[quiet music plays]
♪♪
[doorbell rings]
Well, isn't this a lovely surprise?
-Please, come in. -Thank you.
I hope it's okay that I stop by,
that, uh, I'm not interrupting?
No, no, not at all.
I'm, uh, just tidying up. With my surgery tomorrow,
I wanna make sure everything is in order,
in its proper place.
That attention to detail's one of the many traits
that makes you an excellent surgeon.
Well, let's hope that'll be the case again.
It will be.
So I got you a little something
to commemorate you taking the first step
to resuming your life as a surgeon.
Good morning.
Morning.
I will take a macchiato for here, please.
Esther?
Oh--oh, hi, uh,
uh, sorry, uh, what was that?
Uh, mocha?
-Macchiato. -Oh.
Uh, yeah. Uh, coming right up.
Oh, look at that!
You're using our app.
Has Spectra-Charles become your go-to news source?
I look at it now and then.
When I have nothing better to do.
[chime]
What the hell?
Another day in the life, Audra?
Or just another disaster?
Not that it's any of your business,
but it looks like Victoria stole something
that should have been mine.
♪♪
I'm so glad you could join us for coffee.
I wanted to hear about Daddy's visit with Nick.
-How was he? -Well...
He was very honest...
very open about his struggle.
And his sense of shame.
-I hate hearing that. -Broke my heart,
to be honest with you.
But at the same time, I was very proud of his determination
to...to overcome this, you know?
Very proud.
I miss him so much.
I check my phone about a million times a day
waiting for a call or a text
that he wants me to come and see him.
Well, the fact that he's reached out to your father and me
gives me hope that he'll be ready for more visitors soon.
And that's a good sign.
Nicholas has finally realized
that our love and support can make all the difference
in helping him to get through this.
"The only way out is through."
Remember how I take mine?
What are you doing here?
Is that any way to greet a concerned ex-wife?
I don't want any visitors, so you gotta go.
What are you waiting for? Look, I can get security
in here, I can cause a scene, Phyllis. I do not care.
[quiet music plays]
♪♪
What is this, a plastic toy stethoscope, huh?
-Only one way to find out. -Ah.
I should have guessed it would be shoes when you said
I was taking my "first step" to becoming a surgeon again.
-My God. -If all goes well,
you will be spending many hours on your feet in the O.R.
-And you swore by that brand. -[both chuckling]
Like Spike Lee said to Michael Jordan,
"It's all about the shoes."
I believe the quote is, "It's gotta be the shoes."
There you go being a stickler.
I mean, that's a quality you would want in a surgeon.
-Right? -Attention to details,
getting things right? Yes.
Correcting the chief of staff?
Only in life or death situations.
This is a Spike Lee quote.
The situation felt kinda dire to me.
Okay, fine. "It's gotta be the shoes," right?
But I stand by the literary license I took.
Actually worked better in this situation.
Okay, okay, I give you that, and--and you are right.
It is all about the shoes.
-[laughter] -Thank you.
This is incredibly thoughtful.
You're welcome.
Now I just have to get through this surgery with flying colors.
You know what? Uh, I'm gonna drive myself crazy
waiting around here.
Do you have to be back at the hospital right away?
Or would you be up for joining me for a...distraction?
What would Victoria possibly steal from you and why?
I guess Newman Enterprises is relaunching Vibrante,
and that witch wants to buy my patents.
How'd you even hear about this?
An email from Newman's legal team.
-What the hell? -I don't know.
It's gotta hurt to hear that your baby,
the company you poured so much time and energy into
and then cratered, is now in the hands of someone
who's a hell of a lot more capable of making it a success.
Okay, first of all, I didn't crater it.
Victor did.
And since when are you such a fan of Victoria's?
Or any Newman, for that matter?
VICTORIA: I'm gonna text Nick later.
I'm not gonna ask him directly if I can visit,
because I obviously don't wanna put pressure on him,
but I'm hoping he'll bring it up.
I think that's a good idea.
Now that he's finally finding his footing,
I'm sure he'll let you know when he's ready to see you.
