re right. About one thing. Who I am — I am a fighter. What you may not be considering is that I’ve changed what I’m fighting for. Do you struggle with occasional nerve aches

Victoria: You want me to believe that you are fighting for me.

Ashland: I am.

Victoria: And yet you just told my parents that you would consider accepting a bribe to get me out of your life.

[ Scoffs ] I’m sorry, just pardon my confusion.

Ashland: What I consider and what I agree to are not necessarily the same things.

Victoria: Oh, right, yeah. It’s all just semantics.

Ashland: Look, I know that it doesn’t matter anymore what i say to you. It’s not likely you’re gonna believe any promises or denials that come out of my mouth right now. I understand that. I get it.

Victoria: That is so big of you.

Ashland: But I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, okay? I don’t believe you either. When you act like this — so tough and so above it all — i know what’s going on inside.

Victoria: Whatever affection I might still have for you is far outweighed by how angry I am with you.

Ashland: If the situation were reversed, if I found out that you were using me, a sick and dying man, to gain control of locke communications, I would be livid.

Victoria: Would you?

Ashland: Yes. I would feel betrayed, I would feel used, I would feel manipulated, and yet it would be impossible for me to stop loving you. Because I would know in my heart that no matter how our relationship started, no matter what kind of simplistic and grasping intentions we had at the beginning, that what it turned into was something entirely different. Something real and true and strong. And I would know that you were in love with me despite your best efforts to cover it up or pretend it away.

Victoria: It seems that you’ve decided to disregard everything that I say.

Ashland: No, I’m telling you that a love as strong and real as ours cannot be forced or faked. It cannot be an act, and you can’t convince me otherwise.

Victoria: So if the shoe were on the other foot, you would forgive me.

Ashland: Without hesitation.

Victoria: Because?

Ashland: Because I love you. And I could never stop loving you.

Victoria: What is it that you want from me?

Ashland: The same thing you want from me. The truth.

Nick: Alright, you’ll let me know if you hear anything.

Nikki: Yes, of course I will.

Nick: Look, mom, don’t worry. Vick is gonna come out of this stronger and tougher than she’s ever been.

Nikki: I hope so. She’s been through so much.

Nick: She’s gonna be okay.

Nikki: Alright, I’m gonna take off.

Nick: Alright, I love you.

Nikki: Love you too.

Sharon: She looks really worried.

Nick: Well, everything keeps piling up. We thought adam was up to something, and we were right.

Sharon: Why, what did she say to you?

Nick: Do you remember when you saw adam and ashland in here talking?

Sharon: Yeah.

Nick: Well, I guess adam decided he didn’t trust victoria to be able to single-handedly get ashland out of our lives, so what you were watching was adam going behind the family’s back, putting his own plan in motion.

Sharon: Should I act surprised?

Nick: Now everything’s up in the air. Ashland’s gonna have a chance to play us all against each other. It’s time I have a talk with ashland, and I know right where to find him.

Sharon: Wait. Nick, I don’t think that’s a good idea.

Victor: I have issues with your plan, son. What if ashland locke pretends to agree to accept the $500 million? Then he can toy with us. He can suddenly say, “I don’t like the deal.” And then what?

Adam: So what are you gonna do? Are you gonna just wait and hope that victoria’s plan works out?

Victor: Victoria’s plan was a damn good plan, son. Very good plan. All we had to do is catch him in doing something illegal. He would’ve terminated his contract with newman/locke. He would’ve been the hell out.

Sally: If he’s up to something underhanded, he’s never gonna get caught. He’s way too smart. He’s been five steps ahead of victoria since the day he made her his mark, and I am not victim-blaming because I thought he was in love with victoria just like everyone else.

Adam: Look, I’m not asking you to trust locke, because i certainly don’T. But if he agrees to walk away, i will insist that he signs ironclad legal documents. Okay? Nondisclosure, non-compete — all of it. It’ll be easy. We’ll make it clean, and we can get him out of our lives for good.

Victor: All this is contingent upon you getting ahold of $500 million. Where are you gonna get it — victoria? You know that’s out of the question. What? You think it’s gonna come from me?

Adam: What is worth to you to get this guy out of our lives?

Victor: [ Sighs ]

Give your morning a

little boost

Nick: Just give me one good reason why I shouldn’t let ashland have it.

Sharon: Well, you just got through saying how wrong it was for adam to go behind victoria’s back and take charge of the situation himself.

Nick: Yeah, I know, but it’s —

Sharon: How is that any different than you going to confront ashland right now? What is that gonna do? It’ll show victoria that you don’t trust her to handle this herself.

Nick: [ Sighs ] Well, it’ll make me feel better.

Sharon: Okay, but this isn’t about you.

Nick: I know, you’re right.

Sharon: Why are you even involved in this? Why don’t you just sit this one out?

Nick: This sick bastard has caused my sister so much pain.

Sharon: Okay, well, if you want to get involved, go to her. Just offer her your love and support. That’s what she really needs right now.

Adam: Yeah, it’s an obscene amount of money.

Victor: Hmm.

Adam: But what price can you put on freedom? Because that’s what you would be buying for victoria. My sister would never have to see this guy again. She could stop pretending to love him because it’s pretty clear that’s what’s messing with her head, no matter how much she wants to claim otherwise. And, dad, aside from that, we have to get this guy out of the family company. He gets in control, he can make major changes. Our management team — gone. His lieutenants get promoted, he could sell off entire divisions to the highest bidder. I think half a billion dollars is a small price to pay to avoid the kind of chaos that that man could unleash.

Victor: You’re not bringing up anything that I haven’t already considered.

Adam: Well, I figured as much. So what do you want me to do?

Victor: Meet with him. Make the deal.

Adam: And the money?

Victor: It’ll come from your father.

Adam: You — you won’t regret this.

Victor: See to it that i don’T.

Victoria: After everything that’s transpired, how can you expect me to forgive you?

Ashland: No, no, no, don’t go anywhere. I know it sounds mad. Just hear me out. We can start over. And thanks to adam, ironically, we will have all the capital we need to start our next venture.

Victoria: You don’t understand —

Ashland: I do understand. Think about the life we could have. No suspicions. No judgment. No family rivalries. Just the two of us…and this crazy, perfect love that we have found together. You want that…every bit as much as I do. Don’t you?

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Young & The Restless Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

Victor: Sweetheart, please answer your mother’s questions. Are you saying that, after all the betrayal and all the lies, you still feel love for ashland locke?

Victoria: [ Sighs ] Do I love him? Or do I hate him? I mean, does it really matter?

Nick: Yeah. It does. We need to know if you have cut ties with ashland. I’m very concerned about the emotional toll this has taken on you. If you still have feelings for him, it’s gonna be much, much worse.

Victoria: Yes, nicholas, the feelings that I had for ashland were very strong, and they are not simply gonna go away overnight, even after finding out that he’s been lying to me for months.

Nick: Not just lying.

Victoria: I know what he’s done, nick. But what I’m saying is, whatever residual emotion there is left in my heart, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the crimes that he’s committed against me and this family. What matters is this plan to get him out of our lives and out of our company.

Nikki: But, darling, the plan seems to be falling apart.

Victor: Are you saying locke is having second thoughts?

Nikki: [ Sighs ] Now he doesn’t know if he wants to set adam up. Even though adam agreed to go along with it, ashland may not follow through.

Victor: Are you telling me that this is all off the rail now, this whole plan?

Sally: Thank you.

[ Sighs ]

Ashland: [ Sighs ] You have my attention.

Adam: Huh. Well, I would hope so. Half a billion dollars is, uh, hard to ignore. All you have to do is walk away from victoria and newman/locke.

Ashland: Well, I’m not exactly strapped for cash, but, uh, that is a substantial amount of money.

Adam: It’s enough to go anywhere that is not genoa city. You know, you could buy yourself a private island, buy a business, rebuild your empire. You could build a rocket and blast yourself into space. I don’t really care. But most importantly, you would get a drama-free exit with no questions asked.

Ashley: Are you spying on the neighbors?

Traci: [ Laughs ] No!

[ Laughs ]

Ashley: You know, seeing you like this, traci, reminds me when we were little. Daddy would go on business trips, and the day he was returning home, you would be here all day long, waiting for him to walk through that door. Do you remember that?

Traci: I remember vividly. I just — I just loved it when he came home from a trip. It just felt better when he was here with us, you know? Safer.

Ashley: Yeah. Plus, he always brought us presents from wherever he’d been, right?

Traci: Yeah. That helped.

Ashley: And here you are all these years later standing here and waiting for jack in the exact same spot.

Traci: Well, I just want to hear about los angeles. And I want to hear what happened with his granddaughter, allie. He’ll be here any minute.

Ashley: Maybe he’ll bring you a present.

Traci: Oh, that would be nice!

[ Laughs ] I just — I really hope the trip went the way he wanted it to.

Ashley: Me too.

Traci: [ Chuckles ]

Phyllis: Thank you. It’s so chivalrous of you to bring in my bag. Um, you don’t need to.

Jack: I just wanted to make sure you got settled in.

Phyllis: Thank you. I wish there was something i could do for you.

Jack: Are you joking? You have been such a help. It feels like you’ve been by my side for weeks now.

Phyllis: You know what i mean. I wish there was something i could do for you right this moment.

Jack: Can you call kyle and tell him his mother’s actually alive and wants to be part of his life now?

Phyllis: Well, I’m gonna stay away from that. In fact, I don’t even want to talk to summer right now. I’m afraid it’ll slip.

Jack: No, I have to be the one to tell him. Boy, am I not looking forward to that conversation.

Phyllis: No, but you have to do it before diane does. I mean —

Jack: Yeah, I just don’t know how he’s gonna react. Never in a million years did i imagine I would be in this situation. Poor kyle.

[ Breathes deeply ]

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Jack: The whole situation is just a mess.

Phyllis: Yeah.

Jack: It’s not just kyle’s reaction. Allie was dragged into the middle of this. That trip was supposed to be about me spending time with her, getting to know her. The whole thing was ruined by diane’s intrusion.

Phyllis: Yeah. Diane is a master manipulator. That’s for sure. Hey, I don’t want to talk about her. Let’s talk about allie. That was a good trip. I think you made progress with her. I really do. She’s a very smart, capable girl. I think that, uh, you made a real connection. That’s what I think. And there’s nothing that diane can say or do to ruin that.

Jack: Thank you for keeping things positive. When did you become a cockeyed optimist?

Phyllis: Just calling it like I see it.

[ Cellphone buzzes ]

Jack: Oh. Bear with me. It’s billy. He wants to know how my trip went. Well, I guess I have to break the news to all of my siblings at the same time. Wish me luck. I’m about to blow up a good old-fashioned abbott family meeting.

Victoria: Ashland was adamant that he didn’t want me to cross an ethical line. He felt that if — if I helped him to frame adam, it would corrupt me and there would be no coming back from that. He also suggested that the two of us run away together.

Victor: He’s testing you. He’s suspicious. He wants to know you’re on his side.

Nikki: That’s what I thought, too. He’s no dummy.

Nick: By that, you mean he is sneaky and a criminal.

Victor: Of course he is. We don’t know what he’s gonna do.

Nick: Well, he may catch on to what we’re up to.

Victor: If he even gets a hint of our plan, we need to rethink it.

Nick: I agree. The more I think about it, the more reservations I have.

Nikki: What we need to be concerned about is —

Victoria: I can handle myself. I can handle ashland. This plan is solid. I chose to bring you all in on it. I trusted you to help me. I just told you how committed i am to seeing it through, and you still don’t trust me.

Ashland: See, I think accepting a deal like this, as generous as it may seem, uh, may appear to be an admission of guilt.

Adam: [ Chuckles ]

[ Laughs ] Are you still playing this game?

Ashland: What game is that?

Adam: The one where we all pretend like you’re still innocent. Come on. Get over yourself, locke. There’s enough evidence out there. You never had cancer. You preyed on victoria’s emotions to get your hands on my family’s company. And I don’t care about that. I’m not judging. My past is littered with similar schemes, okay? You saw an angle. You played it. Good for you. But now it’s over. Make it easy on yourself. Get paid. Get out of this. With your reputation intact.

Ashland: You make it sound like it’s a generous offer and that you care about your sister, but this is really all about your own self-interest, isn’t it?

Adam: [ Chuckles ] I have the family’s interest at heart.

Ashland: Yeah, but if you get me out of the picture, then you can set your sights on victoria and you can make your move to be ceo of the company.

Adam: Look, I don’t think that my motives should play a role in your decision.

Ashland: Fair enough. $500 million. And you claim you’re representing victor and the family.

Adam: That’s right.

Ashland: How do I know that’s true? Does victor even know you’re making this offer?

Adam: [ Chuckles ] (Dramatic music)

Victor: Sweetheart, this is not about distrusting you. But you’ve got to realize that ashland locke is backpedaling from your plan because he is suspicious.

Victoria: Or maybe he is seriously conflicted. Maybe it’s possible to be this ruthless and to also love me and want to protect me. The two of those ideas are not mutually exclusive.

Victor: Well…

[ Sighs ] Maybe you’re right. It’s possible.

Victoria: That’s very ironic, coming from you.

Victor: What do you mean by that?

Nikki: She is comparing the dynamic she has with ashland to what you and I have. Now, you can be ruthless, yet you love me. You always want to protect me. And I have always loved you, even at your worst. And vice versa. But I can’t bring myself to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Victor: Sweetheart, the situations are different.

Victoria: The hell they are.

Victor: Ashland locke is a complete narcissist. That beautiful wedding in tuscany — if he had been a man, he would have come to you and told you about his past, about his lies! He would have begged you for forgiveness.

Nick: Or at least before he signed that contract to be co-ceo.

Victor: He used you, sweetheart. I hate to say this. He would have tossed you away as soon as he thought he had benefited enough. Trust me, I’m gonna make that bastard pay for the pain he has caused you. But you’ve seen enough now. You’ve seen what he has done. Don’t question your plan now.

Adam: You give me more credit than I deserve. I mean, you really think I have the, uh, temerity and the guts to make a deal like this without my father’s approval?

Ashland: Oh, I wouldn’t put anything past you. But you’re probably right. $500 million does cross a line. Victor would have to sign off on that. I think the amount, though… is really interesting, don’t you? I mean, if your father chose that number, that’s a bit cruel, don’t you think?

Adam: No, I’d say it’s quite generous, actually.

Ashland: Oh, no, no, I don’t mean cruel toward me. Toward you. I mean, I happen to know that $500 million is exactly the amount of money your father was forced to pay his other children when they sued him over their trusts. Victoria, nick, even abby. But not you.

Adam: Well, uh, if you did your research properly, you would know that, um, I was not a part of that lawsuit.

Ashland: Well, no, but it still seems unfair, don’t you think? I mean, you never got that kind of money from your father.

Adam: [ Chuckles ]

Ashland: It’s almost as if he was saying to you that you weren’t in the same league as his other children, as your siblings. That’s got to hurt.

Adam: Yeah. That was a nice try. Really. But I’m doing just fine.

Ashland: Okay. Still, though, to have to prove yourself over and over and over again to the old man — that has to be exhausting.

Adam: Yeah. My father and I are, uh, in a great place, actually. And as for the amount, which he and I agreed on, uh, I wouldn’t over-analyze it. We just were looking for the exact number necessary to get you out of our lives — and not a penny more.

Billy: Jack said to meet him here and he’ll fill us in when he arrives.

Traci: Fill us in on what? I mean, he never said anything to me.

Billy: Patience, darling. He’s on his way.

Ashley: Traci’s very anxious to welcome a new member into our family, obviously.

Traci: I am. It’s so exciting. I just — I just hope that jack and allie were able to find ways to forge a new connection.

[ Door opens ] Oh!

Jack: Oh, good, you’re all here.

Billy: Hey.

Traci: Jack. How did it go? Does allie want to go ahead with the relationship? When are we gonna get to meet her?

Billy: Just so you know, uh, traci’s already photoshopped her into our family portrait.

Traci: If I knew anything about how to do that, I would have.

Ashley: How are you? How’d it go?

Jack: First let me say this. It is so good to see these three faces in this house. We don’t do this enough. We all know how important family is. This should be a regular occurrence.

Traci: That is a wonderful idea, and I agree.

Billy: We all agree, but you’re stalling. What’s going on?

Jack: Allie. Have a seat.

Traci: Okay.

Jack: Allie is lovely. She’s pretty. She’s bright. She’s curious. She’s thoughtful. She reminded me of keemo from time to time.

Traci: Oh, that’s so nice.

Jack: But more than anything, she reminded me of you.

