Victor Adam Newman

Actor History

Celest and Coryn Williams

1995

Danielle and Sabrina Hepler

1995

Spencer Klaas

1995

Hayden Tank

1996 to 1998; 1 episode in 2002

February 12, 2008 to January 19, 2009; January 20, 2009 to June 24, 2009 [recurring]

June 25, 2009 to January 31, 2014; contract

November 5, 2014 to September 1, 2016, and in flashbacks since, contract

Mark Grossman

May 13, 2019 to Present

Dane West

August 24-26, 2020

Other Names

Lifeline

Occupation

Residence

Marital Status

Past Marriages

Relatives

Children

Flings & Affairs

Crimes Committed

Health and Vitals

Brief Character History

During a trip in 1993, Victor turned up at the Kansas farm of the blind, strong, and independent Hope Adams just in time to rescue her from a rapist. Victor became a kind and gentle man, content to live there as a farmhand, and growing closer to Hope. Hope revealed to Victor that she had never been with a man sexually. Soon after, she and Victor made love. When Victor proposed marriage to her, Hope accepted and they returned to Genoa City engaged. Hope soon learned that she was pregnant.

Victor and Hope were forced to do some serious soul-searching when her doctor said the baby could inherit her blindness. When medical tests revealed that there was a good chance the baby would be born blind, Victor urged Hope to have an abortion, but she resisted, and the tension in their marriage escalated. Frustrated by Victor's remote behavior, Hope returned to her farm in Kansas after she received word that her former boyfriend, Cliff, had been injured in a farming accident.

Victor's friend, Douglas Austin, arrived at the farm and pressured Hope to return to Victor. During their argument, Hope accidentally tripped over a chair and had to be rushed to the hospital. Victor arrived to make sure Hope was okay, then returned home. The next day, Hope gave birth to Victor Adam Newman, Jr. To Victor's disappointment, Hope decided to stay in Kansas and raise their son on her farm. She asked him to stay out of their child's life, so the boy could be raised without the Newman influences, and they were later divorced.

In 1996, as Victor recovered from a gunshot wound, his near-death experience prompted him to re-evaluate his life. He left Genoa City for several weeks and again visited Hope on her farm in Kansas, where she was married to Cliff. Cliff had adopted Victor, Jr., and his name was changed to Victor Adam Wilson. Victor enjoyed spending time with his son, a straight-A student who loved all sports, but Cliff made it clear that the boy thought Cliff was his father.

Victor returned to Genoa City. When Victor received word that Cliff had been struck by a drunk driver, he quickly returned to Kansas to lend Hope support. Hope was grief-stricken when Cliff died. Eventually, Victor persuaded Hope to relocate to Genoa City with their son. But she was a fish out of water in the big city, and after her purse was stolen and she nearly got assaulted, she and their son returned to Kansas.

In 2006, Victor was diagnosed with epilepsy, Nikki was informed, and he was given medication. But he liked the effects of the mini seizures that made him feel uncharacteristically mellow and caring, so he quit taking his medication. He shut off his cell phone and told the family he was going on a trip that landed him in Kansas at Hope's farm once again. Hope welcomed him, and informed him that his son was at soccer camp.

Victor stayed on a while, helping Hope out around the farm and feeling free, happy, and content like he was when they had first met there many years before. One day, Hope entered the house to find Victor having a seizure on the floor, but because she was blind did not realize it. Victor recovered from it in time to fool her that he had fallen, then left to continue his spiritual journey, unaware that his family at home was in crisis.

In May 2007, while Victor was mourning the supposed death of this son, Nick, Hope phoned Victor to let him know that their son, Victor, was missing and had been hanging out with a bad crowd. Victor traced the boy to Colombia, but he'd disappeared without paying his rent. Victor then traced him to Sri Lanka, went there, and disappeared for quite some time. When Victor returned, he told those who asked that he had not found his son.

In early 2008, Hope contacted Victor and told him that she was terminally ill with carcinoma of the pancreas, and he sent specialists to try to save her. But by February, Hope called him to go to her in Kansas. He arrived to find her recently released from the hospital, because she had asked to be sent home to die. It was her last wish that Victor be united with his son, who was going by the name Vic. Hope felt he finally needed to be told that Victor was his father.

Vic arrived, and was 27 years old. He was shocked to see his mother's condition, then appeared further shocked and disbelieving when she gave him the news of his paternity. Victor started to get to know his son through Hope on her deathbed. She described Vic to Victor as independent like his father, yet sensitive and vulnerable. Vic told Victor how he secured his own scholarships to attend Harvard Business School, but still had student loans to pay off. He also relayed that he'd written his thesis on Victor Newman's rise in the business world, and that he had read the books on Victor's life.

Vic was a stockbroker living in New York City, and his passion was business; he firmly believed in following one's passion. Vic and Victor were devastated when Hope passed away only days later. Her death wish was for Victor and Vic to stay together. Before they parted in Kansas, Victor offered his son a job at Newman, but Vic turned him down.

Vic suddenly showed up in Victor's office, accepted a job, and asked to be called Adam so there would be less confusion and so the wrong message wasn't sent. His first assignment was to work with Victoria on the Beauty of Nature project. He was flaunting his Harvard education and superior work ethic in Victoria, Nick, and Neil's faces, going over Victoria's head with decisions, and hitting on Nick's wife, Phyllis, leaving everyone guessing at Adam's agenda.

Victoria eventually quit Newman due to the friction with her father and with Adam usurping her position, and went to work for her mother at Jabot. The day after Sabrina accepted Victor's marriage proposal, Adam accepted Victor's offer to move to the ranch to get to know him better. Sabrina was not thrilled with the idea, as she and Adam did not get along because each thought the other was an opportunist, but they eventually bonded.

As the new Chief Operations Officer of Jabot, Brad felt David Chow was ill-suited for the co-CEO position, and began to hatch a plan to get David to gamble once again. Brad began setting David up with his bookie to lose bets, holding impromptu poker nights at his place, and lending David money. One of the card sharks who played in the games turned out to be Adam's college friend and sometimes-lover, first in their class to Adam's second, Skye Lockhart. Whenever Skye was in town, she would hook up with Adam, then take David Chow for a lot of money.

Adam faltered in his latest Newman acquisition of Natural Glow by not discovering it happened to be involved in a lawsuit with Jabot for patent infringement. Victor was livid with his new "golden child" for causing Newman and Jabot to go to battle once again. The night before their meeting with attorneys, hoping for a settlement, Adam met Heather Stevens working out at the Genoa City Athletic Club. They clicked and he ended up spending the night. They were surprised when they saw each other again at the Newman/Jabot meeting, where Heather represented Jabot. Heather and Adam became secret lovers due to this conflict of interest.

After many discarded ideas, Victor and Sabrina decided to get married in an old barn near the ranch, and Victor had it cleaned up and decorated beautifully for the occasion. Since Nick was still on the outs with them, Adam was asked to be best man without Victor even consulting Nick. The day before the wedding, much to her displeasure, Sabrina's estranged mother, Zara, showed up. Victoria caught Zara taking photos of the wedding to sell to the media, and she managed to get the memory card out of the camera to foil Zara's plans. Later, Adam caught Zara taking a video tour of the ranch, with plans to sell the video. Adam stopped her and kindly ushered her into a limo and onto a plane with a one-way ticket back home.

Assuming Nick was in on the scandalous article about Sabrina printed in Restless Style and for Victoria's turning against Sabrina for marrying her father, Victor cut them both out of his will, and he added Adam and Sabrina. Not long afterward, Sabrina was killed in a car crash. Victor left guests waiting at Sabrina's funeral only to have the minister tell them that a private funeral had been held earlier and her body was already interred. Victor disappeared, leaving his cell phone, wallet, and epilepsy medication buried on Sabrina's grave.

Adam was also upset because his friend, Skye, had been missing for quite some time. Then a body was found chopped up and buried in the stable where Nikki kept her horse. Alongside the body was Adam's class ring that she had worn around her neck. It was assumed that David Chow had murdered her in retaliation for her winning so much money from him while gambling. Meanwhile, in Victor's absence, the stockholders at Newman voted Victoria back in as Co-CEO, and, because the ranch was part of Newman Enterprises, she took it upon herself to kick Adam out.

News that Victor was dead reached Adam, who reacted by requesting the Mexican government fax him a death certificate. Michael took charge and read the will, which gave Newman Enterprises and the ranch to Adam. Victor had left a letter for Adam that said Adam was most like his father; the letter encouraged Adam to make Victor proud, but to be generous to his brother and sister. Adam threw away his letter, had Heather move in with him at the ranch, declared himself Victor Newman, Jr., and took charge at Newman by firing Neil and hiring Brad.

Then Victor returned to Genoa City alive, and Michael filled him in on what had happened in his absence. Victor summoned his children and Neil to the ranch. First he fired Adam and made Neil CEO of Newman, then told Adam to live elsewhere and said Adam's things would be sent to him. Neil later asked Victoria to return to Newman at her father's suggestion.

Nick and Victoria were thrilled to see their father alive, but although he forgave them for their treatment of Sabrina and thanked them for their actions when they thought he was dead, he was still cold to them and asked them to leave him in his seclusion to heal. Then Victor got Zapato from the kennel where Adam had banished him, fired all the help, made a nationwide statement to leave him alone, and hired security guards to keep everyone away. Even Nikki had to smash a window to try to talk to him. Adam was roughed up by the guards and taken off to jail for trying to see Victor. The family was about to have the surly Victor committed for his own safety, but he managed to disappear, and was last seen flying away on the Newman jet.

Adam approached Cane for a job at Jabot, but was turned down. Even his contacts back in New York City suddenly wanted nothing to do with him. When all else failed, he hooked up with Jack to take on Victor, who Jack felt screwed him over again by helping Nick buy them out. Together they went to Bucerias, Mexico, looking for information on what really happened to Victor there, and returned knowing that the dead man from the boat, who was originally assumed to be Victor, was named Tony Amato.

Adam showed Heather the photo of the dead man in Mexico, and she recognized him as Walter Palin, a.k.a. Tony Amato, the man responsible for Sabrina and David's deaths. After Adam filled her in on what they had found out in Mexico, Heather contacted the Mexican authorities and agreed to work with them to find Victor. Adam and Jack found a publisher for a tell-all book about Victor from the point of view of his long-lost son, Adam, but the publisher wanted Victor's diary that they had told him about. The diary they'd found in Mexico actually contained only a few comments written by Victor, so Jack hired Frank Ellis, a known counterfeiter from Chicago, to complete it, in Jack's own dictated words, admitting to Palin's murder in graphic detail.

Adam realized Jack had set him up to do all the dirty work with Ellis, so they were going to use the dictation to keep Jack involved in the forgery. But Jack outsmarted them; he found the tape and erased it. The police found out that Sophisticate Magazine had published excerpts from the upcoming book, and their handwriting analysis on the diary confirmed Victor had written it. Adam admitted to Heather that he was the one who had found the diary and was publishing the book to have money to ask her to marry him. He asked, and Heather accepted.

Victor returned to Genoa City on the arm of Ashley Abbott. Once Heather found out, Victor was arrested for the murder of Walter Palin, and was confronted with the diary he supposedly had written about the murder. The FBI questioned Jack about his involvement with the diary, but he only admitted that he had hooked Adam up with the publisher. The forger, Frank Ellis, was arrested for something else, and cut a deal to turn over Jack and Adam.

Once Heather started piecing together the story, and with Paul's corroboration that he had seen Adam at the same dive hotel where Jack had a rented room, she confronted Adam with lying to her about his involvement. Adam tried to talk her into marrying him and fleeing the country together, but with a broken heart, she had him arrested instead. Once the truth came out about the forged diary, Victor was released from jail after he gave Adam a stern diatribe that he would not help his son, and Adam needed to take his punishment like a man and learn not to ever turn on his father again. Victor returned to the ranch to find that Ashley had moved in. Victor had a memory of the storm on the ship, which gave the impression that he had told Walter who he was, then abandoned him on the ship and made it ashore on his own.

Adam was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and it was an entire month before Victor was guilted by his memories of Hope into visiting him. He started out telling Adam how proud he was of him, then ended up yelling at him once again before he left. Afterward Adam began plotting a way to get out of prison. His first step was to finally allow Heather to see him; he asked her get him a dermatologist for his skin problems. After Heather visited, she shared her concern with Victor that Adam was showing signs that he was losing his sight.

Knowing that Adam could still inherit his mother's retinitis pigmentosa, Victor arranged for a specialist to run tests on him. The next time he visited Adam, he found that other inmates had beaten Adam to a pulp. Ashley begged Victor to get Adam out of prison, as he would have no chance if he were going blind. Victor was unwilling to help because Adam still showed no remorse for framing Victor for murder. But once again, memories of Hope made him convince the D.A. to have Adam released into Victor's custody under monitored home arrest. Victor confiscated the two million dollars that Adam was paid for the bogus diary, and still expected Adam to somehow repay the $100,000 of it that he had spent.

Victor threw Adam a birthday party, but Adam angered Victor by inviting Heather. Victor gave Adam a Braille computer and Ashley gave him a Braille teacher, which spurred Adam to consider writing a book about his life. Victor threatened Heather and told her to go and never return, then left to find Ashley, so Heather went up to Adam's room. Heather told him she still loved him, was trying to forgive him, and was remembering the good person she once knew. Then they made love. Ashley convinced Victor to allow Heather to see Adam, because the poor young man had nothing else.

Adam was further angered overhearing Victor talk Nick into returning to Newman as full-time COO. Victor said he wanted to leave Newman to his kids -- Victoria and Nick. Adam was causing his own blindness by injecting his eyes with Botox, and hoping his attorney, Rafe, could get him a "get out of jail free card." He lost enough weight to remove his ankle monitor, escaped out his window, and sought revenge on Victor by tormenting Ashley and making her think she was losing her mind again. He bugged the ranch, left a recorder in the woods to make Ashley hear a baby cry, and, by editing things Sabrina had recorded for an art website, created a phone call to Ashley from Sabrina, telling her she was going to die, too.

Adam's most elaborate trick was laying out a replica of the dress and earrings Sabrina was wearing in her fatal accident for Ashley to find and wear. When Ashley went downstairs, ready to go out, Victor was livid and at first blamed Nikki, but Adam set up Victor's house manager, Estella, and Victor fired her. Ashley was rushed to the hospital spotting and in pain. There, in her purse, she found a scrapbook of Sabrina that Adam had sneaked in and planted. Meanwhile J.T. and Victoria nearly caught Adam missing from his room.

Victor found a delivery receipt charged to Ashley's credit card, and asked Olivia to recommend a psychiatrist for Ashley. But after Ashley took a walk in the garden and had a vision of Sabrina telling her she was fine with Ashley being pregnant and making Victor happy, she seemed fine again -- until Adam pulled another trick on her. He appeared as Sabrina and caused Ashley to fall down the stairs and miscarry. Adam cleaned up the mess, and reminded a Dr. Taylor, head of OB/GYN at Harvard, of a letter that Skye had written about him sexually assaulting his patients. Threatening that the letter would ruin the doctor's career, Adam coerced Dr. Taylor to convince Ashley that her baby was fine. Ashley began having a hysterical pregnancy and she still felt the baby move.

Suspicious of Adam again, Victor arranged for another specialist to see Adam. In preparation to inject himself prior to the appointment, Adam broke the vial of Botox, so was expecting the doctor to find him out. But to Adam's shock, the doctor declared that due to the puncture wounds in his eyes, he was actually going blind with retinitis pigmentosa. Adam told them he had been subjected to eye puncture torture in prison, and skated through another close call, but he was seriously distressed by the diagnosis, and of course blamed Victor.

Rafe was hot on Adam's trail, and, in trying to clear his Aunt Estella, confronted Adam. Knowing that Rafe was gay, Adam pretended to be interested in Rafe, and they had a sexual encounter. Afterward, Adam called Heather to come to him immediately. Adam showered, and when she arrived, they made love. Victor asked Rafe to find out who was responsible for the needle attack on Adam, but Rafe discovered the attack was never reported. Rafe accused Adam of lying about it, so Adam hit on him again, but Rafe said he was not a fool. Adam feigned offense, saying he was only scared they would kill him. They kissed and made up, but Nikki walked in and saw them.

Victor flew Mary Jane into town, but later became suspicious of her sanity and arranged for her to leave. Instead, she ended up on his ranch, and Adam stashed her in the garden shed. Ashley became concerned that she was not feeling her baby move anymore, so Adam arranged for Dr. Taylor to do an ultrasound and substitute a recorded sonogram, which reassured her. Victor surprised Ashley by suggesting they get married that very day. Adam was asked to be his best man and Abby was their maid of honor. Victoria happened by on business and was invited to stay. But Adam got Mary Jane to walk by the window dressed as Sabrina after the ceremony, which caused Ashley to faint.

Victor decided to send Adam to a halfway house for the blind to make it less stressful for Ashley, but that idea was dropped after Adam made himself look like a hero chasing Mary Jane off the property, his ankle monitor causing the police to arrive. After finding out from Nikki, Nick told Victor that Adam was gay, and Victor took it amazingly well. Later, Rafe arrived as Heather was leaving and noticed that Adam and Heather had obviously had sex, so Adam told Rafe it was over between them. Rafe later accused Adam of using him, and was suspicious that Adam was behind gaslighting Ashley and framing Rafe's Aunt Estella. But he was never able to prove it, and Estella ended up pleading guilty to a lesser charge. Heather found out about Rafe and Adam's encounter, and broke it off with Adam.

Months later, Jack convinced Ashley to check in to the same mental hospital where Sharon was a patient. Adam followed with Dr. Taylor in tow. It wasn't long afterward that Sharon went into labor, and with no obstetrician on staff, Dr. Taylor was enlisted to deliver her baby. Ashley went into "labor" for her hysterical pregnancy, and begged Adam to deliver her baby in her room. He gave her a drug that knocked her out. Meanwhile Dr. Taylor delivered Sharon's baby girl. Adam snatched her out of Dr. Taylor's arms, and when Ashley awoke, Adam handed her Sharon's baby as her own. Dr. Taylor was forced to deliver the news to Sharon that her baby had been born malformed and died. The baby was cremated, so by the time she told Nick, there was no way to prove differently. Adam's guilt began drawing him close to both Ashley and Sharon.

Victor survived near death and a heart transplant in time to arrive on Nikki's arm for his "daughter" Faith Colleen Newman's christening, where Traci and Adam were godparents. Ashley told Victor she was getting a divorce and was taking the ranch as settlement for their children to grow up there, and he agreed to it. Ashley asked Adam to stay on living at the ranch. Victor insisted Adam have a place at Newman under Nick's purview as a Junior Vice President. On Adam's first day on the job, he gave the SEC an anonymous tip that Victoria had not disclosed to the recently acquired Savaneur company stockholders the gravity of Victor's condition, and they began investigating. Then he continued to pull tricks on both Nick and Victoria to get his foot further in the door at Newman. Victor visited Colleen's grave, bought Nikki a ring, and left Faith a video of his version of his life, then he and Nikki said their goodbyes and left for a cardiac rehab center in Belgium.

Adam and Sharon became romantically involved and impulsively flew off to Lake Tahoe on the Newman jet, and got married. The jet crashed on the way back, and as they were going down, Adam showed Sharon a note that said that her baby was still alive. They survived the crash, but Sharon suffered a head injury, and didn't appear to recall the note. Nick punched Adam when he found out about their marriage, and accused his brother of taking advantage of Sharon to get back at Nick. Adam moved into the Carlton house with Sharon and got along rather well with Noah.

Because Eden was seeing through Daisy's con job, Daisy set the Carlton house on fire while Noah and Eden were upstairs making love. Adam arrived in time to save them and Noah's dog, Fisher, and at the same time make Nick indebted to him. Eden confronted Daisy with a Fenmore's card found at the scene, and was sure Daisy had set the fire. Sharon accepted Ashley's invitation to move into the Newman ranch with her, with Adam knowing he would be uncomfortable living with the two women, because he had taken Sharon's baby and been responsible for the death of Ashley's. That same day, Dr. Taylor showed up, telling Adam that he was going to tell the women the truth. Adam followed him, and they fought in front of Jimmy's Bar. Phyllis happened to walk by just as Adam shoved Dr. Taylor, which caused him to fall in front of a moving car and be killed.

