Young & The Restless Update
Recap written by Christine
Victoria, her parents and Ashland were at Newman Locke. “You went behind my back, Daddy? To bribe Ashland into leaving me? I don’t know what part is more offensive,” Victoria said. Victor asked Ashland if he was considering the offer. Ashland told Victoria that he didn’t know what other option he had. He wanted the turmoil to end for Victoria’s sake. Nikki thought that Ashland should admit to his lies and leave of his own volition. Ashland said to tell Adam, Victor’s errand boy, that he’d meet him at The Grand Phoenix. Ashland left the office. In the hallway, he rubbed his forehead and sighed.
Back in the office, Victor said he wasn’t the one who offered Ashland the money. Victoria asked why Victor didn’t say that to Ashland. Victor was going to have a talk with Adam, but he wasn’t going to contradict Adam to Ashland. Victor felt that the family needed to stick together. Victor thought that Ashland seemed kind of interested in the offer though. Victoria said Ashland was just testing Victor. Nikki said that if Ashland was testing anyone, it was Victoria. Victoria disagreed. Victor said Ashland was trying to drive a wedge between Victoria and her family. She knew that. She said maybe Adam’s obnoxious interference will make it easier for her to pretend to Ashland that she was fed up with Adam. Victor noted that Ashland didn’t seem to like the plan to frame Adam. Victoria said she was going to get Ashland out of the company without spending tens of millions of dollars. The look on her parents’ face made Victoria ask how much Adam offered. “Five hundred million dollars,” Nikki stated.
Victoria demanded to know where Adam got off making an offer like that. Victor intended to speak with Adam. Victor said they were all trying to get rid of this bastard. Victoria maintained that they were going to use her plan. Victor countered that Victoria’s plan hadn’t come to fruition. Victoria said Adam didn’t want her plan to succeed, and she contended that it was Victor’s fault Adam was trying to undermine her. Victoria argued that Victor should’ve made it clear that he expected Adam’s full cooperation.
Victoria was sure Ashland wouldn’t take the money. “Why because he’s eternally in love with you?,” Victor asked. Victoria made it clear that she wasn’t going to fall for Ashland’s lies again. She knew Ashland better than her parents did, and she was sure he wouldn’t ever take a bribe or back down from a fight. Nikki asked why Ashland agreed to consider Adam’s offer. Victoria didn’t know, but she guessed time would tell which of them were right. She left.
Sharon and Nick were at Crimson Lights. Sharon said Ashland told her he was going to exonerate himself. She mentioned that Adam came in. Nick wanted to know what the dynamic was like between Ashland and Adam. Sharon didn’t overhear anything. She didn’t want to get involved, so she’d made up an excuse to go in the back, but it looked like Ashland and Adam had an intense conversation. One that seemed like lives depended on whatever they were talking about.
Nick guessed it could’ve been a business meeting since Adam was the temporary CEO of Newman Locke. Nick explained that Adam refused to go along with Victoria’s plan to oust Ashland unless Victor kept him in the big chair. Sharon was taken aback. Nick said it sounded like something the old Adam would do. Nick tried to talk to Adam about how much he’d changed and convince him that it would be a mistake to use Victoria’s situation to this advantage. Sharon asked if Adam listened. Nick didn’t know. She wondered how Victoria was taking it. He said Victoria was distant and not listening. He didn’t think Victoria’s plan was working. He said she was scared and defensive. Sharon thought that was understandable. Nick said Victoria still loved Ashland, and she also knew she couldn’t trust him. He said there was no way to tell what Victoria was going to do. He didn’t even think Victoria knew.
Sharon remembered how worried Nikki and Victor were when Victoria split from Billy and got attacked. They even asked Sharon to help. She assumed this situation might feel even worse for Victor and Nikki. Nick said his parents were all in on the wedding, and he was sent to the dog house for doubting Ashland. Nick was worried Victoria would try and salvage her relationship with Ashland, because that might cause an irreparable rift. Nikki arrived, and Sharon greeted her then went into the back. Nick told Nikki that Sharon saw Adam and Ashland in an intense discussion earlier. Nikki, who was clearly annoyed with Adam, told Nick what his brother did. Nick assumed Ashland went whining to Victoria and said no amount of money would replace her. Nikki said Ashland actually went to Victor to see if it was a bona fide offer. She said Victor pretended the offer was authentic. Nikki was worried that the longer this went on, the more chances Ashland had to charm his way back into Victoria’s heart.
