At the Abbott mansion, Jack and Diane remain locked in a tense back-and-forth over his drastic proposal to pull Jabot offline. To Jack, jeopardizing the business his father devoted his life to is painful—but he sees no realistic alternative. No one in the Abbott family has found a better solution either. After his initial burst of anger, Jack recognizes exactly what Victor Newman wants: the Abbotts reacting emotionally, making impulsive moves, and becoming vulnerable to further strikes. Diane, meanwhile, is eager to turn this shutdown into an opportunity—time to gather solid proof of Victor’s wrongdoing and finally expose him for crossing a criminal line.
Over at Society, Billy arrives just as Audra is slipping out, clearly upset. He sits beside Sally, who confides how disheartened Audra is—spending Thanksgiving unemployed and alone. Billy quickly shifts the conversation to Jack’s mission to save Jabot, but before long Sally brings up the upcoming launch of Abbott Communications. She’s surprised by his enthusiasm, and Billy jokes that he worries his more stable, sober version of himself might bore her. They head out together to prove they still know how to have fun—but not before Victor arrives long enough to poke at Billy, insinuating he may be headed toward another self-destructive spiral.
After Victor settles at the bar, Jack and Diane walk in. Diane suggests they avoid him, but Jack refuses. He immediately confronts Victor, accusing him of orchestrating the collapse of Jabot’s systems and stealing sensitive AI technology. Victor feigns innocence, even lifting his glass as if to toast the company’s misfortune—making his intent even clearer.
At Crimson Lights, Victoria rushes in for tea and unexpectedly runs into Nate. As they sit down together, Audra appears and shoots them a daggered look. She interrupts their conversation with polite small talk, but her real motive soon surfaces—she points out that Nate seems capable of forgiving at least one ex-partner. They ignore her, prompting Audra to step away and eavesdrop. When Victoria receives an urgent message from her father, she must leave immediately. The second she’s gone, Audra confronts Nate directly, demanding to know if he and Victoria are back together. Nate reminds her sharply that, after her betrayal, she forfeited the right to ask anything about his personal life. He admits he once loved the future they had envisioned, and she admits she loved it too—begging for another chance. But Nate refuses, saying trust is impossible now.
Victoria crosses paths with Jack and Diane upon entering Society. After a quick exchange, she joins her father. Victor tells her he must leave for Los Angeles without delay, and she will need to oversee the company in his absence. Immediately she assumes something is wrong with Nick or Noah, but Victor gives her no details—only reassurance that he will always be there to protect his family.
Meanwhile, at the Athletic Club, Phyllis assumes Cain is preparing to chase after Lily again. Instead, he declares he is cutting ties completely. He reveals that he has offered Arabesque to Victor for next to nothing. Phyllis is stunned he would throw away the company he built, but Cain insists he has been corrupted and needs a complete reset. Financially, he’ll be fine—and he’s ready to build something new. When he envisions his future, he admits Phyllis is part of that picture.
Cain then confronts Phyllis more directly, accusing her of leaking the stolen AI to Victor. She scoffs, claiming he’s spinning wild conspiracy theories, but Cain demands she tell the truth. He even says he can respect her decisiveness—after his indecisiveness dragged things out—but he cannot respect her teaming up with Victor, a man whose ruthlessness is legendary. If she wants a professional partnership with him, she must prove her loyalty.
Phyllis counters that Cain no longer has anything to offer in return. Still, he repeats his demand: proof of loyalty. She asks where Lily fits into the grand future he’s imagining. Cain states firmly that Lily is no longer part of his life. He is done clinging to old attachments. Any new beginning must be honest and clean. If Phyllis wants to join him in that future, she must confess everything.
Phyllis finally admits she wants a comeback—she wants to shine, to silence doubters and critics once and for all. She asks Cain if he can truly offer that kind of opportunity. Cain tells her, “We’ll see.” Leaning closer, she finally prepares to tell him the truth.