Ashley: Me?

Jack: Yes. Clear-eyed, critical-thinking. She’s working on her master’s in chemical engineering. I know how skeptical you have been about this whole situation. There’s someone else who’s even more skeptical — allie. I think you two are gonna hit it off when you finally meet.

Traci: Oh, I like the sound of that. So, when is she coming to visit?

Jack: Hopefully very soon. First I need to tell you all about something else that happened in los angeles.

Ashley: What is it?

Traci: Uh-oh. You look a little unsettled.

Jack: There’s no easy way to say this, no simple way to prepare you.

Ashley: Okay. What happened?

Jack: I learned the identity of the mysterious texter, the person who’d been luring me out to los angeles to keemo’s house. In fact, she ultimately bought keemo’s house.

Traci: Wait, “she”?

Jack: She. No matter who we considered, i never allowed for this possibility because it wasn’t possible.

Ashley: Jack, what are you talking about? Who is she?

Jack: Diane jenkins. She’s alive. One fateful morning,

Adam: Well, I think we covered everything. Except, of course, a deadline.

Ashland: Why does there have to be a deadline?

Adam: [ Chuckles ] Because we’re not gonna drag this out, okay? This is a one-time offer. You can take it, or you can leave it, but it expires today.

Ashland: It’s a lot to consider. What if I need more time?

Adam: You have one hour, okay? If you agree to the deal, the money will be wired into an account of your choosing tomorrow morning. And if not…good luck surviving what comes next.

Nick: Vick, we’re all just trying to look out for you.

Nikki: It may seem heavy-handed.

Victoria: “Seems”? It is heavy-handed.

Nikki: We don’t want you to feel attacked. We just need to get through to you.

Victoria: I don’t appreciate being told how to feel.

Nick: But you still don’t have affection for this guy, right?

Victoria: Oh, just give me some time to think about it, nicholas. It seems like every time we talk, it always comes back to your lack of faith in my ability to make good decisions.

Nikki: Honey, it’s just that we want to make sure you have a clear view of the situation.

Victoria: I just need time. I need some time right now away from all of you to think about this.

Nick: [ Sighs ]

Amanda: Well, hello.

Phyllis: Hey. How are you? Are you meeting somebody here?

Amanda: Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m here to see someone very important, actually.

Phyllis: Who?

Amanda: You.

Phyllis: Me?

Amanda: Yes.

Phyllis: Oh.

Amanda: Yeah, and I came by yesterday, and someone told me that you were out of town.

Phyllis: Yeah. Yeah, I went to L.A.

Amanda: [ Gasps ] You did?

Phyllis: Yeah, jack went to california, and I — I flew there to meet him.

Amanda: Okay. Well, hopefully you got to do something fun this time around. Sightseeing? The beach?

Phyllis: [ Chuckles ] No, this trip definitely was not fun. Um, jack is dealing with the whole, you know, death of his son, keemo, and… yeah, it was one revelation after the other.

Amanda: I’m sorry. You know I just went through that same drama with my family, so I know how intense it can be.

Phyllis: Yeah. Yeah, “intense” doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Billy: I’m sorry. Please tell me that this is some kind of sick joke.

Jack: Not at all.

Traci: Okay, is possible that you only think diane’s alive? Maybe the texter’s messing with with your head.

Jack: Diane is alive. I saw her. I talked to her more than once.

Billy: How — how is that possible? They found her body.

Ashley: This is insane.

Traci: O-okay, let’s focus on what’s important. Diane, who miraculously came back from the dead after all these years, knew that keemo passed away and knew of the existence of allie?

Jack: Yes, that’s right.

Traci: So she’s gonna take this information and try to insinuate herself back into your life.

Jack: That’s not the way she would put it.

Ashley: Well, of course not because she could rationalize any horrible thing she’s ever done.

Jack: She was hoping that by bringing me and allie together, she could gain my forgiveness, at least enough forgiveness that I would allow her to re-establish a relationship with kyle.

Traci: Oh, no. Poor kyle.

Billy: And let me guess — she wants to be a mother again after all these years?

Ashley: You’re not gonna let that happen.

Jack: I was as outraged as you are by her demands. I know this is a lot to take in, and I’m asking you to keep this between us. I told you this because i haven’t told kyle yet, and i have to tell him soon.

Traci: Are you sure?

Jack: His mother’s alive. I can’t keep that from him. Look, and this has to be told in person. I can’t do this over the phone. So I’ve encouraged him to come here to genoa city in the next couple of weeks and I will tell him then.

Traci: But, jack, what is this gonna do to him, though? He grieved and suffered when she died. How could she put him through this?

Ashley: Because she’s inherently selfish.

Billy: Okay, can we go back to the beginning? How is this woman not dead?

Jack: You’re not gonna believe this.

Ashley: You know, when it comes to diane, I’d believe just about anything. So, please tell us — how did this bitch come back into our lives? What can I du with less asthma?

“The young and the restless”

will continue.

Jack: She knew the whole town hated her, she felt the walls closing in, and she faked her own death.

Billy: By herself?

Jack: With the help of deacon sharpe.

Traci: No way.

Billy: So, what has she been doing after all these years?

Jack: Well, she claims she’s been rehabilitating herself. She’s turned her life around. She’s looking at a happier, healthier future.

Ashley: Please. You didn’t buy any of that.

Jack: Not for one second.

Ashley: Thank god.

Jack: Everything you’re feeling — the anger, the shock, the outrage — I felt tenfold when I saw her face-to-face. And I haven’t forgotten one thing she did to me. The lies, the games, using kyle’s custody as a weapon. And, ashley, I have not forgotten what she did to you.

Ashley: Where do I even start? She slept with my fiancé. She blackmailed me. What she did to my daughter. And then her so-called death. We were all turned into suspects. Our lives were turned completely upside down the entire time she was alive. Even you hate her, and you try to think the best of everybody.

Traci: Well, she takes pleasure in wreaking havoc.

Ashley: She does. I just wish she’d crawl back under that rock she climbed out from under.

Billy: Well, she’s not going to, so please tell me you have a plan on how to deal with her — because she is a potential threat to half of this town. What do you think she’s gonna do next?

Jack: [ Sighs ]

Nick: Well, it’s probably my fault she took off. I was just trying to be supportive, but I probably came on too strong.

Nikki: Darling, you were coming from a good place. But that didn’t make it any easier for her.

Victor: [ Sighs ] Do you think we were too tough on her?

Nikki: We said what needed to be said.

Nick: I just wish she would have received it better, you know? I got to go. Uh, call me if anything comes up?

Victor: Okay, son.

Nikki: Alright.

[ Door closes ]

Nikki: Well, I’m gonna stay. I have a little work to do. I have a feeling victoria will be back sooner rather than later.

Victor: I’ll stick around, okay?

Nikki: Good. I think, when she has a chance to process everything, she’ll calm down.

Victor: [ Sighs ] You mean and realize that we were right?

Nikki: Oh, well, I don’t know about that. But hopefully we can all have a civil conversation. And we’ll take it from there. Together.

Victor: Yeah.

Sally: Wait. What? A half a billion dollars, and ashland didn’t say yes immediately?

Adam: Uh, well, he didn’t turn it down immediately, either, which suggests he is considering it.

Sally: So, you think he’s just gonna take the money and run?

Adam: He should. I mean, I made quite a strong case. But, uh, nothing’s for certain until I hear from him.

Sally: Well, I hope you get the answer that you want. But either way, for what it’s worth, I think you handled it masterfully.

Adam: Well, it’s worth a lot.

Sally: I have another question.

Adam: Oh, look who’s here.

Sally: Do you want to go somewhere else? I mean, in case you’re not in the mood to deal with her?

Adam: No, no, no. It’s okay. I, um — I have to talk to her for a moment. Do you, uh, want to get us a table?

Sally: Yeah.

Adam: So, how is the plan coming along? Any indication that ashland’s gonna make another move?

Victoria: You sound concerned.

Adam: Uh, well, I am a little bit. No one’s hacked into my computer today to plant fake evidence. So, if ashland is planning on committing a criminal conspiracy, he’s moving at a snail’s pace.

Victoria: I don’t really want to get into it, but there may be a change in plans. Motrin works fast to stop pain where it starts.

Ashley: Jack, clearly you see that her leading you to allie is just another one of diane’s games.

Jack: She claims it isn’T.

Ashley: Oh, jack.

Jack: She claims that she honestly wants to make amends with kyle. Look, my first instinct was to say, “hell, no.” To do what I could to protect kyle from any more pain. But phyllis helped me realize… that it’s kyle’s choice to decide whether she’s gonna be in his life or not.

Ashley: Phyllis? You told phyllis all this before you told your own family?

Jack: Phyllis was with me in los angeles, yeah.

Ashley: Why?

Jack: Because she decided to fly out to support me, knowing it might be a little difficult with allie.

Ashley: Well, that was nice of her.

Jack: Yes, it was, and I’m glad she did because I’ve been spinning out of control ever since diane showed up. No. She kept me grounded. And that’s exactly what i needed.

Amanda: So, you just flew to california because jack asked you to?

Phyllis: Uh, I offered.

Amanda: So, a gesture like that — it feels like there is more than just friendship going on.

Phyllis: You’re interpreting gestures now, are you?

Amanda: Phyllis, I’m just saying that, you know, clearly your connection with jack is getting a little deeper.

Phyllis: You know, this trip… it’s not what you think.

Amanda: You don’t know what i think.

Phyllis: Yeah, I do know what you think because it’s what you’ve been thinking all along. Listen, um, what jack is going through right now is — is quite profound. And, um, I was sort of there as his advisor, a voice of reason.

Amanda: [ Chuckles ] Well, that doesn’t sound like you at all, phyllis.

Phyllis: Yeah, I know. On this trip, I really had to push against my basic instinct. Trust me.

Amanda: Well, if that doesn’t show how much you care about jack, I don’t know what does.

Phyllis: [ Sighs ] Just so there’s no misunderstanding… jack and I are just friends. Really. Especially now. What he needs is a friend. And what I need is a friend.

Amanda: Okay. Yes. You’ve convinced me, alright? But as your friend in a very different way than jack, I’m thinking that there is something very important that we must do.

Adam: What do you mean, there’s been a change in plans?

Victoria: You’ll know when you need to.

Adam: [ Sighs ] You really are a piece of work. I have put myself at risk to try to help you, and you can’t even do the bare minimum to keep me informed? It’s like I’m a lesser being than you, except when you need something from me.

Victoria: Would you please calm down.

Adam: Okay. Obviously, your plan didn’t work. You screwed it up, didn’t you?

Victoria: Not at all.

Adam: I told dad that this was not gonna work. There was too many moving parts. I knew it. Let me guess. Ashland saw through your deception and he’s backing off. You can’t try to control the world. It kind of sucks to find that out, doesn’t it?

Victoria: I have accomplished more than you’ll ever dream of.

Adam: Maybe because, uh, i haven’t been given the opportunity. Oh, you’ve been given plenty of chances, adam, and you’ve failed every time. Because you are who you are.

Ashland: Oh.

Nikki: Uh, victoria just stepped out. We’re not sure for how long.

Ashland: That’s fine. In fact, I’m, uh, glad to see you both here, especially you, victor.

Victor: Why is that?

Ashland: I was hoping we could discuss the offer adam just made.

Victor: What’s there to discuss?

Ashland: Well, primarily, I’d like to know if it was legit.

Victor: Why wouldn’t it be legit?

Ashland: It’s a great deal of money.

Victor: So?

Ashland: You must really want me out of here.

Victor: I do, indeed. The amount seemed appropriate.

Ashland: Maybe. But the fact that it came from adam seemed cold.

Victor: Really? Why?

Ashland: The amount. You see, I happen to know that that’s the exact same number that you were forced to hand over to each of your children except adam. So he was forced to relive that pain all over again.

Victor: Mm-hmm.

Ashland: Which I thought was heartless on your part.

Victor: [ Chuckles ]

Ashland: How exactly do you rationalize putting your own son in that position?

Victor: How the hell do you dare come in here and ask me about my relationship with my son, hmm? Question is, are you willing to accept the offer of $500 million and get the hell out of town?

Lean cuisine.

Adam: Victoria was clearly on the defensive, refusing to admit that she blew it with ashland. Her plan is a mess.

Sally: It’s a dumpster fire.

Adam: Mm-hmm. It just validates, uh, my decision to take matters into my own hands and, uh, create an alternative plan.

Sally: Right. But here’s what I was about to ask you before we saw victoria earlier. How is your dad gonna react to you offering ashland a huge amount of money without consulting with him first?

Adam: If ashland takes the deal and he leaves town, my dad will be fine with it. And if he turns it down… he doesn’t even need to know.

Ashland: I have not yet decided if I’m going to take this offer or not. One mustn’t rush into a decision of this magnitude. There’s so many angles to consider. I did think it was possible that adam was acting on his own.

Victor: You think he would agree to that sum of money without my permission?

Ashland: Funny. That’s exactly what he said. Maybe this offer is real. But there was a moment when you seemed to hesitate, as if i caught you off guard.

Victor: [ Chuckles ] You surmise correctly. I was stunned by your gall, your unmitigated gall, to walk into this office knowing full well that we are all aware of what you have done.

[ Door opens ]

Victoria: What’s going on here?

Ashland: A negotiation.

Victoria: What are you talking about?

Ashland: Well, adam — and perhaps your father — have just made me an offer of a whole lot of money to walk away from everything I have here in genoa city, including you. What do you think? Should I take the deal and go? Maybe I put you through enough pain. Maybe it’s time to put it to an end. Maybe we should just both move on.

Traci: “Grounded” is not usually a word I would use to describe phyllis, but I’m very glad that she was there to help you during these very horrible circumstances.

Jack: Phyllis was a life-saver. And she’s right about being honest with kyle. He deserves to know the truth. And if I don’t tell him, diane’s going to. She came this close to calling him. Thank god I talked her out of it, convinced her that I should be the one to tell him.

Ashley: Well, how incredibly generous of her. She doesn’t want to traumatize her son, so she’ll just leave it to you.

Jack: I am concerned how he’s gonna react, though. But if I tell him, I can warn him about diane, about the dark side of his mother that I tried so hard to keep from him when we all thought she was dead.

Traci: What if he lets her back in his life?

Jack: That’s his prerogative. All I can do is give him the facts, all of the facts. Look, he read about her in

restless style and all the things people said about her. There’s so much more to know. And, look, reading about her behavior and being affected by it is quite a different thing. We all know that.

Billy: Okay, so, you tell him, he’s gonna want to see her. Does that mean she’s coming back to town?

Ashley: No. You can’t let her come back to genoa city, jack. You have to know the ramifications that her presence would have.

Jack: I am well aware of the number of lives that will be impacted by this. Right now, I am concerned about what’s gonna happen to kyle and summer and harrison if diane finds her way back into kyle’s life.

Phyllis: What do you think we ought to do?

Amanda: A spa day. Yes, massages, facials, some time in the sauna. We can have some drinks while we get our nails done.

Phyllis: Okay. That’s tempting.

Amanda: Isn’t it?

Phyllis: Yeah.

Amanda: Come on.

Phyllis: [ Laughs ] I have so much work to catch up on.

Amanda: Okay, phyllis, honestly, were you even expecting to be back today?

Phyllis: No.

Amanda: Okay. So then today is a bonus day. So, if there is nothing urgent, then what better way to pamper yourself after a very long flight than relaxing with your favorite person in the whole wide world?

Phyllis: Okay. Oh, well, if you put it that way, let’s do it. Let’s go.

Amanda: [ Laughs ] Oh, wait. Shoot. Um, do you think we’ll be able to get an appointment?

Phyllis: Oh, I think I can work that out.

Amanda: Yeah?

[ Laughs ]

Phyllis: Uh, if anybody wants me, I’ll be in the spa.

Amanda: Let’s go!

Diane: Hi. I’m taylor jenson. I’m here to check in.

[ Sighs ] I’ll be staying her a while.

[ Keys clacking ]

Back to the Y&R Transcripts Page

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Young & The Restless Transcript

Transcript provided by and proofread by Suzanne

Victoria: Ashland?

Ashland: Hello, my darling.

Victoria: You were up and out of the house so early this morning. Is everything alright?

Ashland: I’m fine.

Victoria: I’m surprised you’re here. I just stopped by to tie up some loose ends before our temporary CEO takes over. So, have you had a chance to mull over our next steps? Do you have any plan that you want to share with me yet?

Ashland: Uh…I’ve actually been thinking quite a bit about what to do next. [ Sighs ]

Victoria: And?

Ashland: I’m beginning to have second thoughts.

