In his sleeping car, Kyle and Audra are kissing passionately on the sofa. She leads him onto the bed, where they continue. As he climbs on top of her in his towel, he stops kissing her. “I’m onto you,” he says.
Audra feigns ignorance, but Kyle’s sure she can figure it out. Shoving him off, she says she didn’t plan to come in at the crack of dawn to seduce him. Kyle is confident she’s planned every move since they got to France. Audra claims that she was scared and this was all spontaneous. Laughing, he says she doesn’t leave the house without an agenda. Kyle wondered how far she would go to get what she wanted, but didn’t think she would sink as low as using the murder of Nate’s brother to manipulate him into bed.
Audra insists that’s not what happened and points out Kyle was just as into it as she was. He claims he was faking. Audra keeps repeating that she hasn’t been faking and she’s upset by his suggestion. The Abbott jokes that Amy and Nate may have a hard time understanding how she expresses her grief. Flustered, she says she panicked and turned to him. Smugly, he asserts that was all just part of her plan. Audra’s insulted that Kyle thinks any of this was premeditated; this is just what happens when you lose control of your emotions.
Audra gets off the bed as he continues to smirk. Kyle wishes she would admit that he beat her and Victor this time. She claims Victor has nothing to do with this, but he’s sure the Newman has been pulling her strings. Audra insists that Victor simply sees her talents. Her ex knows she has talents, but they have nothing to do with cosmetics. When Kyle threatens to tell Nate about this, she says he’d never believe him.
Kyle is sure that this was just part of an endgame that she and Victor cooked up to split him and Claire up. Audra tells him he’s a joke. He’s sure that Victor is bankrolling Vibrante for this purpose alone. Throwing up her hands, Audra says that she knows nothing about a plan. She doubles down on being a great businesswoman who can make Victor a load of money.
Kyle tells Audra she’s failed at everything miserably. Audra says it’s pretty pathetic that he had to make an arrangement with Victor to continue seeing his granddaughter. Kyle suggests she keeps coming up short because she thinks people are stupid. She brags that their plan to impress Cane was working. Kyle explains he was just stringing her along. As she accuses him of responding to her with great passion, he says the kiss was just to see how far she would go. Picking up his pants, Kyle says he discovered she would go all the way.
Audra thinks Kyle is trying to convince herself he wasn’t into it. He zips up and accuses her of being pissed off that he beat her at her own game. Audra declares that everyone has seen him flirting with her and the only reason they haven’t had sex is because she stopped it. Kyle says he was only playing a role. It will be a relief not to have to pretend to like her stupid perfume war idea any longer. The biggest mistake was that both she and Victor failed to understand how deeply he loves Claire. The last thing he would do is jeopardize what he has with her. Showing her the door, he declares that he will let Victor know she’s failed again.
Billy Dumps Jack
Billy is alone and mulling things over outside the maze when Jack appears and asks what his brother makes of the feud between Nick and Cane. Billy’s more concerned about Jack accusing him of letting him down again. They rehash the deal they made. Billy was supposed to walk away from pursuing Chancellor and run Abbott Communications. Instead, he’s chasing after it again and has turned the new company over to Sally.
Jack declares that no investor would tolerate flipping a CEO into place without consultation like that. Billy tells his brother he will get his money back. Jack is more concerned that his brother hasn’t dropped his quixotic quest for Chancellor; wanting to jump into a partnership with a potential murderer doesn’t inspire confidence either.
Billy admits he hasn’t been able to forget Chancellor and that has something to do with righting the wrongs that Jill and Victor have done to him. He accuses Jack of just being concerned about his money and gives him an ultimatum: is he in or out? Jack accuses him of having no game plan. Billy repeats his ultimatum louder and louder. Eventually, Jack reminds him that Abbott Communications is a non-starter without him. Declaring that he’s done, Billy says he is pulling out of their partnership and will find an investor to buy him out. They can do their best to forget this ever happened. Billy storms off, leaving Jack to shake his head.
