Celia Daniels has never pretended to be anything other than a monster, and her reign of terror in Emmerdale continues to escalate. From the moment she arrived, it was clear she wasn’t here to integrate, connect, or build friendships—she came to control, exploit, and dominate. She has already disposed of one victim, Anna, a desperate mother who had fled her home country seeking a better life for her children. Instead of opportunity, she found Celia, who worked her to exhaustion and quite literally into her grave as part of her brutal modern slavery operation.

Celia’s cruelty shows no signs of slowing. Bear Wolf is the latest to fall into her clutches, and after sustaining injuries under her regime, he is worryingly close to becoming her next buried secret. She has also managed to entangle the young and vulnerable—April Windsor and Dylan Penders—dragging them into forced labour, drug running, and sexual exploitation. Celia feeds on weakness, preys on fear, and chews through victims without remorse. And now, she has identified her next target.

Ray Walters, her son and long-time enforcer, has begun drifting away from her suffocating control. Although raised in her dangerous world, Ray lacks the cold-blooded disposition that defines his mother. Instead, he has found an unexpected source of light: Laurel Thomas. Their relationship began shakily, but the two have grown close, forming a genuine bond that brings Ray a sense of normality he has never known.

To Celia, this relationship is an unforgivable distraction. She expects Ray’s loyalty to be absolute—his entire attention devoted to maintaining her criminal empire. A girlfriend is, in her eyes, a liability. And since Celia shows none of the warmth or support expected from a loving mother, her perspective is strictly business: Ray belongs to her operations, not to Laurel.

Seeing her power over Ray slipping, Celia intervenes. Without invitation, she inserts herself into a dinner between Ray and Laurel. Ray, terrified of what his mother might do, pleads with her to behave. But Celia doesn’t do “behave.” She walks into the evening determined to sabotage the relationship and reclaim control.

Throughout the dinner, Celia watches Ray and Laurel closely, studying the ease between them, the small gestures, the comfort they share. Each moment fuels her anger. In her mind, Ray is becoming soft, sentimental—two qualities she despises. And Laurel, kind-hearted and trusting, is the perfect piece for Celia to manipulate.

Celia puts her best weapon to use: psychological warfare. She weaves a carefully crafted story about Ray’s so-called “playboy” tendencies, painting him as a deceitful, emotionally unavailable heartbreaker. Laurel, overwhelmed and unsuspecting, absorbs every lie. By the time Celia leaves, her poison has done its job. Laurel doubts Ray. She questions everything she thought she knew about him.

Ray arrives just in time to face the fallout. Laurel’s demeanor has changed, her trust fractured by Celia’s manipulation. Feeling betrayed and humiliated, Ray storms out. Rona Goskirk witnesses his exit and misreads the situation entirely—interpreting his hurt and frustration as dangerous aggression. Her concern for Laurel grows, unaware that Ray’s anger is aimed squarely at Celia.

Unable to contain his fury, Ray rushes to the farm to confront his mother. He accuses her of jealousy and cruelty, calling out her obsession with controlling every aspect of his life. Celia, unfazed and eerily calm, counters with a cold warning: he must end the relationship with Laurel immediately… or there will be consequences.

But sabotaging the romance may no longer be enough for Celia. She sees Laurel as both a distraction and a potential threat. And when someone becomes a threat in Celia’s world, they disappear—permanently. As Celia’s plan begins to solidify, it’s clear she has already chosen Laurel as her next victim.

The question now is not whether Celia will act—but how far Ray will go when he realizes his mother intends to eliminate the woman he cares about. For the first time in his life, Ray may be forced to choose between survival under Celia’s control and defying her to protect Laurel.

And in Celia’s world, choosing wrong can be fatal.