Bill takes Will from Katie
In the evening on the Fourth of July at Forrester, Pam worked in the CEO's office. Eric sort of scatted a tune as he sketched, and she noted his chipper mood. Quinn entered, and Pam immediately told Quinn she was not welcome in the building. Pam decided to call security. Quinn apologized for ever hurting Pam. Quinn was there to ask for her job back and for a moment of Eric's time.
Eric convinced Pam to leave, and in a huff, she closed the door behind herself. Eric told Quinn that she had nerve to be there. Quinn passionately kissed him. He said that she'd taken a big risk by being there. She asked if it turned him on or if it would take more.
Quinn locked the door and dropped her coat, revealing a black bustier and leather mini skirt. Eric called Quinn insane. Quinn remarked that he had a thing for bad girls. "Here I am, naughty boy," she added, and Eric kissed her.
Later, the two were wrapped in a blanket on the settee. Quinn wore only boots. Eric wondered what would happen if people knew what he was doing in there. She said no one would find out. She'd never imagined she'd be back at Forrester, and being in his arms was even better.
In the corridor, Pam was upset because it had taken Charlie so long to get there. She said he'd never guess who was in there with Eric. Pam announced that Quinn was in there, begging for her job back, but there was no way Quinn would win.
Eric and Quinn exited the CEO's office, and Pam laughed, saying it had been a big waste of time, and there was no way Quinn would get back her Forrester job. Pam added that Quinn would have to get down on her knees and beg. "I thought I just did that," Quinn responded. She told Eric that he knew she had the "finest rubies" in town. Eric said he wanted nothing she was selling.
Quinn stated that Eric never had to see her again. Pam said Eric wanted nothing to do with Quinn, and a man like Eric was above Quinn. Quinn quipped that she preferred it that way. Pam called Quinn weird. Quinn said Eric knew how to reach her if he wanted to check out her rubies.
At the beach house, Liam implored Steffy to see how Bill's actions affected them. Steffy didn't see it. Whirling his finger around, Liam said "this" was not her life, and she knew it. He urged her to go home to him. Steffy said that they couldn't do it or be talking about a future together.
Liam guessed it was because she'd made vows when she'd believed he'd never return. Steffy said she cared about him, but "talking about leaving my marriage -- I'm sorry. I'm not gonna do it."
"Really? Again?" Wyatt said from the doorway as he entered. Liam smugly informed Wyatt that Bill had been deceiving them all by having an affair with Brooke. Liam said that because Bill's words were worthless, any promises Liam had made to respect Wyatt's marriage and toe the Spencer line were off the table. "Uh-huh," Wyatt responded.
Later, Liam had filled Wyatt and Steffy in on the love lair at the office. Liam said it had blown his mind to find Brooke and Bill together. Wyatt didn't condone what Bill had done, but Wyatt wouldn't let Liam use it as an excuse to make a play for Wyatt's wife. Liam said he'd never give up on Steffy because if Quinn hadn't kidnapped him, Steffy would never have been a possibility for Wyatt.
Wyatt hated what Quinn had done, and he couldn't stand that part of her. Steffy added that she'd told Quinn to stay away from her and the family. Wyatt shared that Quinn had assured him that she'd do it. Wyatt promised Steffy to do everything within his power to ensure that it happened.
To Liam, Wyatt said he'd also make sure that Liam respected Wyatt's marriage. Liam murmured that Wyatt knew where Liam stood. Wyatt yelled that Steffy wouldn't have married him if she hadn't wanted to be with him. Watt asserted that nothing could change his and Steffy's future together, and he asked if Liam understood him.
At Bill's house, Bill asked Alison to watch Will longer. Bill expected Katie to arrive and believed that if it got intense, they'd have to make other plans. Alison agreed and left to check on Will.
The front door closed, and Katie entered the house, ominously slowly. Bill said he'd been worried about her when she'd left the party. Katie stated that she'd been with Brooke, who'd told Katie about Brooke and Bill and the affair he'd been having with her sister.
Katie began to discuss how proud she'd been to give Bill a son who he could raise from the start and instill with his values. She asked how she could ever have known that he'd throw it away so carelessly on Brooke. Katie asked how it felt to be a conquest, another notch and victory for Brooke, who always got to win. "The prize this time is you, my husband," Katie added.
Katie said that she knew the truth, even though Bill had tried to convince her that it had been all in her head. Just then, Will scampered in, and Alison was following him.
As Katie promised to play with Will later, Bill murmured to Alison to get Will out of there. Bill didn't want Will exposed to "any of this." Alison said she'd take Will out for fresh air. Alison asked Will to build airplanes with her, and as Alison and Will left, Katie said she'd be upstairs in two minutes.
Once alone with Bill again, Katie said Will was the family Bill was turning his back on. Bill replied that he'd never turn his back on Will. "Just me," Katie said. Bill explained that she'd become unreachable. She assumed "this" was where things became all her fault. She guessed he'd been wondering why she couldn't put her suspicions aside so he could have his affair in peace.
