On this episode of The Young and the Restless (Friday, December 5, 2025), tempers flared and hands flew! Just when you thought the tension between Claire and Audra couldn’t get any worse, a confrontation at Society turned violent, while Nikki made a confession and promised to protect Jack and Jabot from Victor.

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Society

Holden leaves Cane a voicemail asking what he can do to protect Arabesque as Claire walks in. He offers to buy her a drink.

Holden asks if she’s made up her mind about him. Things feel different between them since LA. He asks if it’s because of what he told her about him and Audra.

Claire shakes her head. It’s about what he didn’t tell her. Trust is a big deal to her; she’s been lied to her entire life! She reminds him that she’d asked him for months to tell him about Audra. She thinks there’s more to it!

Holden laughs. She doesn’t trust him!

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Claire says she can read people… It’s time for him to tell her whatever it was that happened with Audra… And not the part he’s told her already.

Audra walks in and hears Claire talking to Holden. She stalks up to her and tells her to get a life and stop digging into hers! She knows Claire grew up as “Auntie’s Evil Sidekick”, but not everyone is as corrupt as she is!

Claire says she was talking to Holden about his past.

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Audra figures Claire loves Holden’s smile, which he used to get the biggest tips from the women when he was tending bar… And they all know that Claire has the fattest bank account!

Claire asks Audra what she did for tips. Audra is miserable, and she isn’t; that’s why Audra tried to break Claire and Kyle up!

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Audra looks around. She thinks it worked… She doesn’t see Kyle there!

Claire says that Audra wants her to get away from Holden now, but Holden still won’t want her… Just like Nate. Audra has no life, no work, and no romance!

Audra winds up and slaps Claire. Hard.

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Holden holds Claire back from hitting her back and asks Audra what the hell that was about.

Audra says it was just a test to see if Holden would fly to Claire’s rescue.

Claire struggles free and wraps her hands around Audra’s throat. “Is this what you want?”

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Holden separates them.

Claire tells Audra that was just a test. She warns her to stay away from her, or she’ll shut her up for good! She stalks out and meets Kyle, who’s on the way in. She tells Kyle to get her out of there, and they leave.

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Holden asks Audra why she can’t just leave things alone… Audra slapped Claire!

Audra says Claire almost choked her to death. Claire’s not just a bitch… She’s homicidal! She says that Holden keeps fawning over Claire, and won’t notice it when she goes for his throat.

Holden tells Audra to stay out of Claire’s way.

Audra shakes her head. If Claire wants a war, she’ll get one! Claire is going down, and nobody will stand in her way!

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The GCAC Dining Room
Nikki talks on the phone with Victor and asks him to get Nick, Sharon, and Noah home soon. It’s the holiday season!

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Jack walks up, smiling, and says hello. He hopes everything’s alright with Noah and Nick.

Nikki isn’t sure… She hasn’t actually spoken with Nick or Noah herself.

Jack grins and says things are better in town with Victor away, but he doesn’t want to add to Nikki’s trouble.

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Nikki complains that Victor hasn’t told her anything about what’s happening in LA… Maybe she should get on a plane and head to LA herself to find out what’s happening! She complains that her family thinks they need to protect her from the truth, and they’re always keeping secrets from her. It’s insulting! She wishes Victor would just forgive Jack and leave it in the past.

Jack doesn’t think that will ever happen. Victor’s latest threats are proof of that!

Nikki peers at him. “What has Victor done now?”

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Jack asks if she knows that Victor has used the stolen AI against Cane’s company, Arabesque. Can she admit that Victor has the AI?

Nikki shakes her head. She won’t admit to that, but she insists that she had Victor promise not to touch Jabot.

Jack nods solemnly. He’s going to let her in on the truth, but she has to promise she can keep a massive secret!

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Nikki promises she’ll keep his secret. What’s going on?

Jack says Jabot is shutting down, hopefully to be brought back in the future. It’s a move to prevent the cyber-attack.

Nikki thinks that’s a terrible plan… It’ll ruin the company!

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Jack shrugs. If it’s a choice between Victor sucking the company dry and stealing it away, then he’ll choose his family anytime.

Nikki says she’d be shocked if someone used the program against Jack.

Jack figures Nikki is saying that Victor does have the AI.