Victor: Hey. I thought I’d find you here.

[ Door closes ]

Adam: [ Clears throat ] Hey.

Victor: So, any additional evidence that Ashland is moving forward with his plan?

Adam: Not since he broke in and I let him get through my computer’s firewall. There’s no indication he planted any files on my computer. Have you heard anything more from Victoria?

Victor: No. I haven’t.

Adam: Well, then how do we know that the plan is definitely still on? Maybe she called it off.

Victor: No. It is still on.

Adam: Well, then where are we in the scheme of things? Are we in the beginning stages? How much warning am I gonna get when things move along? And what should I be expecting when I get busted for framing Ashland? ‘Cause I have a kid to look out for. What am I supposed to tell Connor? And more importantly, the really big one, is do you honestly believe that this is the smartest move to make?

Sharon: I can just see the wedding invitation now — “Sharon Rosales is honored to invite you to the wedding of her daughter, Mariah Copeland, to the love of her life, Tessa Porter… on Friday the 13th of May. The brides will get married standing under a ladder to thumb their nose at superstition.”

Nick: You know, I was, uh — I don’t know. I thought it was a little weird, the Friday the 13th thing, to start, but I’m coming around to it. It’ll be fun and unique.

Sharon: It’ll definitely give people something to talk about. I’m just glad the wedding isn’t this month.

Nick: I know we don’t have a lot of time, but it’ll all work out.

Sharon: How can you be so calm? I mean, this ’70s theme — that’s — ’70s glam is a lot of work, you know? I know that Noah came up with a beautiful design plan, but now we have to figure out how to build it. They’re talking about doing it in a theater. Those are booked months, if not a year, in advance. Will there be a rehearsal dinner? Hey, you know what we need?

Nick: What?

Sharon: We need to have daily meetings about this from now up until the night of the wedding. That’ll give us a fraction of the amount of time we need to actually do this right. Why did I let Mariah and Tessa go without nailing some of this down?

Victoria: Second thoughts about what? Are you feeling okay? I’m really worried about you after that spell that you had recently.

Ashland: No. Really. I’m fine. I am. And when I — [ Clears throat ] When I said “second thoughts,” I was referring to our trip to Tuscany.

Victoria: Well, you were the one who made the decision to cancel it.

Ashland: I know, and I stand by that decision. It’s definitely the smartest move. It’ll give us time to prove that Adam is the one who’s been setting me up.

Victoria: Then what’s the problem?

Ashland: I was just looking forward to having time alone with you, away from the sneering eyes and the false accusations.

Victoria: Also known as a typical Newman family dinner.

Ashland: [ Laughs ] That’s funny. I imagine growing up with that family you had to develop a complex sense of humor. But you’re not fooling me. I can see the toll this has taken on you.

Victoria: We’ll keep each other strong.

Ashland: Hey, I have the skin of a woolly mammoth.

Victoria: That is not true.

Ashland: [ Laughs ] See, you only say that because you know me better than anyone ever has. Okay. Alright. Yes, this is starting to wear me down a bit. I’m just sorry that we missed the opportunity to, um — to regroup, to reconnect.

Victoria: So true. And Italy is so beautiful this time of year. There’s so much fog. It covers everything like a thick blanket. You can lose yourself.

Ashland: We will get back to Tuscany eventually. But until that day, I…

Victoria: We’ll create an oasis for ourselves and make ourselves untouchable while we find proof that Adam is behind all of this.

Ashland: Once we clear my name… and the truth comes to light.

Victoria: Is there something else that you want to tell me?

Nick: Sharon, if Tessa and Mariah think they can pull the 13th off and it’s the date they really, really want, then we can make it work.

Sharon: Oh. Can we?

Nick: [ Chuckles ] I’m just saying, you got a lot of people around here who are willing to jump in and help.

Sharon: You know what? You’re right. I should give you a to-do list. How about you scour the entire Midwest for authentic ’70s decor? I’m talking wall coverings, chairs that somewhat match with Noah’s design plan, and then accumulate as much of it as you can, like enough to fill a theater.

Nick: Fine. Got it covered. What else you got?

Sharon: Next is — tell me what’s wrong.

Nick: I guess I am, uh, worried about Victoria and Ashland. Uh, Vick says she has a plan to get him out of her life. She finally told us all what it is.

Sharon: Doesn’t sound like you’re too impressed with her plan.

Nick: I just didn’t want to bring it up, you know, while everyone was talking about Mariah’s wedding plans.

Sharon: Oh, the last thing that Mariah and Tessa need to hear about right now is a marriage that was entirely based on a lie.

Nick: Yeah, all the talk about, you know, dresses and venues — it’s a good diversion.

Sharon: But now that everyone’s gone?

Nick: All my questions and concerns and my very strong desire to rip Locke apart have come right back.

Sharon: Would it help you to talk through Victoria’s plan?

Nick: Uh… I really think it’s best if you don’t know what it is. I will say that Victoria’s plan makes her complicit, and I think that crosses a line.

Ashland: If I had known the universe was saving you for me, I would have lived an entirely different life, a life so wholesome that no false accusation against me would ever stick.

Victoria: You know it’s too late for regrets now.

Ashland: You have temporarily sacrificed the job you’ve worked your entire life for to stand by me. I just wish there was some way I could think of to make that up to you.

Victoria: No, I don’t want you to jump through hoops for me.

Ashland: Victoria —

Victoria: This is my choice. I feel very good about it.

Ashland: I never thought I could love anyone as deeply as I love you. And that took me by surprise. I hate the feeling that one day that could all just fall away.

Victoria: It won’t.

Ashland: No, I know. I know. We’ve talked about this before. It’s been on my mind ever since I’ve had to face the possibility that you — you could just walk away from me if you believe those lies.

Victoria: You make it sound like you’re afraid that might actually happen. Are you doubting our plan now?

Ashland: No, I-I believe we can pull it off. The question is, are we going about it the right way?

Victoria: What do you mean?

Ashland: I snuck into Adam’s office while you were talking to your family.

Victoria: You did?

Ashland: I managed to get into his computer. I was looking for evidence that he’s the one who framed me.

Victoria: I didn’t realize you had already done something so bold. What did you find?

Ashland: Nothing that would implicate Adam as the one who’s behind the lies.

Victoria: No, of course not, because Adam is too smart to leave a digital trail on his work laptop. This is personal for him. We have to dig deeper.

Ashland: Yeah, that’s the thing. I’m not sure I want to dig deeper.

Victoria: Will it take more time and extra manpower? Absolutely. I mean, I never said that it was going to be easy, but trust me, we’re gonna uncover Adam’s mistakes. There’s got to be evidence somewhere.

Ashland: When I was in Adam’s office, I heard Adam and Sally’s voice outside the door.

Victoria: Oh, my god. Did they catch you?

Ashland: No. For a minute, I thought they might, but it hit me — I was behaving like some lowlife criminal. And I… I mean, yes, I’ve done things like that in my past, but I put that man behind me when I fell in love with you. And yet there he was, back again, up to his old tricks. And I hate myself for it.

Victoria: Oh, Ashland. I am so sorry.

Ashland: And now I’m realizing that the only way for our plan to work is for us to go further down that path. And I’m afraid it will destroy our love for good.

Victor: I thought we were all on the same page. Are you now questioning the details of Victoria’s plan?

Adam: Am I not allowed to do that? Isn’t this entire thing revolved around me?

Victor: Son, Ashland Locke has taken the bait, okay? He’ll now come up with some proof that you’re out to get him.

Adam: Right, which everyone will believe because, hey, it’s Adam.

Victor: But we all know it’s a charade, okay? He will come up with some evidence that you’re out to destroy him. Then we all say we are sorry, but we ask him for evidence. He will then plant that evidence in your computer.

Adam: And maybe he will figure it out. I mean, the guy has managed to outwit us many of times.

Victor: We will catch him red-handed, which will give me reason to nullify his contract with Newman/Locke, and he’ll be out.

Adam: Yeah. Sounds so simple.

Victor: And Victoria will be free of that man. You will emerge from all of this unscathed. Now, are you having doubts about your role in this whole thing?

Adam: Look, I understand the plan. And I will stick to my role. The black sheep. But I’m just getting a little tired of always having to prove what a team player I am. Hell, it was my idea to improve Victoria’s plan by me staying on as temporary CEO, and then you can pretend to fire me when Ashland plants and then find the evidence. All of this — it sounds great on paper, right? But if you actually think about it, Victoria’s idea is dependent on far too many details. There’s a ton of potential pitfalls, and I just want to make sure that you’ve considered all the flaws.

Victor: Such as?

Adam: First of all, she was inspired by the plan to trick me into publishing disparaging articles about Billy’s drinking and his gambling. It was a scheme so weak that, when she found out about it, she shut it down.

Victor: So what? She may now have come up with a plan that’ll actually work.

Adam: Okay, look, my biggest issue is this entire thing hinges on Ashland planting faked evidence. And I gave him the opportunity to do that, and he didn’t take it. So, possibly he knows that I gave him access to the computer.

Victor: Son, Ashland’s days at our family business are numbered, one way or the other. So, uh, you can stop worrying about Newman/Locke.

Adam: Yeah. Um, well, about that, I think that we should talk about it.

Victor: I give you my word, Adam, that after all this has been said and done, you will return to your position at Newman Media and Victoria will resume the role as sole CEO of Newman Enterprises.

Adam: I will play my part, as agreed.

Victor: Good.

Adam: But I just think you’re putting way too much faith into a half-baked plan that Ashland might already see right through. And if that’s the case, while we’re distracted, thinking that we’ve got everything under control and the plan is working, he’s out there plotting his next move.

Victor: Let him. It’s a chess game. I’m good at it. Very good at it.

Victoria: Nothing about this plan is gonna damage our relationship. The two of us fighting this injustice together — it’s only gonna make us stronger.

Ashland: And I want to believe that, but everything that’s happened, everything that is about to happen could fundamentally change what we have together. Are we about to cross a line to protect our love, only to destroy it in the end?

Victoria: Do you still believe that Adam is the one framing you?

Ashland: Yes, I do. You said it yourself. He’s the most obvious culprit. But we didn’t find any proof.

Victoria: That’s because he’s really good at covering his tracks.

Ashland: Yes, but time is of the essence here, which means we’re going to have to fabricate proof. We are gonna have to plant evidence for this — for this plan to work. Do you understand that? [ Sighs ] So far, we’ve been focused on proving that Adam is the one who’s trying to set me up here, right? But now I’m seeing the bigger picture. Now I’m seeing what has to happen, what we have to do. And I can’t in good conscience ask you to be a part of that.

Victoria: That is not your call.

Ashland: I’m gonna ask you again. Do you understand what we are about to do? We are about to embark on a scheme to defraud, exactly the same thing that your family is accusing me of doing, and that lie almost cost me your trust and your love. Now, as far as I know, unless you’re keeping something from me, you’ve never been an active participant in anything like this.

Victoria: Well, sometimes you have to bend the rules.

Ashland: I’m not talking about business gamesmanship here. This is entirely different.

Victoria: I agreed to stand by while you and my father and Adam decided to turn the tables on Billy.

Ashland: Yes, but you insisted on staying out of that loop. You said no details.

Victoria: Because I didn’t want to get involved.

Ashland: So, why are you willing to do this now?

Sharon: The way you’re talking about Victoria’s plan, it sounds like you’re worried for her safety.

Nick: I am. You know, I’m relieved that she doesn’t seem to be believing any of Ashland’s claims and that she wants to get him out of her life. But a lot could go wrong.

Sharon: He is just despicable. You know, it’s bad enough that he lied about being sick, but then to use a fake diagnosis as a power grab?

Nick: I knew he was trouble from the first moment I met him.

Sharon: Makes me wonder what else he’ll do to get what he wants.

Nick: Every time I think he has sunk as far as humanly possible, he breaks through to a new rock bottom.

Sharon: And there’s no way to convince Victoria to try a different course of action?

Nick: She won’t listen. Ever since she found that Ashland was lying to her, she is determined to handle this on her own. The only saving grace is I know Dad’s security team is keeping a very close eye on her.

Sharon: Well, that doesn’t make me feel any better. It makes me scared that he thinks that necessary. And this could put you in danger, too. There’s no knowing where Ashland’s gonna draw the line if he feels like the entire Newman family’s antagonizing him. Is this an all-out war?

Victoria: Perhaps I would feel different if we were framing an innocent man. But we’re talking about holding someone who is guilty accountable for what he has done, and I am furious with Adam for trying to taint your reputation by concocting this scheme.

Ashland: You’re saying Adam will get what he deserves.

Victoria: Do you know that way before he tried to frame me for switching my father’s medication he conspired with Jack to come up with a fake diary in which my father admitted to murdering a man? That’s what Adam does. He comes up with fake evidence to frame his enemies.

Ashland: But that was the “old Adam,” right?

Victoria: I will never truly believe that Adam has changed.

Ashland: But…

Victoria: But what?

Ashland: But what if we’re wrong? What if, by some gross miscalculation on our part, it turns out Adam is innocent? Are you willing to take that chance for my sake? Are you willing to go that distance with no remorse? Because I couldn’t live with myself if one day you turn around you and regret the decisions you’re making right here, right now in this room, and you resent me for it because I led you down that path. Do you understand that?

Victoria: Where is all this talk coming from? You seemed so sure earlier. You knew that Adam was guilty.

Ashland: Yes. Adam is guilty. But this — this is putting you in an impossible position. Look, I’ve told you before, I kept things about my past from you because I didn’t want to taint what we have together, what we share, but this right here — you will know how low you are sinking. And you’ll tell yourself that you’re doing it for me and that one day you’ll resent it and you’ll blame me, and I will be the man who made you cross that line. Victoria… I love you so much. But I’m afraid. I’m afraid I’m taking you to the point of no return.

[ Liquid pouring ]

Sally: So, how did things go with Victor?

Adam: Oh, he was nice enough to let me know, once Victoria’s plan succeeds, I get to come back to my little job right here.

Sally: After you’ve been the fake fall guy for the family and everyone turns against you?

Adam: Yep.

Sally: But that whole convoluted plan could have never worked without you. So, once you help them rid their company and the town of Locke, they just discard you, even before they see what you’re capable of as CEO? The whole reason that you took the plan in the first place was to prove yourself a better leader.

Adam: Mm-hmm.

Sally: [ Sighs ] I wish I’d been there with you.

Adam: [ Chuckles ] Why is that? So he would have two people to ignore?

Sally: No. So I could make sure that he understood your concerns about Victoria’s plan.

Adam: Oh, well, I laid them out for him. We didn’t see eye to eye. Only thing I didn’t point out is that Ashland already has a fall guy. He’s been blaming Dad all along. I mean, why not just finish what Ashland started and let Dad be the bad guy?

Sally: That would have gone over well.

Adam: [ Scoffs ] No, it’s just — it’s abundantly clear why I am the person being thrown under the bus in Victoria’s plan. It just furthers the family view that, uh, I’m the disposable one.

Sally: Victoria might think that, but Victor does not, and Nick is on your side. He said himself that he thinks that you’ve changed. Look, just bide your time. Play along. That way, you have more opportunities to prove yourself. Think about it. In your short time as temporary CEO, you’ve already managed to sell Victor on a bigger and better streaming service.

Adam: Ohh, well, actually, that might have backfired. Since my pitch had creative content, it might have just convinced him that my place is right here at Newman Media.

Sally: Well, it’s not that bad here.

Adam: It is the age-old dynamic. I will never be the kind of heir that Victoria represents.

Victoria: I’m not afraid to cross that line to save you, protecting you and your reputation, and that’s honestly what matters to me the most.

Ashland: Or we could just… walk away.

Victoria: [ Chuckles ] You can’t mean that.

Ashland: I do. Why don’t we just go somewhere, start something new?

Victoria: We couldn’t.

Ashland: If you’re that angry at your family for trying to break us up, maybe it’s time for a clean slate.

Victoria: You would really consider doing that, like you did when you buried Bobby DeFranco and reinvented yourself as Ashland Locke? You would just reset everything and start over? I mean, could you really walk away from everything that we’ve created at Newman/Locke?

Ashland: We’ll start a new empire.

Victoria: [ Laughs ] Just like that?

Ashland: You are the only thing that matters to me. Us. Our love. I never believed I could feel this intensely, this profoundly about anything, and I want to protect that. I want to protect you in the best way I can. Just think about it, okay? It could be incredible. Making something of our very own.

Victoria: [ Sighs ] Ashland.

Ashland: It’s okay. No, I’m not gonna press you on this. To be continued for now.