Katie claimed that Bill had watched her spiral out of control and sink into insecurity, and he'd kept telling her it had been in all in her head. She said he'd made her think she was crazy and asked if it had been a plan to push her off the edge. For weeks, she'd begged him for the truth. She asked how many times he'd looked her in the face and lied to her. She called him a coward. She saw him for what he was -- a small, lying coward. She asked how he could burn their family to the ground.
Bill wanted his turn to speak, but Katie tried to walk out of the room. He said she wasn't going anywhere, and she scowled at him. Bill stated that since the day they'd gotten married, he'd tried to be her pillar of strength; he'd supported her through all her struggles. She'd been unstable and all over the place, but he'd stayed because he was her husband, they had a child, and he loved her.
Katie replied that Bill didn't know how to love. Bill asserted that she'd started the whole thing. She relished hearing how it was all her fault. "You started the whole thing. You know you did!" Bill exclaimed. He recalled her disappearances and that she'd orchestrated the relationship with Brooke. Bill said they'd found their way back to each other, and it had been great -- for a while.
Bill stated that the wheels had come off. Katie yelled that it had been because of him. Bill asked if he'd made her start drinking. He claimed that he'd tried to help her and insisted that she go to rehab, which she'd refused to do. Bill said that no matter how many times she'd been wasted or passed out in front of Will, all she'd done had been to lie to Bill's face and deny.
Bill roared that Katie had vilified him every chance she could and had blamed Brooke. He hadn't run because he didn't run when things got tough. Katie claimed that he'd been out the door the minute Brooke had said she loved him. Katie asserted that just because he hadn't slept with Brooke didn't mean he hadn't been unfaithful, and there were all kinds of affairs. He guessed that men had their breaking points, and Kate had pushed him to his.
Bill hated failure, and it wasn't easy for him because he gave everything he did one hundred and ten percent. Katie retorted that he did in business, but not family. Bill yelled that he'd given the family one hundred fifty percent. He refused to say he hadn't done enough. He felt he'd done everything he could do. He believed that Katie was a good woman, but she had a lot of issues and demons.
Katie said Bill could tell himself what he needed to, but he couldn't justify it. Bill stated that he'd lost years with his sons because of their mothers -- Wyatt's unstable mother. Katie guessed that Liam's mother had been unstable, just like Katie and Quinn -- or Bill was failing to see himself as the common denominator.
Bill decided that siding with Quinn and talking about another woman whom Katie knew nothing about had made Katie lose all cognitive ability. Bill repeated that he'd lost years with his two sons, and Katie said to make it three, because she'd do the same and protect her son. She wouldn't let Bill pollute Will with Bill's values. Katie ordered Bill to get out of her house and stay away from her and her son.
Katie went upstairs to ready Will for bed, but his room was dark and empty. Screaming, Katie ran back to the living room, asking Bill where her son was. "Our son," Bill corrected, putting away his phone. He said he'd "be damned" if he'd be kept from a third son.
Katie screamed for him to call "that bitch" Alison and make her return with Will. Bill said the marriage was over, and he wouldn't expose Will to Katie's instability. "You did this to me!" Katie accused and slapped Bill. Snarling, Bill declared that there was no way he'd put Will through "this."
Katie decided to call the police. Bill asked if she was sure about doing so after she'd assaulted him. Bill decreed that Will wouldn't be in an environment of drinking and manic behavior. Katie sobbed that she'd fight it, but Bill replied that she'd lose. Bill said there wasn't a judge in the city who'd disagree with him, and she knew that he had influence over most of them.
Katie started beating Bill's chest, crying for him not to take Will. Bill pulled her against him and gripped her in a restraint hug. He said that Will would be safe, and Katie would get herself together. "He cannot be exposed to this," Bill said, slowly and cautiously releasing Katie. As Bill left, she screamed for him to give her son to her.
At Forrester, Thomas worked out with weights at the rooftop gym. Caroline stopped to talk to him. She wondered how he thought everyone would react after Ridge told them that Thomas was Douglas' father. Thomas wondered who Ridge would tell. Caroline answered that it would be everyone who didn't already know. She added that it would not be an easy conversation.
Thomas worried about what Ridge would say, but Caroline said Ridge planned to be honest with everyone. She added that he wanted to spare Thomas and Caroline from a lot of embarrassing questions. Thomas scoffed. He said they would be bombarded by a ton of questions. Caroline understood, and she apologized for keeping Douglas from him. Thomas blamed Ridge for keeping the secret. Thomas said Caroline had already said everything she could. "Life goes on," she said.
Caroline added that she knew Thomas had not been trying to hurt her, but Ridge had been trying to protect his family. Caroline regretted that she hadn't said something sooner because she had seen how Thomas connected with Douglas. "Secrets make a mess of everything," she said. Thomas understood.