Yeah, who knows? Maybe even today.
Be patient. He'll get there.
Oh, I gotta go.
I promised the grandchildren
an end-of-summer ice cream party.
Oh, yes. Johnny and Katie are looking forward to it.
Yeah, well, it's not gonna happen
if I don't get that ice cream.
-Sweetheart. -I won't be very long, darling.
Ohh. Did I tell you how happy this makes me?
-What, the ice cream party? -No.
No, Dad. You and Mom, you're getting along so well.
-Oh! -I love it.
Yeah, so do I.
How 'bout you?
-What are you talking about? -Well, how do you like
rebuilding Newman Enterprises
without your brother by your side?
Uh...I mean, I have everything under control.
Better than under control.
I actually have some very exciting things in the works.
Oh. Are you using the same
marketing strategy that Audra Charles used
to relaunch Vibrante?
How do you know about that?
-You look good. -What are you doing here?
What do you want?
I wanna see you. I wanted to talk to you.
How'd you even get in here? You're not on the list.
Well, you know, you think clipboards and security guards
are gonna keep me out? Please.
Our last conversation was very harsh
and I didn't like it and I felt bad about it.
So you broke into a rehab center so you could apologize?
Kinda.
Yeah.
I mean, that's not how we are with each other, Nick.
We're not... we're not harsh with each other.
We always find a way to communicate.
And that's why I came. I just thought maybe...
we could talk.
I don't think we have anything to talk about.
Really? We don't?
How are you doing? How's your recovery?
It is what it is.
All right.
Maybe I can help you.
Seriously?
Yeah.
[emotionally] Maybe I can, um...
bring you some books or some movies or something
or, um, food-- definitely better coffee.
Yeah, I don't need any of those things. I'm good.
Okay. Wow, you're really gonna make this hard on me,
-aren't you? -I kinda have a lot going on,
-so... -Have you talked to Summer?
-She's worried. -Oh, yeah?
-Yeah. -So you've been talking to her?
-Uh, not really. -Yeah, well, I text with her
all the time...so don't tell me that you're here
because you're worried about our daughter.
-Why are you here? -I'm worried about you.
You're the one I'm worried about.
You're here because of Matt Clark.
Aren't you?
[dramatic music plays]
Okay, I know Victoria's Claire Bear's mom and all that,
but I didn't know you were such a fan
of how she runs her daddy's company.
I'm not a fan of any company other than the one I run.
I'm just stating a fact. Victoria has the experience
and chops to succeed where you failed...
spectacularly, I might add.
It's gotta hurt.
Well, I don't give a damn what Victoria does with Vibrante.
See, you practically just broke your phone,
so I don't quite believe that.
I've moved on to bigger and better things.
Spectra-Charles is a huge success with global reach.
Name on the letterhead-- that's a nice gift
from the one friend you have in town.
Doesn't exactly prove you have the chops.
Well, we're crushing the competition.
And you didn't have to promise to sleep with anybody
to get there. Congratulations.
People think you are so charming,
a golden boy.
But you're an ass. And you play dirty.
So don't go accusing me when you've done much worse.
Esther, I will take that macchiato to go.
I'll be on the patio.
So prickly! You sure you're not coming down with something,
feeling under the weather?
Might account for all the snappiness.
You know, the only thing I feel right now
is relief that I'll never get sucked in by the Newmans
-and their games again. -Uh-huh.
You know, they think they can just bulldoze over me
because they always get what they want.
It's not gonna happen.
So you're gonna take on the Newmans.
Good luck with that.
Why are you defending them again?
I'm not defending. I'm just observing.
Oh, it makes sense, yeah, that you'd be intimidated...
given you've been crushed by Victor more than a few times.
I can hold my own with the best of them, including Victor.
[giggling]
Oh, really? When was that?
I-I don't recall.
Only bouts I remember were when I watched you face plant...
spectacularly.
You think I'm here because of Matt Clark?
Where would you even get that idea?
My dad and Adam, they texted me.
They said that you were just so desperate to find Matt.