Several months later, Victor returned from Belgium with Nikki on his arm, just in time to catch Adam and Nick in a fistfight and knocking his portrait from his office wall. Victor declared he was back in charge and everything either of them had done would be undone. He later showed up at the ranch to see Ashley and his baby "daughter" Faith, and let Ashley know that he wanted the ranch back.

Jill met wealthy industrialist Tucker McCall on a business trip, but he let her assume he was just a bartender, and they had an affair. Tucker soon showed up at Chancellor to advise Kay and Neil to buy out a company named "Cell Tron" with Chancellor stock. Jill was shocked to walk in on the meeting and discover who Tucker really was, but he managed to talk his way out of it later, and they continued their affair. When the DNA test proved Jo-Jo was not Kay's daughter, it was discovered that Tucker had set Jo-Jo up as part of his plot to get revenge on Kay because he was her missing child. Another DNA test proved it. Tucker turned out to be the only stockholder in Cell Tron, so he owned majority interest in Chancellor, which devastated Katherine. When Kay found out about Tucker and Jill's relationship, she accused Jill of being in on his plot, and fired her from Jabot and Chancellor.

As part of Nick's idea to get Chancellor back to Kay, Victor and Adam staged a public fight and Victor ran an article in Restless Style exposing Adam. So Tucker's first steps were to hire Adam Newman, J.T. Hellstrom, and Kevin Fisher, dump Jill as a lover, and sell Jabot. Because Victor had gotten Adam to disclose the sealed bids, Newman was able to outbid the Abbotts for Jabot. Victor announced Victoria would be CEO, and Gloria would be Jabot Ambassadress, just to stick it to Jack. Jack was livid when Victor fired him, and Jack accused Victor of dirty dealing; Ashley gave Victor back his ranch in disgust. After signing over Jabot to Victor, Tucker received word that Jack had gotten a judge to block the sale, pending investigation of Adam's part in it. When Adam did not show up at the hearing, the case and sale were delayed for thirty days and in the end, Tucker retained Jabot.

After witnessing Dr. Taylor's death, Phyllis did some investigating of Adam and Dr. Taylor's past in Boston, and found out about Dr. Taylor's sexual assaults of his patients. She and Ashley compared notes on Adam, and Ashley realized that he was the one who was gaslighting her to drive her insane, then threw Adam and Sharon off the ranch. Victor and Nick began having second thoughts about trusting Adam, after he came to them threatening to expose them if they screwed him over. Sharon, despite Ashley and Nick's warnings, stood by her man, Adam. Because Abby had inherited Brad's mansion at Colleen's death, Ashley was notified that the fire restoration was completed, and she and her daughters moved in. Adam, afraid that all his lies were about to catch up with him, tried to talk Sharon into moving away, and asked Tucker to make him Vice President of European Operations.

Sharon was finally convinced by Skye's diary that Adam was lying, left him, and took Ashley up on her offer to move back to Brad's mansion. Then Sharon began to realize that her baby had not really died at birth, and was determined to get her back. Meanwhile Jack joined forces with Victor to take Adam down if Jabot could be returned to Chancellor. They plotted to get Sharon to lure Adam to the Abbott cabin, and with all the people Adam had wronged in attendance, even Rafe and Heather, they confronted Adam with what they knew. Adam played innocent even after Phyllis arrived with a deathbed letter Dr. Taylor had dictated to the ambulance EMT, which was meant for Ashley. The letter told Ashley that she had suffered a miscarriage months before and a hysterical pregnancy afterward, so she never gave birth that night. Ashley remembered meeting "Sabrina" on the stairs and falling, and realized it had to have been Adam. Everyone realized that her baby, Faith, was really Sharon's.

A DNA test later proved it, and Ashley reluctantly gave Faith to Sharon. Everyone went home and left Adam with Victor, Nick, and Jack, but, fearing they would kill him, Adam escaped into the woods and fell down a ravine. He was hospitalized and arrested, however, he claimed insanity and that the Newmans and Abbotts had kidnapped him. "Emily" was assigned to give Adam a psychiatric evaluation. Since she was really Patty Williams, she knew all too well that Adam was a major manipulator, always managing to escape detection, so she declared him fit to stand trial. But Adam saw through her guise, let her know that he knew she was really Patty, and threatened to expose her if she didn't help him escape.

Patty arrived at the hospital to give him a sedative for transport, but he used it on the guard and then on her. While Patty lay on the floor unconscious, Adam showed up in Sharon's room at the Athletic Club in costume while the annual charity masquerade ball went on in the dining room below. Sharon got him to admit to accidentally causing Ashley's miscarriage and getting Dr. Taylor to switch their babies, then Nick arrived, and Adam escaped out the window.

"Emily" arrived late to the ball, spotted Adam among the crowd, and blasted him for using the same syringe on her and the guard. He threatened her again with exposing her as Patty. Sharon and Nick rushed in to the ball and told the police that Adam had just been there, as Sharon got a call from Adam demanding to meet her in the basement or "people will get hurt." Victor, Nick, Jack, Rafe, Heather, Paul, Ashley, and Patty went to the basement in search of Adam. Then an explosion rocked the building and sent everyone running for the street.

Victor and Jack rescued Jill and Kay, who were trapped in the restroom, and Nick rescued Phyllis, then Sharon and Faith, who had gone back upstairs. It was revealed that a gas line had been cut and a body burned beyond recognition found nearby. The body was later identified by DNA as Adam, and the lack of smoke in the lungs proved that he had been murdered before the fire. Suspects were Nick, Jack, Victor, Phyllis, Sharon, Victoria, "Emily," Ashley, Rafe, Heather, Billy, and Nikki. Heather was suspended from the D.A.'s office for her involvement in the incident at the cabin.

Evidence collected by Detective Chance Chancellor included Jack Abbott's monogrammed handkerchief found in the victim's mouth; blood on Nick's suit coat, which Phyllis and Sharon had connived to hide from the police; and Victor's broken watch stained with Adam's blood. Victor told District Attorney Pomerantz that he backslapped Adam in the basement after Adam taunted him about losing another child in Faith, which sent his watch flying, but he did not kill Adam. Nick cautioned Victor that they were "both involved in what happened" when he did not mention that Nick was there too. A homeless person found Nick's suit coat in a dumpster. Billy and Mac got him to give it up, and Mac turned it over to the police. Because a fancy European pen found at the crime scene was determined to be the murder weapon that had stabbed Adam in the heart and was traced to Victoria, she was arrested for Adam's murder.

Victor and Nikki were about to fly Adam's remains to be buried next to Hope in Kansas. But after Pomerantz revealed the contents of Adams's computer hard drive to contain video from the spy camera he had planted at the ranch and voice clips of Sabrina, Victor instead shoved the casket out the cargo door of the plane. At Victoria's arraignment, Billy interrupted, proclaiming her innocence because she was in his hotel room at the time of the murder, but Victoria refused to admit it was true. Meanwhile, Jill was reporting this latest Newman scandal on the Restless Style website, and was Twittering updates, for which Billy later fired her. Charges were later dropped against Victoria when Nick's coat was found, and he was arrested.

Nick explained the blood on his coat by admitting he was there when Victor had struck Adam. But Victor intervened and confessed to killing his son. All charges were dropped, and Nick and Victor were released from jail. However, Nick was arrested again after Adam's last cell phone message was retrieved. Adam had set them up saying the family had him trapped in the basement and he doubted he would get out alive, then said, "No, don't Nick!" While in jail, Nick was attacked with a hypodermic needle by Adam's former cohort, Frank Ellis, which led to Nick's being allowed out on bail for his own safety. Another call from Adam's phone was traced to a pay phone in a Minneapolis café.

Phyllis and Sharon went through the police evidence with Michael and found a Minneapolis parking stub. In Minneapolis, Phyllis and Sharon came upon a poster for missing person Richard Hightower, and Phyllis recognized him as the man who was costumed identically to Adam at the ball. The manager and waitress at the café identified Adam, and said Hightower was the man with a little boy who had met Adam there. Victor discovered that Adam had never gone back to Hope's grave in Kansas like he said he had when he disappeared for a week shortly before his death, and Paul uncovered the fact that Hightower had leukemia and had gotten a bone marrow transplant from Adam in Minneapolis instead. Nick put it all together -- the resemblance between the missing Richard Hightower and Adam, the bone marrow that was used for the identification would have the same DNA as Adam, and the body burned beyond recognition -- and realized that Adam had probably killed Hightower and faked his own death.

Nick and Phyllis shared their theory with Victor and Nikki, and Sharon produced a letter from a bank that confirmed that Adam had withdrawn all his cash on the day he supposedly died. A bearded Adam was shown lounging on a beach with a drink in his hand. Victor, Nick, and Jack dug up Adam's grave, and an expert took dental impressions of the body to be compared to Hightower's while the three were arrested. Meanwhile, Sharon and Phyllis found a mask in the cornfield where Adam's cab had dropped him the night of the ball. But a crop duster dumped pesticide on them, causing Sharon lung poisoning. Nick arrived and got her to the hospital in time to save her.

The dental records confirmed the body was Hightower, so Pomerantz decided to arrest Nick for Hightower's murder. Victor got the crop duster pilot to admit that Adam had paid him to fly him to Ottawa, and Victor demanded the pilot take him there too. Like Adam before him, Victor parachuted out of the plane, winding up at a bar, where he befriended bartender, Meggie McClain. Meggie flirted with Victor, but Victor let her know that he was taken, and spoke about his reclaimed love for his ex-wife Nikki back in Genoa City.

Adam rolled over in bed to his old girlfriend Skye Lockhart, who supposedly was murdered and dismembered two years prior. Skye assured him that they had covered his tracks well. Adam wanted to leave immediately, but Skye reminded him of the upcoming poker score of a lifetime, and that they had bribed Brazilian officials not to extradite them if they were caught. Victor found Shaw Roberts, the thug who had helped Adam get out of Ottawa on a Portuguese freighter, but Shaw would not tell Victor anything. Then Adam received a phone call in São Paulo, Brazil, apparently from Shaw telling him that Victor had been knocked over the head after tracking Adam to the bar.

Together, Jack and Victor hoped to set up Skye and Adam by posing as high rollers who were losing millions. Sharon called the phone number, and Adam, who was grieving losing her, answered. Sharon led him to believe that she still loved him, and later Victor asked her to join them to help set Adam up. Nick's trial began with Michael as his lawyer, hoping to prove that Adam had set Hightower up and faked his own death by killing Hightower and blaming Nick. Meanwhile back in São Paulo, Skye and Victor were the final players a high-stakes poker game - winner take all, including Adam. Victor won, and Skye led him to Adam.

Victor forced Adam to return to Genoa City with him and Sharon, leaving Skye behind with a briefcase full of cash. Victor interrupted Nick's trial, expecting Adam to confess like Victor had coerced him after finding Adam alive, but instead Adam faked a mental breakdown and was taken to the same mental facility as Patty. She was unaware that Adam was there or even still alive. He tormented Patty by entering her room through the air ducts and made her believe that she had killed Hightower. Patty confessed to the staff. In his room down the hall, Adam was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder. Patty, realizing that Adam gotten her to confess, told Paul that she "killed the other Adam." In court, Paul got Patty to rave about how she did other things that were impossible, so she was declared unfit to stand trial and returned to the state facility.

Adam asked Billy to get Rafe to be his lawyer, but Rafe told him to "go to hell." As Adam's bail hearing began with him acting as his own lawyer, Skye waltzed in with famous lawyer, Vance Abrams, who got Adam released on bail. Skye paid his bail in exchange for becoming Adam's wife. Pomerantz refused to exonerate Nick, but proceeded with the case against Adam. As Phyllis had promised herself, once it was over, she left Nick due to his inability to let go of Sharon. She kicked Sharon out of her penthouse and moved back in.

When Adam found out that Patty was telling everyone she was sure that she did not murder Hightower, he helped her escape through the air ducts, and sent her in a nun’s habit to Canada. Paul was sure that Adam helped her escape, but Skye had arranged an air-tight alibi. Adam discovered that Sharon took Faith to get away to the Abbott cabin. He attempted to get in, scared her, and she shot him in the arm with a gun that Nick had left for her protection. Nick arrived, called an ambulance, and Adam was taken to the hospital where he recovered and exonerated Sharon as having been understandably scared, not knowing it was him. Paul later received a call from a red-headed, black cat-tattooed Patty in a bar in South America. She told him that she was fine but would never return, as she twisted the rosary beads in her hand and necked with a guy and asked him if she could call him Jack.

Skye invested her gambling winnings by creating a hedge fund she called “The Newman Fund”, with the intention to become rich and get Adam back his good name. Adam’s pre-trial conspiracy hearing was held with him making Vance promise not to question Sharon’s credibility. Vance did not, but he brought up Ashley’s past mental breakdowns, and the Newman’s vendetta against Adam to win, and the evidence against Adam declared insufficient to take to trial. Richard Hightower’s young son, Justin, attended, and Victor assured his guardian that he would take care of Justin for the rest of his life. Adam’s deceased mother, Hope, appeared to Adam in a dream to tell him that “I will never rest in peace knowing what you’ve done.” Victor gathered the Abbotts and Newmans together and very un-Victor-like, told them all to let it go, that karma would pay Adam back in the end. They each were served with a summons later for a civil suit for holding Adam against his will –- all except Sharon. Michael met with Vance, called it frivolous, but Vance said they would accept nothing less than twenty million dollars in damages.

Skye warned Adam that he was risking the success of their hedge fund by filing the lawsuit, and damaging their relationship by always favoring Sharon, reminding him that Sharon was never going to forgive him for stealing her baby Faith. Victor arranged a settlement meeting with Adam and his lawyer Vance. Victor persuaded them to drop the lawsuit against the Newmans when he presented Skye as his star witness saying that she was ready to testify that Adam planted the ring to fake Skye’s death and disclose that she knew all about Adam’s dirty dealings with Dr. Taylor, Sharon and Ashley. As they left, Skye warned Adam that she was in control, and not to screw her over again. Unfortunately, the Abbotts had legally separated their lawsuit from the Newman’s, so theirs was not settled.

Victor and Jack conspired to invest in the Newman Fund as the N.A. Partnership along with some other friends of Jack’s, intending to pool their money and destabilize the fund, then shorting the shares when Skye and Adam would be forced to sell. Jack cavorted with Skye and they were caught in bed together by Adam. Meanwhile D.A. Heather Stevens had Skye investigated. Heather confronted Skye and Adam with the discovery that San Paulo Judge Medeiros; the man whom Skye had bribed and who also headed the San Paulo mafia; had disappeared along with a lot of money. In fact the balance he took when he closed his bank account was nearly same amount that Skye opened her account with on her arrival in Genoa City.

To publicize the Newman Fund, Skye got Billy to do a Restless Style cover story on her. But it backfired when Phyllis added the fact that Skye’s marriage to Adam was not as it seemed because Skye was having an affair with Jack. Skye was furious, knowing the damage this could do to the hedge fund, so she denied the accusation, and she and Adam made a pact to appear to be the happy newlyweds in public.

In mid-October 2010, a storm was brewing, so Adam begged a ride home with Sharon and Faith from Crimson Lights. Hearing that a tornado was heading right for them, they got out of the car, got soaked, and took shelter in a barn. Adam made Faith a nest in the hay and covered her with his clothes to keep her warm. The tornado approached, shaking the barn, and causing the doors to fly open. Adam and Sharon struggled to hold the barn doors against the wind as Nick discovered Sharon’s car overturned. Once the doors were secured, the barn started breaking apart, and Adam dove to protect Faith as a beam fell from above. Sharon pulled off the debris and found Faith alive and well, thanks to Adam’s protection, but he was hurt. Nick showed up at the barn as Adam got to his feet, wincing from the pain in his leg.

Adam recovered, and with new determination to no longer be under Skye’s thumb, he packed a bag and withdrew $100,000 from the hedge fund, intending to take a bus and leave town. After Skye discovered Adam had taken the money she contacted Sharon and told her she'd better convince Adam not to leave town or Skye would report the theft to the police and send Adam back to jail. So Sharon convinced Adam not to leave, which made him determined to get Skye out of his life and become a better man. Adam sent the $100,000 to Richard Hightower’s young son, Justin, and took a job as a bartender at Gloworm. Although they later returned the money, and Adam quit the job at Gloworm. After taking office, the new D.A. delivered the news to Adam that he would not be pursuing any of former D.A. Pomerantz’s cases.

Adam served Skye with divorce papers and gave her a contract which removed him from the Newman Fund and gave her all the money. Although Victor and Jack’s plan to ruin Adam was to sell all their shares from the hedge fund after the end of the year, Victor suddenly pulled his share of their investment in November, causing the fund to collapse and costing millions of dollars in losses to Jack and the friends he had brought in as investors. Jack was livid that Victor had blindsided him once again, and warned him that he was in trouble with the FCC over what he had done. But having faith in Skye’s ability, Jack ordered his broker to buy up all the remaining shares of the Newman Fund while it was at rock bottom in an attempt to recoup.

The police were called to Skye’s room at the Athletic Club which had been trashed and Skye’s blood was found, but she was missing. Victor told everyone he was leaving town to visit all his subsidiaries around the world. He stopped at the ranch to pack and ran into Nikki, who had just gotten out of rehab. Nikki tried to reason with him but he refused to listen, telling her that they were through, and to pack her things and be gone from the ranch before he returned. Victor boarded his jet, and Skye was there waiting to leave with him. Skye recalled how she had gone to Victor in desperation when the hedge fund had failed, and Adam had left her holding the bag and facing prison. So Victor had made it appear that Skye was dead to set up Adam for her murder. Victor gave Skye a new identity and promised to take care of her financially for the rest of her life so long as she did not play high stakes poker or divulge who she was. With a veiled threat that he had bested her two times, and if she screwed him over the third time, she would be “out”, Victor delivered Sky to the middle of a Hawaiian jungle where a car awaited her.

Sharon ended up in New Orleans with Adam following her, Nick and Michael following him, and Phyllis following them. Sharon strolled the French Quarter, had her fortune told at Marie Laveau’s, and ran into Adam as she toured a cemetery. Sharon was swept away by Adam again as he romanced her with dinner at Oak Alley Plantation, where they ended up spending the night making love. Sharon was convinced that she was meant to be with Adam, until the next morning when they came upon a carousel that reminded her of Cassie. She told Adam that the night the spent together was just a fantasy, and that she belonged with Nick and their children. Then Nick and Michael arrived with a Marshall who took Adam into custody for questioning in the murder of Skye. When Nick discovered that Sharon was with Adam by choice, and was still defending Adam, he broke things off with her. After Nick heard that Adam and Sharon had spent the night together it only confirmed his decision.

Back in Genoa City the next day, Adam was questioned by Ronan Malloy, and Sharon as well, for a possible conspiracy to get rid of Skye so that she and Adam could be together. Sharon believed in Adam’s innocence, so she hired Vance’s associate, Leslie Michaelson, to represent Adam. Noah, Michael, and Ashley couldn’t believe Sharon would do such a thing after what Adam had done to Sharon in the past, and Nick decided to sue for custody of Faith rather than his daughter being anywhere near Adam. And Nikki suggested Sharon protect her children by leaving town with Adam and never coming back. When they returned to the athletic club, Adam and Sharon were thrown out, so they rented a sleazy hotel room.