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Nikki sighs. She’s telling Jack because she wants to. Victor does have the AI. She’s sorry Jack is going through this; she’d yank the program away from Victor if she could!

Jack blinks. Now there’s a thought!

The Abbott Mansion
Kyle’s working on his laptop in the dining room, when Diane walks in and asks him what’s happening with the company. Kyle says that the asset transfer has started from Jabot to their overseas locations, but he can’t tell if Victor has unleashed his AI on Jabot yet.

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Diane promises she’ll find evidence that Victor is using the AI against them and will make sure charges are pressed against him!

Kyle sighs. He’s scared that Jabot might not be able to come back from this.

Diane’s scared, too… She’s had nightmares about Jabot collapsing as Victor laughs. She wishes they could have destroyed it when it was in Cane’s hands. Victor attacking them again makes her blood boil!

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Kyle tells her that they’re doing what they can to mitigate the danger.

Diane thinks Jack has the weight of the world on his shoulders. What if the AI is already in their system? They could almost be wiped out and not even know it! Maybe their systems haven’t been infiltrated yet, but their bottom line is going to take a massive hit from the shutdown. What will it do to Jack if the company collapses and he realizes that Victor has won?

Kyle says that they’ll rebuild things again, as a family, if things go wrong. He promises that he’ll help her connect the dots… Victor won’t get away with this!

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Diane agrees. Victor has already lost! She asks Kyle to join her for a drink with Jack.

Kyle declines. He has plans to meet Claire at Society shortly.

Diane wonders if Claire is softening toward Kyle.

Kyle doesn’t want to read too much into it. He says goodbye and leaves.

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The GCAC Dining Room
Diane arrives at the club and approaches Jack and Nikki’s table. She says hello and thanks Nikki for keeping her husband company.

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Nikki smiles and says she has to go, but she may have an update for Jack later. She wishes them a good evening and leaves.

Diane asks Jack what that was about… What has Nikki dragged him into this time?

Jack gets their drinks from the bar and says that Nikki admitted that Victor has Cane’s AI.

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Diane wonders what happens now.

Jack says that Nikki will try to get her hands on it and will try to make sure that Victor doesn’t use it against Jabot.

Diane’s shocked. Does Nikki mean it? That’s a nice gesture, but Victor won’t just hand it over to Nikki!

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Jack says there’s something else she should know… He told Nikki about their plan to shut down Jabot.

Diane can’t believe it. The fact that Jack considers Nikki to be his best friend in the whole world while she’s married to his worst enemy is perverse, and it could cost them everything!

Jack reassures her that Victor won’t want to upset Nikki and will stop the attack.

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Claire and Kyle walk into the dining room and say hello.

Jack asks Claire and Kyle to join them, but they politely decline and head to a different table. Jack notices their glum mood, but thinks Claire looks like she’s ready to take someone’s head off… Hopefully it’s not Kyle’s!

Diane says that Kyle told her he didn’t want to get his hopes up about Claire. She wonders if they had a fight. She says Kyle is his father’s son… He lets “those Newman women” get to him too easily!

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Jack laughs. Sounds like it’s time for another drink! He admits that he’s scared about what might happen to Jabot, but he holds out hope… They’re on the right side of things! They’re a step ahead of Victor this time!

They clink their glasses in a toast. Diane thinks that Kyle and Claire look like they’re conspiring… Not reconciling!

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At their table, Claire tells Kyle that Audra keeps attacking her and then plays the victim… Usually for the benefit of some man! She can’t believe Audra was so brazen as to attack her in public.

Kyle asks what Claire and Audra were arguing about.

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Claire says Audra didn’t need a reason to pick a fight with her… Just seeing Claire’s face was enough!

Kyle wishes they could get rid of Audra once and for all.

Claire agrees. They should team up to put Audra in her place, and Claire thinks she has the way to do it! Audra has a history in LA, and once she finds out what it is, she’s going to bury her with that information.

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Kyle laughs. He’s in… 100%!

Claire raises her glass in a toast… “We’re doing this!”

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Next Week on Y&R
Noah tells Sienna to come with him and his family to Genoa City, where she’ll be safe.

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Lily tells Cane she’s going to the Abbott Communications launch party, and Cane asks to be her plus-one.

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Michael celebrates his 20th Anniversary with Lauren. He’s dressed as a Blackjack dealer.