Yeah, I'm concerned about Matt.
I don't even know who you are anymore.
Yes, you do.
Yes, you do. I'm the same woman I've always been.
I'm the same woman you fell in love with so many years ago.
I'm the mother of your daughter.
I'm trying to change my life
-just like you. -Not quite the same, is it?
Well, no, it's not the same. That is fair. It's not the same.
I'm sorry.
I think I have a chance to clean it up.
And I think Matt's a part of that.
He--he's disappeared, Nick.
Why do I care about that?
Because I think your father and your brother
have something to do with it.
I think they're taking justice in their own hands.
You don't wanna see them go to prison, do you?
They're too smart for that. You got anything else?
Okay. That's all you got?
If Matt is truly gone, if he has vanished,
then I'm thrilled-- good riddance!
I swear to you, Nick, he's not the same man he was.
Are you still on this?
He is exactly who he always was.
You think he's this angel now, but I'm telling you,
ever since he's been back in town,
I've been seeing glimpses of his old self.
And my fear is that someday you're gonna be
alone with this guy and you will see
what he is truly capable of.
[heavy music plays]
Daddy, I know how you feel about Jabot,
but you have to admit it's a perfect fit.
The rivalry between our families is legendary,
so we tap into that.
We play the drama, we play the edge,
and the buzz from that launches Vibrante into the stratosphere.
But sweetheart, publicity on that level
is gonna boost Jabot.
And I'll be damned if I help Jackass Abbott
sell more lipstick, for heaven's sake.
Yes, I get it. There may be a slight uptick in their sales,
but Jabot is a-- it's a company dinosaur.
And I am-- I'm genius at what I do.
The moment this fake feud goes live,
Jabot's gonna be playing catch-up.
Come on, how could you not want me to take down Jack's company?
I'll win, Dad.
I know you're brilliant.
But you can't guarantee it.
Daddy, I have so many ideas for Vibrante.
It'll be young, fresh, hip--
everything that Jabot isn't.
What's not to love about that?
I kind of like the idea.
So...
All right.
-I agree to it. -Ah! Yes!
Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much.
I promise you, you won't regret it.
But...
we gotta make sure you tell your mother
that it was you going after Jabot, not me.
Dad, I've already thought of that.
And there's another downside, you know.
What's that?
Jack Abbott and Diane and Kyle Abbott
are not above playing dirty
for their own sake--trust me.
So you keep as much distance from them as possible, okay?
Oh, hey! Look who it is.
-It's a beautiful day out, huh? -It's a fantastic day out, yeah.
You have the right idea, enjoying this gorgeous morning.
I had to. Had to soak it in. What are you guys up to?
I'm surprised that you're out and about.
I heard that the chief of staff job is very demanding.
Practicing that work/life balance,
and Nate's surgery is tomorrow, so I wanted to offer my help.
That's right. It's a very big day.
-Big dream. -Yeah.
It's gonna be a big reality.
My cheerleader over here.
It's exciting.
It is, although I must confess, it's a lot harder to think about
being under the knife rather than holding it.
Is that right? Are you nervous?
Hard not to be. But Dr. Price is top of her field,
so I know I'm in the best possible hands.
I have zero doubt you'll be just fine.
Man. Well, you've been quite the miracle worker
since coming to town, haven't you?
Starting with Malcolm. I heard about you helping Nikki
and now Nate.
Can I buy you a thank-you drink or anything?
No need to thank me.
Putting good people together is just what I do.
I can attest to that.
Listen, this dark side of Matt--can you blame him?
By the way you and your family treat him?
I just do not understand this fascination you have
with this man who's done truly terrible things to my family!
I think maybe it's because people never
let me off for my past mistakes.
Well, the last time I checked, you weren't trying to
blow everybody up with a bomb or getting them hooked on drugs.
You're not gonna give him a shot ever, are you?
And you're never going to see the truth until it's too late.
Well, why does this keep on happening to us?
Because your choices lately, they suck.
Really? And yours have been so stellar, haven't they, Nick?