Victoria: [ Chuckles ]

Ashland: I think I’m gonna head home for a bit.

Victoria: Are you feeling alright?

Ashland: Yeah. No. I’m fine. I, um… nothing a little rest won’t cure. [ Chuckles ]

Adam: I have tried to be good. I’ve done what I consider to be a monumental job at walking the straight and narrow, um, changing the way that people see me, working on my relationships with my family. I mean, you would think donating a kidney to Faith would persuade everyone once and for all.

Sally: That was very noble of you.

Adam: Then there was Victoria’s wedding. I was the one that got Gaines out of the way. The reason that, uh, she and Locke were even able to get up there and, uh, choke out their vows. So I suppose this is all my fault.

Sally: Mm-hmm. 100%.

Adam: [ Chuckles ] [ Sighs ] I’ve just tried to be the best father that, um, I can be to Connor. [ Clears throat ] I’ve tried to make good choices, be an example, you know, be someone that he can look up to. And Chelsea. Chelsea — I have done right by her.

Sally: You were a lot more forgiving than I would have been under the circumstances.

Adam: I gave her a job. I didn’t fight her for sole custody. And I tried — I tried so hard not to break her heart because that was the right thing to do. The old Adam wouldn’t even know what those words meant.

Sally: You’re turning your life around.

Adam: Well, that’s what I’m saying, is I was finally getting to a place where my family was trusting me again. They were including me, and they were expecting me to show up. I mean, I’d proved to them that I wasn’t like Locke. That I didn’t need to lie and cheat to get the life that I wanted. And how do I get rewarded? As being the fall guy. And then when my services are no longer needed as a punching bag, they can just kick me to the curb? [ Scoffs ] I don’t know. I mean, what is the point in being the good guy if that is how they all still see me?

Nick: It’s just complicated, you know? It’s involving a lot of double and triple cross, a lot of moving parts, some loose cannons.

Sharon: Could one of those be Adam?

Nick: I thought you said you had enough to worry about with Mariah’s Friday the 13th wedding.

Sharon: Uh-oh. Speak of the devil.

Nick: Is it Ashland?

Sharon: He is on his way over here.

Nick: Well, I better go. I don’t think I can control myself around him.

Sharon: Don’t worry. I’ll handle him.

Ashland: Hello, Nick.

Nick: I’ll talk to you later.

Sharon: I’ll see you soon.

Ashland: Well, I’m guessing you’ve been brought up to speed as to why I’ve fallen out of the good graces of the Newman family. What are the chances of my getting a good cup of coffee anyway?

Sally: Being the CEO of Newman Media is not exactly kicked to the curb. You are the head of a major communications company that you have managed to turn into an unmitigated success.

Adam: Mm.

Sally: Congratulations. You shouldn’t give up just because Victor made one of his transparent power moves. He obviously was mad that you were challenging the plan, so he put you in your place by reminding you that he has the power to demote you.

Adam: Yeah. Yeah, I got the message.

Sally: But he also has the power to promote you. So, if you want to be a leader, lead. And don’t look for permission. And also, count yourself lucky for all of the opportunities that you’ve been handed ’cause most people don’t get the millions of chances that you’ve had to reinvent themselves or the resources at their disposal.

Adam: Thank you.

Sally: For what?

Adam: Um…your honesty. And for reminding me that, uh, it’s easy for me to sound like a selfish and insensitive jerk. I know that you’ve had to work a lot harder to get where you are than I have.

Sally: Well, I’ve never fooled myself into believing that the world is fair.

Adam: Mm.

Sally: Besides, from my brief exposure to the Newman family dynamics, you are a saint for what you’ve had to put up with. And I know that you’ve had to jump through hoops of your own to get where you are now.

Adam: So, I’m forgiven for my little pity party?

Sally: Well, you’re lucky that you have me to keep you in line.

Adam: [ Laughs ] Agreed.

Sally: Do me a favor. Please don’t let this get under your skin. You have done a monumental job of turning your life around.

Adam: Mm. I’m just glad you didn’t know the old me.

Sally: Well, the one I’m with now is phenomenal.

Adam: [ Chuckles ]

Sally: And you will get a chance to make your move, and when you do, I know it will be amazing.

Ashland: Huh. I have the feeling that this is gonna be the coldest cup of coffee I’ve ever had.

Sharon: You’re more than welcome to visit a different establishment.

Ashland: [ Chuckles ] And you have the right to refuse service to anyone, so I guess I should be thanking you for not kicking me out.

Sharon: Oh, I, uh — I give the cold shoulder to everyone who lies about having cancer.

Ashland: You know, I heard about your recent health crisis, and I’m really sorry you had to go through that. But for what it’s worth, I am innocent of the claims made against me.

Sharon: I want to give you the benefit of the doubt. I really do. But —

[ Footsteps approaching ]

Nikki: Hey. I saw Ashland leave your office, so I knew the coast was clear. What’s going on? Has something happened?

Victoria: In a way.

Nikki: Well, did he have more fake evidence to use against Adam?

Victoria: No, just the opposite. Ashland is questioning whether we should go through with this plan to blame Adam.

Nikki: Oh, really? And why is that? Does he think it might backfire?

Victoria: No, it’s bigger than that. He claims that he doesn’t want to force me to cross the line and get my hands dirty.

Nikki: Wow. That’s the last thing I would have expected.

Victoria: Ashland has dropped this charade that there’s proof that Adam is behind everything, and now he says that he’s going to have to plant it. And he doesn’t want to drag me down into it. I had to practically beg him to frame Adam so that Ashland would still believe that I’m on his side.

Nikki: Oh, my god. I cannot believe how manipulative he is. He wants you to think that he actually loves you and that he suddenly has a conscience? He’s despicable. Victoria, what are you thinking?

Victoria: In all the time I’ve known him, he’s never sounded so sincere.

Sharon: Your coffee. May you drink it in good health. You know, when I was sick, I found that green tea — oh. What am I talking about? Barking up the wrong tree.

Ashland: I was really hoping you would give me the benefit of the doubt, but, uh… well, I fully intend to exonerate myself.

Sharon: And bring the real criminal to light. Well, I won’t hold my breath. Excuse me. I have some to take care of.

Ashland: Of course.

Sally: Um… do you want to leave?

Adam: Actually, um, give me a moment with Ashland. I’ve got an idea.

Sally: Be careful.

Adam: [ Clears throat ] Ashland.

Ashland: Oh, look at that. It’s the new pretend CEO. Uh, let me give you two pieces of advice. Uh, don’t spend too much time on projects that won’t come to fruition, and don’t get too comfortable. The, uh — the title, the power — it’s all gonna be gone in a flash. Excuse me.

Adam: Well, hey, don’t leave yet. I’m here to make a deal.

Nikki: Ashland is a liar, a con man. That’s what he does. And he’s damn good at it. He has been working us from day one, until we learned the truth.

Victoria: I think there’s more to this.

Nikki: Honey, don’t fool yourself. He knows his days are numbered, and he’s looking for a clean exit. Or maybe he’s figured out what we are planning and he wants to get away before we can pull it off.

Victoria: He said that we should escape.

Nikki: What are you talking about?

Victoria: He asked me if I would be willing to walk away from you all and the company and go somewhere and start fresh.

Nikki: Oh, yeah, as if either one of you would walk away from your companies. I think he has grown suspicious and he is testing you. Sweetheart, after everything that’s happened, everything that we know, don’t tell me that you were tempted to run away with him. Victoria?

Ashland: I thought I made it clear when we spoke earlier that I’m not interested in making any deals.

Adam: Well, this one is different. This offer comes without any threats.

Ashland: I see. And by whose authority do you make this offer?

Adam: Mine. I am representing the Newman family. Now, we are prepared to give you $500 million to walk away.

Ashland: “Walk away.”

Adam: Well, start over somewhere else, which seems to be one of your greatest talents. You leave Newman/Locke. You leave Victoria today.

Nick: Why is everyone so upset? Has Victoria’s plan hit a snag?

Nikki: Well, now Ashland seems to be conflicted about framing Adam.

Nick: Well, honestly, so am I, Vick. Uh, I hate to say it, but I never, ever liked your plan. It forces you to cross a line that I’m not comfortable with.

Victoria: That’s funny because Ashland shares that sentiment. He told me earlier that he doesn’t want to drag me to the point of no return.

Nick: Well, it looks like Ashland and I finally agree about something.

Victoria: I disagree. I’m not selling my soul to oust my husband. I’m just allowing him to perpetuate the crime of coming up with false evidence to frame Adam. It’s still the strongest plan that we have.

Nikki: Well, the only problem now is that Ashland is having second thoughts. Has what Ashland said made you question your decision? Victoria, after everything that has happened, despite everything, is there still a part of you that is in love with him?

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Young & The Restless Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

Jack: I thought I would’ve heard from kyle by now. He’s supposed to get back to me on when he can come to genoa city.

Phyllis: Oh, shoot, maybe he got caught up with something and he can’t make it.

Jack: Well, I will go to italy to talk to him if I have to.

Phyllis: No, no, we agreed that you didn’t want to do that. You didn’t want to leave the country with diane here.

Jack: If I want to be the one to break the news to him about his mother, I may not have a choice.

Phyllis: You really have to do it fast, jack. I don’t know if diane is gonna agree to your demand. She may jump the gun and tell kyle herself. She’s a loose cannon.

Diane: [ Sighs ]

Jack: Look at you. Can you believe how beautiful my granddaughter is?

Phyllis: Oh, yeah, I noticed that the first time I met you.

Allie: Thank you.

Jack: She’s also smart. Did I tell you she’s getting her degree — a master’s — in chemical engineering?

Phyllis: Oh, wow, and that is very impressive.

Allie: Jack, please, I have not graduated yet.

Phyllis: No, you have to get used to it. I mean, your grandfather, he loves to brag about his family. It’s sort of the abbott way.

Jack: I’m sorry if i overstepped, I —

Allie: No, no, like I told you before, my dad was actually the same way. He used to make a big deal out of every a, every award and achievement.

Jack: That’s because every one of them is an achievement. I look at this as a gift. I can’t tell you how grateful i am that we’ve gotten to know each other, that… why do I feel like there’s something you’re not saying? If I’m going too far with this grandfather thing —

Allie: No, it’s not — it’s not you at all, jack. It’s me. There’s something that I think you should know.

Noah: So what’s up? What’s this big meeting about?

Sharon: Hey, noah, come on in. Join the club.

Rey: We’ve all been waiting to hear. Mariah’s not gonna say a word until everyone’s here.

Mariah: That is absolutely right, and now that you’re here, the only person we’re waiting for is tessa.

Noah: Hey, dad.

Nick: Hey.

Noah: You okay?

Faith: I think something’s up with our father. He hasn’t said any of his really cringy dad jokes in the last hour. You know that’s not like him.

Noah: Okay, so something is wrong.

Nick: Everything’s fine. It’s fine. Hey, why did the football coach go to the bank? To get his quarter back.

Noah: Yeah, you see what you started now?

Nick: Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa! What happens if a snowman has a tantrum? He has a meltdown!

Sharon: Ah!

Faith: Enough.

Nick: Why? I got a “latte” more of those where they came from.

[ Laughter, groaning ]

Faith: Okay, we believe you. You’re fine. I never thought that I’d be saying this, but I’m glad you’re back to your old, normal, bad-joke-telling self again.

Mariah: [ Laughs ]

Tessa: Hi! Sorry, sorry I’m late. I got tied up.

Mariah: Yeah.

Faith: It’s fine. You’re here now.

Rey: We’ve been waiting. Just tell us the news.

Sharon: Can’t wait to hear.

Tessa: Okay, here it is.

Mariah: We…have set a wedding date.

Nick: Alright!

Sharon: Yay!

Nick: There you go.

Sharon: Yay!

[Music: “I swear”]

Additional sponsorship

provided by…

Mariah: So the wedding date is may 13th.

Sharon: I assume you mean of 2023?

Tessa: No, we’re talking may as in next month.

Sharon: Oh.

Noah: Wow.

Sharon: Um…when you said there was no way you could make it by april — the date that you had originally hoped for — i thought you were going to postpone the wedding for a while.

Mariah: Yeah, that was the initial plan. You know, we were thinking sort of late summer, but tessa booked some amazing summer music festivals, like, all over the country.

Faith: Wow, that’s so cool.

Tessa: Thank you. So we didn’t want to wait to get married until after I was done.

Mariah: Oh, yeah, I’m ready to put a ring on that.

[ Laughs ]

Rey: You know, may 13th, that’s a friday. You know that, right?

Tessa: Yeah, no, I know. Isn’t it amazing? A friday the 13th wedding?

Rey: [ Laughs ]

Sharon: What kind of wedding are you planning? Please don’t tell me it’s going to involve hockey masks and machetes.

Mariah: No, we’re not planning on having bloody heads as our centerpieces or anything.

Rey: That would have been so cool.

[ Laughter ]

Mariah: Well, look, we — we already knew that we didn’t want our wedding to be conventional, so why not throw out superstitions and — and any negativity and, you know, i think getting married on this date says that we’re fearless.

Tessa: And, you know, i haven’t really ever told anyone this, but 13’s my lucky number.

Faith: But I am worried. No offense, but this sounds like a really bad idea.

Allie: It’s about diane. I went back to the house yesterday to see her.

Jack: Yeah, I was afraid of this. Did she reach out with some excuse that she needed to see you?

Phyllis: I bet she pulled out all the stops to convince you that she could be trusted.

Allie: No, no, that wasn’t the case at all. It was my idea to go see her. And don’t worry, I have not forgotten how she used me to get to you, jack, or how upset she made you. It was just that I felt like i deserved some answers, and i wanted to talk with her when i was less upset.

Jack: Well, that makes sense to me.

Allie: And I had some questions about you and your family. To be honest, I just — I wanted to hear a different side of the story about the abbotts. I hope that doesn’t offend you, jack.

Jack: No, not in the least.

Phyllis: I can’t imagine what she said to you.

Allie: Oh, uh, nothing negative, except when it came to her own mistakes.

Jack: So what exactly did she say to you?

Allie: Um, she mostly talked about kyle, with nothing but high praise and admiration. I mean, from her description, my uncle sounds like a pretty remarkable young man, even if he’s not that much older than me.

Jack: Kyle is pretty remarkable. I’m very proud of the man he has grown into.

Phyllis: That’s the abbott family pride.

Jack: I would love for you to get to meet kyle someday soon.

Allie: Yeah, I’m looking forward to that. Got to see if he lives up to the hype.

Jack: As luck would have it, kyle is coming to genoa city soon. I would be thrilled to fly you there, where you could meet him and all of the other abbotts. I’m steve, I lost 138 pounds in nine months on golo

Tessa: Well, you know, friday the 13th isn’t necessarily unlucky. In chinese culture, the number 13 is considered very lucky. It means defiantly vibrant and assures growth.

Mariah: And, you know, that describes us perfectly. I’m defiant, she’s vibrant. We’re ready to grow.

Nick: Yeah, but faith may be onto something. I mean, even if you’re not superstitious at all, do you want to set a date where it could possibly give the guests the heebie-jeebies?

Tessa: Look, we respect and appreciate all your concerns, but this day, our wedding, is going to be the beginning of an amazing journey for us, and it’s going to be filled with good luck and good fortune. I just know it.

Noah: Well, I, for one, am behind it 100%. It’s a daring idea and, dare i say, a great one.

Mariah: Thank you, noah, for being supportive.

Sharon: It’s not about not supporting you it’s about wanting only the best for you. Everyone here wants you to have the wedding of your dreams.

Allie: Yeah, maybe a trip to genoa city could work. It really depends on school and finals.

Jack: Yeah, yeah, I get it. We’ll play it by ear. No pressure at all.

Phyllis: Uh, allie, I just want to ask you a question, if you don’t mind. What else did you and diane talk about?

Allie: Not much, really. Uh…she wanted to know about my past, but I didn’t really feel comfortable opening up to her about that.

Phyllis: That’s wise. That’s wise. That’s wise. Trust your instinct on that, because diane has a way of taking any little personal tidbit about your life and turning it into a bomb so it explodes all over the place.

Allie: It’s weird ’cause i trusted her at first, you know? I mean, she was the reason i reached back out to jack. I don’t get it. I just — how could someone be so friendly and kind and caring while at the same time she was trying to manipulate me?

Phyllis: Yeah, yeah, but, see, that’s what diane does so very well. She’s very, very good at pulling people into her web.

Allie: Yeah, but I do think some of the things that she was saying, she was sincere about it. Listen, after my talk with her yesterday, things actually made a lot more sense. Diane loves her son deeply. She admits that she made a terrible mistake and she really wants to fix it.