Phyllis published a cover story titled ‘Sharon Newman the Heroine Addict’, which exposed her penchant for always doing crazy things to mess up her life then needing to be rescued, the latest being her love for Adam who had deceived her, kidnapped her baby Faith, and told her that Faith was dead. Even Sharon’s son Noah had to agree that the story was pretty spot-on. Adam and Sharon uncovered a freight elevator security camera photo from the night Skye supposedly was killed which showed two people under an umbrella, and Adam recognized Skye’s purse and shoes. They dared Phyllis to help them prove Adam’s innocence for an exclusive story. Phyllis and Jack instead discovered a sack behind a dumpster that contained Skye’s same purse and shoes, which only further incriminated Adam and led to his arrest for suspicion of murder.

In their quest to prove that Skye was still alive, Adam and Sharon located the only supplier of Skye’s favorite Galibier perfume in Monaco, who had just shipped an order to a post office box in Hawaii. Sharon flew to Hawaii, but the proprietor of the general store where the box was located claimed no knowledge of Skye, even though he had just spoken to her. Knowing Skye’s craving for adventure, Sharon took a guided moonlight hike on an active volcano. Skye was there alone looking very plain with no makeup and braids, and they met when Sharon was separated from her group. After Skye refused to return home with Sharon, Sharon took a photo as proof that Skye was alive. But Skye reached for Sharon’s camera, lost her footing and fell into the volcano. Sharon held on to Skye and promised she would not let her go, but Skye lost her footing and fell to her death with her final words, “I would not bet on that.” Victor watched unseen in the dark, doing nothing to help. Sharon was unable to convince the authorities that Skye had ever been there, and Victor made sure when he found her glove and tossed it into the volcano. Then Victor set Skye’s shack on fire. Later, back in Genoa City, Adam and his attorney, Leslie, believed Sharon, but the police assumed she had made up the story as an attempt to free Adam.

Posing as a surfer, Jack went to Hawaii hoping to find evidence to prove that Victor was involved in Skye’s death. No one would admit to seeing Skye, but Jack found Skye’s burned shack, and in it the remains of a bottle of Galibier perfume. Later Jack saw someone turn in a set of keys found on the volcano which included the mailbox key the perfume was delivered to, and the same key ring Skye had had been photographed holding in the Newman elevator security tape. The evidence got Adam released from jail and cleared of all charges in Skye’s death. But after Adam moved in with Sharon at her house on the Newman ranch, and Sharon was still awarded shared custody of Faith, Victor made sure that Sharon was arrested for Skye’s murder in Hawaii. Then Victor later inexplicably posted her half-million dollar bail anonymously. Sharon realized she was in serious trouble after being confronted with a video taken by tourist at the volcano that night which included only the part of their conversation, when she had yelled at Sky and told her she would pay for setting up Adam for Skye’s supposed murder. Phyllis had second thoughts after she posted the video on the website, knowing that Sharon wouldn’t have killed Skye, and she and Jack offered to help her prove that she was innocent.

Ashley confronted Sharon about living with and forgiving Adam after all he had put them through, saying she would never have handed over Faith if she had known that she would allow Adam near Faith. When Adam arrived Ashley left, saying maybe it was karma that people wouldn’t believe her now, just as they hadn’t believed Ashley when she was under Adam’s influence.

Because Adam knew Skye’s habits and the passwords she always used, he was able to locate her offshore bank accounts, and being her next of kin by marriage he had acquired all the money Victor had paid Skye to play dead. Adam approached Jack with a deal to resurrect the Newman Fund again. Jack had bought up most of the shares when they became worthless, so he knew that he stood to make a lot of money. Jack called Adam a lowlife bastard, and Adam called Jack a sanctimonious jackass, then they agreed to become partners. They agreed that Sharon and Phyllis were not to know. Jack discovered that a man named David Pelson had been getting monthly checks from the Newman Fund. Adam filled in the blank that Pelson went to Harvard with Skye and Adam, and must have been giving her inside information. Jack felt that he was savvy enough to work the fund himself, but Adam disagreed, so they decided that each would manage their own money they put into fund. After Jack left, he ran into Victor, and goaded him that he had discovered that the fund with his name on it had done some illegal insider trading which the S.E.C. might be interested in. Meanwhile Adam contacted Pelson.

Adam chose the Valentines puppy love benefit to ask Sharon to marry him again, and she accepted, while Nick looked disgustedly at them from across the room.

Adam decided to make it appear that Skye was still alive. Using her old alias, Grace Harwood, Adam found more of her bank accounts online. He ordered some of her favorite Galibier perfume and an expensive pair of stiletto shoes to be delivered to a post office box she always kept in France. Meanwhile, Phyllis and Jack in Hawaii, discovered that the general store owner, Koa Aneko, had suddenly come into a lot of money and left the island. Then they found a guy who sold them a video showing Victor lurking in the shadows as Skye fell to her death. Once back home, Phyllis showed Nick the video, and Nick confronted Victor, calling him a damn liar. Even after he was confronted with the existence of the video, Victor still claimed that he was not involved.

Victor was desperate to make sure he did not lose the breach of trust lawsuit brought by Victoria, Abby and Nick, so Victor made a deal with Adam. Adam was to claim that he had forged their new trust agreements during the time when Victor was supposedly dead and Adam had control of Newman. In exchange, Victor drew up a new trust agreement for Adam, and Victor guaranteed Adam that he would not be prosecuted for the forgery, and that Sharon would be freed from the murder charges.

Adam testified at the arbitration hearing, but Sharon later talked him into backing out of the deal. When Victor found out, he threatened to expose that Adam had been making it look like Skye was still alive in an attempt to clear Sharon. Then Nick talked Adam into leaving town instead to both avoid Victor, and to reunite Sharon with her daughter Faith.

The next day, Neil testified that when Adam was in charge at Newman, Neil had kept Adam from accessing anything that would have made the forgery possible. The judge awarded Abby, Victoria, and Nick five hundred million dollars each, and ordered Adam arrested for perjury. Adam went to Tucker to offer his stock options, and Tucker paid Adam double the projected stock price. Victor found out and warned Tucker that he was not going to allow him to swallow up Newman.

Meanwhile had Adam tracked down Koa and left on a plane for Bangkok, Thailand where he found Koa in a beach bar. Adam couldn't trick Koa into telling him about the night that Skye died in Hawaii, nor could he after telling him who he really was and what he knew. So Adam paid the bartender to get Koa drunk, then Adam followed him to his hotel. After Koa passed out, Adam searched his room, and found a video of Skye's death. As he turned to leave Koa hit him over the head and knocked him out.

Back in Genoa City, Paul had located Adam for Sharon. Because she was still out on bail and could not leave the country, Sharon got a fake passport in her daughter's name and boarded a plane for Bangkok with Phyllis following her. Phyllis watched unseen as Sharon was arrested and removed from the plane, and she continued on to Bangkok convinced that Sharon was going there to meet Adam.

Adam awoke but the camera was missing, so he returned to the bar looking for Koa, and ran into Phyllis who informed him that Sharon was back in jail and a warrant had been issued for his arrest for perjury. Adam explained what had happened with Koa, and they went back to Koa's room to look for clues and to wait for him to return. Finding a pair of weighted dice, Phyllis and Adam paid a bellman to find a crap game where Koa might show up, and he did. Koa told them that Skye had given him the dice as present, and he had sold Sharon's camera at a flea market. Adam and Phyllis tied Koa to the hotel room bed, and searched the flea market for the camera, which they found missing its memory chip. So they gave up, went back to the hotel to get Koa to testify at Sharon's trial, but he was gone.

Meanwhile Sharon's mother, Doris, visited Sharon in jail to tell her that she was through standing by her daughter, that she had hit rock bottom since falling for Adam. Sharon's murder trial began with the famous Vance Abrams as her attorney.

Adam returned to Genoa City where he testified about the video at Sharon's trial, but no one believed him, and Sharon refused a plea bargain. Phyllis stayed in Thailand and bought every memory chip she could find that would fit the camera. She returned with them to Genoa City where she enlisted Malcolm's help to try to find and retrieve the video from one of the erased memory chips.

Sharon was found guilty, but Adam arranged an elaborate escape for her from the courthouse. After subduing her guard in the restroom, Sharon escaped out the barred window which Adam had left cut for her. Using the fake ID, a car, clothes, and hair dye Adam supplied, Sharon stopped to see Doris, who tried to talk her into giving herself up. Then Sharon headed for Sedona, Arizona where she would eventually meet Adam. Meanwhile, Adam led Phyllis and Nick on a wild goose-chase in St. Maarten.

Sharon called Adam to let him know that she had arrived and was waiting for him at a hotel. But the more Sharon thought about her situation, she decided that everyone would be better off without her, and wrote apologetic goodbye notes to Adam, Noah and Faith, leaving them behind as she drove away. Later Sharon was carjacked by a man and a woman and left alone on the road. Later, the car wrecked out, the female occupant was killed and badly burned, and Sharon's ID was found nearby.

Adam arrived at the motel in Sedona, found the notes that Sharon had left, and was disheartened to realize that she had run away. Meanwhile Sharon made it to a diner and bought a sandwich with her remaining money. Adam heard a radio broadcast announcing the accident and that fugitive Sharon Newman had been killed. Adam went to accident site, watched and cried to think that the love of his life was gone. Relatives and friends in Genoa City were horrified. Adam identified the burned body by his engagement ring, her body type, dyed hair color, and clothes.

Adam broke the news to Doris, who gave him hell until he showed her the goodbye letters Sharon had left, which convinced Doris that Sharon had really loved Adam. Doris told Adam that she would take care of the funeral and that he was not welcome. Victor flew to New York City to retrieve Noah. Jack and Billy gave the Newmans hell, accusing them of sitting back and letting Sharon become yet another victim of Victor as he tried to get even with Adam.

Meanwhile Sharon heard the news, and made it to a ranch in the New Mexico desert, where she spent the night in a barn. The owner, Veterinarian, Sam Gibson woke her up, and she told him her name was Sheri Coleman. Sam told her that she could stay and asked her to assist in birthing a lamb which Sharon named Fanny.

Back in Genoa City, Adam was threatened with arrest for aiding a fugitive. Adam felt guilty for causing Sharon's death by talking her into escaping, and pled with his dead mother Hope to look after Sharon and tell him how to go on without her.

Noah and Doris planned a lovely funeral for Sharon, Nick gave a touching eulogy about her being the first love of his life and Sharon being together with her daughter Cassie now. Adam, who had been barred from the funeral, climbed up the church's arbors into the bell tower, and interrupted the service. He told everyone there how they contributed to the death of Sharon by how they treated her, and Victor that he didn't help her when she needed him.

Adam made a deal with Victor to give him the goodbye letters that Sharon had left for her children if he would get all charges against him dropped. But once Detective Spencer Walsh saw the letters, he declared Sharon's death a suicide. Adam inherited Sharon's house on the Newman Ranch house in Sharon's will and continued to live there to further plague the Newmans. After Victor filed and annulment from Diane, she got Jack to take Kyle, and jobless again with nowhere else to go, Diane took Adam up on his offer to be his roommate, knowing it would further infuriate Victor. Before Adam was even aware, Victor had Michael get a court order to keep Adam and Diane from crossing Victor's property to get to Adam's, so they moved to the Athletic Club.

Meanwhile, Sharon as "Sheri," was disturbed when she saw the suicide posts on her Faceplace memorial page. But she agreed to stay on at Sam's ranch to assist in his veterinary practice. Doris asked Nick and Adam to help when Sharon's life insurance would not pay due to her suspected suicide, so they went to San Pueblo, New Mexico, to try to convince the authorities that Sharon's death was an accident. Afterward, Nick and Diane flew back home, while Adam waited for the forensic expert at the county fair where Sharon, Sam, and the young neighbor girl Piper Sheffield just happened to be. Sharon spotted Adam as he told the forensic expert how hard it was to get over her death, and the expert confirm that evidence showed that Sharon's "death" had been accidental. After Sharon left with Sam, Adam was approached by the man who had carjacked Sharon. He asked Adam if he was sure that the dead woman had been Sharon and not his missing wife. The man later showed up at the ranch looking for his wife, but did not get to see Sharon to recognize her.

Adam plotted with Diane to keep Victor busy on the day that Newman stock went public while Adam told the world that Victor was dead, so that he could buy shares when the prices fell. Then when Victor let them know he was alive, the stock would rise and Adam would sell and be rich. At the last minute, Diane let Jack in on the plan, so he was poised to do the same. Diane went to the ranch, told Victor that she was pregnant by him, and he demanded a paternity test. As she was about to leave, she faked severe pains, and begged him to accompany her to the hospital in the ambulance. They left after Diane disabled Victor's cell phone. As Victor held Diane's hand in the ambulance, Adam began to execute the plan. Michael heard the newsflash that Victor had had a stroke and died. He tried to phone Victor, but got no answer. Adam in his hotel room and Jack at Gloworm with his laptop each gave the order to buy as soon as the stock price began to fall. Genevieve Atkinson joined Jack and marveling at his stock market skills, slyly accused him of having insider information. After the market closed, Adam, Jack, and Diane met for a champagne celebration of their profits. Victor showed up and told them they would never get away with it.

Later after reviewing the facts with Victor, Gus, who was a former Newman legal advisor before working with the F.C.C., determined that stock manipulation could not be proven against Adam, but possibly could be against Diane. After Adam paid Diane off in cash and revealed the trouble that she was in, Diane prepared to leave town, but was caught by Gus who told her that she would be arrested if she tried. Victor filed a lawsuit charging Jack, Adam, and Diane with stock fraud and personally handed each their grand jury summons. But Victor later made a deal with Diane to change her testimony to say that Ashley did not deliberately running down Tucker in exchange for the S.E.C. focusing on Jack and Adam. Diane carried out her part of the bargain, but Victor was unable to keep his. Furious with Adam and Victor for taking advantage of her again, Diane made deal with the D.A. to tell all she knew on Adam and Jack in exchange for immunity, then teamed up with Deacon to bring Adam down. Jack responded to the summons by informing Adam that he was shutting down the Newman Fund, so Adam just convinced their clients to move their investments to his new company, Oak Alley Partners.

Meanwhile Adam, still trying to clear Sharon's name, found the correct erased memory chip that once contained the video of Sharon attempting to save Skye. That same day, Sharon was recognized and arrested while attending a barn dance with Sam while hiding out in New Mexico. Sharon was extradited back to Genoa City, and her family was shocked to hear that she was still alive. One by one they visited her in jail, Nick told her she was selfish and washed his hands of her. Noah was at first resentful that she could abandon him and Faith, but Eden talked him into going to see his mother where they hugged and reconciled. Adam arrived, elated to see that his Sharon was alive, and let her know that he understood why she let them all think she was dead. But later when Adam returned he caught her and Sam in an embrace and realized that Sharon had not been faithful to him. Feeling betrayed, Adam threw the memory chip that would have vindicated Sharon into the creek with her ashes. Victor came to Sharon to help and verbally attacked Sam for trying to get something from them, but Sam was able to convince Victor that he had been the one to take Sharon in, and had fallen in love with her. Later after Sharon begged Adam for forgiveness, she sent Sam back home, but Victor asked him to stay. Noah was devastated when Adam later told him there was nothing found on the memory chip, and that there was nothing Adam could do to help Sharon.

Sharon was convicted to serve thirty years in prison without parole. Both Leslie and Phyllis figured out that Adam was withholding the evidence that would clear Sharon, and Phyllis wrote an article exposing him. Sam confronted Adam, telling him that he had better hand over anything he had. D.A. Spencer offered Sharon a deal to stay in the local jail until her appeal if she would sign an affidavit saying that Adam helped her escape from jail. Adam told Sharon he still loved her, and asked her to remarry him, but instead Adam backed out in the middle of the jail house ceremony held just to humiliate Sharon. Victor hired famous New York lawyer, Avery Bailey Clark, to handle Sharon's appeal.

Adam discovered that Diane had met with the D.A., and he confronted her, but she denied that she had made a deal. Adam disclosed his plan to frame Victor for Diane's murder which he promised would land Victor in jail, leave them both very rich, and Diane in another country with a new identity. Although Diane proclaimed it risky, she agreed to the plan. After Adam left, Diane called the D.A. and confirmed their agreement to convict Adam. Adam was later served with a grand jury indictment for stock manipulation and fraud, and his computer and files were seized. Victor removed Adam from the Newman board due to the disgrace he had brought to the company.

As part of Adam's plot, Diane told Victor that she was turning state's evidence against Adam, so had to disappear and could not take Kyle. Then she convinced Victor to sign papers to become Kyle's legal guardian. Adam gave Diane cash and forged identity papers in the names of Jennifer and Timothy Bilton. Diane sent Kyle to boarding school in Switzerland as Timothy, telling him not to contact anyone, and that she would be joining him soon.

Adam met with his attorney Leslie and realizing that Diane had not only ratted him out, but cost him his hedge fund and his board seat, said that Diane was bound to get herself killed. But Adam offered to continue with the frame up of Victor if Diane would recant everything she had told the D.A. Diane agreed and wrote it up. After Diane received a message that the funds from Adam had been deposited in her Swiss bank account, she sent a text message to everyone who had threatened her to meet her at the footbridge in the park. The next morning, viewers saw those same people looking suspiciously like they had just killed someone. Meanwhile Diane's body floated face down in the stream in the park. Murphy went there to fish, discovered the dead body, and called the police. The autopsy results were that Diane had been hit over the head ten times with a blunt object, an impression of a Harvard ring was found on Diane's arm, and a small key was found in Diane's mouth.

One by one, the suspects who had received Diane's text were questioned by newly rehired detective Ronan Malloy. Adam said nothing but recalled to himself meeting Diane at the stream, and how they had set up the scene to frame Victor, emptying the contents of Diane's purse, creating drag marks, putting her blood on a rock, and placing Victor's stolen watch under it. Diane told Adam she didn’t trust him and had taken precautions; that Gingerman, the man who photographed the ambulance leaving the ranch, would be naming Adam as his source for the "Victor stroke story" if she did not make it safely to Switzerland. Ronan showed Adam Diane's exoneration letter that they had found with Diane's purse. Adam gave an alibi as being at the Athletic Club bar, and tipped them to suspect Jack as he left.

When Adam's alibi times did not check out with his credit card receipts from the bar, Ronan returned with a warrant to search Adam's hotel room and confiscated his Harvard ring. When Adam's Harvard ring did not match the imprint on Diane's arm, Ronan got a search warrant to check out Jack's. But after Kyle overheard Ronan, Kyle stole Jack's ring so that Jack would not be implicated by it.

Victor told Ronan he did not respond to Diane's text, but recalled to himself how they had met at the stream, and Diane had convince him that Adam was setting him up for her murder by showing him that Adam had planted Victor's watch under the rock. Then Diane had asked Victor to help her, and when he refused, she attacked him. Later Victor ran into Adam at the Athletic Club bar and presented Adam with the watch. Victor told Adam that he was going to use it to prove that Adam murdered Diane, and that try as he might, Adam would never outsmart him. Later Victor recalled seeing Diane floating in the stream.

Ronan questioned Victor about the guardianship papers which could have been a motive if he felt that Diane had double-crossed him by sending Kyle to Switzerland. Victor responded by giving Ronan his watch asserting that Adam had stolen it to frame him. Since Adam was the prime suspect, Ronan said he would be happy to check it for Adam's prints.

Adam wouldn't admit it, but Avery realized that he had destroyed the memory card. Avery got Sharon a new trial by coercing the DA with proof that he had knowledge of two jurors posting online about the trial.

Ronan let Adam know that they had evidence that the gouge in Adam's ring which had disqualified it from matching the mark on Diane's arm had been made since the murder. Adam was their number one suspect and he was not to leave town. But Adam was later caught at the airport, and convinced the police that he was going for a trial experimental sub-retinal implant. His story checked out, and he left town. Adam's surgery was successful, and he went to the prison to tell Sharon, but she rejected him. Avery overheard and tried to convince Adam to do the right thing and help Sharon go free.

