FULL | Young And The Restless Spoilers MONDAY, DEC 22, 2025 | CBS Young And The Restless Episode

Monday’s episode unfolds with a heavy emotional undercurrent as Kyle begins his day feeling strangely empty, as though something essential has quietly vanished from his life. He once told himself that his breakup with Claire might only be temporary—a pause meant to cool tempers and allow them to find their way back to each other. Now, however, that hope feels fragile. The split doesn’t resemble past conflicts they managed to survive. Claire’s decision was swift and decisive, leaving Kyle with the unsettling sense that a door has closed for good.

As he replays events in his mind, Kyle struggles to understand what truly changed inside Claire. Her departure sparks both anger and confusion, but beneath it all lies fear. If this separation is permanent, he must confront the painful reality that some losses cannot be undone. Claire’s face lingers in his thoughts not as comfort, but as a haunting question—did she leave by choice, or was she pushed by forces neither of them fully grasp?

Meanwhile, tension simmers elsewhere in Genoa City. Nikki arrives at Society carrying emotional weight and a resolve she barely recognizes. In a candid conversation with Victoria, she opens up about the explosive argument she had with Victor. Love, loyalty, fear, and frustration collided in a way that left deep scars. Nikki admits she has reached a breaking point, especially with Victor’s obsession over power and the looming threat posed by artificial intelligence and media manipulation. For the first time, she has openly considered walking away—not to hurt Victor, but because she can no longer pretend everything is fine.

Victoria listens with conflicted emotions. She feels pride in her mother’s strength for finally standing firm, yet dread because she knows Victor rarely yields to reason. He only backs down when consequences force him to, and those consequences often bring collateral damage. That worry deepens when Claire confronts Victor directly at the Newman Ranch.

Claire doesn’t approach Victor timidly. She comes prepared to face uncomfortable truths, especially concerning rumors about artificial intelligence and Victor’s tactics against Jack Abbott. Victor’s calm, intimidating presence fills the room as he immediately shifts blame toward Jack, dismissing concerns as paranoia. Claire challenges this narrative, questioning why Victor’s hatred for Jack runs so deep that he would use any tool available—even dangerous ones—to exploit him.

The confrontation exposes an old rivalry rooted in ego, history, and control. Victor paints Jack as deceitful and dangerous, justifying every strike as necessary. Claire, however, sees a different man—flawed, but far from the villain Victor describes. Their clash reveals more than disagreement; it highlights two opposing worldviews. Claire looks for humanity, while Victor sees threats everywhere.

Sensing resistance, Victor redirects the conversation to what he believes he can control: Claire’s personal life. He warns her about Holden and subtly plants doubt, framing it as concern while exerting influence. Claire recognizes the manipulation but struggles to dismiss it entirely. Victor’s approval when she downplays her relationship irritates her deeply. After losing Kyle, she craves autonomy more than ever and resents being treated like a piece on Victor’s chessboard.

Victor bluntly admits he is glad Claire’s relationship with Kyle ended, viewing it as a strategic relief that keeps her away from the Abbotts. He follows this with a chilling warning: Claire must stay away from the Abbott family because something bad is coming. Though he frames it as protection, Claire hears the certainty of a man already planning his next move.

Elsewhere, Kyle remains unaware of these confrontations, yet he feels mounting pressure. His breakup with Claire no longer feels private; it’s becoming part of a larger power struggle. Nikki, too, leaves her conversation with Victoria weighed down, realizing that standing up to Victor may ignite a war within her marriage.

Claire eventually confides in Victoria, recounting Victor’s warnings and how controlled she felt during their exchange. Victoria, understanding her father all too well, shares her own fears and updates Claire about Nikki’s escalating conflict with Victor. Both women sense that if Victor crosses a line, the fallout will hit everyone—including the Newmans themselves.

At the Abbott mansion, Kyle wrestles with indecision as he stares at a gift he once bought for Claire. Wrapping it again becomes a symbolic act, forcing him to confront whether holding on is hope or self-punishment. Talking with Jack brings no easy answers, only the painful realization that waiting indefinitely may cost him his own future.

By day’s end, silence hangs heavy over Genoa City. Claire and Kyle stand on opposite sides of a widening divide, each sensing that unseen forces have shaped their fate. If they don’t define their own story soon, someone else will—and the next move in Victor Newman’s game may already be in motion.