I-I'm sorry. I just...
I don't know why this keeps going on with us.
This was a mistake for me to come here.
-I'm sorry. -"The only way out is through."
Stop. Just--[clears throat].
Maybe this is part of the process.
What do you mean?
You know, instead of reacting to the trigger,
I need to accept the reality of the trigger
instead of spiraling.
I'm a trigger to you?
I was talking more about Matt.
But that's what I just keep on saying to you.
I mean...
just live in the reality.
Can you do that and let go of your past opinion of someone?
We talking about Matt or you?
There you are.
-I, uh... -Hey.
I just wanted to thank you for, you know,
talking me off the ledge the other day.
What ledge?
One macchiato--
Can I get you anything?
I will order in a few minutes. Thank you, Esther.
Oh, you're welcome. You'd be surprised.
There are so many people that don't say thank you.
Well, you didn't give me a chance.
And how is Jack doing? I have been so concerned.
He's on his way to make a full recovery.
He and my mom are taking some time off.
They're in Tahiti right now.
Oh, what a great place to recover. Give him my best.
Oh, I will.
Oh, Esther, um, the sugar?
It's over there.
I mean, that woman hates me.
I don't know why I keep coming here.
She's definitely not getting a tip.
Yeah, I take back what I said
about you being under the weather.
This is just...who you are.
Death grip on every little thing.
Okay. If you're done harassing me,
just feel free to just go somewhere else.
You know, that's why I find it so incredibly hard to believe
that you're fine with Victoria reviving the company
you never had the skills to make a success.
I told you, I've moved on.
And I really think you should move on too.
You don't move on. Every time you cross paths
with someone who's wronged you, you're just ready to throw down.
Sounds like...
you've been keeping tabs on me.
I mean, not that I'm surprised.
Look, you can hate on me all you want.
But we both know you never could take your eyes off me.
Oh, Victoria!
We were actually just talking about you.
It seems like you've been a very naughty girl.
♪♪
So from everything Nate has told me, it sounds like
you're really enjoying working at Memorial.
It's been more fulfilling than anything I ever dreamed of.
And trust me--I dream big.
A triple shot espresso with a splash of milk.
Looks like you got the same thing.
Well, you haven't steered me wrong yet.
And if I'm being completely honest,
this was my go-to when I was chief of surgery.
So I'm not surprised it's the go-to
for the new chief of staff.
I do love my caffeine.
It's a big day tomorrow, Nate. Are you ready for it?
All set. Nothing else to do but sit back
and, uh, go with the flow.
I even hired a car to drive me to the hospital.
Why would you do that?
I will drive you to the hospital and home when you're released.
That is very generous of you, but I do not wanna put you out.
You don't have a say.
Consider it done.
That is, unless you're tired of my company.
Not possible.
I'm back!
Hi, sweetheart. Did you get the ice cream?
Oh, gallons and gallons. Everybody's favorites.
-Wow. -Did Victoria leave?
Yeah.
She's so worried about her brother.
I hope that he calls her soon.
Sweetheart, I need to discuss something with you.
Please sit down.
What is it?
I've been thinking.
You know the woman that Nicholas saved
checked into the same facility.
And...
judging by the look on his face when he talked about her...
There seems to be a connection.
Hmm. Well.
That's understandable,
given the tragedy they experienced together.
I...I imagine it drew them close.
But what if she is not as strong and as determined
to get over her addiction
as he is about his addiction?
What if she, you know, pulls him down?
Prevents him from getting over his...
...problem?
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt.
No, it--it's okay. It's okay.
Marie, this is Phyllis. Phyllis, Marie.
-It's nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.
A ledge. My goodness. That sounds serious.
Not a big deal.
Yeah, you know, there's all kinds of ledges around here.
There's the, uh, the out-of-sugar ledge, you know?
Can't drink my coffee without it.
And there's the missing-puzzle-piece ledge.
That is actually kind of a big ledge, um...
but you know, this guy, he's one of the good ones.
He always finds a way to talk me down,
gets me the sugar, finds a new puzzle.