After excellent opening arguments from both sides, Sharon's retrial began with Adam as the first prosecution witness. Adam testified to Sharon's infidelity with Sam, and how she had abandoned her children. After Adam said he didn't know if Sharon may have killed Skye, Avery read him the transcript from the first trial where he had defended Sharon saying that she went there to prove Skye was alive to save him, not to kill Skye. Avery made Heather look so bad, that Walsh the D.A. offered Sharon a deal. Although Sharon could have been assured of serving only 18 months more, she refused to admit to killing Skye and turned down the plea bargain.

The key found in Diane's mouth unlocked an abandoned lockbox in the athletic club safe which had been Diane's. It contained her diary, and on July twenty-fifth, there was an entry saying that if anything happened to her it would be done by Victor or Adam, and five pages were missing from the days just before her death.

Victor's shoes were found at a Goodwill store outside of Racine, and a donation receipt was found in his closet. Ronan brought Victor in for questioning, but Victor claimed he had been set up by Adam. Leaving Adam and Victor alone in his bugged office, after each accused the other of the murder, Ronan overheard Adam admit that when he had talked to Diane at the footbridge she had not yet spoken to Victor, so Victor had to have talked to Diane about Adam setting Victor up later on the night she died. Adam left the police station and spoke to an unseen person at a warehouse, accusing them of writing Diane's "bogus" diary.

One evening, a text message was sent from Ronan's missing cell phone to all the Diane Jenkins murder suspects except Adam, telling them to meet him at a warehouse. The suspects gathered and the surveillance tape of everyone's encounter with Diane in the park began to play, revealing everyone's secrets from that fateful night. They hid the tape before Ronan arrived. Adam arrived at a pumpkin patch and surmised that Patty Williams had summoned him. Meanwhile, Genevieve's housekeeper, Myrna Murdock, who had been badly burned when Genevieve's house exploded, lay in the hospital covered in bandages except for a cat tattoo; the same tattoo as Patty Williams. Patty had apparently been posing as Myrna, had been tormenting the suspects with information she had gleaned from the stolen park surveillance tapes, and the explosion at the mansion had kept her from joining them at the warehouse.

Although Heather had hoped to get back together with Chance and told him that she still loved him, Chance said that it wasn't a good idea and that it was over. Heather was at the Athletic Club bar when Adam sat down beside her, proceeded to get her drunk, and took her up to his room. Heather's half-brother Ricky, hoping to get a sensational story to work for Restless Style, took photos of Adam kissing his drunken sister. But when Heather turned Adam down, he took another room and left her in his to sleep it off. Avery and Sharon had finally gotten through to Adam that he was being unreasonable by not helping Sharon when he knew that she was innocent. Without the memory chip, Adam thought it would help to setup Heather so that Avery could use the photos to get a mistrial.

Meanwhile, Phyllis spotted a memory chip in the evidence dredged from the creek for the Diane Jenkins case on Ronan's desk, and they played it. Just as Avery was about to expose Heather to get the mistrial, Ronan and Phyllis burst into the courtroom, and were allowed to present their evidence. After hearing the audio of Sharon trying to save Skye, the judge left it up to the D.A.'s office. Heather dropped the charges against Sharon, and Sharon was given time served for the escape and set free. Sharon thanked Ronan, but Phyllis made sure that Sharon knew it was Phyllis who had found the chip, twice, and had saved her. Victor warned Adam to stay away from Sharon. Noah took Sharon home, Nick brought over Faith and left, and Victor had dinner with them. Sharon told Adam she would never forgive him for withholding evidence that kept her in jail for months, and despite Adams plea that they would never be over each other, Sharon told Adam that she never wanted to see him again. Victor let Sharon take his jet to take Faith and surprise Sam in New Mexico. Victor shocked Adam by asking him to come back to work for Newman. Adam was suspicious, but accepted so long as he could get an equal role to Victoria, then taunted Victoria that he was back working at Newman. Victoria complained to Victor, then returned to tell Adam that she would be watching every move, and would get him fired. Afterward, Victor smiled and said that Adam "fell for it."

Patty continued to stalk Jack, now wearing winter hoods and scarves to cover her face, even letting herself into Abbott manor with her key. Adam caught Patty in the park one day and warned her to get out of town or end up back in the asylum. Patty countered telling Adam to leave her alone or everyone would find out "what he did". Adam accused her of being Diane's murderer. Patty disclosed only that she had been there and had evidence that the police didn't have. After Adam discovered that Patty, as Myrna, had drugged Jack and Genevieve, Adam again told Patty to leave town or he was calling the police. With fingers crossed behind her back, Patty promised that she would on the grave of Mr. Kitty. Patty then went to Newman and planted a zippered case containing a syringe and a drug in Adam's desk, and tipped Ronan with an anonymous phone call that the murder weapon could be found at Newman. Not trusting Patty, Adam had followed her to Newman, found the case, and had put it in Victor's office safe. Ronan found it, and as Victor was being taken to the police station, Nikki arrived home after her six months in rehab.

After Nikki admitted to Victor that she had killed Diane, Victor confessed to protect her, and got Adam to say that he saw Victor do it. Adam apologized to Sharon and tried to give her back her engagement ring. Trying to help Victor, Sharon played up to Adam to get him to trust her and confess that he did not witness Victor murder Diane. With Victor in jail and Victoria's recent resignation, Nick agreed to head up Newman to keep Adam in line. Victor had given Adam his blessing to head Newman in exchange for his testimony, so Adam began trying to bribe board members to elect him CEO. And when Nick physically attacked Deacon in front of a board member for marrying his mother, it guaranteed Adam's election. After Victor pled guilty and was sentenced to 25 years to life, Adam convened a board meeting to decide the new Newman CEO. Tucker McCall held the deciding vote, and although both men tried to persuade him to vote for them, Tucker went with the Harvard graduate, and Adam was elected. Adam's first act was to fire Michael Baldwin as lead counsel, promising to hire Vance Abrams in his place. But Victor assured Michael that it was all part of Victor's plan. Jack brought Adam champagne to celebrate his becoming CEO of Newman, and broached the subject of selling Beauty of Nature to him, to which Adam just chuckled.

Nick told Sharon that the only way she would get time alone with Faith again would be to get a restraining order against Adam. Sharon had a heart to heart talk with Adam, where he admitted that he still loved her, but agreed that Faith had to come first. Adam recalled that his mother, Hope, had given up Victor for Adam's sake. Sharon got the restraining order, only to have Adam show up at her home that evening, and she welcomed him into her bed. The next morning, with the restraining order in affect, they parted with no regrets, just before Nick arrived with Faith.

Adam spent New Year's Eve alone getting drunk at Jimmy's Bar, then showed up at Sharon's despite the restraining order. He told Sharon that he was broken inside without her, that there must be some way to be together where she could still keep Faith. As Adam hugged Sharon, he saw the engagement ring Victor had just given her.

Victor called in a favor from a judge for an emergency hearing for Faith's custody, and even though her instability was demonstrated by her engagement to her children's grandfather, she was awarded joint custody. Nick assured Sharon of selling herself to Victor to get control of Faith. Afterward Adam approached her, expecting that now they could reunite, but instead Sharon had Adam arrested. Sharon agreed to marry Victor, and they were married the next day.

Adam decided to sell Beauty of Nature and proposed a deal to Tucker to help him outbid Jack in exchange for a job at McCall. Then Jack offered to top any offer, with the bonus of giving Adam the satisfaction of allowing both of them to get back at Victor. As Victor's new wife and under his instruction, Sharon cast the deciding board vote to allow Beauty of Nature to be sold. It turned out that Tucker had made a deal with the SEC, to avenge the things that Adam had done to Ashley in the past. Tucker was helping Victor set up Adam to be caught guilty of insider trading by the SEC as Adam was to call Tucker with the amount of the high bid, for Tucker to outbid and win. But Sharon discovered what was going on, and that Victor was only using her. Torn between her loyalty to both, she finally decided that she was sick of all the manipulation, and Sharon warned Adam that he was being set up. They made love under the glare of Victor's portrait in his office, while Adam told Sharon how much he loved her and thanked her for saving him once again. Meanwhile Victor, after being released from prison, was making love with Nikki at the ranch. The next morning, Michael told Victor that Adam had escaped the setup, and that Victor had lost Beauty of Nature. When the bids were opened, Jack's fiancée, Genevieve under the name of FMN holding company, emerged as the new owner of Beauty of Nature. The next morning Victor expressed his disappointment in Sharon's loyalty to Adam, and had their marriage annulled. When Adam refused to sign Victor's proffered letter of resignation, Victor assigned him to an office in the men's restroom.

Ronan subpoenaed all of the Diane Jenkins murder suspects, and he and the DA questioned them about the evidence that still did not add up. Deacon arrived in handcuffs saying that Diane had come to him when no one would help her, wanting to back out of framing Victor with Adam because of Kyle, so she asked him to videotape that night in the park. Deacon admitted that after he witnessed Nikki kill Diane in self-defense, he had hit her more times to make it look like someone bigger and stronger than Nikki had killed her, and he was the one who put Diane's body in the creek. Deacon said he had taken the syringe, Ashley's cell phone, and the security camera from the tree, and had hidden them in the alley behind Gloworm, but they had disappeared later. When no one would confess to taking Deacon's stash of stolen evidence or having any knowledge of the embroidered pillows found in Diane's room, the DA arrested them all for obstruction of justice.

At Genevieve's invitation, Paul went to her mansion to interview Myrna about the strange goings-on there. But Patty heard him arrive and grabbed a bag and disappeared to her old hideout, the Newman potting shed. Paul searched Myrna's room for clues to why she had left, and took her computer. Later Paul found a photo from the park surveillance camera on it. When Paul wasn't looking, Ricky copied the hard drive to a memory stick. Paul started putting the clues together and realized that his sister Patty may have been posing as Myrna. Then Deacon identified Patty's photo as being the person who was there in the park helping him clean up after Diane's death.

While Jack continued to prepare for his wedding, with Billy as best man, Lily matron of honor, and Cane giving Genevieve away, Adam found Patty hiding in the Newman potting shed, and tried to stop her from going to the wedding to shoot Genevieve. Patty threw insecticide in Adams's face burning his eyes and blinding him again, then clubbed him over the head with a board. Sharon later found Adam, called the police and they got him to the hospital.

Patty sneaked in at Genevieve's and overheard her reading a note to Jack backing out of the wedding. Patty intercepted the note, and walked down the aisle in Genevieve's stolen wedding gown. Jack pulled the veil from her face, ready to confront Genevieve, and said, "Emily?" Patty replied, "It's Patty, you bastard," and shot Jack. Patty left as the horrified Abbotts rushed to Jack. Jack was taken away by ambulance in critical condition.

Eager reporter, Ricky Williams, found out what his aunt Patty had done and went to his uncle Father Todd's church, because Patty always went to Todd when she was on the run. Patty was already holed up in the church bell tower, and Ricky found her there, regressed to a childlike state. Ricky's probing made Patty mad, but not before she disclosed that Adam been the one who helped her escape the mental institution years before. Ronan and Paul arrived, and Paul and Todd talked Patty into giving herself up.

Meanwhile the doctors told the Abbotts that Jack had a lacerated kidney, and the bullet was lodged next to his lower spine as he was taken into surgery. Jack's heart stopped during surgery, he survived, but was left paralyzed, just as he had been when Patty had shot him before in 1983.

At the police station Patty admitted to making the pillows for each person who had been in the park, and Paul and Father Todd helped them get her into a cell. Emily arrived and then Genevieve, but Patty didn't seem to recognize them. All charges were dropped against all suspects, including Nikki, once Ronan was able to convince the DA that Patty had been the missing link in the murder and Nikki was not responsible. Deacon remained in jail. Patty was sent to a maximum security prison hospital.

Sharon sat at Adam's beside in the hospital where he lay still blinded, and promised not to leave his side. Adam said that he had finally gotten his much deserved karma, and promised to change and make amends if he could only regain his sight. Sharon begged Victor to be there for his son, and Victor refused, but secretly called in a specialist to help. Adam's retinal implant specialist was flown in, but both doctors gave little hope that Adam would ever see again. After hearing the news, Victor took Sharon aside and offered Hope's farm in Kansas, which he still owned, for her and Adam to get away. Sharon told Adam that she had rented it from the new owner, and persuaded him to go there to recover and get away from everyone who hated him. Before they left, Jack invited Adam down to his room, where they decided that with their mutual disabilities, they would unite to go after Victor, the man who brought Patty to town, and who they felt was responsible for what had happened to them.

Adam admitted to Sharon that although he felt at home in Kansas, he had never been comfortable with other people outside the farm. Then Adam Wilson had become a Wall Street success, but once he became Victor Newman Jr. everything had fallen apart. Adam hired someone to look after him, asked Sharon to stop taking pity on him, and guilted her into going home to Faith. Feeling depressed after he sent Sharon home, Adam was visited by the spirit of Hope, who was still blind. Hope reminded Adam that he had inherited her honesty and integrity as well as his pride and ambition from Victor. Hope told Adam that she wanted him to become self-reliant and strong rather than alienating everyone from his life, offering her spirit and strength of will for Adam to reply on. Nick met Sharon at the airport where she spent some time with Faith, but decided to go back to Adam. Nick was understanding, and said he would bring Faith to Kansas to see her any time. Adam greeted Sharon warmly, and told her couldn't live without her, and they spent the rest of the afternoon making love. Afterward Adam gave Sharon Hope's wedding ring, which she accepted but said that she could not wear it. That evening Sharon went to town for food, got caught in a winter storm, and had to turn back. Meanwhile Adam heard the horses, smelled smoke, discovered that the barn had been hit by lightning and was on fire. Adam called 911 and was told that firemen were unable to get there due to flooding. Adam managed to find and connect a fire hose, turn it on, and Sharon arrived to find that he had managed to put out the fire and save the horses with minimal damage to the barn.

Adam had an epiphany, saying that his mother had raised him right, and he had turned his back on all that to be a part of Wall Street and Newman. Determined to make his mother and Sharon proud, Adam wanted to return to Genoa City with Sharon with Faith and him get a do-over. Adam went to Victor to make amends, saying that he could not undo all that he had done, but he could choose not to be the person that he was. Adam convinced Victor to hire him back to Newman, saying that their mutual love of hope was enough to find something between them worth saving. But after it was disclosed that Adam had been the one who had broken Patty out of the sanitarium, then had known and told no one that she had been back in town, both Sharon and Victor wrote Adam off as hopeless.

During her capture, Patty had told Ricky that Adam had been the one who helped her escape from Windcliff. Ricky took the story to Phyllis who bought it. She published it in Restless Style with no credit to Ricky, the cover featuring a red-faced, devil horned Adam with "Satan's Understudy hits the big time." Paul confronted Phyllis and Ricky for exploiting Patty, saying they were as bad as Adam.

After the story broke, Adam visited Jack to apologize, admitting that knew Patty had been in town posing as Genevieve's housekeeper, and had not told anyone, but that he had tried to stop her in the end, and his blindness and Jack's paralysis were the result. Jack threw something at Adam and rejected his apology. As Adam left Adam admitted that both he and Victor were to blame. Later Adam ran into Paul who was so angry that he nearly punched out a blind man, but yelled at Adam instead for Patty ending up incarcerated rather than in the sanitarium where she had been getting psychiatric help. Adam told Paul that he was sorry for Patty, the people she hurt, and for enabling her, but that he was now paying for what he did. Paul and Jack alerted the police, who took Adam in for questioning, interrupting Adam and Chelsea who were sitting at the bar commiserating about trying to escape their pasts. Later at the police station, Victor showed up offering legal help after he realized that Adam had gotten himself into more trouble by manning up to his past. Although he intended to remove him from the Newman board, Victor told Adam he felt that they could work together. But Adam declined the offer.

Thanks to Chelsea's finding the board member prospectus sent to Adam and reading it for him, Adam arrived at Newman in time to weigh in on the creation of a new organic cosmetics line which Victor had proposed with Sharon as head. The board saw no reason to restart something they had just sold, and nixed Sharon due to her scandalous reputation and lack of experience. Adam gave insightful reasons for starting the new line, and said that he was there to rectify his selling Beauty of Nature to spite Victor, but reminded them that the sale had made the company a lot of money. At that point the only way to keep the board from giving the line to Adam was for Nick to step in and offer to work with Sharon. Thanks to Adam's vote and some unscrupulous board member manipulation by Genevieve as a favor to Victor, the line was approved and Sharon was put in charge. Upon returning to the athletic club, and updating Chelsea on the meeting, Adam began experiencing pressure in his eyes which turned to flashes which indicated that his vision was returning. His doctor told him it could only be explained as a miracle, when Adam regained his sight.

As fellow town pariahs, Chelsea and Adam became friends. After Chelsea told him that her mother had located her father, but wouldn't tell her who he was, Adam did some research and gave her a gift of her birth certificate indicating that Jeffrey Bardwell was her father. Adam accompanied Chelsea to Gloworm where she confronted Jeffrey, but he denied it and even knowing her mother until she had recently come to work at Gloworm.

Adam became concerned and went looking for her. Knowing her favorite spot to get away, Adam went to Lake Concord and found that Chelsea had fallen through the ice. Risking his own life, Adam managed to pull her out of the lake and took her to a nearby lake cottage when she started to go into labor. Adam did his best to get Chelsea warm, delivered her baby boy, and left them to go for help since his cell phone was getting no reception. Meanwhile Billy arrived home, and he and Abby went looking for Chelsea. Victoria had gone to Victor for help, and he allowed her to use his helicopter. They located the cabin, and Victoria found Chelsea delirious and alone with the baby. Billy and Abby arrived as Adam returned. But Adam never showed himself or took credit for saving their lives, just walked away alone knowing that Chelsea was in good hands. Chelsea and the baby were fine, and she signed over her parental rights to Billy. Adam asked Chelsea not to tell anyone what he had done, but when Victoria began badmouthing Adam again, Chelsea disclosed that Adam had been the hero who saved her and her baby's life. Feeling guilty, Adam disclosed to Victoria that her father had actually paid Chelsea to setup Billy in Myanmar. Billy and Victoria began to see Adam had indeed changed, and thanked him. Chelsea stuck to her word, and with Adam's emotional support, allowed her parental rights to be terminated, and Victoria to adopt her baby John. But after the adoption hearing, Chelsea fell weeping into Adams arms, and Chelsea and Adam became lovers. Later Victor offered Chelsea ten million dollars to leave town, but she declined his offer.

In her quest to become a better person, Chelsea let Billy and Victoria off the hook, telling them that she was staying in town to be with Adam, but that she would find a job and pay her own bills, and wouldn't meddle in her their lives. Adam asked Chelsea to share his room, and she moved in. Intent on being something other than a con artist, Chelsea began studying to get her GED

The time for the annual gala came around, and Adam surprised Chelsea a beautiful expenses cocktail dress. As they were leaving for the gala, Adam received a call that the event had been canceled. Rather than disappoint her, Adam took her to the athletic club bar and they played like it was after the prom. While Adam went to the restroom, Chelsea got chilly and put on his jacket, finding an engagement ring in the pocket. Upon Adam's return, Chelsea accused him of intending to propose at the gala in front of Sharon and Victor to taunt them, not because he really cared for her. Chelsea ran outside. Adam followed and convinced her that he really loved her. He proposed and she accepted in the pouring rain.

Since their engagement announcement to the Newman clan was not well-received, Chelsea and Adam tried announcing it to Jeffrey, but were interrupted by Anita who showed up at Gloworm, supposedly after hearing about Chelsea's engagement. Gloria was delighted and reminded them that Gloworm hosted weddings, and Jeffrey pointedly congratulated his niece. Anita interjected that whether Chelsea's daddy was Jeffrey or the late William, she did recall that he had a heart-shaped mole on his inner thigh. Gloria, who had been married to both, was then able to identify Jeffrey as Chelsea's father. Sharon was visibly upset when she overheard them announce their engagement.