Thomas felt that Ridge had punished him for his night with Caroline. Caroline disagreed and said it had never been about punishing him. She knew that Thomas had not meant to hurt her the night Douglas had been conceived, and he hadn't done anything horrible. "Ridge knows that too," she said.
Veronica interrupted and spoke to Thomas. She delivered a prospectus that Steffy had asked her to review with him. Veronica ignored Caroline, and she offered to review the prospectus after work over drinks with Thomas. He agreed and said he would send her his schedule. Caroline was shocked that Veronica had ignored her. She asked if he had been seeing Veronica. Thomas answered that it was nothing serious. "Like you said, life goes on," Thomas said.
In Ridge's office, Ridge, Rick, Steffy, and Eric met. Ridge announced that the meeting was not about business. It was personal. He said that he and Caroline had made a decision. Steffy interrupted and said he seemed tense. Eric worried about Ridge's marriage. Ridge said his family was fine, but it was going through some changes. "And you need to be aware of it. It's about Douglas," Ridge said.
Steffy and Eric expressed concern, and Rick worried that Douglas was sick. "He's not mine," Ridge announced awkwardly. Steffy, Eric, and Rick were surprised. Ridge added that he and Caroline had planned to raise Douglas as his parents, but Douglas was not his biological son.
Eric wondered if Ridge and Caroline had used a donor. Ridge announced that being a father was more than just DNA. Steffy interrupted and asked who the father was. "Thomas," Ridge said. Rick laughed and said it was the tabloid scandal of the year.
Rick, Eric, and Steffy chastised Ridge because he had allowed everyone to believe that he was the father. "My brother is Douglas' father?" Steffy asked. Ridge explained that Thomas and Caroline had gotten together for only one night when Ridge and Caroline had broken up.
Ridge admitted that he had known that Douglas couldn't be his son because he'd had a vasectomy when he'd lived in Paris. He had tried to have it reversed, but the doctors had told him it was impossible. Rick admitted that his mother had told him about Ridge's vasectomy. "Of course she did," Ridge said.
Eric wondered if Caroline had been honest with Ridge, and Ridge said she had. Ridge admitted he had been hurt and angry and had made a bad choice. Eric, Steffy, and Rick were surprised at the amount of time that Ridge had known. They marveled that he had let everyone think Douglas was his -- including Thomas. "My God, Ridge," Eric said.
Steffy was amazed that the whole time Caroline had been pregnant, Ridge and Caroline had known it was Thomas' child. "You stole his son from him," Rick said. "How could you do this?" Steffy asked.
Ridge said the night that Thomas had gone to comfort Caroline when Ridge had broken up with her had been a big misunderstanding. Ridge reasoned that he had been protecting his wife. He wanted everyone to agree that Douglas was the innocent person in all of it, and he wanted them to agree when it came out in the press. Ridge promised to take the hit for everything when the press hit.
Ridge announced that the meeting was over. Rick refused to leave. He told Ridge that he could not drop a bombshell and expect everyone to fall in line. Rick insisted that the press would have a feeding frenzy.
Rick said there was no way Ridge could protect his family and his company. Rick announced that it was a huge secret that would rock the company. "Your day of reckoning has come," Rick stated. Ridge scoffed, but Rick addressed Eric and said the company needed new leadership and could not be left hanging while the design team decided how to co-parent.
Rick reminded everyone that Ridge had a morality clause in his contract. Ridge countered that there was nothing immoral. Rick disagreed. He stated that Ridge had put the company in the crosshairs of yet another scandal. "Now you have to pay," Rick said.
Eric stopped Rick, but Rick ranted that Ridge's actions would diminish the company's brand. Rick accused Ridge of playing Daddy to his grandson. Ridge refused to step down, but Rick said he would step in. Steffy reminded Rick that she was president and next in line for Ridge's position. Rick argued, and Eric interrupted. "I haven't been as involved here," he said. He added that he had been too far removed and needed time to make a decision.
"Right now, I am deeply disappointed," Eric said. He added that he needed some time to find the objectivity he needed to make a decision. He promised to let them know in a few days. Eric left.
"Dad, what you were thinking?" Steffy exclaimed. Rick answered that Ridge had been trying to control everyone and every decision like he always had. "Your reign as king is over. You went too far," Rick said. Ridge and Rick glared at each other.
At Quinn's place, she flashed back to making out with Eric. Someone knocked on her door, and she thought it was Eric. "I was just thinking about you," she said, but Deacon entered. She said she had thought he was someone else. "So who is the new guy in your life?" Deacon asked. Quinn announced it was Eric. "Eric who?" Deacon asked.
Quinn announced it was Eric Forrester, and Deacon scoffed that she was not dating him. Quinn admitted that they had been seeing each other but not dating in public. They had gotten together at her place, the office, and his place.