Phyllis: Mm, mm, but see, that’s the thing. It wasn’t just one mistake. It was like so much.

Jack: Let’s let her finish.

Allie: I guess what really struck me about diane was how much she loves her son. I mean, it’s part of the reason that I went over there in the first place. Her desperation for a connection to her family was just… I don’t know, it really spoke to me. The loss of my father has — has left this huge void in my life, and that’s why I’ve been trying to get to know the abbotts.

Jack: I hope you know how very grateful I am for that.

Allie: But diane went as far as buying a house in the hopes to reconnect with you and your son. Jack, listen, I agree it’s a very strange way to go about it, but there couldn’t be any intention behind that besides love.

Phyllis: Um, yeah, hey, well, she’s — she’s really good at putting on an act, and that’s usually when she’s planning something diabolical.

Allie: But, jack, listen, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we would be if we met while my father was still alive. Maybe, just — just maybe, diane deserves that same chance that you’ve been asking for.

Jack: Allie, I have fallen for diane’s emotional pleas myself in the past. She’s very good at this. She gets you to thinking she’s a friend, start to trust her. You start thinking, “wow, she has my best interests at heart,” and then, ultimately, you find out this is all about her. It’s all for her.

Allie: But isn’t it just — isn’t it possible that she’s telling the truth this one time? Couldn’t she have changed in all of these years? She seems genuinely ashamed of who she was, and honestly, it sounds like she’s had a really hard time with it.

Jack: I can understand your believing her claims. You haven’t had the experience with her that we have.

Allie: But maybe — maybe we should give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she really does want to make amends with her son. And if there’s any chance that she’s telling the truth there, doesn’t she deserve that chance?

You never know

what opportunities

Jack: Allie, I respect your kindness, your sense of optimism, and you’re partly right. But in the end, this is a decision kyle’s going to have to make. Kyle will have to decide whether or not he’s going to give his mother a second chance. So I’ve reached out to him.

Phyllis: Quite nobly, I might add.

Jack: And asked him to come to genoa city so that we could talk, so that I could tell him what I’ve learned. It’s not gonna be an easy conversation. A lot has happened. Kyle has spent a lot of his life struggling with his mother’s death. It’s gonna be a real shock to him.

Phyllis: And he’s very, very smart. I’m sure he’ll make the right decision.

Allie: And what about you, jack? If kyle accepts his mother back into his life, will you be able to forgive and forget?

Jack: To be honest, I can’t imagine a scenario in which i could ever forgive diane for what she’s done. It’s hard for me to ever believe that she is a changed woman.

Phyllis: Yeah, and I feel exactly the same way, by the way. That woman is dead to me.

Allie: Wow. I mean, I saw how angry you were when you first saw her, and then I heard her version of what happened with kyle, but I guess I still don’t have a full sense of what she did to both of you.

Jack: That is a story for another day.

Phyllis: Yeah, for another day. Listen, can I ask you a question, allie? Um, yeah, did diane come to you and, you know, suggest that you try to convince us to forgive her for everything that she’s done?

Jack: I think allie’s motives were all her own.

Phyllis: No, I know that. Allie’s motives are her own. I’m just talking about diane.

Allie: No. No, no, no, phyllis. That wasn’t the case at all. Diane did not ask for help, at least, you know, not outright. I came here completely on my own.

Phyllis: See, but that’s perfect diane manipulation.

Allie: I was not manipulated. Okay? I came here for the same reason that I came to see diane, which is to get to know my father’s family. Diane only said that she wished there was a way out of this. I mean, she realizes what she’s lost and she regrets it deeply. Jack, she really seems to want to do better.

Diane: [ Sighs ] Kyle is my son.

Jack: You said yourself he’s a grown man. He has built a wonderful life with his family. You think I’m gonna let you destroy that? Poison his life in italy? No. Never. So you go back to your new and improved life. I’ll go back to genoa city and forget this ever happened.

Diane: But you won’T. You can’T. That’s not the man you are, jack. You love kyle with your whole heart. And half of him is me.

Jack: He grieved, diane.

Diane: [ Exhales sharply ]

Jack: Cried himself to sleep night after night. His mother died. She was killed. He was lost, confused. Heartbroken. He had his mother ripped from his life. I know this because I was there. I held him. I tried to comfort him by telling him it wouldn’t always hurt so much, that I would always be there to protect him. Why would I stop doing that now?!

Diane: Our son needs me in his life. He deserves his mother.

Jack: A real mother. Not you.

Diane: [ Scoffs ]

Jack: And you sure as hell don’t deserve him.

Allie: You’re doing all this to be with your son again.

Diane: I failed him. I should have healed myself so i could look after him sooner. But at the time, I just wasn’t capable of that. And I-I can’t go back in time, but I can move forward. You know, speak to him, at least. To see his face would be magical. And if I had the chance to hold him again…

Allie: You love him that much.

Mariah: But, mom, this is our dream wedding.

Tessa: Yeah, it’s everything we want. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Mariah: Of course not. Just as long as we have friends and family celebrating our love.

Tessa: The location and theme, it’s just icing on the cake.

Mariah: Yeah. We just want the people who matter to us there supporting us, you know? The flowers can be wilted. The — the officiant can be grumpy. The halls can be drafty. We don’t care!

Noah: Yeah, but we all know you can do better than that, and you will. By the time this is time, friday the 13th will symbolize joy, love, good times. And if you guys aren’t sick of hearing my input, I do have one more idea. Fair warning, it is a little off-center.

Mariah: Well, that’s kind of exactly our brand.

Tessa: Yeah, we’re open to anything.

Noah: Well, I remember you talking about theatrics, music, something retro, so…

Tessa: [ Gasps ] Oh, I love it. ’70s glam.

Mariah: Wow. Wow, I mean, this has everything. I mean, this is theatrical and colorful.

Tessa: It’s — it represents individuality and freedom.

Mariah: Noah, you nailed it. Oh, my gosh, you really nailed it.

Faith: This is way before my time. What’s so glam about the ’70s?

Sharon: Well, nobody here is old enough to have memories of that decade, but, I mean, I’ve heard a lot about it. It was the decade where the attitude was “if it feels good, do it.”

Rey: I’m sure you’re familiar with the clothes everyone wore back then.

Faith: Kind of. I’ve seen old movies and tv shows.

Mariah: Bell bottoms, feather boas, sequins.

Tessa: You know, crop tops, bright colors, patterns.

Faith: You know, I have seen some awesome retro videos online that I can use for inspiration. The fashion was beautiful.

Nick: If you guys are expecting me to dress up like ziggy stardust for your wedding, probably gonna be busy that day.

[ Laughter ]

Sharon: You can come as bryan ferry.

Nick: I could get on board with that.

Tessa: I mean, besides, anything bowie related, all the rights go to mariah.

Mariah: Mm-hmm. Well, wow, okay. We have a date.

Tessa: Mm-hmm.

Mariah: We have a plan.

Tessa: Wow, it’s all coming together.

Mariah: We are really getting married.

[ Laughs ] Johnson & johnson

“The young and the restless”

will continue.

Allie: Oh, shoot, I have to get back to class. Uh, when are you guys heading back to genoa city?

Jack: Well, actually, we haven’t firmed up our plans just yet.

Allie: Yeah, I’ll be pretty busy next week, so I don’t think I’ll have much free time anyway. Um, that is, if you guys were planning to hang around to spend more time together.

Jack: That’s good to know. Actually, I probably have to get back to genoa city. There are other people I have to let know that diane is alive. But listen, the offer I made to you, to fly you out to genoa city, that’s a standing offer. I’d love to do that.

Phyllis: Yeah, you should take him up on that offer. It’s a good one.

Allie: Thanks, jack. I really appreciate the invite. But I think — I think I have to think about it for a little bit.

Jack: Yeah, I get it.

Allie: I’ll check —

Jack: Genoa city will be there waiting for you whenever you’re ready.

Allie: There is something that I’m curious about.

Jack: You can ask me anything.

Allie: Are you guys together?

Phyllis: Uh…uh…why — why do you think that?

Allie: Well, just when i first met you guys, you said you were friends, but then I sensed this, I don’t know, incredible closeness between you guys. And, I don’t know, you’re here now in la. You must have dropped everything on a moment’s notice to be here for jack when you thought he needed you. That’s a pretty strong friendship.

Phyllis: It is.

Jack: Yeah, it is.

Phyllis: [ Chuckles ]

[ Cellphone vibrates ]

Allie: Oh.

Jack: Everything alright?

Allie: I got a text from diane.

Phyllis: Oh. Oh, wow. Look at that. Of course you did, of course you did.

Allie: She wants to know if we can meet at the house later today.

Phyllis: Okay, well, that’s how she starts. Just so you know, that’s how she starts. She’s seducing you into trusting her.

Jack: I can’t tell you how to handle this woman anymore than i can tell kyle. But a word of warning — proceed with caution.

Phyllis: Extreme caution.

Allie: I think I’m gonna take your advice and be careful.

Jack: I’m glad to hear that.

Allie: [ Sighs ] Alright, well… thank you, jack.

Jack: I am a phone call away. You have my number.

Allie: Bye, phyllis.

Jack: Bye. Damn diane. She is insisting on dragging my granddaughter into her mess. I told her to stay away from her.

Phyllis: But nobody stops diane. Nobody does. Nobody tells her what to do.

Jack: Want to bet?

Sharon: Well, I’m happy that you guys have decided on a date and a theme, but I am a little bit worried about the timing and pulling this all together.

Mariah: No, I have no doubts that this is gonna come together. I mean, with this team behind us, there is nothing we can’t do.

Tessa: Yeah, and since noah has the design covered, I’m thinking maybe we can split up some of the planning.

Mariah: Mm-hmm.

Faith: I volunteer to be the wedding cake taster.

Mariah: And I want to find a theater and just make this rock and roll vibe.

Tessa: Yeah, and I’m already thinking of a playlist for the reception.

Sharon: You know, speaking of the reception, what kind of food would be appropriate for this?

Rey: Well, if you’re sticking with that ’70s theme, fondue for sure.

Faith: Does melted cheese really fit with the glam, though?

Nick: Sounds messy.

Rey: It’s just a thought, bro.

[ Laughter ]

Sharon: Hey, nick, remember when your frat threw that ’70s party?

Nick: Oh, yes.

Sharon: And I remember i found costumes for us at a second-hand store.

Nick: Yeah, it was an amazing time. Uh…until your platform shoe broke and then you sprained your ankle.

Sharon: Yeah, and then you carried me home.

Tessa: Oh, how romantic.

Nick: Epic party. Cops came three times.

[ Laughter ] Yeah.

Diane: [ Sighs ]

[ Knock on door ] Jack.

Jack: What are you up to? Why are you still trying to manipulate my granddaughter? For copd,

Chelsea: Hi.

Sharon: Chelsea. Come and join the wedding planning fun.

Chelsea: I am so sorry. I didn’t realize this was a family gathering. I just came to talk to rey about his trip to chicago with connor.

Mariah: It’s not really a party or anything. We’re just throwing around ideas.

Faith: Thinking of ways to make the happy brides’ special day even happier.

Chelsea: That’s right. It’s so exciting. Congrats again. You know, I used to have a bridal line, so if you need anything, feel free to reach out. I’d be honored to contribute to the festivities.

Tessa: Oh, that’s so sweet. Thank you, chelsea.

Chelsea: Well, congrats again. Rey, I will be in touch to finalize the details.

Rey: Uh, chelsea, hold up. They don’t really need my help in there. Wedding planning isn’t really my forte. So I have some time. What’s up?

Chelsea: I have some good news.

Rey: Yeah?

Chelsea: My business trip to new york got postponed, so I can take connor to chicago.

Rey: Oh, that’s great, that’s great. Although I have to admit, I was looking forward to hanging with the little dude and going to a hockey game. But I’m sure he’d much prefer being with his mom.

Chelsea: No. No, no, no. Not so fast. I have more good news. I got an extra ticket. I mean, I doubt our seats will be together, but that does mean the three of us get to go. Unless, of course, you have a problem with that.

Mariah: Mom. Are you sure that you’re okay with our plans?

Sharon: Well, I mean, I have to admit, I had a moment of doubt, but this idea is so inspired. And really the only thing I’m concerned about is the time frame of it all.

Mariah: Really? Is that your only concern? ‘Cause I am your first daughter to get married, so I don’t know, maybe you’re hoping I was gonna wear one of your dresses or something.

Sharon: That thought crossed my mind.

Mariah: I just want you to understand that I’m trying to make this personal to tessa and me, you know? I want this day to show who we are as a couple, as soulmates.

Sharon: And I love that. This day should be everything that you and tessa want it to be because it’s your special day. And it’s gonna be something that you remember and you treasure for the rest of your life. And this idea is just so the two of you, so I couldn’t be happier or more proud.

Mariah: Well, I am going to be very proud to have you standing by my side.

Sharon: Well, I will be crying happy tears right through my glam makeup whenever, wherever, however my daughter marries the love of her life.

Diane: What exactly has allie accused me of? I think that’s fair to ask.

Jack: This isn’t about accusations. This is about facts.

Diane: Well, then could you share those facts with me?

Phyllis: Oh, please stop acting so rational. We know you too well.

Jack: I told you to stay away from allie.

Diane: She came to me. It was her choice.

Jack: That young woman just lost her father.

Diane: Yes, and now she has a grandfather, with cousins and aunts and uncles.

Phyllis: Gifts bestowed by you, the fairy godmother.

Diane: [ Scoffs ] Okay, allie had questions about her family, which I answered in the most positive way possible. I told her how loving the abbotts could be and what a good guy kyle is.

Phyllis: That’s not the point.

Diane: Then what is?

Jack: It’s about you texting her to meet you here now. What is this? What, is it collection time? You haven’t done anything out of the goodness of your soul. What, you said some nice things about the abbotts and you want something. What is it? You used her to get to me. Wasn’t that enough? Now you have to exploit her some more.

Diane: Don’t underestimate her. Allie is smart and kind. I mean, clearly there has been pain in her past, but there’s no bitterness in her. You should be proud, jack, and you should trust her to make her own decisions.

Phyllis: Don’t tell jack how to feel, please.

Diane: [ Scoffs ]

Jack: The deal was I was gonna reconnect you with kyle. I agreed to that. That’s it. That’s enough. You stay away from allie.

Diane: Jack, why are you still so angry with me? You can hate me and still admit that having allie in your life is a blessing.

Jack: Yes, pat yourself on the back for what a lovely thing you did. Leave her alone now.

Diane: Well, what about kyle? Are you going to go back on your word now and say that you won’t reach out to him on my behalf?

Phyllis: Jack doesn’t play games. That’s something you do.

Jack: I have already reached out to kyle and asked him to come home to genoa city, where, as carefully as I can, I will tell him that you are alive and living in los angeles. I will give him your contact information, and it will be up to him, only him, to decide whether to reach out to you.

Diane: But he doesn’t know anything else. Just — just that it’s a visit.

Jack: I have gone to great pains to avoid setting off any alarms. He has no idea what he’s walking into.

Diane: Well, maybe — maybe once he knows, he can forgive me. Okay, maybe not at first, that’d be too much to hope for, but maybe he’ll give me the chance to explain, to tell him how much I’ve always loved him.

Phyllis: Oh, yeah. Sure, you’ve always loved him. You ditched him when he was a child, and now you want back in his life. He should jump at the chance to talk with you.

Diane: Kyle is like his father. He has love and forgiveness in his heart, even for terrible betrayals.

Jack: I hate like hell that kyle has to decide whether or not to forgive you, but it’s clear you’re not gonna give him any choice. All I can do is be there to support him. The last thing I want is for his heart to be broken. Sadly, that’s all you’re capable of.

Diane: [ Sighs ] My moderate to severe plaque psoriasis…

Rey: I don’t want to intrude. I’d just be a third wheel in your mother-son time. I know how much connor treasures his time alone with you.

Chelsea: Oh, no, no, no, no. No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. When I first told connor that i would be taking him to chicago, his first question, “yeah, but rey’s still coming with us, too, right?”

[ Laughs ] He really wants to watch this game with you. You’ve become his new best friend. Please don’t let him down.

Rey: I’d be happy to go with you.

Phyllis: Well, you handled that masterfully, really. Everything that diane was throwing out there, I would’ve lost my mind. I was about to, but you were good.

Jack: As long as she stays away from allie this time.

Phyllis: You know, even if she doesn’t, I believe that allie has a good head on her shoulders. I mean, I think she did realize that we wouldn’t have warned her about diane if we didn’t have good reason.