Phyllis Begs Nick Not to Run
Sharon is with Phyllis in the club car arguing about whether Cane is guilty of killing Damian. Phyllis doesn’t appreciate that Nick thinks she’s cold enough to look past murder for a job. Nick returns and Phyllis assumes he’s come back to apologize to her. He thinks she’s out of her mind, and claims he has even more evidence that Cane is guilty. Nick explains that Cane has cameras everywhere. Not that that’s unusual for a billionaire, but all the footage of the murder seems to have been erased. He asks Phyllis to explain that. She says it doesn’t prove anything.
Phyllis thinks the real killer erased the footage and point out it’s a lot of accusations and suppositions. Nick insists that Ashby is trying to frame him for murder. He’s frustrated that Phyllis will only believe what that guy claims. He’s fed up and wants to hike down the mountain. Phyllis begs him not to do that. Nick accuses her of plotting with Cane. Sharon also thinks she seems to be going out of her way to back up Cane. Phyllis insists she is only concerned about Nick’s physical well-being.
Begging, Phyllis reminds Nick that the cops are on the way. They continue to argue about her siding with Cane and Nick says he’s determined to get off the mountain before Cane and his accomplices set him up for anything else. He accuses Phyllis of being on Ashby’s payroll. Offended, Phyllis insists that she believes Cane is innocent. Nick thinks she is turning her back on their friendship and child just for a job. She suggests that someone could be trying to frame him and Cane.
Finished with discussing this, Nick declares he wants professionals investigating this and storms out. Turning to Sharon, Phyllis says she could have chimed in. She insists that going down that mountain is dangerous. Sharon admits she agrees with Nick. Something has to be done.
Phyllis and Billy Put Their Heads Together
Standing alone by the maze bar, Billy pours himself a drink and flashes back to Jack telling him how proud their father would be of him and his new venture. That meant everything to Billy. It’s all he ever wanted and his brother was sorry he ever doubted he had it. Snapping out of it, Billy toasts to making himself proud, with or without his brother. Phyllis appears and says he looks as bad as she feels.
Phyllis checks the booze and hopes it’s fit for public consumption. She downs a glass and sits. Billy paces and complains about his trust issues with his brother. Phyllis tells him no one likes him going after Chancellor; he never sees any project through to the end and is so easily distracted. He was lucky yo have his brother fund him, but treated it like a side hustle. Billy claims he had a vision. Phyllis can see that. She also knows that he’s very good at convincing people to believe in his visions. “Until they don’t like my choices,” he adds. When Phyllis says that pity isn’t a good look on him, Billy claims that no one trusts him; he thinks too big for all the people around him.
Phyllis reminds Billy that everyone in Genoa City has treated her like dirt, including him. But she always lands on her feet. She thought she could have a future working with Cane, but now it looks like he could be up on murder charges. She’s sure that Nick and Lily are determined to pin it on him. “This trip is a disaster. It can’t get any worse,” she says. Billy says it’s not normal for her to sound so defeated. They agree that Cane is innocent and then she wonders if they should just get drunk. He points out they need a plan, not a drink. She wants a job and he wants Chancellor back. They both need Cane to get those things done. Phyllis suggests they come together to devise a plan to get Ashby off the hook.
Nick Receives Unwelcome Visitors
Nick goes to his sleeping car to prep for his climb down the mountain. Sharon shows up and announces that she is going with him. He worries about the danger, but she thinks there is safety in numbers. They both wish that things would just be normal. For the past few months, it has just been one disaster after another. Sharon can’t handle thinking about that, so she just concentrates on what’s in front of her. Right now, that is going to find the police.
There’s a knock at the door. Sharon hides in the corner. When Nick slides the door open, Carter is standing there with a goon. Carter says his boss fears his life is in danger and Nick’s threats were concerning. For his safety, Nick is being placed under house arrest. This makes Nick livid. Carter notes it appears he is preparing to escape before the authorities can arrive. When Nick bellows at them to get out of the way, Carter warns that he may have to order the guard to draw his weapon. Sharon steps up and Carter says she will have to come with them. When they protest, Carter says neither of them has a choice.