Adam took Chelsea to a bed and breakfast in his hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas, to elope, surprising her with the traditional something old, new, borrowed, and blue and a selection of wedding dresses. When Sharon found out, she took the next plane there too, telling Victor that she was going to New York City to talk to Noah about Victor's offer for her to move in with him. Instead, Sharon was at Hope's farm when Adam arrived alone. She told Adam that she still loved him, and tried to talk him into ditching Chelsea for her. Adam refused, saying that Chelsea was the only one who "got him", the hick from the farm. As an homage to Hope, Chelsea and Adam were married in Hope's kitchen the next day. Meanwhile the sale of Genevieve's mansion to Adam was being finalized, and he was able to shock Chelsea by taking her home to the 16 acre, 10 bedroom mansion on a lake, with its own private airstrip. Jeffrey and Anita dropped by, obviously schmoozing to cash in, but Chelsea threw them out.

Chelsea thought she might be pregnant, but the test proved she was not. Adam was so disappointed, that they began trying to have a baby. Meanwhile Adam and Chelsea worked on the new TagNGrab website venture with Chloe and Kevin, and Sharon married Victor, which Adam called insane. Weeks later at Gloworm, Chelsea excitedly broke the news to Adam that she was pregnant, and was overheard by Sharon, who wished them well, then went home to the ranch and tore up the place.

TagNGrab continued to be successful, but Kevin and Adam disagreed over each deal with an advertiser, until they finally decided that Adam would handle the business end and Kevin the website.

As news of Victor's death in L.A. spread, Newman stock plummeted, family members began to grieve, and Adam had regrets. He decided to buy back his mother's farm in Kansas from Victor's estate, and to name their baby Victor if it were a boy. Sharon identified the burned body as Victor, although it wasn't him, convinced that Victor had set up his death. The family was livid to discover that Sharon had sent the body to be cremated immediately. Sharon arranged a quickie memorial service and texted his friends and family members to be there, and Adam attended.

After everyone else had left the service, Victor returned to find Nikki weeping at his grave, and they reunited. Nikki texted everyone to return to the church and all were thrilled to see Victor alive. Because Nikki had not texted Adam, he was shocked and hurt to see Victor's televised press conference to assure the world that he was alive and back as CEO and chairman of the board of Newman.

Adam decided to get out of town by taking his pregnant wife on a surprise honeymoon. As they drove to the airport, his niece Summer who was upset and driving recklessly, ran into their car causing Chelsea to miscarry. Both were devastated, but Adam was unable to face his loss and left home. He ran into Sharon at a bar after being accosted with hatred by every Newman in town. Adam shared that he felt losing his own child was retribution for his taking faith from Sharon. Meanwhile Chelsea sat at home alone with her mourning, named the baby Riley, and wondered why Adam had abandoned her when she needed him most.

Because Sharon had sold a lot of Victor's shares while she was in control of Newman, Victor returned to find the company ripe for hostile takeover. Victor came to Adam, asking for his support, but Adam told Victor that he was only his son when he needed something from him. Instead Adam gave his support to Jack, who with Tucker's shares was able to take over Newman. Jack fired Victor, Nick and Victoria. After everyone left, Victor collapsed. Nikki returned and got him to the hospital. On the same night as the takeover, Sharon got drunk and had a breakdown at the ranch, hearing and seeing visions of Nikki and Victor attacking her calling her a loser, so Sharon tearfully called Adam for help. Sharon set the ranch house on fire, Adam arrived and rescued her from the burning house, and it burned down beyond saving. While Nick and Nikki watched it burn, Adam took Sharon to her house, promised her he would fix everything, and didn't tell anyone what she had done. Arriving home late and smoky, Adam told Chelsea that his car had broken down and burned. The next morning, Adam found Sharon walking among the ruins of the ranch house, oblivious to the fact that she had burned it down. After Adam secreted her away to a cabin on the lake on his property to protect her, Sharon realized that she had to have burned down the ranch house. After the ranch house fire was ruled arson and Sharon's bracelet was found in the ruins, in an effort to throw suspicion off Sharon, Adam hired a guy to set fire to a warehouse. Then the guy took it upon himself to burn down Gloworm as well.

Chelsea and Chloe became close, and they came up with the idea of Chelsea working at TagNGrab instead of Adam. Adam got mad that he was not consulted and decided to pull his 15 million dollar investment, and sold it to Tucker. Adam had also just convinced Jack to give him the CFO position at Newman. And when Jack was hospitalized, Adam took Jack's place running the company.

Sharon told Adam she was not going to ruin his marriage, that he needed to tell Chelsea that he was hiding her out. Sharon left to tell Victor what she had done. Finding Jack in Victor's office, Jack thanked her for driving Newman into the ground, to allow his hostile takeover. Adam arrived and whisked her away to the cabin again where she ranted about being a failure at everything and begged Adam not to leave her. Chelsea discovered Sharon and after hearing Adam's explanation, agreed to allow Adam to keep Sharon hidden while she could see a psychiatrist. Sharon was diagnosed as bi-polar, and hoped that with medication she could return to normal. Noah and Faith came to visit Sharon, and Noah convinced Sharon to come home with them. Because Adam was still at her beck and call, Chelsea threatened Sharon to stop, or Chelsea would tell that Sharon had burned down the ranch. After consultation with her doctor, Sharon called things off with Adam, saying that she was done interfering with his life.

After failing to talk any of his other children into getting Newman back from Jack, Victor dropped the evidence that Jack was overdosing on pain killers on Adam's desk, and he encouraged Adam to take it to the board, and take over Newman. But Adam told Jack about it instead, warning him to cut back on the meds. Jack insisted Adam keep his medication to help him, but realizing he had to taper off, asked for and took only one pill the next day.

Nikki surprised Victor with the redecorated penthouse, and they threw a cocktail party to celebrate their new home. Victor invited Adam as bait for Nick and Victoria to fight for Newman, while Victor needled him about Jack's incompetence. Sharon arrived uninvited to confess and apologize. They gave her such a hard time that she freaked out, and Victor yelled at her to leave. Adam followed her, leaving Chelsea behind. Hoping to get Sharon out of Adam's life, Chelsea told Victor and Nikki that Sharon had burned down the ranch. Adam found out, accused her of betraying him, and they decided to divorce. Adam offered Chelsea half his income made during their marriage. She told him she loved him, but he could not buy her off to sooth his conscience.

Victor gave Adam an ultimatum, to help him get Newman back or Adam and Sharon would go to prison for arson and the cover-up. Adam was torn, not wanting to hurt Jack who had trusted him to run Newman. But Adam, after telling Sharon his dilemma, left the medication in Jack's desk where it would tempt him, but Jack called him on it, accusing Adam of trying to undermine him. Adam claimed it was a test, and Jack stomped on them. Then later when pushed by Victor, Adam said he would not help him. Victor warned Adam not to make an enemy of him.

Rebuffed by Sharon, Adam tried to reconcile with Chelsea, but she mistook his sincere effort as being second choice, and told him she would agree to his divorce settlement. But all that changed on New Year's Eve when they got back together with Adam promising they would move away from Genoa City, and Chelsea made plans to move to Paris.

Adam warned Jack that his mass firings were going to be used against him, the pills were making bad decisions, and suggested Jack take time off and Adam would handle the company in his absence. Jack accused Adam of taking Victor's side, and fired Adam too. Adam then went to Victor ready to cut the deal, but Victor told him it was too late.

On New Year's Eve, Jack picked up a young woman named Stephanie at the Athletic Club bar, and woke up the next morning on his couch, finding her dead on the floor. Jack panicked and called Adam for help. Adam found ecstasy in her purse, determined that she was a prostitute, and that Jack had been setup by Victor for press to show up as she left the house. Adam had Jack stage a heart attack and the press followed him to the hospital while Adam got rid of the body. Jack agreed to go to rehab in exchange and begged Billy to run Newman with Adam in his absence. When Adam told Chelsea they would have to put off leaving town, she threw a fit accusing him of putting Newman before her, told him they were through, and again asked for a divorce, and got a half million dollar settlement.

Admitting that Victor had hired her, Victor's investigator identified the woman as Stephanie Gayle Wheeler, the drug addicted daughter of a congressman. Her body was later found in an alley, confirmed dead of an ecstasy overdose. Sure that she had died with Jack and that Adam had helped with the cover up, Victor got Jack's rehab contact numbers from Jack's assistant Mason, and convinced Victoria that it was time for them to make their move to retake Newman by exposing them.

Phyllis went to the Abbott cabin with Jack, assuring him that she was not going to let him fail to detox. Afterward, Jack confessed to Phyllis about Stephanie and thanked her for saving his life. Back home again, Jack felt compelled to confess to Michael the D.A. Remorseful about taking over Newman, alienating friends and family, and firing people, Jack admitted that he was not a man John Abbott would have been proud of. Jack told Phyllis, Billy, and Adam that he was walking away from Newman, leaving Billy and Adam in charge as Co-CEO's, and returning to Jabot as CEO. The D.A.'s office decided that Jack was not responsible for Stephanie's death, and after speaking with Congressman Wheeler that he wanted it kept out of the press as well. Adam called an emergency board meeting where he was voted the sole CEO of Newman and Billy was fired. Afterward, Adam and Sharon began brainstorming the future of Newman.

Adam attempted to come to an understanding with Victor, offering to make Victor CEO of Newman if they could be a real father and son. Victor told him not to bother, that he would never trust Adam, that Adam didn’t measure up and never would. Tearing up, Adam declared war, telling Victor to give it his best shot, because he had nothing to lose. It wasn’t long before Victor was coercing Adam's assistant Mason into working undercover for him, but after Adam saw Mason plotting with Victor, Adam fired Mason from Newman and let Victor know that his plot had failed.

It became obvious to Adam and Sharon that the attraction between them was still there, but Sharon said that it was not sane or healthy, and they could never go back. Later over dinner Adam kissed her and she left. Together at Adam's during a nasty winter snowstorm, things got hot and heavy between them, and they headed upstairs. They were interrupted when Chelsea arrived with something important to tell Adam, but when she saw Sharon, she just handed Adam her wedding ring and left. Chelsea made several other attempts to talk to Adam, but was always interrupted by Sharon's presence, and the final time Adam, sick of it, yelled at her.

Victor and Nikki were married, they claimed for the final time, at their new house on Newman ranch. Adam crashed the reception, toasted the bride and groom and Victor's rise to greatness, then alluded to something Victor did New Year's eve, before Billy ushered him out.

Meanwhile, a man named Bob who was hired by Wheeler to pose as a waiter, set a timer on an explosive device, and attempted to leave. Nick recognized and stopped him, he pulled a gun, and Billy jumped him. Victor walked into the room, Bob pointed the gun at Victor, Adam jumped between them and took the bullet for his father. Alex and Nick subdued Bob, and an ambulance was called. Everyone was ushered out of the house when gas was smelled, but Victor refused to leave Adam, and Nikki refused to leave Victor. Meanwhile Billy went to investigate. Billy shut off the gas, then discovered the explosive with its timer nearly run out. Holding his breath, Billy guessed and cut the red wire, and became the second hero of the day.

At Genoa City Memorial, Dr. Costner removed the bullet from Adam, finding bone fragments from a shattered rib which had damaged Adam's lungs. In the waiting room, Chelsea lit into Victor, reminding him that he and Adam had both grown up without their fathers, and how Adam was routinely shunned. Following surgery, only one person was allowed in to see Adam, and Chelsea magnanimously allowed it to be Sharon. Adam told Sharon to take charge of Newman for him, then went into a coma.

Adam awoke from his coma to find Sharon at his bedside, and later Victoria paid him a visit, begrudgingly thanking Adam for saving her father's life. When Victor visited Adam, he thanked him and questioned Adam about why he did it. Adam tried to brush it off. Victor told Adam that he had proven himself to be a "hell of a businessman, and every bit a Newman as Nick, Victoria and Abby", and that he was sorry it took so long and a near death experience for him to realize it. Victor said sincerely, "You are my son. You grew up without a father, sorry about that." Victor offered to stop the war between them, and they shook hands. Adam offered to team up and work side by side at Newman, and Victor agreed, saying that together they would be a force to be reckoned with. Victor, declaring his penthouse to be worth three million dollars, bartered with Adam and sold it to him for 1.5 million in cash. Following his release, Sharon took Adam to his home and suggested she move back in to help him, but he declined her offer.

Victor announced their reunion to the family, asking Nick, Victoria, and Abby to return to the family business, but they declined. Nikki agreed to give Adam another chance, and he was invited to a family birthday dinner which was held for Nikki at On the Boulevard. Adam fittingly gave Nikki a bird of peace figurine. Victoria surprised everyone by announcing that she was returning to work at Newman. She and Billy fought about it after they got home. The next day Victor discussed it with her, and Victoria admitted that she was resentful of his faith in Adam whom she was sure would only screw him over again. Victor felt insulted that she didn’t think he knew what he was doing, and told her that maybe she should just stay home and make a baby as planned.

After dropping her bag in front of Sharon, exposing a bottle of prenatal vitamins, Chelsea had to admit that she was pregnant, but claimed it was not Adam's. Sharon told Adam, he confronted Chelsea in front of Dylan, and she told them that the baby was Dylan's. Tearing up, Adam told Chelsea he was happy that she was finally having a baby, but apparently it did not matter with whom. Then Adam and Victor had a touching moment together when Victor got Adam to admit what was troubling him. The next day, Adam delivered their finalized divorce decree, reminding Chelsea of her huge settlement that he assumed she accepted while pregnant with another man's child, and called her a con to the very core.

Victor insisted on claiming his former office, and after some good-natured bantering, Adam reminded Victor that he was still C.E.O. but relented and took Sharon's corner office instead. Adam then called Sharon to meet him at the penthouse and they christened it with sex. Afterward, Adam was pretty cold to Sharon, and when she felt hurt, he reminded her that he wanted no relationship, it was just sex.

Adam convinced Victor that they had to buy out the Newman shareholders, and return it to a family owned company again. Victor suggested to this other children that they use their Newman settlement money to help him do it. But Victoria was more interested in pooling their money to buy the stock, and kick Adam out. When Nick and Abby refused both Victor and Victoria's ideas, Adam found the money to buy out the public investors. Victor agreed to accept Adam's buyers if he would cut Sharon out of his life. When Sharon showed up at Adam's expecting another sexual encounter, Adam ended it between them. Sharon was quite upset and left reminding Adam that she had been the last friend he had.

Seeing how advanced Chelsea's pregnancy was and remembering her continual attempts to "tell him something important", Adam confronted Chelsea that her baby had to be his. Chelsea denied it. But Victoria told Chelsea that she knew the truth, and was willing to help her keep it from Adam for both their sakes.

Jealous over Adam's place at her father's side, Victoria hired a detective to investigate Adam, but Adam realized it, and paid him to give Victoria false information. Victor offered Victoria the head of the Beauty of Nature Division to make her happy, but she refused. As Adam was blackmailing Billy with the knowledge of his renewed gambling to get Victoria to get off his back, Victoria was hiring another detective to find out where Adam got the money to buy out the Newman stockholders. Billy was able to convince her that she was becoming obsessive about Adam again, and she agreed to back off. But when she commented that maybe she could give her father something Adam couldn't with a Newman heir, Billy became upset and told her to forget using him and trying to make a baby. Since Adam and Victoria just could not get along, and she realized Billy was right, that she had become obsessed, Victoria again quit Newman. She and Billy attended the family gathering at Adam's to celebrate the return of Newman to the Newman family, but warned her father that she still felt that Adam was up to something. As they left, Adam was seen by viewers on the phone telling someone that everything was going as planned.

Seeing how close Chelsea and Dylan were becoming, Adam tried dating Melanie Daniels, a legal assistant at Newman. When Sharon spotted them together, noticing how much Melanie resembled Chelsea, she accused Adam of not being able to move on from Chelsea. Adam slammed Sharon against the wall and kissed her roughly, pointing out that HE was not the one who was having trouble moving on.

Adam and Melanie continued to see each other, and they ended up lovers. But Adam suspected her of spying on him for Victor while Victor was out of town. After overhearing Melanie on the phone, reporting to Victor what Adam had told her, Adam let her know that she had failed his test. After Nikki and Victor returned from honeymooning in Tuscany, Victor met with Adam and they exchanged their usual sly barbs about how much they trusted each other. But once Victor realized that Melanie had been found out by Adam, Victor fired her. She came to Adam for help in finding another job, but Adam refused, and her offer of her continued presence in his bed. Not long afterward, Adam overheard Melanie and Billy scheming to sue Adam for sexual harassment. Adam warned Melanie not to even try to go against him, so Melanie went to Paul and filed rape charges. Adam was arrested and hired Leslie as his lawyer. Adam was able to find only Jack Abbot to be a character witness for him. But when Victor found out that Billy had recorded Adam trying to pay off Melanie to drop the charges, he decided to vouch for Adam. And although Chelsea could not be a character witness with her own character less than admirable, she did go to Melanie, and said enough about Adam's real vulnerable self to convince Melanie to drop the rape charge.

After Katherine Chancellor's death and Adam holding Chelsea's baby, Adam and Victor shared a bonding moment on how their bad childhoods had influenced their lives. Adam suggested that a fortune was to be made by taking over Chancellor, but Victor nixed the idea out of respect for the loss of his dear friend and business mentor, whose "advice was one of the few he had ever respected". But it wasn't long before Adam discovered that Victor was having him followed and his conversations bugged. Victor insisted that Adam tell him the identity of his Newman investors. Adam told him they were old Harvard Wall Street buddies who called themselves Fishhook Capital, but Victor didn't believe him. Adam walked out, saying they were through, that he was tired of trying to "measure up". Victor followed Adam straight to Jack, and became certain that Jack was the investor.

Dylan and Chelsea welcomed the birth of their son. Adam confronted Chelsea after overhearing that her baby had a degenerative eye disease, but Chelsea still denied that Adam was the father. Dylan arrived, and Adam left, warning her to tell Dylan the truth. Chelsea then had to admit to Dylan that Adam was the father, and that she had known it all along. Dylan teared-up, asking how she could do that to him, let him name the baby after his father, and make him a cradle? Chelsea claimed that she had fallen in love with him, that nothing had to change. Dylan cried that he had loved and trusted her and the baby, but that everything had been based on a lie. Chelsea begged Dylan not to abandon them, but he left. Meanwhile Adam was with Avery asking her to sue Chelsea for custody of his son and get a paternity test, but she refused.

Afterward Chelsea met with Adam, and he convinced her to admit that baby was his. Adam told her that he was changing the baby's name and suing for sole custody.

Dylan returned home a couple days later and told Chelsea that he could not forgive her, was leaving town, and wanted a divorce. When Chelsea left the room, the thunder storm outside got louder. Dylan had a flashback to explosions in Vietnam and ran out the door with Connor. After finding out that his son was missing, Adam went to Avery for help, and they found Dylan and Connor at his family cabin. Avery talked Dylan down from his PTSD delusion, and he gave the baby to Avery. Adam insisted they take the baby home to his penthouse where he would be safe, and allowed Chelsea to be with Connor, only if she stayed there with them. The eye specialist later informed them that Connor's eventual blindness would be caused by retinal scarring during his traumatic birth, not by any inherited disease.

Finding out from Billy that Fishhook was a poker term, Victor deduced that it meant a jack, and that Jack was the one who had financed the buyback of Newman. Confronting Jack, Jack admitted it, saying that all he had done was help a friend impress his father. Jack tried to convince Victor that Adam was just proving his worth by bringing Newman home to Victor. Victor yelled that he had been betrayed by Adam. Jack yelled back that Adam was a fool to think Victor could ever be the father he wanted, and Victor countered that he had always known that he could never trust Adam. Adam walked in on the fight and told Victor that Adam would be a better father to his son than Victor had ever been to him.