Deacon laughed and said Eric had no intention of taking it public. Quinn told Deacon that Deacon was no longer part of her life. "This is over," she said. Deacon wondered how Quinn had gotten into Eric's life. She said that she had visited him to beg for her job. "He's a lot more adventurous than people think," she said.
Deacon made fun of Quinn. "You and Eric Forrester. The patriarch and the pariah," he said. "Don't tell anyone about this, or I'll kill you -- and you know I will," Quinn threatened. Deacon wondered why Eric would get hot and heavy with her. Deacon accused her of using Eric to get back at Steffy because Wyatt had told his mother to stay away from his wife.
Quinn said it was not payback, but it didn't hurt that Eric was interested. She added that he might be using her, but she doubted it because they really connected. She felt a spark. Deacon laughed.
Quinn reminded Deacon that Eric had been attracted to bad girls including Sheila Carter and Stephanie. Deacon agreed. "I'm everything he wants. We are enjoying each other's company," Quinn said. Quinn added that everybody listened to Eric, and if he accepted her, the entire Forrester family would accept her. "This could transform my life," she said.
At Forrester, Ridge was alone in his office when Steffy entered. Ridge said he had expected that she would return. "What else don't I know?" she asked. She wondered if she was his daughter. Ridge was angry and said she had to be. "Anyone else I would have thrown out," he said.
Ridge defended his decision regarding Douglas. He said he had been protecting his wife. He had been worried about Thomas and his reputation. Steffy countered that Caroline hadn't been Ridge's wife when Douglas had been conceived, and Thomas and Caroline had been involved long before Ridge had gotten together with Caroline. Steffy added that Ridge had a reputation of his own -- breaking up with girls.
Steffy wondered if Ridge had told the lie to punish Thomas. "He gave her something I couldn't -- the one thing she wanted more than anything else in the world," Ridge said. He advised her to be careful in her judgment. "The harshest judgment of all is gonna come from me," he said. Steffy left.
In Thomas' office, he and Caroline discussed that the rest of the family had to have finished the meeting. Thomas and Caroline figured people would be looking for them when the meeting ended. Caroline looked thoughtful. "Nothing seems very clear," Caroline said.
Thomas wondered if Caroline hated him for insisting that they tell the truth. He noted that the facts of the story would do very different things to their reputations. Caroline said she didn't hate him, but his remark had clearly hurt her. Caroline left.
Steffy entered Thomas' office. She hugged her brother and wondered how he could have kept the truth from her. She noted that their father had been temporarily insane to do such a thing.
Thomas said he'd had little time to process the news himself. He wondered what the reaction had been from the rest of the family. Steffy shared that Rick had pounced and expected Eric to reappoint him CEO. Thomas shrugged, and Steffy said that she would be a more likely choice for the CEO position.
Thomas was surprised. He reminded Steffy that she had already created a PR stunt when she'd decided to run the company along with her boyfriend -- Liam. Thomas didn't think people would forget that. He suggested she keep a low profile considering the reason that her relationship had ended -- Quinn kidnapping Liam -- had resulted in her current marriage, and Quinn was still around.
Steffy responded that she didn't need reminders. "I remember everything," she said. "Quinn has to keep her distance," Steffy said. She added that people would forget about her relationship with Liam. Thomas looked skeptical.
In Ridge's office, Caroline entered. She asked how everything had gone. Ridge smiled and told her she looked really pretty. "Sometimes the truth doesn't set you free," he said. He added that he should have thought up a better story that he was infertile because he had fallen out of a helicopter, and he had used his son as a donor. Caroline disagreed. He said the reaction had been bad.
"You didn't see my dad," Ridge said. He shared that Rick wanted to oust him and regain control. Caroline said Eric would never allow it. Ridge said that Eric had been disappointed, and the truth was that Douglas was Caroline and Thomas' child.
Caroline maintained that nothing had changed. The truth had been told, and they were all the same people. They would all have to make adjustments. They were all hurt, but they would recover. The worst was over. Ridge argued that everything had changed. He hugged her.
At the Forrester mansion, Rick and Maya entered the empty house, and Rick insisted that they would return to living in the house, and he would head Forrester as soon as Eric returned home. Maya wondered why Ridge would have done something so foolish. Rick maintained that Ridge did something stupid every ten years. Rick reveled in the fact that his father had been upset with Ridge. "All the blood drained from his face," Rick said of Eric.
Rick insisted that his father would send Ridge packing. Rick also started planning for what they would do to the house once they had moved back in. He discussed putting her portrait back up on the wall.
Maya worried that Rick had been disappointed before when he had believed Eric would appoint him CEO. She felt sorry for Ridge because it would be a huge adjustment for him and Caroline. Rick had no sympathy. He reminded Maya that Caroline had cheated on him with Ridge. Rick believed his father would have no sympathy.