Jack: Given that, I think my next move is pretty clear. It’s time to go home. Allie made it clear she’s not gonna be available in the next week, and I have to get back to jabot. Kyle has been covering for me ever since I got here.

Phyllis: Yeah. But, um, I mean, you — this was a good trip with allie, at least. I mean, you got somewhere with her, right? You made progress.

Jack: Yeah, we did. I wish she’d been more specific about her timeline for coming out to genoa city.

Phyllis: It’s okay. You’ll have a lot of opportunities in the future to bond with her.

Jack: Boy, I hope you’re right. Listen, I know you’re probably tired of my saying this, but thank you for being here to support me. Thank you for coming all this way just to check on me.

Phyllis: I’m happy to do it. I know how difficult this has been for you. And now, with diane jenkins in the mix — oh, I can’t even believe that.

[ Sighs ] No one should have to go through this alone.

Jack: Well, thanks to you, i don’t have to.

Phyllis: We’re always there for each other when it counts, aren’t we? Um…I think we should discuss how we’re gonna tell everybody in genoa city that diane is alive, considering half of the population there wanted to kill her.

Diane: Yes, I would like the next available flight from los angeles to genoa city.

Back to the Y&R Transcripts Page

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Young & The Restless Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

Victor: I wonder what’s keeping your mother.

Victoria: Well, it’s traffic, probably. I called her when she was on her way home, and she said she’d come straight back.

Nick: Can you give us a hint as to why we’ve been summoned here?

Adam: Patience, nick. I know it’s hard.

Victoria: As promised, I’m gonna fill you in about my plan on ashland. But I would like to not have to repeat myself. So can we please wait for mom to get here?

Victor: There she is.

Victoria: I’m gonna go ahead and I’m gonna cut to the chase. I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I have come up with a way to deal with ashland in the way he should be dealt with.

Victor: I’m glad to hear you say that.

Nikki: Yes. So am I.

Nick: We’ve all been worried, vick. But thank you for clarifying on where you stand with things. It’s been a little hard to tell.

Adam: I assume you have a new plan?

Victoria: You assume correctly. You each have a part to play. Each one is very crucial in pulling this off. We have to make ashland believe that this is real. Otherwise, it’s not gonna work. There is one caveat, however. If we want this plan to succeed, it means that one of us… has to fall.

[ Lock engages ]

[ Keys clacking ]

Billy: “Love is blind” — a term that has been used for a very long time, dating back to ancient greece. Chaucer used it in the middle ages and shakespeare during the renaissance. But what does it really mean? Simply that when we love someone, we tend to overlook their flaws. Or we lose sight — see what i did there? — On our own self-interest. So the power-hungry megalomaniac becomes “strong and confident” to their beloved. The manipulative control freak comes across as “protective.” And that kind of love can raise the heights of your physical senses, as well, but it can also do a number on your common sense.

[ Clears throat ] It’s just very difficult to see someone for who they really are when you love them. And maybe it’s not even love. Maybe it’s infatuation. Maybe it’s obsession. Maybe it’s something completely different.

[ Sighs ] Straight-up denial. There’s lust — that’s a biggie. Feelings of inadequacy, daddy issues, mommy issues. But the simple fact is, the crazy thing about it, no matter how smart you are or put-together or responsible or all those other things… everyone in the world is affected by this. No one is immune.

Victoria: It took a little bit of finesse, but I was able to convince ashland that i continue to support him. And that I agree that he has been set up. In our discussions, an idea struck me — that maybe adam could have framed him. He had the wherewithal and he had the motive to try to push ashland out and make me look incompetent and naive at the same time. Adam has the naked ambition and the animosity towards ashland, a long history of deception, and even lying about his own health crisis once upon a time, that make him the perfect suspect.

Adam: Okay. So your plan is to remove ashland from newman/locke by throwing me under the bus?

Victoria: It’s all for the good of the company. And —

Adam: And you. It’s perfectly clear what’s in it for our “fearless leader.”

[Sfx: Chicken clucking]

Additional sponsorship

provided by… when asthma symptoms strike, airways narrow.

Billy: How is it that love can so completely cloud the judgment of an otherwise intelligent, rational human being? Maybe we all have this image in our head of “the ideal partner” for us and we make ourselves believe that our main squeeze is the end-all, be-all, the — the whole package for us, even when there is irrefutable evidence to the contrary. We tell ourselves that we understand them better than anyone else and we accept their mistakes and that’s not who they really are because we know them

[Sighs] Even when the rest of the world clearly knows that it’s all an illusion. So, what do we do when we see someone in love with that illusion or clinging to the idea of someone that doesn’t even exist? What happens when that someone confides in us, trusts us? Where do we draw the line on setting them straight? Do we say anything at all to them? And what happens when… we love that person? Are we obligated to say something or — hey.

Lily: Hi. Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.

Billy: No. It’s okay. I, uh — I didn’t know that you were still awake.

Lily: Yeah, I’m just winding down. Is that for the podcast?

Billy: Oh, I don’t know. Maybe. Right now it just sounds like rambling.

Lily: Well, I think it was coherent enough for me to know that you were talking about victoria. And it sounds like you feel like you’re not doing enough to help her?

Victoria: All I’m asking you to do is to put aside our differences and just take a look at the whole picture. What I’m proposing — it’s just for appearances’ sake. It will stay in the family. And you will not take the fall for anything…the way that i did when you tampered with dad’s medication and I was arrested.

Adam: You think I owe you one.

Nick: Sounds right to me.

Adam: Well, nobody asked you.

Victor: Let us please stay on track.

Victoria: Adam, you being a part of this plan is crucial. You have to be on board.

Adam: [ Laughs ] I can see why you’d feel that way.

Victoria: That is not an answer.

Adam: I have yet to hear any questions. So far, all I’ve heard is demands.

[ Door opens ]

Michael: Ah! There they are. Victor.

Victor: Thanks, old boy, for coming.

Michael: I’m sorry I’m late, victoria. I was just double-checking a few things. I think I’ve — I’ve found the answer to our problem.

Victoria: Ooh. Good news?

Michael: There’s an obscure clause in the ceo contract relating to activities and behavior of the parties… after signing.

Nikki: A morals clause.

Michael: Of sorts. But the important thing is, it provides us grounds to nullify ashland’s contract.

Victoria: Thank god. I was praying there was something.

Victor: Michael, what will it take in terms of legal gymnastics?

Michael: Oh, well, the language is such that a skilled attorney — such as myself — could interpret it to include a whole host of things, all sorts of illegal activities, providing the board with the grounds to void a ceo’s contract. The offending party would be out, no recourse, no golden parachute.

Adam: Okay. Let me guess. The plan is for ashland to fabricate evidence against me — plant it — and then catch him in the act. You’re using the same aborted plan as billy did on your own husband?

Victoria: Oh, I never thought of it that way. You’re right. That’s a very good parallel.

Nikki: However, unlike that scheme, this would just be all for show where you’re concerned.

Adam: Hmm. Well, um, for this all to, uh, play out correctly, I would need to stay on as temporary ceo.

[ Nick and victoria scoff ]

Nick: Seriously?

Victor: Now, son, since ashland locke and victoria are no longer flying to tuscany, there’s no sense in you staying on as ceo, is there?

Adam: I have the utmost confidence in victoria to sell this to ashland. I mean, if anything, it’s gonna free her up to concentrate on your maneuvers and kind of figure out, you know —

Nick: How is victoria gonna get him to buy this? Ashland is a lot of things. Stupid is not one of them.

Victoria: Is that what you’ve been thinking about this whole time? How you’re gonna stay in my chair a little bit longer? You know it was all supposed to be temporary, don’t you?

Adam: If you’ll let me finish my thought. In order for me to fall from grace, I need somewhere to fall from. So you can tell your hubby that victor insisted on it because he’s upset that you keep siding with ashland. And then when the “proof” comes out that I set him up, um, you can have dad fire me. For appearances’ sake. ‘Cause, like you said, it won’t be real. However, I trust that this tweak, uh, will improve the plan significantly.

[ Alert sounds ] Well, what do you know? Someone is trying to break into my work computer as we speak. Who could that be? I wonder.

Victoria: It’s ashland. He’s already taken the bait.

Nikki: That was quick.

Michael: Eager to save his good name. Not a moment to lose.

Victor: Adam, can you remotely change the setting and let him gain access?

Adam: Mm-hmm.

Victor: Then do it.

Adam: I take this to mean we’re gonna stick to the original plan and I’ll just carry on as temporary ceo?

Ashland: [ Breathes deeply ] Ah.

[ Keys clacking ]

[ Computer beeps ] Finally. Okay. Let’s see what we’ve got.

[ Keys clacking ]

Trelegy for copd.

Nick: If ashland’s already messing with your computer, it sounds like the plan’s in motion.

Adam: I have the ability to bounce him back out. Or I could let him stay and rifle through everything and do his worst. It’s your plan. Your call.

Victoria: I think your idea is sound. We’ll run with it. As you said, it solidifies the plan.

Adam: I think so.

Victoria: So I will tell ashland that dad insisted that you stay put, as you’ve suggested.

Nikki: How can you be sure ashland will buy it?

Victoria: Well, I will just tell him that I — I didn’t fight it that hard because I saw it as a way for us to keep an eye on adam while this unfolds. And he will become obsessed about setting you up as the one behind all the “lies” about him faking his illness.

Adam: I will be the sacrificial lamb.

Victoria: And I will be his constant cheerleader. Questions? Concerns?

Nick: Yeah. Like a dozen.

Victoria: But other than that, you’re good?

Nick: Yeah, it sounds like you and adam are doing all the heavy lifting and we’re just kind of winging it, so…

Victor: We’ll keep each other informed.

Victoria: Absolutely. That’s key.

Michael: Always good to have one’s stories straight.

Nikki: My immediate concern, darling, is you. I mean, the stress of continuing this charade with a man you now despise…

Victoria: Mother, please trust me on this. I can handle it. And it’s all gonna work out in the end.

Victor: Your husband is a desperate man, sweetheart. And your plan feeds right into his paranoia and delusions. While he’s preparing to take down adam, we will all prepare to take him down.

Victoria: You were very amenable to this from the very beginning. I have a feeling that you contacted my father after we spoke.

Michael: Of course I did. I work for victor. He’d already instructed me to find something in the contract we might be able to use against ashland. Naturally, I informed him that you had come to me with the same request.

Victoria: Naturally.

Michael: I can’t imagine you’d have a problem with it since we both have the same goals.

Victoria: You’re right. I don’T. Thank you, everyone. I’m really glad that we’re all on the same page.

Nick: I’m just glad you see ashland for who he really is and you understand that he has got to go.

Adam: Victoria, you had, uh, one caveat. Now I have mine. We’re going up against a shrewd, clever, extremely resourceful man who has managed to escape accountability for his whole life. I imagine at some point he’s gonna trip up over his own ego. But until then, we need to be careful and vigilant. Which boils down to…never underestimate your opponent.

[ Door closes ]

Billy: So, if you could tell that was about victoria after that last little snippet, then the newmans sure as hell will be able to tell, and she will, too.

Lily: [ Chuckles ] Yeah. Wouldn’t surprise me.

Billy: So probably not the best subject for a podcast right about now.

Lily: Well, forget the podcast. I mean, clearly this is bothering you.

Billy: Yeah. It’s just something that I’m dealing with, a little dilemma. You know, after learning the truth about ashland and how that’s affecting victoria, I have to question — do I stick my nose in it, or do I stay the hell out?

[ Keys clacking ]

[ Doorknob rattling ]

Sally: Adam, are you in there? Adam?

Adam: Oh, you’re here late.

Sally: Why is your door locked?

Adam: Uh, it’s been a long day. Why don’t we, um, go somewhere where we can talk and have a drink?

Sally: Okay.

[ Lock disengages ] I’m tamra, and I lost my son tyler

Victor: Michael, good work, as always.

Michael: Thank you. Whatever I can do to help stick it to ashland, just let me know. After that stint in a filthy south american jail, I’m more than ready to see the bastard get his.

Nick: Just glad you made it out safe. And that you’re on our side.

Michael: Me too. What ashland pulled with your family is outrageous.

Nikki: [ Scoffs ] You’ll get no argument from me.

Victoria: Or me.

Michael: All right, well, keep me apprised. Victor, good night.

Victor: Thank you for your work, old boy.

Michael: Alright.

Victor: Nice to see you.

Michael: Thank you.

Victor: Alright.

Michael: Good night, all.

Nikki: Thank you, michael.

Victoria: Good night.

[ Door closes ]

Nikki: So, what’s our next step?

Victor: That depends on how ashland locke will handle the “breach” to adam’s computer.

Victoria: It would be interesting to see how much he shares with me.

Victor: We’ll take our lead from you, and that way, we can all work together.

Victoria: Well, you three will, and michael. But adam — I’m not holding my breath.

Nikki: You think he was being disingenuous?

Victoria: Do you seriously think that we can count on him? Didn’t you see how his first concern was hanging onto his shiny new title? Adam only cares about what’s in it for adam. He doesn’t care about this family.

Victor: Sweetheart, I know that the two of you had your differences.

Victoria: Dad, do you really not see what’s going on here? By putting him in charge, even if it’s temporary, you gave him a taste of that power again. Worse yet, you gave him hope.

Victor: I’m very sorry you see it that way.

Nick: She sees it like that ’cause it’s true.

Victoria: He and I have been adversaries from the very start. And now adam has a vested interest in seeing me fail.

Sally: Victoria is using you as bait?

Adam: Mm-hmm. She gets ashland to frame me with phony “evidence,” in an effort to get himself out of his lies.

Sally: Only he’ll be caught doing it.

Adam: That is right. And then the company can invoke a clause in his contract and vote to kick him out.

Sally: Man. Some cosmic justice right there. It’s elegant, too.

Adam: It is a decent plan, and it can be successful. It’s actually already in motion.

Sally: Seriously?

Adam: Mm-hmm. When you found my office door locked, ashland was in there, hacking into my computer, looking for dirt.

Sally: But you knew he was in there and didn’t stop him?

Adam: I gave him access, remotely.

Sally: On purpose?

Adam: That’s right. In real time, while dad, victoria, nick, and nikki all watched.

Sally: So, this whole plan kind of hinges on you going along with everything. That’s not a bad spot to be in.

Adam: Well, great minds think alike.

Sally: It gives you leverage.

Adam: Oh, big time. More than you even know.

Sally: Keep talking.

Adam: I, uh, made it clear that before I let ashland past the firewall, if I agreed to be this, uh, pretend-patsy, that they have to keep me on as temporary ceo.

Sally: Wait — you were able to pull that off, even though ashland and victoria aren’t leaving town?

Adam: Oh, I just, uh, pitched it as I was the ultimate team player and I was just trying to make victoria’s brilliant plan, uh, even more foolproof. And she accepted ’cause it was an improvement.

Sally: And because she really didn’t have a choice. Well played.

Adam: Eh. I thought so.

Sally: Well, you’ve positioned yourself so that you can better control the outcome in the short term — and your future.

Ashland: Thank you.

[ Sighs ] Michael baldwin. Welcome home. How was your trip? Oh, oh, hold on. Uh, since victor bought into the lies that someone planted about me in peru for you to find, i would imagine your trip was productive?

Michael: Very productive, until I was thrown in jail.

Ashland: [ Gasps ] Jail? Really? That sounds so extreme. You must have really pissed off the locals.

Michael: I sure pissed someone off.

Ashland: Mm.

“The young and the restless”

will continue.

Billy: Clearly, victoria was upset. She needed to talk to someone. And I’ve been trying really hard not to get involved, but then she goes and tells me that this whole time ashland had been lying about having cancer.

Lily: My god, every time i think about that disgusting lie, it makes me sick.

Billy: In order to create a beachhead to get control of newman. It’s beyond sickening.

Lily: Yeah.

Billy: Look, victoria needed to confide in someone, right? And she didn’t want to go to her family because the newmans are who they are, so she came to me.

Lily: I’m glad you were there to listen.

Billy: After everything she said, I was sure that she was gonna kick ashland to the curb, but she didn’T. And then nick goes and asks me to go to talk to her again, which just proves how desperate nick is. But I told him I didn’t think it was gonna do any good. Victoria’s gonna handle this the way that she wants to handle it, without any involvement from anyone else.

Lily: Yeah. And you’re right. This is victoria’s problem. She needs to figure out how to deal with this.

Victor: Sweetheart, I do not want you to worry about adam. I will keep him in line and make sure that he does not interfere with your plan.

Victoria: I know you’ll try. And I can’t ask for more than that.