Nick noted that five hundred million was the exact figure that he, Victoria and Abby won in that lawsuit against Victor. He didn’t think it was a coincidence that Adam chose that figure to offer Ashland. Nick thought Adam was trying to impress Victor and show that he could handle things on all front, unlike Victoria. Nikki agreed that Adam was sending the message Victoria was doomed to fail. She said Victoria was furious. He thought Victoria was right to be furious with Adam, because he wasn’t being a team player. Nikki didn’t know if Adam had it in him to be one.
Nick wondered if Adam’s plan, which wasn’t clever or overly complicated, could work. Nikki said it was easy money, if that was what Ashland was looking for. Nikki felt bad for Victoria, who must feel like they didn’t support her. Nick said that Ashland could twist this and make Victoria feel like he was the only one on her side. Nikki added that if Ashland turned down the money, he could frame it like an enormous sacrifice he was making for Victoria. Nick said it was just a ploy. Nick assured Nikki that Victoria would come out stronger. They hugged, and she left.
Nick went to Sharon and told her that Adam went behind the family’s back and put his own plan in motion, giving Ashland a way to play the family against each other. Nick decided to go confront Ashland. Sharon didn’t think that was a good idea. She reminded him he’d just said how wrong it was for Adam to go behind Victoria’s back, and now he was planning to do the same thing. He said it’d make him feel better to confront Ashland. Sharon said this wasn’t about Nick. Sharon told Nick that if he wanted to get involved, he should go to Victoria and offer her his love and support.
Sally walked into Adam’s office. They both knew that this could be a big day for him if Ashland accepted his offer. Adam wasn’t sure if Ashland would reject it though. Sally said anticipation could be exciting if you were waiting with the right person. Adam thought Ashland had to know that this offer was his best option. He didn’t understand why Ashland didn’t jump on it. Sally said Ashland was toying with Adam. Adam was second guessing his impulsive decision to offer Ashland half a billion dollars to leave town. “Telling him that I was representing the Newman family? What the hell was I thinking?,” Adam wondered. Sally said he’d been thinking like a leader. It felt like the right move at the time, but he wondered if he just gave Ashland another card to play.
Sally was sure that Adam would come up with another plan if this current one didn’t work out. She said Adam was brilliant and relentless, a combination that was sexy as hell. He thought that was probably why they got along so well. They shared a deep kiss, and they were still in the midst of it when Victor walked in. Victor glowered at Adam and said they had serious business to discuss. Adam insisted that Sally stay. Victor felt Adam made a reckless move offering that criminal hundreds of millions of dollars. Adam asked why Ashland ran to Victor about the deal. “Because he knows you were lying when you said you had the backing of the family,” Victor stated. Adam asked if Ashland was going to take the deal. Victor asked what difference it made. He wondered if Adam was trying to buy time to figure out where to get that kind of money. Victor asked if Adam had been planning to draw the funds from Newman Locke. Adam said no, because it wouldn’t be appropriate to use company funds for a private matter. Victor demanded to know where Adam was going to get the money. Adam said Victoria brought Ashland into the company, so she should pay. Victor found Adam’s lack of sympathy for his sister appalling.
Victor assumed Sally encouraged Adam to take this path. Adam said it was his idea and his alone. Sally said once she heard about it, she though it was wonderful. Adam was just trying to incentivize Ashland to get out of their lives. Victor snapped that Victoria already had a plan. Adam asked for a show of hands of people who thought the plan would work. Victor yelled at Adam for offering Ashland hundreds of millions of dollars. Sally said that if Ashland didn’t take the deal, there was nothing to argue about. Adam realized Ashland didn’t reject the plan.
Victor wanted to know if Adam understood him. Adam got it loud and clear. Adam explained that he’d believed he was working for the good of the family. Victor ordered Adam not to ever go behind his back and make a deal of this magnitude. Adam maintained that he was trying to help. Victor was adamant that Adam had no right to take this into his own hands. Adam said that when he saw Locke, the idea just came to him, and he ran with it. Sally backed that up, saying that she and Adam never discussed this plan in advance. “I don’t care if you were there or not,” Victor screamed at Sally, while dropping a tablet on the table for emphasis. Victor turned his attention to Adam and yelled that he shouldn’t have made this decision without consulting him and the family. He ordered Adam not to ever do that again. Victor reminded Adam that he’d accused Victoria of rushing into a plan. Adam said that Ashland seemed more intrigued by Adam’s plan than he was by Victoria’s. Adam asked what Ashland said. Victor revealed that Ashland was waiting at the Grand Phoenix. Adam asked if he should go follow up or kill the deal. Victor reiterated that Adam was not to ever make a deal of this magnitude without Victor’s input.