Maya noted that Eric had not returned and might not want to see anyone until he had made a decision. Rick wanted to wait. He said it was nice having the place to themselves. "It's like we never left," he said. "Wherever you are is home to me," Maya said.
At Quinn's place, she was working on jewelry when someone knocked on her door. It was Eric. He entered and appeared to be miserable. "Did someone die?" she asked.
Eric didn't want to see anyone who wanted to see him. He'd had a bad day and had a lot of problems. Quinn offered him a cup, and he took a sip. "This is not water," he said. She said she'd thought he liked martinis, and she promised to have olives the next time he showed up.
Eric told Quinn he had a problem at work, and she noted that that made it a family problem. He said it meant that Ridge might be leaving the CEO position, and it might be best for him to stay out of the public eye. Eric didn't want to share details with Quinn. Eric said he had a decision to make, and he needed time to make it. He needed to determine who the CEO should be, and he had Rick insisting he should be returned to power, but Eric added that Steffy had also expressed interest.
Quinn told Eric he needed to remember that he had built the company, and she had seen his designs. "I saw the work you were putting out this past year," she said.
Eric countered that Caroline's designs jumped off the page, but Quinn said that Eric had taught Ridge, and Ridge had taught Caroline. All the designs had a little bit of Eric in them. She said he didn't know how good he was. "You built this business. Take it back," she suggested.
Quinn added that she couldn't see Ridge or Rick answering to Steffy. Eric said that everyone had called Ridge "King Ridge." "They used to call his mother Queen Stephanie," he said. Eric added that Ridge needed to have his hand slapped once in a while. "Father knows best," Quinn said.
Eric said he often didn't feel old. He felt like his life hadn't happened yet. He felt he still had more to do. He added that he'd had no intention of visiting Quinn after he'd left Forrester, but there he was.
"Why did you come here?" Quinn asked. She reminded him that he had returned her key and said it was over. She promised not to make a fuss or turn him away, but she needed to know where they stood. Eric kissed her cheek, and she smiled.
At Quinn's place, Eric arrived before heading to the office. He'd spent the previous night mulling over the leadership decision for Forrester and wanted to stop by her house to thank her for her support. Quinn reiterated her opinion that "this tall, sexy man" was the only choice for CEO. He replied that she was good for his ego, and she kissed him.
Later, Deacon arrived. "No visitors today!" Quinn announced, trying to close the door on him. He snaked in and pulled her to him, claiming that she was hard to resist. Quinn shoved him off her and ordered him to get over it because they were done. Deacon said she had to do better than Eric Forrester as his replacement. Deacon believed she was too tough for Eric to keep up with.
Quinn didn't care what Deacon believed, and she was more than satisfied by what Eric brought to the table. Deacon was sure Quinn was dreaming of being Mrs. Eric Forrester, queen of all she surveyed. Deacon wanted to know who'd be her backup when Eric wasn't around.
Deacon grabbed at Quinn again, and she fought him off. She shoved and hit him, which turned him on. She yelled for him to get off her. "That's my girl!" Deacon said. He wondered what it was with the two of them. He claimed that she'd seduced him with her wicked ways, had married and divorced him, and then she'd thrown him off a cliff. "And yet here I am, all turned on," he said.
Quinn called it a sickness. Deacon didn't want to be healed. She quipped that she had a way with a certain kind of man. He agreed, as far as he and Bill were concerned, but wondered what it said about Eric. Quinn tried to throw Deacon out, but he wanted to hang out and hide until Eric returned so he could hear Eric for himself. In a formal voice, Deacon portrayed Eric as saying he didn't understand why Quinn excited him.
Quinn didn't find it funny and claimed that she and Eric excited each other. Deacon believed she was excited by the Forrester name and having access to the family that Steffy had shut Quinn out of.
In the CEO's office at Forrester, Rick, Steffy, and Ridge gathered together to await Eric, who'd made a decision about the direction of the company. Rick popped his collar with confidence, and Steffy hoped Eric had made the right choice. With a wry chuckle, Ridge advised the two to calm down. He believed he'd continue to run the business.
Steffy informed Rick that Ridge could get off with a lecture, or Eric could pick Steffy, who was next in line for the CEO position. Rick claimed it didn't work that way, but Steffy said it worked how grandfather said it did. Rick wondered what Ridge would do with the time off.
Eric arrived to let them know what he'd decided. He said they couldn't pretend that the paternity issue wouldn't be a problem. Ridge said it would be in and out of the news cycle quickly. Rick called it wishful thinking.
Eric stated that he'd been happy with Ridge's tenure as CEO, and the three in the room had been an unbeatable team. Eric couldn't imagine taking the company into the future without having Steffy in some kind of position of leadership. Rick had been just about the best CEO Eric had ever seen; even if he'd been a little power-hungry at first, each quarter had gotten better.