Nikki: Now that you’ve told us your intentions, we will make it work. We have to. That man does not deserve you, or a place in our family, or in this company.

Victor: [ Breathes deeply ] You know that I adore you. I love you. And you have my support, and you always will.

Victoria: You know, when i think about what he did to me — what he did to all of us — it’s just — it’s horrible. Then when I walked out of here that night and and checked into that hotel, I was — I was devastated.

Nikki: Oh, sweetheart, of course you were.

Victoria: And until I came up with this solution, I — i honestly — I didn’t have a clue how to handle it. But I knew that I had to be the one to fix this. And you were right, mom. I had all of those thoughts and feelings that you were worried about. I was feeling shame and hurt… and anger.

Ashland: My baby. I’m so sorry.

Ashland: Well, you certainly don’t look any worse for wear after your adventure.

Michael: [ Chuckles ] Is that what we’re calling it?

Ashland: I guess the charges didn’t stick, huh?

Michael: Yeah, well, bogus charges rarely do.

Ashland: Precisely. And the ones leveled against me aren’t going to stick, either.

Michael: Time will tell.

Ashland: I fully intend to prove that I was set up, and once I do, the rest of you will realize how wrong you were about me. Not that I’d expect any of you to admit it.

Michael: I am dying to see how this turns out.

Sally: You are taking on a pivotal role to try and help victoria rid herself of that jerk and prevent the company from being stolen from your family. So you should be rewarded. When all this is over, victor should hand you ashland’s vacated co-ceo spot, at the very least. Throw you a damn parade.

Adam: Ha ha. Yeah, right.

Sally: No. I mean it. If they aren’t prepared to show you the respect that you deserve, well, it seems to me that there are plenty of ways victoria’s plan could go south.

Adam: Mm-hmm.

Nick: Can we talk?

Adam: Uh, sally’s up to speed on everything. So feel free to, uh, let us know what’s going on, and don’t hold back or speak cryptically.

Nick: Fine. I’m here to make sure we can trust you.

Meet ron.

Lily: Look, in spite of everything that’s happened between the two of you in the past —

Billy: Oh, that’s just a polite way of saying “the hell that I put her through.”

Lily: No. She still confides in you. And she trust that you have her best interests at heart.

Billy: A hundred percent.

Lily: And, look, I know that you didn’t seek this out. You know, I know victoria kind of laid this on you out of the blue.

Billy: Yes, and now the whole world knows that ashland is even more of a cold-blooded monster than we first realized.

Lily: I know, but, billy, you don’t have to rush in and be her protector.

Billy: [ Scoffs ] Lily, we have kids together. And I do not trust ashland. I don’t want him anywhere near my kids.

Lily: Victoria would never put them in harm’s way. She’s way too good of a mother. Look, I know that it’s been years since you two broke up, but I think there’s still a part of you that feels responsible for her safety and well-being. But, billy, you’re not, okay? I think that’s something that you need to work out.

Victoria: Ashland.

Ashland: Oh, hi. I-I was just sending a text. Mwah. How are you doing?

Victoria: I was, um — I was with my family.

Ashland: How did that go?

Victoria: I did what i intended to do. I laid the groundwork and let them know that we’re close to discovering who’s behind this smear campaign against you.

[ Sighs ] That’s the good news.

Ashland: What’s the bad news?

Adam: Well, what can I say that will, uh, convince you it’s safe to trust me?

Sally: Rhetorical question.

Nick: I need to know you’re sincere about playing your part.

Adam: My assigned role, you mean?

Nick: This isn’t a game, adam. There’s a lot more at stake here than just your future.

Sally: By which you mean, victoria’s future.

Adam: I think sally summed it up pretty well. Look, as sorry as I am for victoria, the pain she’s in, she made her own bed, choosing to trust that guy. The consequences of which could have lasting effects on newman/locke, our father’s legacy — meaning, it does affect all of us.

Nick: Which is exactly my concern. That you’re only thinking about how this affects you or how you can come out ahead. That you’re willing to jeopardize everything our father has worked for, what he has spent his entire life building, for your own personal gain.

Adam: So, we’re back to that again? It’s greedy, unprincipled adam, the family scapegoat. Can’t be trusted unless in the dire of circumstances — which, apparently, I can’t even be trusted then. Do you really that think I’m capable of screwing over the whole family to take what isn’t mine?

Nick: Absolutely. There’s not a doubt in my mind. But I do know that you have changed. Johnson & johnson

Lily: Look, I know that victoria is in a terrible position and that it’s stirring up these protective feelings in you again. But maybe instead of allowing yourself to get drawn into it, maybe you use this opportunity to try and contain it, you know, whether that’s through your podcast, right, like how you did with delia. Or — I don’t know — maybe in your own head.

Billy: You know that there’s nothing romantic going on, right? This is not about me having these longing feelings for what we used to have.

Lily: No, I know. I’m not saying this because I’m jealous in any way or threatened. I’m just saying this because i love you and I know how hard you’ve worked to get to where you are. And I’m just so, so incredibly proud of you.

Billy: Thank you.

Lily: And, look, I’m here for you to lean on as you continue to deal with whatever there’s left to deal with. You know, and not that that means that everything’s just resolved and life is perfect. But I think we can get close to that. And I think you and I are pretty good proof of that.

Billy: Yes. We are. And you are by far the smartest, most amazing, most supportive woman that I have ever known. And I love you so much, and I am incredibly grateful that we found each other.

Lily: Me too.

Nikki: I didn’t want to say this in front of victoria, but this plan of hers…

Victor: I can see you’re worried.

Nikki: Well, there is so much risk. What if ashland catches on? God knows what he would do. I’m most concerned about her emotional well-being. To have to swallow her true feelings and endure more of his lies, his phony professions of love, and, ugh, just — just his touch now that she knows how unconscionable he is.

Victor: I understand.

Nikki: Victor, don’t tell me how strong she is. I know that she can bear all of this. I know that. I just hate that it has come to this. I mean, there are limits, no matter how strong and determined you are.

Victor: I love our daughter. I will not allow any harm to come to her. If this should get out of hand in any way —

Nikki: I know you will swoop in and rescue her. You don’t have to reassure me of that.

Victor: You know, she wants to take the lead in this. And I respect that and I admire her for it. I’ll let her do it. Meanwhile, all of us work together to get that bastard.

Nikki: Yeah. For ashland locke to be removed from our lives once and for all.

Victor: Yeah.

Victoria: You’re not gonna like this. I didn’T.

Ashland: What has victor done now?

Victoria: He’s decided to keep adam on as ceo for the time being.

Ashland: [ Exhales heavily ]

Victoria: Even though we canceled our flight to tuscany.

Ashland: Oh, wh– why would — okay. Never mind. Uh, let me guess. Adam has been working behind the scenes to make this happen?

Victoria: Oh, no doubt.

Ashland: Ah, dammit. How did you respond when your father told you?

Victoria: Well, first i pushed back very hard. And then I thought, maybe this is the way that we could work it to our advantage. Having adam in one place so that we can keep tabs on him while we prove that he’s the one who’s been targeting you all along. That’s all that matters to me — exposing adam and making sure that he’s punished. I promise you I’m trying to do everything I can to get you out of this mess and redeem you in my family’s eyes. They know how much I believe that you’re innocent and that I’m not gonna back down, I’m not gonna let them drive you away from me.

Ashland: Thank you for believing in me.

Victoria: So, what is our next step? Do you have any idea?

Ashland: I have a few ideas. But, um, there’s no point in telling you until I’ve zeroed in on the one that’s going to work.

Victoria: Why hold back? If you tell me, maybe I can build on whatever it is you have. I can give you some advice. I mean, we’re a team, right? We’re in on this together?

Ashland: This is not a trust thing. Sometimes I just have to work out things on my own. Let an idea percolate. You understand?

Victoria: Yes. Of course.

Ashland: I’ll get you some coffee.

Adam: So, let me get this straight. You admit that I have changed, but you still don’t trust me?

Nick: I’ve seen you make a real effort to live your life differently. At times, you’ve been very selfless, which I have acknowledged.

Adam: Yeah. Grudgingly.

Nick: That’s because I know you. And I know what you’re capable of. And this is exactly the kind of situation that always brings out the worst in you because it involves our father and the family business and all the baggage that goes along with that. Who’s the favorite, who isn’T. Will you ever be able to prove yourself to the old man? But, adam, there’s so much more to it than that. Ashland locke provides a very different threat to this family. And no matter how messed up we are at times, we always show up for each other. Always. Just like how you did for faith. You saved her life. You risked your own to make sure she made it to the hospital, and then you gave her one of your kidneys. That tells me the changes you’ve made in your life are very real. And this is one of those situations where we have to come together. And I really hope that’s the man who shows up, the one you told me you aspire to be, the one who’s willing to put himself out there for something other than himself… the one who’s willing to take a look at the bigger picture for the sake of the family. For your family.

Next week on

“the young and the restless”…

Jack: Why do I feel like there’s something you’re not saying? If I’m going too far with this grandfather thing —

Allie: No, it’s not you at all, jack. There’s something that I think you should know.

Mariah: So, the wedding date is…may 13th.

Sharon: I assume you mean of 2023?

Tessa: No, we’re talking may as in next month.

Ashland: You have my attention.

Adam: Well, I would hope so. Half a billion dollars is, uh, hard to ignore. All you have to do is walk away from victoria and newman/locke.

Back to the Y&R Transcripts Page

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Young & The Restless Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

Nick: Hey, please tell me you talked to victoria.

Billy: Yeah. I did. And it’s not the result that we were hoping for.

Nick: [ Sighs ] What happened?

Billy: Well, she heard me out, and that was the end of it. And she has no plan on telling me what’s up with ashland, how she plans to handle him. And she completely dismissed the fact that he might could be potentially threatening towards her. Even though she’s very aware of what he’s capable of.

Nick: I was really hoping you’d be able to get through to her before she goes to italy.

Billy: Yeah, well, your father said that he’d send his security detail along with her. And she seems to think that’s all the protection that she needs. Although I’m not sure how much help they’re gonna be when she’s alone with ashland behind the walls of the palazzo.

Nick: Not much. This is just so frustrating.

Billy: And clearly you haven’t been able to get through to her, either.

Ashland: Well, thank you for the update on the weather. But apparently this trip was not meant to be. Yeah, we’ll, uh, reschedule for another time. Go on home. Get some sleep. Yeah.

Victoria: What’s wrong?

Ashland: Uh, just something about the conversation with the pilot — something about his tone. He seemed relieved that we’re not going.

Victoria: Well, yeah, he probably didn’t want to fly through those storms.

Ashland: Yeah. Maybe. But, you know, I looked earlier on my weather app. I didn’t see any storms over the atlantic.

Victoria: Well, you do know that the pilots have more sophisticated technology than we do.

[ Both chuckle ]

Ashland: Or…

Victoria: [ Scoffs ] My father asked the pilot to stall us as long as possible.

[ Sighs ] Oh, gosh, that is just so exasperating and so on brand for my dad. The lengths he goes to, to try to control me.

Ashland: It’s par for the course, really. Especially if your family is worried that I’m gonna do some kind of harm to you — which is preposterous. But if that’s really what they believe, I could certainly understand that your father would do anything he could to protect his daughter.

Victoria: Well, I guess he got his wish. Because we’re staying.

Ashland: But not because of his games. We’re staying because we’ve finally figured out who set me up — and we’re gonna prove it.

Rey: Well, I am glad you dealt with all the paperwork to officially end your leave of absence, huh?

Chance: Last obstacle out of the way.

Rey: Mm-hmm. You got a big day tomorrow. I don’t want to keep you if you got to go. We’ll be spending plenty of time together soon.

Chance: Are you regretting having me back as your partner already?

Rey: Yeah. [ Chuckles ] You’ll probably get sick of me first.

Chance: No, I can actually hang for a bit tonight, man. Abby’s over at society, and the nanny’s got the baby, so I’m good.

Rey: Alright, well, I can stick around for a while.

Chance: Cool.

Rey: So, are you still feeling good about your decision to come back?

Chance: [ Chuckles ] Why? I seem nervous or something?

Rey: It would only be natural, after being gone for so long.

Chance: Hey, man, I’m excited. And I’m just ready for everything to start feeling normal again. You know what I mean?

Rey: Yeah, I do. I get it. After sharon’s cancer, faith’s surgery, and then mariah’s kidnapping, I was so relieved when everything finally settled down. It’s good to get back into a routine, have a job that validates you and that you’re good at.

Chance: That’s exactly what I’m talking about. I mean, I just can’t wait to get back to that life that I had planned before this mission just threw everything off track.

Chelsea: Oh, that’s fantastic. I’m so excited you were able to come through so quickly at such a reasonable price point. Okay. I will be in touch. Thank you.

Abby: Well, it sounds like whoever was on the other end of that line had good news for you.

Chelsea: Well, it was a sales rep from this fabulous fabric supplier. A bio-based company who is able to make the perfect textile for my new line.

Abby: Ooh! Congratulations. Isn’t starting a new business so exciting?

Chelsea: You know, it really is. It reminds me of the high I felt when we worked together at the grand phoenix.

Abby: Oh, maybe don’t say “high” and “grand phoenix” in the same sentence.

[ Both laugh ]

Chelsea: That launch party was a disaster. And things weren’t perfect. But, listen, we had some fun…

Abby: Yeah.

Chelsea: …For a while. Until…

Abby: Phyllis.

Chelsea: Mnh, let’s not even go there.

Abby: Yes, water under the bridge. Actually, I am very happy that society is my sole focus. It gives me more time with dominic.

Chelsea: Yeah. You know, I really feel like things are falling into place for me, as well. Yeah, I sold the penthouse. Starting the new line. Connor is thriving. I feel like I’m getting a fresh start in every aspect of my life, and I’m gonna be honest — I’m really proud of myself.

Abby: You should be.

Chelsea: You know, there were a lot of bumps in the road since I got back to town, but I didn’t let them derail me.

Abby: And by “bumps in the road,” do you mean my brother?

[ Door opens ]

Sally: That’s really good.

[ Door closes ]

Victor: What are you doing here so late?

Adam: Just, uh, working on some ideas for newman/locke.

Victor: I see. Okay.

Adam: Yeah, the company has more than doubled in size since the recent acquisitions. So the key now is to realign the divisions so they can coalesce and complement each other, become something bigger than the sum of their parts. Starting with the consolidation and rebranding of our video streaming business. I think that we should take our current streamers with locke communications and newman media and turn it into one formidable network, one that can take on every major player.

Victor: Hmm. Son, I thought I had made it very clear to you that, in case ashland locke and victoria are on the way to europe — and I put you in as temporary ceo of the company — to prevent any changes, okay? Not to instigate them. Hi, my name is cherrie.

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Sally: Consolidating and rebranding is a great idea. And he didn’t even tell you the best part. We will use newman’s real estate division to build our own studio lot. A collection of sound stages that will rival the ones in L.A. It’s genius.

Adam: Mm-hmm.

Sally: You really don’t want to miss out on this opportunity.

Adam: Mm.

Sally: Newman/locke has a lot of forward momentum. And bold, smart ideas like adam’s are exactly what we need to keep that going. And if we delay making decisions because we’re waiting on victoria to straighten things out with ashland, we run the risk of becoming an also-ran in this space.

Victor: You know, I’m not concerned about that. This situation is temporary, until victoria throws ashland locke to the curb, which I hope will happen soon.

Adam: And I am rooting for that to happen. I hope that her plan works. But right now she doesn’t have her eye on the ball, so we need to make sure that we do. And I think it would be a huge mistake to let the competition take advantage when she’s otherwise occupied.

Victor: [ Chuckles ] The only ones I see trying to “take advantage”… are the two of you.

Nick: I don’t know what options I have at this point. What am I supposed to do? Just follow my sister to italy?

Billy: Actually, that’s a great idea idea, except victoria will hate it. It would only alienate her further. Can I tell you what I would like to do to ashland? Treat him the same way that he, victor, and adam treated gaines. Lock him in a basement somewhere, undisclosed location, and leave him there until he surrenders.

Nick: Yeah, you’re kidding, right? That is the worst idea I have ever heard.

Billy: Yeah. You’re right. The worst.

Nick: No, look, we’re not doing that, alright? It’s stupid. The fact that we’re even thinking about it just shows how desperate we are.

Billy: Well, unfortunately, nick, the only person more desperate than us is victoria. Because besides something happening to our children, this is her worst nightmare. She’s been played like a fool and made to look weak and incompetent.