Victor said that Ashland could toy with them – accept the deal, then change his mind. Adam asked if Victor was just going to wait and hope Victoria’s plan worked out. Victor said that Victoria’s plan was a damned good one. Sally said that Ashland had been five steps ahead of Victoria this whole time. Sally wasn’t victim blaming since she also once thought Ashland loved Victoria. Adam said that if Ashland walked away, Adam would have him sign some ironclad legal documents preventing him from reneging on the deal. Victor asked where Adam intended to get the $500,000,000, because it wasn’t going to come from Victoria. Adam stared at Victor. Victor realized Adam expected him to pay. Adam asked how much it was worth to Victor to get Ashalnd out of heir lives.
Adam said that if Victor paid out, he’d be buying Victoria’s freedom, and she’d be able to stop pretending to love Ashland. Adam said that they had to get Ashland out of the company before he made major changes. He said Ashland could get rid of Newman’s management team, promote his own team and sell off divisions to the highest bidder. Victor had already considered all the points Adam was making. He paced around the room for a bit, then he told Adam to go make the deal with Ashland. Victor said he’d supply the money. Adam promised Victor wouldn’t regret this. He and Sally left.
Victoria went to The Grand Phoenix to talk to Ashland. He was willing to do whatever she wanted, but he thought they should do it in private, so she rented a suite. Upstairs, Victoria asked Ashland to tell her that he didn’t take the offer seriously. She wanted him to say he was only trying to make Adam feel confident so he’d let his guard down. Ashland was sorry to say Adam had every reason to feel confident, since he was on track to getting everything he’d ever wanted – to be Victor’s shining star, and to take over for Ashland when he was gone. Victoria was caught off guard when Ashland said he was leaving. Ashland reminded Victoria that he told her he wanted to get out of this place. Victoria said Ashland could see by now that Adam was the one who set him up. She wanted him to tell her he was going to fight. He knew she wanted him to plant evidence to incriminate Adam.
Ashalnd said he and Victoria could no longer continue the life they planned of running Newman Locke side by side and trusting each other implicitly. He said he could still be the man he promised he’d be on the day he got married, though. He said he was selfish – he didn’t just want her love, he wanted her respect, and he knew if he did this thing she was asking of him, he would lose her respect. He wasn’t going to do it. “The answer to lies is not more lies,” he stated. “But it’s all been lies. Hasn’t it? From the very beginning,” Victoria spat.
Victoria said love was blind, but her eyes had been opened. “By your family,” Ashland concluded. “No, by you,” Victoria replied. Victoria said that she knew Ashland was a fighter and he showed no mercy, and so he’d never let anyone set him up or sully his reputation. She confronted him about planning to just going to take a payoff and walk away from the company he built with his wife. She said the only reason he stopped looking for evidence against Adam was that he knew there wasn’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,” she yelled. She thought that he owed her the truth.
Ashland said Victoria was right about one thing – he was a fighter, but he’d changed what he was fighting for. She didn’t believe he was fighting for her. She noted that he just told her parents he’d consider taking a bribe to leave her. He said what he considered and what he chose to do were not necessarily the same thing. He knew she wouldn’t likely believe anything he said right now. He told her that he didn’t believe her either when she acted like this – so tough and above it all. He knew what she felt in her heart. She said whatever affection she might still have was outweighed by how angry she was with him. “If the situation were reversed – if I found out you were using me, a sick and dying man, to gain control of Locke Communications, I would be livid,” he said. He said he’d feel manipulated, betrayed and used, but it would be impossible for him to stop loving her, because he’d know that no matter how their relationship started, it turned into 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,” Ashland said.
Victoria felt like Ashland was disregarding everything she just said, but he denied it. “A love as strong and real as ours cannot be forced or faked,” Ashland stated. If the shoe were on the other foot, he’d forgive her, because he loved her and he couldn’t ever stop. Victoria had tears in her eyes. She asked what he wanted from her. “The same thing you want from me – the truth,” he replied.
Victoria quietly asked Ashland how he could expect her to forgive him after everything that transpired. She started to walk away, but he took her hand. Just as quietly, he asked her to hear him out. He said that they could start over, thanks to Adam, they’d have the capital they needed to start their next venture. Victoria said Ashland didn’t understand, but he said he did. He told her to picture their happy life together without judgment, suspicion or family rivalries – it would be just the two of them and this crazy perfect love they had. He believed she wanted that every bit as much as he did.
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