Really.
Yeah. I don't know what I'd do without him.
I know how you feel.
And...my time is up.
Um...[small laugh] sorry for barging in.
-Later. -See ya.
-Nice to meet you. -Yeah.
You found a friend.
Not talkin' about it.
Oh, I'm sure you don't want to.
A ledge?
I mean, she looks like she wants to bust out of here.
Are you helping her with that?
Are you in a place to help her with that?
Look, Marie's had a rough go of it, okay?
She's an addict just like me.
We both just wanna get clean.
There's no judgment. Just support.
Ah. Just support.
How is my protection of Matt
any different from your protection of that woman?
I mean, they're both having a hard time.
They wanna make their life better.
They've both made mistakes.
I'm sure that's what she wants to do.
She wants to make her life better.
She wants a fresh start. That's what Matt wants.
So if your family hasn't already killed him...
I'm gonna help him with that.
-Excuse me? -Audra meant she just, um,
heard about you reviving Vibrante.
Oh. Yes, I am.
And just so we're clear, if you decide to make a fuss,
you have no claim on the company.
Or what's left of it.
But there's a matter of the patents I own.
Which you somehow managed to get into your name
instead of Newman's.
Because Victor delayed his investment,
so I needed to protect my assets.
Which are worthless to you now,
so my team will be reaching out with a number.
Well, they can't be that worthless if you're so eager
to scoop 'em up.
And I expect a number that reflects your enthusiasm.
The number will be fair,
and I have no doubt you'll come around.
Okay, just because you headed a...
what was it, uh...oh!
Brash & Sassy a million years ago
doesn't mean you'll come anywhere close
to realizing my vision for Vibrante.
Which never happened.
But enjoy watching how it's done.
Oh, I will.
And I'll be very happy to report
across all Spectra-Charles platforms
when Vibrante tanks.
"Spectacularly."
Good morning.
You driving me to the hospital will definitely be a perk.
Whatever I can do to make the day easier, I'll see to it.
I love that you guys have become such good friends.
You didn't know each other at all
before Malcolm's health scare, did you?
I, uh, I heard about you. Your reputation precedes you.
Yeah? Was that professionally or from your mom?
'Cause you and Olivia were friends, right?
Yeah. We worked together when we were young.
Olivia will always be a part of my heart.
Speaking of which, I have orders to call my mom as soon as I can
to let her know how the surgery went.
Yeah. I have no doubt that it will be a success
and you will once again be the brilliant surgeon
you were meant to be.
And I will be lucky to have you on staff at Memorial.
This brilliant surgeon Nate's probably gonna be getting calls
from other doctors and other hospitals.
Different cities--might not wanna get your hopes up.
Not to worry, not to worry.
I am 100% committed to working with Stephanie at Memorial.
If all goes well.
It will be.
You know what? I still need to work off this nervous energy.
Would you mind joining me for a walk?
Well, I did promise to distract you.
-Yes, you did. -[laughter]
-Devon, we'll talk to you later? -Absolutely, man.
And Abby and I will be praying for a successful surgery.
I need it. And thank you.
-Good to see you. -Good to see you too.
-Good day, guys. -All right.
Well, that was interesting.
Just so you know...
I didn't mention Vibrante to Audra.
No, I-I know you didn't.
I had legal reach out about the patents so, um,
thank you for your discretion.
Yeah, those patents... what if Audra puts up a fight?
Uh, I'll be ready.
But I'm not concerned.
-She plays dirty. -I play dirtier.
But I don't think it's gonna come to that this time.
You're awfully confident.
You know, Audra's a piece of work, but those patents--
especially the perfume that she created--
are key to the relaunch, and I do intend to have them.
What Victoria wants, Victoria gets.
Mostly.
Something I should know?
Uh, well...
my father found out about my plan to relaunch Vibrante,
and so I was forced to tell him about our marketing strategy
before I was ready.
Well, I only know what Sharon told me,
but it does seem like this woman is in need of serious help.
Which could be a problem in our son's own battle.