Steffy asked for Eric's decision. Eric stated that there would be a change. Ridge tensed. Rick said Eric wouldn't be sorry. Steffy told Rick to calm down because it could be her. "It's not. It's me," Eric replied. Eric said that he would step back in as CEO.
Ridge stated that there was no reason to make a change. "Really? With the biggest scandal to hit this company in decades?" Rick asked. Eric said they didn't know how the paternity news would play out in the press, and he'd take over while they navigated those waters. Eric stated that the press would be all over "you two." Eric didn't want Ridge making company decisions while under that kind of stress.
Eric asked if Steffy wanted to voice concerns. Steffy didn't have any. Rick decided that he'd rather see Eric in charge than "this clown -- I mean Ridge." Eric decided that it was settled, and he was the new CEO as of that moment. Ridge left. "You look good behind that desk. I'm just saying," Rick said, and he left. Steffy stated that it had been unexpected.
Eric said that when he'd retired, he'd said he'd be waiting in the wings if anyone needed help. Steffy replied that guidance wasn't a full-time job. She liked the "whole thing" Eric had going on. He was acting strong and "studly." Eric asked if he could quote her on it.
Eric was glad Steffy was being supportive of his return. Steffy said that no one could run the company better, and they needed his steady hand. She couldn't believe that Caroline and Ridge had kept Thomas in the dark the entire time. Steffy believed Ridge would handle the press and return as CEO, unless Eric didn't want to step down. Eric asked why he wouldn't.
Steffy figured Eric needed an outlet for all the energy she was seeing -- if he didn't already have one. Eric called Steffy subtle. She replied that she'd like to thank whoever the woman was.
Later, Eric worked at the drawing table and daydreamed of Quinn. Seeing the look on his face, Steffy assumed she was right about there being a woman, and she said she liked the effect the mystery woman was having on him. His phone rang. The caller ID read "Q.F." Steffy was sure it was the woman. She snatched up the phone and answered it, but Quinn clicked off the line.
Steffy called the mystery woman secretive. Taking his phone, Eric appreciated Steffy's support and enthusiasm. He said he loved her and didn't want to hurt Steffy, who'd been on his mind a lot. Steffy didn't want him to worry about her, and she added that Stephanie would want him to live his life and be happy. He replied that he didn't think the relationship was "like that."
Steffy replied that one never knew. Eric still doubted it. She asked if he was enjoying it, and he replied, "Definitely." She believed that was what mattered, and he deserved to be happy after being lonely after Stephanie's death. Steffy felt that if the mystery woman made him happy, then she was okay with Steffy.
At Bill's office, Wyatt and Bill chowed down on ribs. Liam entered in a suit and tie. "Seriously?" Liam asked. He looked at his father and brother and wondered what they were wearing. Bill and Wyatt each had on black button-up shirts with their sword necklaces sparkling at the unbuttoned collars.
Wyatt asked Liam why he was so grumpy. Bill responded that Liam wasn't happy with Bill, and it was about to escalate. Liam asked what it was "now." Bill relayed that he'd taken Will. Katie had threatened to take the child from Bill, and Bill had needed to get Will out of that environment. Bill added that Liam could imagine that Katie was freaking out.
Liam was sure it was true and raged that Bill couldn't take a baby from its mother. Wyatt stated that Bill was worried about their little brother, and if one considered Katie's behavior, one wouldn't blame Bill. Liam felt that they were being cavalier about kidnapping a child. Bill replied that no one was being cavalier, but Liam was being dramatic because it wasn't a kidnapping.
Bill declared that Will was Bill's son, and at that moment, Will was better off with Bill. Liam assumed that meant it was temporary. Bill said it was as long as it needed to be. Liam asked if Bill had given any thought to Katie, and Wyatt asked why Liam thought Bill was doing it. Liam quipped that no one was talking to Wyatt and asked Bill if he'd understood that Katie was fighting depression and alcohol.
"Depression and alcohol," Bill repeated and guessed Liam knew why Bill had taken action. In Bill's view, it hadn't been a power play or anything other than doing what was best for Will. Liam wanted to get it straight that Bill had taken Will due to erratic behavior that Bill had caused by convincing Katie that she was crazy for being suspicious of Bill's affair with her sister. "Why don't you get this straight -- we are where we are, and I will do whatever I have to to protect my son," Bill stated.
Liam asked where Will was. Bill said Will was staying with him while Justin drew up papers. Guessing the papers were for custody, Liam asked why Bill would go to such an extreme to rip the child from his mother. Bill replied that he wasn't doing that; he was protecting his son. Bill added that he was also having Katie declared incompetent. Liam called it crazy and untrue.
Liam thought Katie was the most confident mother he knew, and she lived and breathed Will. "When she's in her right mind," Bill added. Liam accused Bill of trying to hurt Katie in the worst way because Katie had called him out on the affair. "Oh, come on, Liam! Open your freaking ears! Listen to what I'm saying!" Bill demanded. Bill asked if Liam knew how many times Katie had lied about drinking.