Later, Jack offered to get other financiers to buy him out if Victor would forgive Adam, but Victor just accused Jack of trying to pull more tricks. Jack's final rejected offer was "I walk away from Newman, you walk away from Summer." Confident that they had Victor where they wanted him, Adam and Jack agreed to meet with him. Expecting Victor to pull a fast one, they were shocked when he declared, "Newman Enterprises is yours." The next day Jack discovered that Newman clients and suppliers were opting out of contracts and had signed new ones with Chancellor, bringing Newman to a standstill. Jack and Adam accused Victor of destroying Newman to get even. Victor shocked them with the fact that he was the secret owner of Chancellor in Katherine's will, so he no longer gave a damn about Newman. Adam lashed out at Victor, then walked away from his father for the last time as Victor reminded Jack that he always wins.

The next day, Victor offered to buy Newman to save his reputation. After telling Victor they would get back to him, Jack urged Adam to take the offer and start over with something of his own to hand down to his son, because Newman would always be a constant reminder of Victor. Adam agreed, and Jack went to Victor to accept his offer. After the agreement, Victor snidely told Jack, "Go back to Jabot. And when you run it into the ground I will swoop in and take it too." Within days Adam had signed the papers selling his shares and severing all ties with Newman for good.

Adam received the results of the paternity test, confirming that Connor was his son. He asked Avery to proceed with the order to substitute his name for Dylan's on the birth certificate, and change his last name to Newman. Chelsea and Adam took Connor to Dr. Lintz the eye specialist, and he was diagnosed with Peters Anomaly. Connor would go blind without an immediate corneal transplant. Adam was refused when he tried to make a large donation to the hospital to speed up finding transplant material, but vowed he would do whatever it takes. Adam promised Chelsea that he would not take Connor away from her and that they would give Connor the family Adam never had. Adam drove off into the night upset, and swerved to avoid hitting a dog on the road. He stopped, but drove on when he saw the dog was fine. But what he did not realize was that he had hit and killed a young child, Delia Abbott, who had been chasing her dog.

As news came in about Delia's hit and run, Adam checked his car and discovered a chipped turn signal lens and the scarf from Delia's costume wedged in the bumper, and realized what must have happened. As Adam agonized over what he had done, he realized the only way to save Connor's eyesight was to be there for him the rest of his life. So he told no one and covered it up by burning the scarf and replacing the turn signal lens.

After Chloe heard about the immediate need for corneas for Connor, she and Billy signed the papers to donate Delia's, and the transplant occurred. The transplant was successful and Connor was able to see thanks to Delia. To congratulate Adam on his new son, Victor gave Connor a silver spoon engraved with Connor's name and stock in Newman-Chancellor, but Adam refused them and tore up the papers, declaring that Victor was not going to buy his son's love.

During Delia's funeral Adam stood outside the chapel door, guilt-ridden. Later Adam wept as he visited the roadside shrine of photos, candles, cards, a Wizard of Oz program, balloons, stuffed animals, and flowers; and Adam left white a rose.

As the police searched unsuccessfully for the hit and run driver, Adam continued to agonize, only spending time with his son. Finding that the chip of plastic turn signal lens matched only a few cars, and that one of them was Adam's, the police checked his car, and found that it was not damaged. Adam finally recorded a confession and gave it sealed to Avery, as his lawyer, for safekeeping. Wanting to be alone in his agony, he allowed Chelsea to move out and take Connor, but she declined, and stayed.

Adam and Chelsea discussed their past together, and Chelsea commented that he was becoming the man she loved again. On Thanksgiving, they took their first family portrait, with Connor in a turkey costume. After agreeing to let go of the past and look forward, they kissed.

Seeking to assuage his guilt, Adam anonymously set up a foundation endowment in Delia's name with CG Cares to help at-risk kids. Afterward he went home and made love with Chelsea and they exchanged "I love you's". After hinting around the idea of remarrying for about a week, Chelsea (spurred on by Anita) finally told Adam that if he was serious, she would say yes, and Adam said that he was.

Chelsea asked Chloe to be Connor's godmother, and Adam asked Jack to be godfather. Adam also looked into making Jack Connor's legal guardian in case anything ever happened to him, so that Victor could never get his hooks into Adam's son. Adam also requested Avery return the video he had given her for safe-keeping, and she did.

Just when Adam thought he was finally rid of Victor, he found him sitting in the passenger seat of his car. Victor confronted Adam with his knowledge that Adam was the hit and run driver who had killed Delia. Adam admitted that he had never seen Delia, only the dog, and seeing he was safe, had driven on. Adam explained that he could not have come forward or Connor would not have gotten Delia's corneas. Victor offered Adam a deal, his silence in exchange for being a part of his grandson's life. Adam said he would rather go to prison. Just prior to Connor's blessing, Adam and Chelsea signed the guardianship papers and paperwork officially changing his name to Connor Adam Newman. But when Victor showed up uninvited at the end of the blessing, everyone was astonished when Adam allowed Victor to hold Connor. The next day Jack asked Adam what Victor had on him, and Adam admitted that Victor was blackmailing him, but would not say what it was.

Billy discovered that Adam was the donor who setup the Delia Project, and confronted Adam, assuming that Adam had done it to repay them for Delia's corneas. Chelsea was upset that Adam had never confided in her, but he explained that it would have been hard for her to keep it from Chloe. Adam shocked Chelsea with a stunning engagement ring, and the idea of trying again to have her dream of living in Paris. Chelsea agreed and they made plans to leave in a few days.

Adam and Chelsea were married by a judge with Jack and Anita as witnesses. While Chelsea went to say goodbye to Johnny before leaving for Paris, Victor threatened Adam that if he left Victor would expose Adam for killing Delia. After Victor left, Adam decided that he had to turn himself in, leaving Chelsea a note saying just, "I love you, I always will", with the confession video. But he opened the door to Billy who said, "You think you can just walk away and leave everything behind?" When Adam tried to leave, Billy pulled a gun on him, and got Adam to drive his SUV to the accident site. Adam broke down and confessed, telling Billy how it happened, that it was an accident, and he had not known that he had hit anyone. But he swore that he had been on his way to confess to the police, unable to bear the guilt any longer. Billy sobbed, telling Adam he should just shoot him and leave him alone there to die. But Billy made Adam drive to Delia's school, sobbing and threatening to kill him. Driving along from there, Adam told Billy he was also guilty for leaving Delia alone in the car. Billy reacted and Adam grabbed the gun, the car swerved, the gun went off, and the car headed down a ravine toward the river and flipped over. Paul and Nick arrived and failed to pull Adam out of the car, but they got to safety before it started on fire and exploded. A witness told how the other man had gotten out hurt and walked away, which turned out to be Billy. While everyone but Chelsea assumed that Adam was dead, a bloody body in the snow wearing Adam's wedding ring was seen by viewers. And the same hand was seen since in a bed at an unknown location.

Chelsea had Adam declared dead, and a memorial service was held with just Chelsea, Victor, and Jack saying kind words about him over an urn of ashes.

Meanwhile viewers saw that Adam had someone plant a camera over Connor's crib, and Adam began watching Chelsea and his son. Whenever Adam saw Billy with his son Connor, he got angry. Adam also had a man watching Chelsea and taking photos. As he flipped through the photos, the man told Adam that he knew he wanted to return home, but that everything was not in place yet. Watching Billy and Chelsea talk about adjourning to her bedroom to make love sent Adam over the edge, and he sent his operative to walk in on them at the penthouse as the maintenance man. In Connor's room, the guy planted the monogrammed handkerchief that Adam gave Chelsea on her wedding day. As Adam had hoped, it reminded Chelsea of him, and at least temporarily killed her lust for Billy.

Chelsea invited Dylan, Billy and Kevin to help celebrate Connor's first birthday with a party in Chancellor park. A clown showed up, tickled Connor, and Connor called him "DaDa" that no one had booked. Later, a soccer ball gift was delivered to the penthouse, and viewers saw Adam watching a video of the event over and over. On the one year anniversary of Delia's death, Adam was seen by viewers adding a rose to the roadside memorial. Billy leaned on Chelsea and Connor, telling her that she was an incredible friend and that he loved her. Chelsea asked Billy to move in, and he did. Chelsea went to church and over lit candles told Adam about Billy, telling him that she had to let him go and move on. She left behind for him her "something old" handkerchief, but viewers saw a mysterious woman, Sage Warner, take it, and on Halloween it was returned to Chelsea in an envelope shoved under her door.

Adam was next seen in a gothic mansion in Twin Lakes, WI, his face covered in bandages, being taken care of by Sage. An elderly woman in a wheelchair, Constance Bingham, entered the room, calling Adam by her beloved grandson Gabriel's name. When the bandages were removed, Adam now had Gabriel's face. After Adam discovered that the feed from the camera in Connor's room had gone dark, he began working harder to be able to walk so he could return home. When Constance discovered that he intended to leave, Adam told her and Sage that he had been so close to death, and had such a long recovery, that he intended to turn his life around, and become a better man. Adam slipped up a few times on his impersonation of Gabriel, but managed to recover; even Gabriel's dog Bugatti growled and did not seem to know him. It was later explained that Gabriel had died trying to save Adam from the river after the car crash, but Adam had been misidentified as Gabriel and his burned face restored to look like Gabriel’s. Sage had discovered the error, but carried on the ruse by paying off the coroner to ID Gabriel's body as Adam, saving Constance from the heartbreak of losing Gabriel.

One day while looking for Gabriel's dog Bugatti in the woods, Sage happened upon a man who was going in and out of consciousness after his foot had been caught in a bear trap. She brought Adam to help, but when Adam realized the man was his brother Nick, he refused to help beyond opening the trap. Nick regained consciousness and saw Adam but did not recognize him. By the time the ambulance arrived, both Sage and Adam had disappeared.

Adam insisted on returning to Genoa City to start over, intending to make Chelsea fall in love with "Gabriel", and Sage followed. Adam sat at the bar at the Athletic Club and he and Chelsea's eyes met, but she did not recognize him. Then Billy arrived, and Adam had to watch Chelsea kissing Billy. Adam found an excuse to speak to Sharon and Noah, asking about a hotel, then ended up in the Genoa City Athletic Club elevator with Victor, and later spoke with Chelsea as he complimented her baby.

Constance took a fall trying to get out of her wheelchair, and "Gabriel" and Sage were summoned. Thinking she was dying, Constance told "Gabriel" that his father had committed suicide after Victor Newman's hostile takeover of his company. "Gabriel" promised her that Victor would suffer.

Jack arrived home to find a stranger in his house who convinced him that he was Adam Newman, not dead after all, by reminding Jack that he had been the one to help him cover up the death of Stephanie Wheeler. Adam explained his reconstructive surgery and new identity as Gabriel Bingham. Jack was shocked, but felt that Adam needed to be turned over to the police to face the consequences for Delia’s death. Adam admitted that he was still riddled with guilt and dreamed of Delia every night. Then Adam showed Jack the gunshot wound in his side where Billy had shot him just before the car wreck, and promised that if Adam went to prison, so would Billy. Adam also requested that Jack hire him to work at Jabot. Adam ran into Nick, who recognized him as Gabriel, "The Binger", the boy who had been assigned to Nick to be a "big brother" to when he had attended the Swiss boarding school, Mount Bell Academy. Nick later realized that Gabriel had also been the guy in the woods who had helped with the trap and wondered why he would have run off.

Adam was summoned home by Sage as Constance was near death, and asking for him. Constance said goodbye to her beloved grandson, but as she 'went into the light' she saw Gabriel there waiting for her. Her eyes flew open and she accused Adam of not being her son. Sage admitted that they had done it for her, and Constance laid back and died with a look of acceptance. Later, Adam was looking over Constance's will, noticing that Gabriel had been left the majority, and Sage very little. Sage shocked Adam by telling him not to worry, that she, being Gabriel's wife would get half. Sage pointed out the codicil to Constance's will stipulating that Gabriel must be married for three years before he could inherit, and produced the marriage certificate, signed just four hours before Gabriel rescued Adam's burned body from the river and lost his life. Sage described her relationship with Gabriel, who had been a spoiled playboy, as best friends who enjoyed each other, and had decided it was the best solution for them both.

After Nick read Gabriel's grandmother Constance's obituary, he delivered an armload of flowers to Sage. With Gabriel, they all talked about life at boarding school. Since he had returned home before it played out, Nick asked about the outcome of the Juliet situation. Gabriel faltered saying that his grandmother had bailed him out with that girl. Nick reminded him that Juliet was their headmaster's sailboat, and told Sage how Gabriel had rescued it, then running full speed had crashed and destroyed it. "Gabriel" said that it was something he preferred to forget. After Nick left, Adam told Sage that could never happen again. They agreed that Sage would get close to Nick, get more information on Gabriel's past, and keep Nick from discovering that he was not Gabriel. Nick looked up the incident online and discovered that Gabriel had been expelled because of it. Gabriel and Sage explained that Constance had kept the expulsion quiet by paying for the boat, no charges were filed, and she had gotten him into another boarding school.

Adam began spending more time with Chelsea as Gabriel. They talked about Adam, trust, guilt, and forgiveness. Chelsea became concerned that Gabriel was handling Connor too much and getting too personal when he knew something about her that only Chloe, her mother, and Adam had known. But after she was told that Gabriel and Sage were in a marriage of convenience, she let her guard down. Adam bought the penthouse across the hall, and Chelsea agreed to decorate it for him and Sage. While they were arranging furniture, "Gabriel" asked Chelsea if she would forgive Adam if he walked in the door. Chelsea admitted she used to ask herself that a lot, but loving Billy and raising Connor together, she no longer thought about it.

On Valentines Day, Adam went to Delia's memorial because it was also her birthday. Finding Billy there, Adam visited Chelsea instead. As Chelsea talked about Billy being unable to get over losing a child, "Gabriel" looked sad. Chelsea realized that Sage being unable to have children, meant "Gabriel" could never have them either. Billy walked in to find Chelsea hugging "Gabriel" but she explained it away.

At the Valentines party at The Underground, "Gabriel" confronted Victor about his father's suicide after Victor had stolen his company, Bingham software. Victor claimed that he had not been to blame. Sage broke them up, as Victor told him to be careful of the accusations he threw around. Adam went home to discover that an apartment below his was on fire, with Chelsea and Johnny outside. Upon learning that Connor was still inside with Billy, Adam heroically went into the building racing up the stairs through the smoke to the penthouse. He found Billy passed out on the floor and Connor in his playpen with a sheet draped over the top. Unable to carry them both, he grabbed Connor and got him safely down to Chelsea. Then Adam went back for Billy, and as he woke Billy up and got him out, Adam commented that he did not come back just to die like this, and that he and Billy were now even. Later Billy remembered it and asked him what he meant, but "Gabriel" told him he just meant coming back into the building. Billy, Chelsea, and Connor went Abbott manor to live temporarily. With the athletic club full, Billy invited Sage and Adam to stay there too. Shortly after, Billy and Chelsea became engaged with "Gabriel" to be Billy's best man. Sage told Adam that she wanted a divorce, saying that he needed the inheritance, but she did not. Adam talked her out of it, but Sage was now in control, telling Adam that Nick was off limits, and he needed to respect her. But enjoying living at Abbott Manor with Chelsea, Adam paid the carpenter to delay the work on their penthouses.

Adam arranged for him and Chelsea to get stuck out of gas in the middle of nowhere, and she reminisced about Adam. How perfect they had been together, how she had completed him, and how convinced she had been that she could fix all that was wrong with him. Later, Sage told Chelsea that she had noticed that Chelsea did not light up when talking about Billy like she did talking about Adam. Chelsea admitted it was not same kind of overwhelming love. Chelsea then had second thoughts about marrying Billy, and conveniently Jack had convinced Billy that he was rushing into it, so they decided to postpone the wedding. Adam was very pleased.

Joe Clark was to become the new administrator of the Bingham founded Better Days Foundation, a haven for abused women and children, so Avery came to "Gabriel" to sign the transfer contracts. She became suspicious of him when he did not bother to read the contracts before he signed, and his signature did not match other documents for the foundation.

While Nick and "Gabriel" fought about the way that Gabriel treated Sage, Gabriel called Nick and his family entitled. Nick demanded to know what had happened to the Gabriel he once knew, that this Gabriel was nothing like him.

Meanwhile, Sage tipped Chelsea that "Gabriel" was manipulating her to make her fall in love with him, and to ask him if he knew Adam. Then Sage confronted Adam saying she was tired of the deception, was filing for divorce, and not moving back into the penthouse with him. Constance's legal representative informed them that her inheritance would revert to The Better Days Foundation and Sage's would go back into probate. They signed the divorce papers, and Sage moved out.

Adam admitted his manipulations to Chelsea and said yes, the minute he had seen her he knew she was the woman for him. He told Chelsea that he knew Adam, because he saw him every time he looked into her eyes. Adam accompanied Chelsea to the hospital as they both worried about a problem with Connor's eyes, but it turned out to be conjunctivitis, not transplant rejection.

Chelsea happened upon Billy and Victoria kissing, and left upset, running into "Gabriel". "Gabriel" took her to his place, she started tearing off his clothes, and they made love. Adam felt that he was truly making Chelsea fall in love with him again. But she and Billy went ahead with the wedding.

Nick temporarily lost custody of Faith after socking a reporter who had antagonized him about Sharon's latest arrest, so he broke up with Sage for Faith's sake. Afterward, Adam found Sage drinking at the athletic club rooftop bar, she told him how he could never live up to Gabriel. Adam took it as a challenge and kissed her. She kissed him back, and they ended up having sex.

Meanwhile, Jack and Victor came to an understanding and merged Jabot with Newman.

Billy promised Chelsea she would get a real wedding, and exactly what she deserved. He asked "Gabriel" to be his best man, but Adam declined, so Jack filled in. But when it was time to take their vows, Billy turned on Chelsea, saying no way in hell would he marry her, announcing to the guests that Chelsea had sex with Gabriel. Billy recounted all of Chelsea's sins, and that the only person she had really loved was a snake like Adam Newman. Everyone exited, leaving Chelsea in tears. Adam and Billy fought later, and Adam let him know that seeing Victoria and Billy kissing had been what had sent Chelsea to "Gabriel". Adam (as Gabriel) showed up at Chelsea's, and they ended up making love. Even though she had called out Adam's name, he told her that they had a connection that was deeper than she had with Billy.

Victor wanted "Gabriel" as an ally, but Adam insisted on a position higher than Victoria's. So when Adam caught Victor holding a syringe over Jack in his hospital bed, "Gabriel" leveraged a job as Co-C.O.O. equal with Victoria. Later after Victor announced that Gabriel Bingham was now Co-C.O.O., Victoria viciously canceled Chelsea's new children's line. Gabriel interceded, telling Victoria not to talk to Chelsea like that again, and to consult with him before making this type of decision. Chelsea went to Jack about reinstating the children's line, and he gave her the go ahead.

Adam was shocked to find out that Sage was pregnant with Nick's baby. Thinking he was the father, he confronted Sage demanding a paternity test.

Gabriel told Chelsea that he intended to prove that Adam wouldn't be the only love of her life, promising to be better than Adam, to always be there for her, with no family to come between them. And they made love again. Later, talking about Victor, Chelsea remarked how Gabriel reminded her of Adam.

Victor slyly told "Gabriel" that he knew who his father was, and next time to do a better job of covering his tracks. Adam was furious with Jack for exposing him, but Jack told him he had a plan and that he had misinformed Victor that Gabriel was his own son.

Jack called a meeting with Chelsea, "Gabriel", Billy, Kyle, with a hospitalized Ashley to be filled in later, convincing them it was time to overthrow the king and take the company for themselves. He explained how the money that he had Kyle draw to buy a shipping company actually was transferred into a dummy account in Victor's name, and how they were going to be diverting funds to the account to take Victor down for grand larceny and corporate fraud. Billy was tasked with keeping Victoria from finding out, and Marco insisted that Billy and Gabriel bury the hatchet. When Marco told Ashley the plan, she refused to be involved, calling it illegal embezzlement, but Billy talked her into it. "Gabriel" later shocked Billy, Ashley, and Chelsea by telling them that he was Jack's son. Ashley insisted on a paternity test, and Marco arranged for the test results to match Jack with "Gabriel".