Nick: Well, she’s gonna react in one of two ways. She’s either gonna go into denial and refuse to see ashland for who he really is. Or she’s gonna go after him herself and prove that he’s the fool for ever underestimating her in the first place.

Billy: Well, whichever path she chooses, she has made it very clear she does not want help from us.

Ashland: I know you were hoping to get away from your family, get away from the pressure they keep putting you under. I wish we could do that. God knows we could use the time to — to reconnect and recuperate from these attacks.

Victoria: It’s okay. If we have to put off the trip, it’ll be worth it. It’ll give us the opportunity to prove that adam is the one framing you.

Ashland: You know, there is another upside to staying here. Adam won’t have to fill in for us. He’ll be stripped of his fake ceo title before he even has a chance to get in here and kick his feet up onto your desk.

Victoria: You like the idea of that, don’t you?

Ashland: I do. Can you blame me? After what he’s done to us?

Victoria: Well, we can’t be one hundred percent sure that he’s guilty just yet. It’s just a hunch that I had.

Ashland: But it’s a good hunch. I’m surprised I didn’t think of it myself, in fact.

[ Chuckles ] It makes all the sense in the world. No one benefits more from my downfall than adam.

Victoria: Well, motive is not going to be enough to convince my family that adam did this to you. You know they still believe that you lied about your cancer to trick me into marrying you and to go along with the merger.

Ashland: We’re gonna change their minds about that.

Victoria: So, what is your first step? Do we have a plan? What are you recommending

Rey: Thank you. Look, I know it hasn’t been easy to readjust to life back at home after everything you’ve been through, but, you know, i respect the way that you’re tackling it head-on.

Chance: Appreciate that, man. I was, uh, kind of forced to take that direct approach. Plan a — you know, toughing it out — that was a failure.

Rey: Yeah, but you could’ve called it quits and given up, but you didn’T.

Chance: That was never an option. Abby — she never gave up on me, even though she was told I was never coming back. I got to make good on those promises that I made her, you know? Better late than never.

Rey: Yeah, I don’t think you’re late. But I have seen “never,” and i wouldn’t recommend it. The guys trying to hide their pain — they usually end up trashing their relationships, distancing themselves from their families. It’s a good way to end up miserable.

Chance: Well, if I’m being honest, I was probably heading down that path if abby and devon hadn’t convinced me to go to therapy.

Rey: You talked to devon about this?

Chance: Yeah. Yeah. He’s been a pretty good friend through all this. He was definitely worried about me for a while, which was part of the reason we changed the whole visitation agreement.

Rey: Yeah. Your parenting situation is not simple. But I’m glad everybody found a solution that works for them.

Chance: Devon’s a good father. He’s got an incredible bond with dominic.

Rey: How is that for you? Being dominic’s “other” father?

Chance: You know, I — i just — I’m working really hard to develop that same kind of bond with him. But, uh… I don’t know. I just — I don’t have the same natural instincts as devon. And abby said that that’s just gonna take time. But I just can’t help feeling like I’m never gonna catch up. You know, I’m never gonna be on the same level as her and devon.

Rey: I think I know a little about what that feels like.

Chelsea: I admit, I had some lingering hope that adam and i would get back together. I thought maybe we could reconnect, see if there was anything left between us. But then for every beautiful memory I would remind him of, he would remind me of some way that we devastated each other. He just wasn’t willing to take that risk. And eventually I agreed. Too much has happened between us.

Abby: I’ve had relationships like that before, where there’s still love there, but the trust is gone. Cutting your losses and walking away — it’s hard to do.

Chelsea: Yeah, but you’re happy now, right?

Abby: I am. Yeah. And I have faith that you are gonna find the same thing with someone who’s a better match for you than adam. Someone who’s more emotionally stable.

Chelsea: [ Chuckles ] Well, i mean, adam’s doing well. He’s grown up a lot.

Abby: Hmm. I’ve heard that from other people, and — well, I hope it continues, but when it comes to adam, you can never be sure.

Victor: It’s not that there’s anything wrong with your idea. In fact, I like your vision. The timing is the issue.

Sally: But why would you ever discourage strengthening our brand or increasing our profits? How could there ever be a bad time for that?

Victor: I know you only want what’s best for my son, okay? Would you mind giving us a few moments alone?

Adam: I will come find you after we’re done.

Sally: Okay. I will be in my office.

Adam: Okay.

[ Door opens ]

[ Clears throat ]

Victor: Well, now, she seems to be a very supportive coo.

Adam: If you are implying that she’s just kissing up to me, you are wrong. Sally’s always given me her honest reaction, good or bad. I like that about her. She’s direct. She says what she means. Frankly, we could use a little more of that around here.

Victor: Well, it’s clear to me that she is very eager for you to make your mark on the company.

Adam: Well, she doesn’t see the point in sitting on our hands, and neither do I.

Victor: Son.

[ Breathes deeply ] You’re talking to your old man, who’s had a lot of experience in life and in business. I’m warning you — don’t get too close. Don’t you ever confuse the professional with the personal.

Adam: [ Scoffs ] I don’t know why we’re still talking about her. She isn’t the problem. Ashland is. We should be focused on how to get rid of him.

Victor: You don’t think I am?

Ashland: The one good thing about adam planting so much incriminating evidence against me is that there’s more for us to investigate. There’s a better chance that he made a mistake along the way.

Victoria: Well, I’m sure he did. I mean, people who pull cons like this that are so elaborate — they usually do. It’s their arrogance that trips them up.

Ashland: What do you mean?

Victoria: To come up with something this extreme and to convince yourself that you could actually pull it off, you would have to think that you were far more intelligent than everyone else and that everybody else was just too dense to understand it. You would have to think that you are invincible. And that kind of overconfidence is beyond arrogance. And I’m counting on that to bring adam down. Is something wrong?

Ashland: [ Sighs ] To be a thriver with metastatic breast cancer means…

Chelsea: Thanks, andy. Adam’s a great father. Really, he’s been wonderful with connor — you know, since I was away, since I’ve been back. Adam could’ve used the things i did to drive a wedge between me and my son, and he didn’t do that. And that wasn’t for my sake. It was for connor’S. He knew it wouldn’t be good for him. To me, that shows he really loves our son.

Abby: I’m not trying to insult adam. I’m really not. I’m just acknowledging the reality. My brother is a complicated person with a troubled past, which means there have been times that he wasn’t able to be there for connor when he needed him.

Chelsea: Well, that’s true. But the same could be said for me. Doesn’t make me a bad parent.

Abby: I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to —

Chelsea: No, no, listen, I —

[ Sighs ] If I’m coming off defensive, it just that everything you’re saying has been weighing on me. To be honest with you, since i had that breakdown, I feel terrible about letting connor down.

Abby: But you were ill. It wasn’t your fault.

Chelsea: I know. You know, my therapist tells me that I am setting a good example for him [Chuckles] By taking care of myself and trying to get better and being the best person I can be. I mean, adam’s not in therapy, but I think he’s trying to do those things, too.

Abby: Well, I will give him credit for that.

Chelsea: And what about chance? I know he’s been struggling a lot since he came back from spain.

Abby: He is. And you’re right. I would never think less of him for that.

Chelsea: Listen, we’re all just doing our best. Am I right?

Abby: Amen to that. But I am a little surprised, given your history with adam, that you’re still so protective towards him.

Chelsea: Well, we do. We have a lot of history. And we share a son. We’ll always have that bond.

Rey: Your, uh, situation with devon reminds me a lot of how i feel being around nick. I mean, it’s not exactly the same, you know. You’re dominic’s dad. I’m a stepfather to sharon’s kids. So I would never expect to have the same relationship with faith or noah — and even mariah — that nick does.

Chance: Come on, man. You and faith are super close, right? And you’re still getting to know noah.

Rey: Yeah, but when they’re all together, even though they always make me feel included and welcome, it’s like they’re the family unit and I’m on the outside. Does that make sense? I know it’s hard to explain.

Chance: No, man, I totally get it. That’s exactly how I feel. That we’re on the outside and we’re looking in, right? And, shoot, I’m dominic’s father, but sometimes it feels like devon’s claim to him is just a little bit more legitimate. And he and abby have this bond for the baby in common, and — I don’t know — I just don’t know if I’m ever gonna get there. You know, I don’t know if it’s just me being in my head, and if it is, I don’t know how to get past it.

Rey: It’s a tough situation. Especially because nobody’s done anything wrong. There’s no any bad guys to point out.

Chance: How do you deal with it? You talked to sharon?

Rey: No. No, I deal with this by myself. Maybe I just need more time.

[ Laughs ] I’m giving myself the same advice that abby keeps giving you. I have to be patient.

Chance: [ Sighs ] Well, maybe that’s the answer. We shall see.

Ashland: Um, nothing’s, uh, wrong per se. I — I — yes, I was just distracted thinking about the worst-case scenario. What if — [ Clears throat ] What if adam didn’t make any careless mistakes? What if — what if he’s covered his tracks so well, there’s no incriminating evidence to be found?

Victoria: Oh, there will be. And we’re gonna keep looking until we find it. We’re not gonna give up. We need that proof.

Ashland: Right. Your family will never believe in my innocence without it. But right now, I don’t really care about them. I care about you. If this investigation proves fruitless, will you still believe in me?

Victoria: Why are you asking me this now?

Ashland: Because I can’t shake this feeling that you somehow still have doubts about my innocence. Am I right?

Victor: I am singularly focused on getting ashland locke out of this company, out of this family, okay? That’s why I don’t want any distractions. If something happens to go wrong with victoria’s plan and the story about ashland locke becomes public knowledge, we may have to pivot on the spot.

Adam: I see where you’re coming from, but if everything goes to hell, we need something to pivot to, to distract from the fallout. We need something positive, a new initiative, something that shows that we’re still firing on all cylinders while we’re trying to distract from this fiasco. I wish you would have a little faith in my judgment, dad. I think I have earned that.

Victor: You have, son. Now, I like the idea of this streaming platform to rival all the big ones.

Adam: Well, and to beat them.

Victor: What about the real estate piece?

Adam: Okay, so…we buy land. We build our own studios to film our own shows. And then when we are not using them, we will rent them out when at a cheaper price than our competitors.

Victor: Alright. Go ahead and do it. Let’s see what happens. My moderate to severe plaque psoriasis…

“The young and the restless”

will continue.

Nick: [ Sighs ] Alright. I guess the only thing I can do is go home and just hope that i don’t wake up to any bad news about victoria and ashland. But every instinct I have is telling me to rush to victoria’s rescue.

Billy: Believe me. I get it. And in the past, that approach has worked, but this is a different situation. She wants to handle ashland on her own. She doesn’t want help from us, and she does not want help from your father.

Nick: Well, you know what? I can understand why she doesn’t want my dad’s help because that usually comes with some strings attached.

Billy: It’s deeper than that. Look, of course, on one hand, she would love to be out of the control of your father. But on the other hand, she wants his approval. She always has. I have not said it to her in this way, but I feel like that was part of her initial attraction to ashland. He’s a powerful man. And your father appreciated that and the merger and all the new heights of power and influence she was reaching.

Nick: Yeah, well, if I were you, I would definitely not say that to her.

Billy: Yeah, I know, but it’s true.

Nick: And if my dad was impressed at any point, you know, he’s past that. He’s now worried just like the rest of us.

Billy: Oh, I’m sure he’s very worried that victoria risked his precious company. And that is eating away at her, and unfortunately she is gonna do everything she can to win back his respect.

Nick: You don’t think there’s any chance of reconciliation with ashland, right?

Billy: No. She’s smarter than that.

Nick: Yeah, I’d like to think so, too. I just pray that victoria has a plan, you know, a way to get him out of her life and away from newman/locke and that it’s a brilliant plan and that it’s working.

Chance: Hi, babe.

Abby: Oh, hi!

Rey: Hey. It’s good to see you ladies.

Abby: Can I get you guys something to eat? Are you hungry?

Rey: Oh, I’m just here to pick up some tres leches for sharon.

Chelsea: Nice. Actually, I’m glad we bumped into each other again because… I have something for you.

Rey: I have an idea what this could be. Yes, yes, yes. Blackhawks tickets. Whoa. Great seats. Right up against the glass.

Chelsea: Connor’s really excited. Um, I bought a couple hockey tickets, planned this whole overnight trip in chicago, and then found out I have to work. Rey was nice enough to offer to fill in for me.

Rey: It’s my pleasure. I think I’m as excited as connor is.

Abby: [ Laughs ]

Rey: Anyway, I’m gonna get that dessert.

Chelsea: I’ll join you, grab something sweet for myself.

Abby: Rey really is an amazing guy.

Chance: Yeah. Yeah, he sure is.

Abby: Chelsea almost ended his life. And look at them. They’re friends. I mean, it’s not fake or forced. They are actual friends. It’s crazy how things can change with time.

Victoria: Why would you be worried that I don’t believe you? I’m the one encouraging you to find out if adam set you up.

Ashland: I just wonder, if it came down to adam’s word versus mine, whose side would you take?

Victoria: Seriously? Look, first of all, I make it a rule to never believe one word that comes out of adam’s mouth. And secondly, if I thought that you had lied to me about being seriously ill, do you think I’d be standing here right now, strategizing with you? No. No, I wouldn’T. I would be spending every waking moment trying to figure out how to cut you out of my life for good. You’re still not convinced, are you? How can I prove to you that I’m on your side? I just heard something amazing!

Ashland: I’m sorry. Of course I know you’re on my side. I should never have raised the issue.

Victoria: No, it’s — it’s okay. I know what this must be like for you. Literally. Adam tried to frame me in the past, too.

Ashland: Wait. I’m sorry. Hold on. Adam tried to frame you, his sister? For what?

Victoria: He accused me of trying to tamper with my father’s medicine to hurt him. I was even arrested for it.

Ashland: [ Sighs ]

Victoria: I know. But luckily the people who believe me and love me know that I would never do something like that. So, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I let any doubt about you ever creep into my mind.

Ashland: No, no, no. Just — don’t apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. This is what adam’s sick game is doing to both of us. It’s forcing us to mistrust each other. Listen, I believe more now than ever that adam is behind this. If you can stand by me and help me find the proof I need, that would mean the world to me.

Victoria: I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.

Ashland: Okay. Okay.

Victoria: Okay.

Ashland: Thank you. Let’s go home, get some rest, and in the morning, we will put together a strategy.

Victoria: Why don’t you go ahead, okay? You need to still consider your health. I am gonna call my family and I’m gonna bring them together and let them know that our plans to go to italy have changed.

Ashland: Poor adam. He’s gonna be so disappointed.

Victoria: He is definitely not gonna be happy about the change in plans.

Chelsea: I got two.

[ Laughs ] Oh, thanks.

Chance: You know, I think it’s incredible that rey was able to forgive chelsea for everything that she did to him. And chelsea, too — she’s come a long way since then.

Abby: Yeah. I think chelsea has really turned a corner. She’s starting over, starting a business with chloe. She’s healthier and stronger. And she’s really navigating this co-parenting arrangement with adam really well.

Chance: I guess adam couldn’t go to the hockey game, huh?

Abby: No, but connor’s really lucky to have rey take him. Rey is a great father figure. Maybe that’s because that was his role with lola when she was growing up. And now with sharon’s kids. Sharon and rey even take care of christian sometimes for nick, so it’s not surprising that they welcome connor into the fold. Everybody’s a part of the family.

Chance: You know, it’s funny you say that ’cause I was just talking to rey and — well, obviously, don’t repeat this to nick, but he said sometimes he just feels like an outsider in the family.

Abby: Really? Well, I’m so sorry to hear that. I know that they would never want to make him feel that way. I hope he knows how valued and appreciated he is.

Chance: Yeah. Yeah, I think he does. You know, he just said there’s certain moments where he compares himself to nick, the “real” dad, wonders if he measures up.

Abby: Yeah. I can understand why he would feel that way. But it’s only because nick has such a tight relationship with his kids. It’s not a competition. There’s enough love to go around in this family. Mwah.

Nick: [ Sighs ]

[ Cellphone pings ]

Adam: So, I can move on this right away. I already know who I want to put in charge of content, and, uh, the marketing team is in place and ready to hit the ground running.

Victor: Yeah. Well [Clears throat] It seems you have put a lot of thought into this.

Adam: Oh, well, I wouldn’t, uh, pitch you an idea that i didn’t think through. And I have a lot more ideas that I know that you will like just as much.

Victor: Yeah.

[ Cellphone ringing ] Hey, sweetheart. I thought you were on your way to italy. What happened?

Victoria: No, you did not.

Victor: Oh, so you’ve reconsidered. Well, I’m glad to hear that.