Matt’s Plans Alarm Sharon — Plus, Sally Is Startled to Find Billy and Audra Together

 Audra finds Billy drinking champagne at the bar in the Athletic Club. He explains that Coco is out of surgery and Sally will soon return. He can’t wait because they have something to celebrate. He’s finally getting all he’s wanted and asks her to join in the celebration. Audra needs more details, so he brags that he could be running Chancellor again as early as next week. The Abbotts are getting back what rightly belongs to them. He’s vague on how.

Audra asks how Sally will react. He’s sure she will support him. She finally agrees to drink with him as a friend. They discuss their bad reputations and trust issues before agreeing that neither of them wants Sally hurt. He admires her devotion to his fiancée, and they toast to the beginning of their friendship.

Kyle Gives Counsel

Jack and Kyle meet at Jabot to worry about Billy doing a victory dance before he’s actually accomplished anything. The legal documents seem ironclad. Billy’s lawyers have already demanded that Chancellor be relinquished by the end of the week. Jack worries what his brother will do whether he wins or loses. Kyle urges him to step back from this and let Billy fail or succeed.

Matt Disturbs Sharon

Sharon jumps back when she encounters Matt on the Crimson Lights patio. She demands to know why he keeps coming back. He wants to know how Nick is doing, if only to be reminded of the pain he’s caused. She explains that the man Nick was has been lost. Matt is sorry to hear this. If that’s true, she wonders why he stays in town when they all hate him and want him gone. He admits it’s because of Phyllis. She accepts him and he can’t turn away from that. Matt can see the man he was and the one he is now at the same time. Sharon can understand. She’s bipolar and did terrible things when she was out of character. People forgave her for it. Matt doesn’t think he will be so lucky.

Sharon admits she believes Matt is trying to change, but his choices are making that harder. She thinks that he can’t bring himself to leave because he’s seeking absolution. Sobbing, he admits that he’s desperate for her forgiveness, though he can never see himself getting it. Again, she urges him to leave town. If he starts over somewhere else, people will only see the new him. That sounds like running away to him. Instead, he’s determined to stay and prove he can be forgiven.

Lily and Cane Prepare for a Fight

Lily joins Cane at Society and admits the legal team thinks things could look bad for them if Billy’s documents are legit. Ashby adds that the Abbotts may not support Billy, but they won’t help stop him either. Billy wants them to give up, but Lily is determined to fight this with all they have.

Cane promises he will be there to fight every step of the way. That means they have to use all of Billy’s faults against them. Things will get dark. Lily is on board with that. She has no trouble getting her hands dirty. He warns they could have all the Abbotts after them if they tarnish John’s name. Lily doesn’t want that, but she won’t hesitate at doing anything to win. She is her parents’ child, and Billy will regret messing with her. He loves to see her so fired up.

 Nikki Brings Venice to Victor

Victor is impressed to discover that Nikki has filled the ranch with pastries and candles. His wife enters in a mask. She’s bringing Venice to him. He thinks she’s beautiful and promises to take her to see the canals once their son is better. Nikki gives him a book of love poems, and he reads to her from it. They discuss how lucky they are to have survived their relationship woes. As they worry about Nick’s recovery, Nikki wishes there were a way they could banish Matt Clark.

The Final Scenes

Jack and his son arrive at Society, and he insists on facing Lily and Cane. He knows she’s upset, but his trying to talk his brother out of the fight might only make things worse. Lily understands that he’s loyal to his brother. She’s being loyal to Katherine and won’t back down.

At Crimson Lights, Sharon admires Matt for wanting to change but tells him to get realistic about how the people he’s harmed must feel. Seeing him causes her and Nick trauma. His unusual situation doesn’t change that. He knows it could take years to earn forgiveness, but he’s determined to try and asks her to relay his best wishes to Nick.

Back at the Athletic Club, Audra and Billy toast to his new venture and friendship. Sally walks in, surprised to see them together.