Adam became suspicious and asked Jack some trick questions. When Jack failed the test, Adam asked him who the hell he was. Adam said he knew what it was like trying to impersonate someone. Marco Annicelli admitted who he was and that he had begun testing his impersonation of Jack all the way back to just after the building collapse. Marco pulled his gun when Adam threatened to go to the police, and confessed that Jack was dead, calling it an unfortunate accident. Threatening to expose Adam, Marco told him that he was going to help Marco fake Jack's death and blame Victor for it. He promised Adam that joining him would not only get him revenge against Victor, but as the eldest heir to Jack, he would get Jabot, plus the love of Chelsea. Realizing he had everything to gain, and nothing to lose, Adam agreed to help. Marco's plan was to goad Victor into shooting him, while wearing a bullet proof vest. Marco called Nikki to meet him in the park, Victor refused to let her go, and went instead. Victor and Jack argued, and when Jack reached into his suitcoat, Victor shot him. Gabriel persuaded Victor to give him Newman-Abbott in exchange for covering it up for him, and Victor left. Marco arrived and both of them were shocked to realize it was Jack on the ground covered in blood, but still alive. Marco left just before the police arrived, and Adam told the police he had found Jack, but had not seen the shooter. Later, at the hospital while Jack was in surgery, his son and siblings accused "Gabriel" of trying to kill Jack to inherit. Victor announced that Gabriel was the new CEO. Ashley opined that Gabriel was blackmailing Victor for shooting Jack.

Jack came out of his coma. Phyllis asked who had shot him, and Jack pointed at Victor. While Phyllis went to get a doctor, Victor thinking he was Marco, warned Jack in Spanish to keep his mouth shut, that no one knew who shot him but Gabriel. They returned to find Victor holding a pillow over Jack. Then Jack lapsed back into the coma.

Adam walked in, admitting that he had witnessed the shooting. Paul arrested Victor, offering no prosecution of Victoria if he told the truth. Victor admitted he had shot Jack, saying Jack had threatened his family, Jack had a personality change, and was not the same man, he suddenly decided he wanted the whole company, set Victor up for embezzlement, they argued, Victor reached for a gun, and Victor shot him.

Adam received a call from a woman named Marisa telling him that Marco would not be a problem anymore. But that she could be his greatest ally or worst enemy. Adam asked if they could meet, Marisa answered, "Eventually." Later that day, Noah introduced his new employee Marisa to Chelsea. Marisa knew her designs and was impressed to meet THE Chelsea Lawson, and met "Gabriel" who was with her.

After his arrest for shooting Jack Abbott, Victor made "Gabriel" C.E.O. Adam made Abby C.O.O., promising Victoria a new position. But Adam allowed Billy to stay on as head of R&D, telling him to step it up. Neil quit his C.F.O. position, but Abby hired Nick over "Gabriel's" objection to take Neil's place. Chelsea was assigned to help Abby, and the two of them met with a trucking executive who was unimpressed with the two young chicks, but Abby won him over and got a contract with a three percent reduction in fees.

"Gabriel" called a meeting of the executives to come up with a mission statement. When they were tired and had given up, Chelsea came up with "A new company for a new generation." Afterward, Chelsea and "Gabriel" made love in his office. After Chelsea left, Adam toasted Victor's portrait, saying, "How does it feel to know the son who was never good enough now has it all? A toast to me – Adam Newman!" Chelsea was standing in the doorway, had overheard, and dropped her champagne glass. Adam tried to talk his way out of it, but when he called Victor 'Lurch', Chelsea knew it was true, and shed tears of disbelief. Adam explained how Sage had done it all for Gabriel's grandmother Constance who could not have survived Gabriel's death. Chelsea finally believed him when he mentioned things from the past that only Adam would know, and they embraced. Adam hoped they could start over with him as Gabriel, because he was still a wanted man. Chelsea refused, wanting him to turn himself in. Adam said the one constant in his life had been his love for Chelsea and Connor. And the truth would also ruin Sage's future with Nick. It wouldn't help Billy, or bring back Delia.

Adam gave in, and after saying goodbye to Connor, left to call a meeting at the office to tell everyone the truth, promising he would not tell that Billy had shot him. But just as Adam was about to, Chelsea showed up and stopped him.

After the police found a gun with Jack's fingerprints which had been planted at Chelsea's that would back up Victor's claim that he had shot Jack in self-defense, "Gabriel" was taken in for questioning. He claimed that he had been set up by Victor, and they should realize there were too many coincidences. Nikki also realized that Victor had been planning on shooting Jack for months, when she recalled that he had Jack's prints months ago. Nikki told Paul, and Gabriel was released.

Gabriel admitted to his executives that he was not Jack's son, and quit as CEO, rather than let Phyllis and Billy run his prints and discover who he really was. But Victor surprised everyone by keeping him on.

Chelsea agreed not to tell the truth about Adam and they had their reunion. But when Chelsea found out that Adam had slept with Sage and had been a potential father of her baby, she refused to be any part of it, and that Adam could not see Connor, who would be better off thinking he was dead. Chelsea took Connor to Paris, but Adam followed. Chelsea told him he was not welcome, but Adam begged her to stay in Paris with her and start a new life. Chelsea refused, knowing that revenge against Victor would always come first. Adam found a house for sale in Paris similar to the one they had bought when they intended to move there. Adam convinced Chelsea to agree to enjoy one week of happiness there like it used to be. They happily threw a birthday party for Connor in middle of the night. But Chelsea was reminded of the soccer ball Connor had received the year before, and realized that Adam had sent it to him, and had been the one who was watching the nursery thru the installed video camera she had found. Adam explained that it was the only way to keep in touch, that he had seen how she still loved him and kept him alive in their son. Meanwhile, Jack and Victor drew up an agreement to dissolve the merger of Newman and Jabot. Chelsea and Adam bought a house in Paris and prepared to settle there.

Chelsea received a call from Billy that her fashion line was in jeopardy with the dissolution of the merger of Jabot and Newman. Chelsea told Adam she didn't care, to let them argue over it. That they could start a new company in Paris together. Adam talked her into going back to keep her company away from Victor, but they agreed to return for only two days, and that Adam would sever all emotional ties with his father. Victor insisted on maintaining control of Chelsea's fashion line, to which Chelsea and the Abbott's objected strenuously. Victor pointed out that the original merger agreement required bids by each party. Chelsea had to choose a blind bid, not knowing if the high or low bid was Jabot. She followed Adam's advice and chose high, but it was Newman's. Chelsea told Victor she would just stay in Paris and start her own company there. Victor reminded her that she had signed a non-compete clause, and he owned her. Chelsea spat that no one owned her and could tell her where to live, she refused to work for Newman, and was returning to Paris. But Victor ruined their plans by suing for weekly visitation of Connor, a court order keeping Chelsea in town until it could be decided. Chelsea was ready to run away with Connor, but without Adam, thinking that if they were caught, Adam would be fingerprinted and his identity discovered. Adam talked her into resuming their life in Genoa City, and they moved back into their condo.

After Katherine's second anniversary memorial service, a sudden storm and power blackout occurred, and all cell phones got nothing but an electromagnetic signal on their screens. In a surprising turn of events, viewers saw Adam in Victor's office, the only place with power, talking to a techie who was controlling Victor's laptop, and downloading the Paragon Project digital worm. In the background was Ian Ward who referred to "Gabriel" as his partner. Adam had gotten Ian out of prison by paying another prisoner to take his place after Ian was hospitalized. Later, Chelsea overheard Adam arguing on his phone, and assuming it was Jack, Chelsea grabbed the phone and said to stop involving Adam in his vendetta against Victor. Adam was livid, as the caller had been Ian, who knew him only as Gabriel Bingham. Ian later accused Adam of double-dealing, but Adam assured him nothing had changed, and he was not siding with Jack or Victor.

Abby renamed Chelsea by Jabot to Chelsea 2.0, and got very cocky when the yet non-existent clothing line began showing huge European online pre-sales thanks to the Paragon project worm causing false sales spikes. Adam asked Ian to leave Chelsea and her line out of the destruction of Newman, he agreed, and the Newman quarterly reports showed that Chelsea 2.0 had dropped back to prior to spike. Adam and Ian argued, and Ian knocked Adam out.

Ian exposed Gabriel's identity as Adam to Phyllis and she spread the word. When Billy found out from Chelsea, he confronted Adam. Victor found Adam after he had been slugged by Billy. They argued, Billy left Adam and Victor who discussed the past, how Adam had never been able to please Victor even after taking a bullet for him, and how Adam had always been out to one-up Victor. Victor told Adam that if he really had returned for his wife and son, he should have stayed in Paris with them, not come after Victor. Adam reminded him that it was Victor's demands for visitation of Connor which had kept them from returning to Paris.

Adam found Sage crying in the park, and she blamed him for ruining her life from the day Gabriel died saving him. As she raged and pounded on his chest, Sage went into labor, and Gabriel had to deliver her premature baby boy right there in the park. Nick arrived at the hospital, accusing Adam of nearly killing Sage who was in surgery for internal hemorrhaging. Then Nick was told that Adam had saved the baby's life by performing infant CPR.

Adam was arrested for causing Delia's death, admitting that he was guilty and would represent himself. But when Michael heard about it, he went to Adam and asked to be his lawyer. Victor offered Adam a deal, that he would bail him out if Adam agreed to stop the Paragon virus, and keep Chelsea in town with his grandchild. Adam agreed, Victor paid the ten million dollar bail, made an impassioned speech to the court about how he believed his son, and Adam was remanded into Victor's custody. Chelsea forgave Adam, and they make love. When Adam didn't seem to be making any progress on Paragon, Victor offered to look the other way if he wanted to run.

Chelsea testified at Adam's trial saying how much she loved him, how much he loves children, and that he had even delivered hers and Sage's babies under dire circumstances. Adam testified explaining how the accident had happened, how a dog had dashed out in front of his car, he had stopped to see if it was okay, then driven on. Adam took full responsibility, but swore he had not known that Delia had been stuck, and was so sorry. Later when Michael offered to try to cut him a deal on a lesser charge, Adam refused to let him. The next day Billy broke down on the stand, saying that he shared responsibility for not taking better care of Delia, asking the jury to forgive Adam. Afterward, Billy told Adam he did not do it for him, but for his daughter and for himself. The jury quickly reached a guilty verdict. At sentencing Kevin asked, on his step daughter Delia's behalf, that they punish Adam to fullest extent of the law. Jack asked for leniency. Victor reminded the jury that his son had taken full responsibility for the tragic accident, and that his reactions were from grief and had not been malicious. Esther exclaimed that she would never forgive him. Chelsea begged for mercy for their family unit. Adam said that he deserved the guilty verdict, but pled for mercy for his son, saying how he had grown up without a father, and did not want the same for his son. Adam was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary. As he was taken from the courtroom, Adam asked Chelsea to tell their son Connor every day that he loved him. But as Adam was being escorted from the jail he was intentionally struck by a white sedan. Suffering with internal injuries, Adam was taken into surgery and survived. Adam awoke, handcuffed to the bed with Chelsea at his side, declaring that she would wait for him to get out of prison. Victor declared there would be an appeal.

Adam overheard that there was a fire at Newman Tower and begged Michael to bust him out to help save his family and Lauren who were at The Top of the Tower for the Delia benefit. Adam showed up at Newman tower disguised in fireman gear to welcome the kids as they exited, then went up the stairway after Chelsea. Adam ran into someone dressed as the devil, who knocked Adam out and left him for dead. The benefit guests were on the roof being evacuated by helicopter. Victor and Billy went down after Jack but found Adam. They helped Adam get to the roof where Victor encouraged Adam to take the helicopter and run away from his prison sentence. Billy objected, but Adam refused anyway. As the three were about to board the helicopter, Adam saw "the devil" still inside. Adam stayed and confronted him for leaving him to die, and discovered it was Ian Ward, who admitted to starting the fire. Ian taunted Adam that he was about to become a murderer again by killing Ian, they fought, and Ian was pinned under falling rubble. Adam left him for dead, declaring it was not murder, but justice. Adam went back down the stairs, found Abby who led them to Ashley and Ben who was unconscious. Adam was declared a hero as he walked out of the building carrying Ben over his back, followed by Abby and Ashley.

Due to Adam's heroic actions when he could have run away, and some blackmail of the appeals judge by Victor, Adam's sentence was reduced to five years probation and 1,000 hours of community service, with a stern warning that the smallest infraction would send him back to prison. But Adam had to sell his soul to Victor to get it. Victor told Adam that he knew his secret that Sage's baby Christian was actually Adam's, so Victor was depending on Adam to help him run Newman and foil the Abbotts. Ashley guessed that Victor was holding something over Adam's head, and she warned him that Victor would only screw him over again once he got what he wanted from Adam. Once they found out that Billy had taken over Paragon and was using it to further decimate Newman, Adam suggested that Victor sue Jabot. Trying to play on both sides, Adam offered to help Jack, consulting, business analysis, whatever he needed, but Jack turned him down so long as he was still working for Newman. Meanwhile, Victor and Adam were finally getting along, and Adam and Chelsea were enjoying their reunion. Chelsea, seeing Adam holding Sharon's baby, suggested that they have another one.

Chelsea and Adam confronted Victor when they discovered that Newman was still getting financial profit form Chelsea 2.0. Victor refused to budge and told them it was just a lesson for them to always read the fine print.

The Santoris wanted Newman to expand into the American mining business. Agreeing that their fathers were very much alike and they hated them, Adam proposed a plan to Luca to force their fathers out and take over their respective family companies. Luca agreed to expose his father's illegal dealings, and Adam would simultaneously expose the Marco fiasco. Luca told Adam he needed time to get the proof to guarantee that his father would go down, then told Adam they needed to find Marco to seal the deal. Victor gave Adam a slip of paper and smugly said that this would finally get rid of Luca and the Santoris. Adam gave it to Luca, telling him that it was the warden's phone number, who could confirm that Marco had been killed by another inmate. Adam was sure it was on Santori orders, but Luca thought that Victor had arranged it. Either way it killed their deal.

Victor sent Adam to Spain to get the goods on the Santoris. Adam left, but viewers saw the elevator doors close on Adam with his hands raised and a hood over his head. Adam was tied to a chair in a room, occasionally visited by his male captor who would not disclose who paid him to kidnap Adam. Although Adam did overhear him talking to his boss, calling her ma'am. Victor and Paul arranged an exchange of the young female computer programmer, Natalie, for Adam, and arrested Adam's captor.

Victor suddenly decided to take Nikki on a second honeymoon, leaving Adam in charge of the Santori situation, and Victoria in charge of the company. Luca handed over the evidence against his father and Adam handed over his evidence against Victor to the FBI. Afterward, Adam relished telling Luca that he had set up Luca, and the FBI man was just a Newman security guard, all part of a scheme with Victor to oust the Santoris. Adam told Luca to leave the company and country, and the evidence would not be used to send his father to prison. But Luca shut down Adam by telling him that Noah would then end up in prison for hit and run. Adam verified with Noah that it was true and that Victor had not only known but helped him cover it up. Noah tried to confess, but Adam stopped him, knowing by his own experience how an accident would ruin Noah's life. Adam told Chelsea the hit and run driver had been Noah then sent Noah out of country to keep him safe and unable to be used by Luca, and Marisa went with him. Victor returned, upset with Adam for screwing up the plan to get rid of the Santoris. Adam told Victor it would have worked if Victor had bothered to tell him about Noah.

Adam told Chelsea about his paternity of Sage's baby Christian so that Victor no longer had any leverage over him, and Chelsea forgave him. Then he told Victor that he would no longer have anything to do with Victor or Newman Enterprises, and quit. Victor was soon arrested for replacing Jack with Marco after Jack and Phyllis filed the charges.

Although Nick abstained, Summer had Victor's proxy, and Adam voted by phone, the Newman board voted to oust Victor as CEO. Victoria was voted in as CEO with no opposition from Adam. Judge Elise Moxley recused herself and confessed her affair with Victor, rather than cave to Victor's expectations to get off. Some department heads became upset that Adam had not become CEO. Victor asked Adam to take over the company, but he refused, saying he had moved on, and he was accepting a position with the largest hedge fund in Manhattan. Adam was put in charge of creating a branch in Chicago, commuting from Genoa City.

After Victor was arrested for kidnapping Jack and replacing him with an imposter for months, Adam tried to talk Victor into pleading guilty rather than be humiliated by his entire family testify against him in court. Victor said he would, if Adam will take over company, because he could be just as ruthless as Victor. Chelsea helped Adam realize he would be sending Victor to prison, and Adam declined the offer. The trial went exactly as Adam had expected, and Victor was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in the state prison. Victor left the courtroom for prison, saying he had no family anymore. They were all dead to him.

Victor was hospitalized after being knifed in the chest, and summoned Adam, asking him to avenge his death if he were killed after he returned to prison. Instead, Adam went to Victoria, advising her to become the CEO she must be to keep the company alive even if Victor did not survive prison. Adam was suddenly fired from the hedge fund, and blamed Victor, which Victor denied. As he was leaving, Victor's psychologist, Dr. Meredith Gates, quizzed Adam about his relationship with Victor. Adam refused to tell her much except to watch her back.

Chelsea asked Adam to become CEO of Chelsea 2.0, and he accepted.

Adam was shocked to hear that Sage had died in a car accident. He reminisced with Chelsea about how much he owed her for saving his life, and how maybe it was best that she died thinking that Christian had been Nick's, the man she loved. Then Adam found a voicemail that Sage had left on his phone. She sounded distraught and anxious to see him about something to do with Christian. Sage left a private note for Adam with her will, admitting that she had known that Christian had been Adam's son, and thanked him for keeping it a secret. Adam shared the note with Chelsea, and together they burned it.

Adam and Chelsea celebrated their reuniting by remarrying each other themselves. Sage's journal was found, and it said that Adam had murdered Constance. Adam told Paul that he suspected Victor of somehow concocting this, just as Adam had once framed Victor with a faked diary. Paul believed Adam. Adam enlisted Ian to get Victor to confess to setting Adam up. Adam requested Nick, as next of kin to Sage, sign to exhume Constance's body. Adam found out that Victor was romancing his prison psychiatrist, Meredith, whose father was Russell "Gateway" Gates, head of the pardon review board. Adam warned Gates that Victor was using his daughter to get out of prison. Gates told Adam that whether Victor was sincere or not, no way would he help him get out of prison. Adam told Victor he knew that he had framed him, and warned him that anything he tried to get out early, he would block it.

Paul and Dylan delivered the news that Constance's body was riddled with poison, and they had found the same poison in a storage building that Adam had rented. Paul admitted that he suspected Victor was setting Adam up. Knowing their only hope was Ian Ward's testimony that Victor had confessed to framing Adam, Chelsea presented Ian with an escape plan and begged him to testify.

At Adam's trial, Victor testified that he loved his son Adam with all his heart, that Ian was a pathological liar, and that Dr. Meredith Gates had made up the story that he had proof that Adam killed Constance because she had feelings for him, humiliating Meredith. Outside the courtroom, Ian managed to get a guard's gun and took Nikki hostage. Victor walked out and in stopping another guard from firing on them, took a bullet in the shoulder fired by Ian. Adam knelt by Victor saying, "Damn you Victor, don't you die on me!" Ian took Nikki to the Abbott cabin where they interrupted Phyllis. He forced Phyllis to tie her up, and he tied up Phyllis. Ian made Nikki call Victor to transfer 5 million dollars to his offshore account. While Ian was quieting Phyllis, Nikki told Victor where they were. Victor convinced Meredith to help him escape. Victor showed up and convinced Ian to let the women go. Alone together, Ian and Victor traded threats. Then after Victor intentionally entered an incorrect password triggering a security alert on his account, Ian suddenly handed Victor the gun and began taunting him about Nikki, encouraging Victor to shoot him. But Victor refused, saying that Ian was his ticket out of prison. Paul and Dylan arrived and captured Ian and Victor.