Bill asked if Liam was okay with Katie taking Will on a car ride after drinking. Bill asked what would happen if Katie had another breakdown and disappeared with Will. Bill said he couldn't trust Katie to take care of Will. Liam replied that Bill knew Katie would never harm Will. Bill replied that he'd like to trust it, but he wasn't willing to bet Will's safety on it.
Wyatt interjected that he felt for Katie, too, but it was Will's well-being at stake. Wyatt said that Katie was an adult and could fend for herself, but Will needed his father's protection. Liam thought it was convenient that Bill hadn't had the concerns before the affair was revealed. Wyatt didn't like the outcome, either, but stated that "Katie is a mother who drinks and passes out on the sofa right now." Wyatt wondered what would happen if there was a fire or something else serious happened.
Bill ordered Liam to stop calling it an affair, because it wasn't accurate. "Fine. The woman you're involved with is your wife's sister," Liam corrected. Liam wanted to check on Will and asked where Will was. "I can't tell you...Because you'd run to Katie," Bill responded. Bill claimed to appreciate Liam's concern for Katie. "But I will protect my son!" Bill roared.
Bill had had enough of the talk. He declared that they were still a family and needed to get along. He said that, regardless of how Liam felt about Bill, Liam needed to respect Wyatt's marriage. Liam was confused and figured that following Bill's example meant to have an affair with Steffy.
Wyatt roared that it wasn't what Bill had said. "And it's not gonna happen, either. You're not breaking up my marriage," Wyatt declared. Liam didn't know if he'd even have to because Quinn might do it for him.
At Spencer, Wyatt, still dressed like Bill, showed off the views on Steffy's social media. Bill was glad, but Liam asked if Wyatt was selling his wife. Wyatt claimed Steffy was into it and was a star to her followers, like the Kim Kardashian of Spencer. "Hashtag life goals," Liam quipped.
Bill asked his sons to look at a video promo of the Spencer Summit to be held in Monaco. The promo announced that Bill would be one of the prestigious speakers, and it asked the viewer not to miss the Spencer Awards, honoring the best in the literary community. It showed Bill signing autographs, and Bill looked at his sons, expecting them to be impressed.
"Yeah, okay," Liam flatly said. Wyatt said it had turned out great. Bill called it a masterpiece, but he couldn't attend. He did so every year and hadn't missed one yet; however, he had to be home to deal with Will and Katie. He instructed Wyatt and Liam to go in his place -- and Steffy, too.
Liam said the people expected to see Bill, not his sons. Bill replied that his sons should be honored he was asking. Liam offered to hold down the fort while Wyatt and Steffy went, and Wyatt seconded it. Bill declined. Liam said it would be awkward, but Bill ordered him to rise above it for the business.
Bill said he'd be embroiled in a predictably vicious lawsuit with Katie. Liam warned Bill to play fair and not fight dirty. "Well, that depends on how hard Katie wants to fight me," Bill concluded.
Wyatt was excited about the trip. Liam begrudgingly said he was all in. Bill warned Liam that there would be no talk of foundations and said Liam could earn his Boy Scout badge on his own time. "Liam, I love you, son, but you can be depressing. Don't be depressing. This is about prosperity, fame, fortune. Money, baby! That's what makes the world go round," Bill said, and he exited.
Wyatt hoped Liam's passport was up to date for the trip. Liam warily asked if Wyatt was really excited and didn't feel it was weird. Wyatt said it was weird to have his wife around for Liam, not Wyatt. Liam didn't know why Steffy was required to go. "Because she's our social media star. Check it," Wyatt replied, holding his phone out to Liam. Liam said he'd seen it.
Wyatt relayed that it was how stars were made, and they had to play the game. Liam knew how it worked; he just believed it was superficial. Wyatt claimed everyone wanted to know what Steffy was eating, wearing, and doing. Liam was surprised Steffy had agreed to it and asked if Wyatt had pushed her into it like the quickie wedding. "Here we go again," Wyatt replied.
Liam asserted that Quinn had handed Wyatt everything he'd gained, from being Bill's right-hand man, to the woman to whom Liam was supposed to be married, to Wyatt's rise on the corporate ladder. It was dangerous for Steffy because Quinn knew no boundaries.
Liam said he was just throwing it out there that Quinn was a psychopath. Gasping, Wyatt quipped that he hadn't known Liam felt that way at all. Liam hated that Quinn was in Steffy's life and that Steffy had to deal with Quinn at all. Wyatt decided that Liam's obsession with Wyatt's wife was unhealthy, and it was something that had zero chance of happening. Liam disagreed.
Wyatt figured that the trip could be good for Liam, who'd been in a rut. He said that they could clean Liam up, and maybe a French girl would actually want to date him. Liam claimed that a lot could change in a few days. "Okay, stalker boy, quit waiting for me to slip up and sabotage my relationship, because that's not gonna happen, bro," Wyatt replied.