Darling, I know this is hard to accept,
but neither one of us have any control
over what happens to him in that clinic.
He and this woman, for whatever reason,
have been placed in each other's lives, and...
what comes of that is going to be up to them.
So you're all right with it?
I don't know, I mean...
there are pros and cons to...
finding support in another addict
who's so new to the program.
That's why I think it would be better if Nicholas gets help
from someone further along in their recovery.
You're talking about Jack Abbott, right?
You know, you have no relationship with your kids.
You got this busted up company that you should be rebuilding,
but instead, you're spending all your time trying to
convince everyone that this guy's been magically redeemed.
Don't you dare talk to me like that.
Don't you dare talk to me like I'm a bad mother.
That I am ignoring my kids.
I am not.
I've done everything for them. They will not let me in.
What do you want me to do?
Matt makes me feel good. Why is it so hard for you to...
to believe that I wanna help a friend?
Okay, so you're just doing this
out of the goodness of your heart.
Yes. Maybe I just wanna be a good person like Matt.
Oh, so he's a good influence now.
-Okay, what do you want from me? -I want the truth!
I am telling you the truth. You're not accepting it.
See, maybe you're just still ticked off
that you were forced to give our family's company back
-that you stole. -Oh, my God.
No.
No. Your father made that up to me.
Yeah, I know. I know. He gave you Arabesque.
-Yes! -But maybe you wanted more.
No. He gave me Arabesque, and you know what else?
He admired me.
That's what he said. He admired me that I bested him.
He admitted that to me.
He was impressed by what I did.
-That's enough, Nick. -Okay.
Well, how did that make you feel?
That made me feel good.
Just like Matt...
makes me feel good.
Yeah, well, that makes me sick to my stomach.
I don't care how it makes you. It's the truth.
I just cannot shake this feeling
that you and Matt are cooking up something against this family.
Okay. I think you're going through withdrawal here.
You're so paranoid.
I'm not out to hurt anybody.
There's more to this story than you are saying.
What is going on?
♪♪
-There you go. -Thank you, Esther.
-KYLE: Thank you. -You're welcome.
So what happened to not telling your father
about our marketing strategy until the time and place
-of your choosing? -He's Victor Newman.
I should have known I couldn't keep a secret from him.
After it blew up the first time,
I doubt he's ready to revisit the concept.
On the contrary, he was actually very supportive.
I highly doubt that's possible.
Well, I, uh, I can be very persuasive sometimes,
so by the time I was done with my pitch, he was all in.
You really are a miracle worker.
It might have also had something to do with the fact
that, uh, I promised him
that Vibrante would annihilate Jabot.
Ha ha. Yeah. Good luck with that.
Victor, I hadn't planned on mentioning Jack,
and I don't wanna argue with you.
I'm simply saying
that someone with a solid foundation of sobriety
would be of great help to our son.
But sweetheart, the man relapsed not too long ago.
He's hardly the pillar of sobriety and civility
you purport him to be.
Do we really wanna be having this conversation?
You brought him up!
All I'm concerned about is that our son recovers,
that he regains his life, his happiness, okay?
That's all I'm concerned about.
I don't give a damn about Jack Abbott.
Okay, Nick, just...
focus on your sobriety, okay?
-I'll go live my life. -Phyllis, stop, please.
And listen to me. I beg you.
Whatever plan you have with Matt,
or whatever plan you don't have with him,
I'm just doing whatever I can to prevent you from getting hurt.
Oh, that's sweet. Thank you very much.
-I can take care of myself. -I'm serious.
Matt has disappeared before.
He came back as Carter Mills and Mitch Bacall.
They're all evil. All of 'em.
I'm telling you, you better pray
that this guy is who you think he is.
Or all of us are in a world of trouble.
-[buzzer] -[guard] You got 10 minutes.
I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away.
[edgy music plays]
Captioned by Los Angeles Distribution and Broadcasting, Inc.
Captioning provided by Bell Dramatic Serial Company,
Sony Pictures Television and CBS, Inc.
Join us again for "The Young and the Restless."