Adam visited Victor, asking why he would set him up, then exonerate him in court. Victor promised that the real pages would show up if Adam agreed to work for him at Newman and follow his rules. Adam said he had his own dreams and family, and he had made promises, telling Victor to take his deal and go straight to hell. Dylan received a tip that was presumably the location of the missing pages, but the envelope found was empty. Adam ended up taking the plea bargain and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Chelsea visited Adam, and Adam told her that he did not think he would ever be exonerated. Adam guessed that Chloe was the mystery woman and charged Chelsea with finding out for sure. She talked Chloe into bringing Bella to live with her and Connor, and to work at Chelsea 2.0. Chloe went to see Adam claiming she had forgiven him, and that she had learned that the pain of her loss wouldn't go away, no matter what happened to Adam. Adam didn't believe a word of it.

Adam became dejected. He dreamed of Connor as a teenager, as Adam finally got out of prison in time to see Chelsea on her deathbed, with Connor blaming him for killing her because she waited for him. Adam stopped eating and sleeping, and had a vision of Victor as his guard, taunting him. Adam attacked the guard Matthews, who later went into a coma, and assault charges were filed. Adam refused Michael's advice to plead insanity, pled guilty, and was sentenced to 10 years. Adam asked Nick to look out for Connor, the one independent Newman with hope, and to protect him from Victor. But as Adam was led away from the courtroom, he was abducted, thanks to Victor. Victor told Adam when he awoke at a secluded cabin that he had arranged passports and a plane to a foreign country the next morning. The last name on the passports was Erasmus, which means beloved. Meanwhile, Nikki slipped Chelsea a burner phone to call the phone that Victor had given Adam. Chelsea called Adam, then took Connor and left through a passageway between the penthouses that Adam had built years ago. But Connor developed a fever, and needed to be hospitalized. After hearing that the car she was driving was being searched for, Chelsea called Nick to take them. But Chloe showed up at the cabin, shot Adam with a dart, just to watch him die. As Nick and Chelsea pulled up to the cabin, it exploded. Bone and tissue fragments were later tested and found to have Adam's DNA, and he was declared dead.

Chloe later admitted to herself that in killing Adam, she seriously needed help. Two months after Adam's death, Matthews the guard, limped out of the hospital with the aid of a walker, and admitted that he would have testified for Adam at his trial. It was nearly a year after his death that Genoa City finally knew that Chloe had murdered Adam. She abandoned her groom Kevin at the altar and escaped with Victor's help. When Victor was told by Nick that he had just aided the escape of Adam's killer he was devastated. Victor knew, since the moment Adam died that it had in one way or another, been his fault. Not that he would ever admit it, but he carries that guilt, admitting finally that he loved Adam.

Almost three years later, an associate of Victor told him that he had spotted someone who looked like Adam working as a professional gambler in Las Vegas, going by the name of “Spider”. Victor tracked him down and pressured Adam to return to Genoa City with him. Spider told him that if he was Adam, he had had no memory since 2016, which coincided with the explosion he supposedly died in. Spider’s story was that he woke up on a freight train, got off and went to a nearby bar, where he got into a poker game, and won money for clothes and transportation to the next game. Spider met Riza Thompson, queen of the Las Vegas underground poker scene who became his backer, bankrolling him to the big time. People had told him he resembled Adam Newman, but he had looked him up on the Internet, and didn’t like him, didn’t want to be him. Victor absolved Adam of his crimes with judges and the governor, but Spider refused Victor’s plea. Meanwhile Nikki had hired Rey Rosales to find Victor. Rey and his lover Sharon Newman tracked Victor to Vegas. Victor confronted them, then told Sharon that her former husband Adam was alive, and asked her to convince Adam to return to Genoa City.

Waiting in Spider’s motel room, Sharon found photos of the Newman’s tossed in the trash, but one, that of Adam’s son Christian was still on the table. When Spider arrived, Sharon was shocked to see that it really was Adam. Sharon was unable to spark a memory, but convinced Adam to return to Genoa City with them, and Victor put Adam up in the tack house on the ranch. Adam hid a satchel of cash and texted someone that he was in Genoa City and everything was going smoothly.

After meeting Nick and Victoria who were skeptical, Adam, already wary of Victor for manipulating him, depended on Sharon as the only person he could trust. Someone left a photo of Delia, he showed it to Sharon, and she sent him to Victoria and Billy who explained that Delia was Billy’s daughter whom Adam had run over and left for dead.

Adam decided to disappear, but was shot in the gut by Chloe Mitchell as he opened the door to leave. Sharon heard the shot and found him in a pool of blood. Adam woke up in the hospital, his memory returned. Adam texted someone again “I know who did it. I will take care of it. We have to shut down the investigation. Find me a fallguy.” Later a man turned himself in, saying he was from Vegas, and that Adam had wiped him out financially. Police Chief Paul was skeptical.

Adam told Nick and Victoria that Victor had promised that Adam would become head of Newman if he would stay, so offered them a deal; he would leave town if they gave him 500 million dollars, the whereabouts of Chelsea and his son Connor, and for Nick to turn over Adam’s son Christian. Nick told Adam to go to hell. Victor walked in on them, Victoria recounted it all for Victor, who scoffed as Adam looked on. Victoria later gave Adam fifty million dollars and Chelsea’s cell number. Adam asked Sharon to contact Chelsea and break the news of his return. But Chelsea had remarried and her new husband had adopted Connor. She felt it would be too disruptive to Connor to see Adam at all.

Meanwhile, Adam had Chloe kidnapped and was holding her hostage to get Kevin to do his bidding. Assuming Adam and Phyllis were a couple, Kevin kidnapped Phyllis and tried to swap her for Chloe to get out from under Adam’s thumb. Michael found out and intervened. Chloe and Kevin were sent back to Portland, Phyllis escaped, and Michael took Kevin’s place working for Adam. Michael got elected DA and managed to get all the charges dropped against Chloe, allowing Kevin and his family to return and live at the Chancellor estate. Adam was mad that Chloe got off. Michael gloated that Adam hadn’t thought it through when he suggested Michael become DA. Adam showed Michael a photo of Fen, insinuating that he was on drugs and selling them while on tour. To keep Fen out of trouble, Adam expected Michael to cooperate in the future.

Adam convinced a disgruntled Phyllis to hack into Dark Horse’s server for 2.5 million dollars. Then Adam went to Nick with the fact that he had bought up Nick’s 27 million dollar loan, and Adam now owned Dark Horse. Again, Nick turned down reclaiming Dark Horse by handing over Christian and handed Adam the keys to Dark Horse instead. Phyllis talked Adam into making her CEO. Phyllis began liquidating assets from Dark Horse, returning the Jabotique properties to Jabot, and Newman properties back to Newman and to Nick. Phyllis told Adam what she had done, and had kept only The Grand Phoenix Hotel for herself. But Adam had the last smirk as he thanked her for getting his company the needed cash, and revealed that her deed was actually for a derelict hotel in Detroit which was ready for demolition. Adam offered the Grand Phoenix to Phyllis for fifteen million dollars. When she could not come up with the money, Adam sold it to Abby Newman who intended to open an upscale lounge on the ground floor. Chelsea came on board as an investor who would manage the rest.

Adam suddenly asked Sharon to marry him, but she refused, saying she had moved beyond that person who loved and enabled him. Victor got a restraining order to keep Adam away from Christian. Chelsea showed up from Baton Rouge followed by her husband Calvin. After Calvin suddenly died, she decided to stay in Genoa City, and sent for Connor. Chelsea let Adam spend time with Connor who was overjoyed to find out that his father was alive. But Adam pushed it too far, expecting Connor to come live with him. Chelsea and Adam had a heart to heart about the difference between Adam and Nick, how Adam demands things from people, and Nick earns them, including love from Christian. Chelsea pointed out how everything revolves around Adam, he does whatever it takes to get what he wants, and his manipulation just pushes people away instead of getting what he wants most – love. Afterward, Adam presented Nick with papers giving up his rights to Christian and concentrated on being a good father to Connor, and someone Chelsea could trust. But he declared war on the Newman family promising to ruin them.

Not long afterward, someone tried to run Adam over after luring him out to the site of Delia’s death. Convinced that Victor was trying to kill him, Adam stole Nate’s tablet, and asked Phyllis to hack in and find out more about Victor’s disease. Adam paid Suzanne to translate the medical information and double the dosage of Victor’s medication to increase his side effects. Adam swapped Victor’s meds and Victor began having memory loss, becoming incompetent to be CEO. Dr. Nate and the family announced that Victor had been murdered by an overdose. The police tracked down Suzanne who received immunity by blaming Victoria. The police found Nate’s tablet and another bottle of the phony meds in Victoria’s desk and arrested her for murder.

Adam had confided in Phyllis, and was wracked with guilt, saying he never meant to kill his father. Phyllis told Adam to get over it, that now was their chance to take over Newman. Adam decided to return to his life in Vegas instead, and handed Phyllis the keys to his penthouse. He said goodbye to Connor, and made him cry. Adam stopped by the ranch and found Victor at the chess board. Adam applauded and told Victor, “Well played.” Adam apologized sobbing, saying it proved what a terrible person he was, that he hoped one day Victor would forgive him, but he would get out of their lives. Nikki walked in but Adam had disappeared. Victor brought Michael in on the plan saying he had forgiven Adam and didn’t want him pursued. Dr. Nate, Paul, and the family had been in on it. Michael announced that charges against Victoria were dropped, since there was no murder. Victor apologized but he felt his life was in danger.

Connor began acting out at school, and Sharon was called in to see if she could help him. Things got so bad that Nick went hunting for Adam and talked him into returning to help his son. Adam moved back into the penthouse and Chelsea let Connor stay with him. Adam gave Phyllis 10 million dollars to go away if she promised no more revenge. He told her, “Live your best most evil life on me, just do it without me.” Phyllis tore up the check, telling Adam he was not getting rid of her that easy. Adam ran into Billy and let him know that he was aware that Billy had been the one who tried to run him down with a car. They agreed to move on, and never look back, no longer seek revenge or payback, and move forward staying out of each other’s business.

Adam reactivated Dark Horse, buying a tech company specializing in video games. Adam realized Chloe had been the one who saved him from being run down by Billy. Chloe told Adam she had saved Billy, not him, and that Adam owed her.

Adam witnessed the showdown between Chelsea and a stranger (Simon Black) who was threatening Connor, which became a hostage situation in the lobby of the Grand Phoenix. But Chance swooped down from the ductwork in the ceiling and rescued them. Black was arrested, but made a deal to tell what he knew about Colin Atkinson and the scam he had pulled bilking Devon Hamilton out of two and a half billion dollars. Things only escalated for Connor after being threatened by a bad guy with a gun, and he began seeing monsters. Chelsea started spending nights there with him, then finally moved in with Adam for Connor’s sake. Nick had been understanding to this point, but Chelsea moving out of his house and into Adam’s was the last straw. Connor found a silver tabby kitten in the park. They took it home, named him Oliver, and Connor’s attitude began to mellow. Nick chose New Years Eve to finally tell Chelsea they were through, that he could see her heart was with Adam and their son. Adam and Chelsea fell back into being lovers rather quickly, their reunion being cheered on by Connor, who just as suddenly became a happy child again. The three of them took a vacation to Paris and considered moving there, but Connor did not do well there, so they did not.

Chance told Adam that Vegas was a game-changer, and he owed Adam. Chance told Adam, “She is missing, just vanished.” Adam said he had everything under control, he paid her monthly, and she would turn up when she cashed the check. Viewers then saw Adam telling Riza on his cell, that “She had turned up and was asking questions.” Later Adam told Chance that she was talking to the police, and he was going to Vegas to take care of it. Not trusting how Adam was going to handle it, Chance refused to let him go alone. From their conversation in Vegas, apparently, Spider and Chance had become friends while Chance was working under cover. Chance knew that Spider was Adam, but let him live his life, and didn’t tell Victor. Adam had tried to scare a guy off who was trying to kill Chance, the guy came at Adam, and Adam had killed him, saving Chance’s life. The guy’s wife had been told he was not missing, but in the witness protection program. Adam began paying her off fearing he could go to prison, as there were no witnesses, and it would blow Chance’s cover. The wife was asking when the trial was, that her husband would return. Adam vowed to do whatever it took to get rid of her. He hired Kevin to get rid of the evidence, but Chance and Abby did it instead.

While Victoria was recovering from being mistakenly stabbed by Amanda’s stalker, Victor let Adam assume he would become interim CEO. But Phyllis convinced Nick to take the job instead. Adam declared war and Chelsea joined him. She accepted Adam’s marriage proposal, and they with Connor traveled to Kansas, to plan the wedding at Hope’s farm. They found the farm in disrepair and stayed in a B&B instead. Adam hired someone to rehab the farm, and met with Alyssa Montalvo, a crime reporter who had been his best friend since kindergarten. Alyssa’s late father A.J., had been a known loan shark who had gone to prison for tax evasion. Between the two of them, they discovered that Adam’s adoptive father Cliff had died at the hands of A.J.’s hitman when Cliff was unable to pay back loans. Then A.J. died falling from a barn loft shortly after Victor had come to town to console Hope. Alyssa wrote the exposé of his murder and cover-up by Victor and Adam convinced her to give it and the proof to him to be published. Instead, Adam paid a pharmacist to tamper with Victor’s medication making him look incompetent. When that didn’t work he blackmailed Victor into making him CEO, astounding everyone when Victor backed down. Adam’s tenure was short-lived when Victoria returned as CEO and exposed that the real murderer of A.J. had been 11 year old Adam who had blocked it out. Victor explained that he had flown to Hope and found Adam catatonic. George, the farm caretaker had moved the body, and Victor had bribed the coroner. Hope had not attended the funeral so as not to jog Adam’s memory. Adam refused to believe it but was disappointed in Chelsea that she did. Determined to expose Victor’s lie, Adam invited George to Genoa City. George reluctantly admitted it was true. Adam fled to Kansas and sat under the kitchen table as he had as a child listening to A.J. threaten Hope that if she didn’t pay he would take it out on Adam. Adam saw himself come out, scream at A.J. to leave his mother alone. A.J. threatened, "What are you going to do about it, kid?" The younger Adam attacked A.J. leaving him on floor with blood pooling under his head. Adam asked Sharon for help, who was recovering from a lumpectomy. Nick interrupted, and made him leave, told him to find another therapist. Later Sharon texted Adam, “What can I do to help?”

ChanceComm published the story titled “The Making of a Monster” which caused Chelsea to lose supporters of her new fashion line. About this same time, Chelsea overheard Adam tell Rey that Adam and Sharon were destined to be together. A photo of Adam and Sharon kissing went viral, and when Chelsea and Adam told Connor that they were separating, Connor blamed Sharon.

Chelsea found herself stuck in the elevator when the power went out, thanks to Adam cutting the power to get into Billy’s office. She climbed on the railing in an attempt to get out through the ceiling hatch but fell. Billy found her unconscious and called 911.

Adam saw Chelsea find schematics of Newman tower with a red X near CEO office. Afraid she would expose his latest plot, Adam had Chelsea kidnapped and held in a locked room in a warehouse with nothing but a bare mattress on a bedframe. Chance followed Adam to the same warehouse where Chelsea had just escaped using a bar from the bed frame. Chance confronted Adam as a sniper tried to shoot Adam. Chance dived and tackled Adam, taking a bullet in the chest which punctured a lung. Adam called 911 and left Chance there in critical condition. Chance said Adam’s name to the medical team before passing out. Later Adam went to the hospital to thank Chance. Chance told him they were even, but he didn’t want Adam in his life.

Victor got Adam committed for psychiatric evaluation and also to protect him from the shooter. (The shooter had been Alyssa Montalvo.) Sharon signed the petition. But he was allowed to leave in 72 hours and did. Chelsea took Adam back, and they made plans to move to Minnesota near Connor’ boarding school. Chelsea had been having headaches and pain since the fall in the elevator and was found collapsed again on the stairs. Taken to the ER, they discovered a small cerebral aneurism and she had an operation to remove the blockage. Chelsea had a stroke, her right side paralyzed, and she could not speak. Adam and Victor arranged to take Chelsea home to the penthouse, hired a caregiver, calling in Dr. Lena Cavett, a stroke specialist. Chelsea lived there alone for months confined to a wheelchair and unable to communicate. Chloe visited Chelsea often but was disappointed to see no change, no recognition, as Chelsea just stared off into space. Meanwhile Chelsea was screaming inside her head, trying to get through to Chloe how convinced she was that Adam and Sharon were having an affair while she was incapacitated. Viewers saw Chelsea begin to move her fingers/hands/and eventually stand when no one was around to see. Finally, Chelsea spoke to Chloe when she was there. Chloe was incredulous, but happy for her. Chloe had seen the photo that had gone viral of Adam and Sharon sharing a kiss, so she believed her suspicions. Chelsea continued to let everyone think she was incapacitated but had a plan to get back at Adam which she refused to share with Chloe.

Sharon’s police detective husband Rey started getting sick and nearly died. It was discovered that he was slowly being poisoned, and Adam became the prime suspect. Once Adam had been arrested Chelsea began showing rapid improvement and was back to normal. Rey questioned her, and she did her best to throw suspicion on Adam. It eventually came out that Chelsea had somehow secured the poison and had gotten Chloe to put it in Rey’s toiletries. Chloe somehow had no idea what she had done, admitted it to Kevin. But although Rey was suspicious of Chloe, it never came out that she had been an accomplice to attempted murder.

Chelsea was found innocent by reason of insanity and did some time in a mental institution where she finally came to realize that the affair between Adam and Sharon had only been in her mind. Chelsea was released on a convalescent leave to take care of Anita who had broken a hip. Rey was appointed her security detail to drive Chelsea to Minneapolis where Anita was living. When Chelsea returned to Genoa City, she joined Chloe heading up the fashion line which was now a part of Newman Media which was headed by Adam and Victor. Sally Spectra had joined Chloe as a designer as well. Sally and Adam had had a brief relationship which he called off when she became an employee, but Sally kept trying to get back together. After consulting with Sharon and telling Chelsea it could not wait, Adam broke the news to Connor that they would not be a family anymore. Connor blamed it on Sharon coming between Adam and Chelsea.

Ashland went into remission and joined Victoria as partners running their merged companies. Victoria offered to buy Newman Media back from Victor, and he accepted, insisting that Adam stay on as CEO. So Adam ended up working for his sister Victoria. Victoria decided she didn't want the fashion division, so Chelsea, Chloe and Sally were without jobs. After Chelsea and Chloe moved forward to start their own company once again, Sally was cut loose. Adam stepped in and hired her as COO of Newman Media. On Valentines day they celebrated their success by having sex all over Adam's office. They agreed they were perfect for each other, both having similar sins in their pasts.

Ashland was exposed as having conned his way into Victoria’s heart and Newman. He never had cancer and had played her. Victoria had a hard time accepting it and getting Ashland out of her life. With no authority Adam offered Ashland a half-billion dollars for Ashland to walk away from the company and accept an annulment from Victoria. But Victor agreed to pay it himself. After Victoria refused to forgive him, Ashland accepted the payoff. Weeks went by, Ashland living at the Grand Phoenix, refused to leave town. Trying to make amends, Ashland donated 250 million dollars to New Hope in the name of recently deceased Rey Rosales. Michael and Victor, with the consent of Kyle, had a restraining order issued to keep Ashland away from Harrison, further pushing him to leave. But out of the blue, Victoria let them know that she still loved Ashland, this was her chance to break free, and she and Ashland left for New York City where they started planning their new business and where to live there. Victor made Adam CEO of Newman in hopes it would entice Victoria to return. Nikki returned to her COO position to better keep an eye on Adam. Adam made Sally CEO of Newman Media. Adam and Sally celebrated and Adam told Sally he loved her. Unfortunately for Adam and Sally, it turned out to have been a setup by Victoria for revenge. She had opened a bank account for their new company, and after Ashland deposited his 250 million dollars, Victoria transferred the money and closed the account. She told off Ashland and returned home triumphant