Liam didn't think Wyatt should be so cocky because Liam just might have an ace up his sleeve. Wyatt warned Liam against disrupting Wyatt's marriage, but Liam claimed that Wyatt would do it all on his own. Liam added that someone else might do it, someone more destructive than Wyatt. Wyatt asserted that his mother didn't exist in his marriage, and Steffy had warned Quinn to stay away.
"Yeah, Quinn doesn't listen to anything anyone says ever," Liam replied. Wyatt believed that Quinn wanted his marriage to last and wouldn't do anything to screw it up.
In the CEO's office, Steffy was working with Eric still and remarked about how much she liked his new look. Pam had said the same to Eric, and he wondered if he'd been that miserable. Steffy considered that he'd been grieving and adjusting to life without Stephanie, his wife and best friend. Steffy was thrilled that he'd stepped up as CEO and had a new woman.
Steffy glanced up and was surprised to see Eric taking a selfie behind the desk. As he sent it off, she asked him who he was sending it to. Eric just stared, stubbornly conspicuous.
As Eric and Steffy worked, he said she reminded him of her grandmother, loyal and protective of the family. Steffy hoped Stephanie was proud of her and said she would be proud of him, too. He didn't know about it, but Steffy said he and Stephanie had been the epitome of what a partnership should be. Steffy wondered if Eric would get married again. He readily doubted it and said it wasn't in the cards for him.
Steffy didn't think Eric should be so sure and advised him to live life to the "fullest." Eric still doubted it, but Steffy lent her support to it anyway. She said that if the mystery woman caused such joy in him, then she was happy for him. Steffy left through the back door, and Eric thought of Quinn.
At Quinn's place, Deacon had settled in to read a magazine, but Quinn said he could go. He assumed she was expecting another visit from "the silver fox" and decided that it was all about the "F" word -- Forrester, the family Steffy had deemed off-limits. Quinn refused to let Steffy dictate her life. Deacon warned that it would be "adios madras" once Wyatt found out.
Quinn warned Deacon to keep his mouth shut about her secret about Eric. She beamed with excitement when she received a photo of Eric behind the desk at Forrester. She was excited that he'd gotten his old job back. She said she'd told Eric to go for it, and she was very proud that he'd done it. She felt that there was no one better or more suited for the job. Deacon noted that she seemed to mean it, and she was really into it, like a giddy, lusty teenager.
Quinn giggled and said that Eric brought it out of her. Deacon asked again to hear that Eric Forrester fulfilled her in bed. She said she'd already answered it. Deacon stated that Eric didn't have what Deacon did. Quinn replied that Deacon was wrong, and Eric was a good, kind man who respected her instead of treating her like a plaything. "You used to love me playing with you," Deacon said.
Quinn decided that she was older and wiser. It had taken her awhile, but she'd learned that what turned her on was a true gentleman. She said she should go to Forrester. Deacon doubted they'd let her in -- especially Steffy. Quinn contemplated the situation and said she might know a way.
Later in the corridor, Pam was crazy busy with a nonstop ringing phone and work. A man walked in, wearing a fedora, sunglasses, and a long goatee. In a feminine, Russian male voice, he said his name was Vladimir Smirnoff, and he was there to see the CEO, Eric Forrester.
Between phone calls, Pam tried to ascertain how Smirnoff knew Eric had become CEO and what he was there to see Eric about. Smirnoff managed to explain that it was computer work, and he was there to fix Mr. Forrester's "hard drive." Pam got called to the sewing room and asked Smirnoff to wait two minutes until she returned.
Once Pam was gone, Smirnoff crept into the CEO's office. To the chair, which was turned away from the door, he said he was there to fix Mr. Forrester's "hard drive." The chair swiveled around, and Steffy gasped at the stranger. Smirnoff tried to leave, but Steffy said they had their own IT department. She asked what company he was with.
Smirnoff said it was a special company for special problems and tried to leave again. "No, hold on. Are you wearing perfume?" Steffy asked. Smirnoff murmured that he was in touch with his feminine side. Steffy didn't buy it. She ripped off the man's hat and goatee. Quinn squealed in pain.
Quinn took off her sunglasses, revealing "Groucho" eyebrows. Steffy berated Quinn for being there, saying that staying away included the company grounds. Quinn apologized and explained that she just wanted to try to get her job back. Steffy yelled that Quinn was nuts to be there in disguise. Steffy ordered Quinn to get out.
Eric arrived, and Steffy asked him to look at who'd shown up in a ridiculous disguise, looking to get her job back. Steffy continued her fit, ordering Eric to tell Quinn that she wasn't getting her job back and to get out. Eric stared knowingly at Quinn, who shrugged helplessly. "Tell her!" Steffy screamed.
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