Phyllis irks Cane by showing up on his train again. She questions if this was just a long build-up to nothing. “Are you going to shatter my dreams.”
Cane teases that it’s not on his to-do list for today. Hilariously, he tries to get Red to relax. She just keeps ranting, saying he’s stalled and is holding back. “Is it your kids?” she finally asks.
Cane admits Mattie and Charlie won’t take his calls. Phyllis empathises. She’s sure they’ll come around when the shock wears off. Cane declares they can’t launch the plan until he talks to his children. Phyllis suggests she forge ahead and get a head start. “Give me a project.” She cannot wait to have Victor Newman groveling at her feet. Cane smirks, “What do you know about Artificial Intelligence?”
Phyllis shrugs that she’s dabbled in AI. Cane is going to need her to become an expert on it… sooner rather than later. Her ability to learn things fast and pivot is central to their success. Phyllis salivates, “I’m on it.” She asks how they’re going to use it in business. Cane wants her to figure it out first, then he’ll tell her how they’ll use it to get what they want.
Will Lily Bring Up Cane?
Lily and Devon settle in at Society. She’s sure her brother is sick of hearing her complain about Cane (aren’t we all?), so rather than do that, she asks him about Nate. Devon says Audra’s done something that’s tearing him up when he’s trying to grieve Damian. They hope Nate leaves her. Lily rants that she hates Audra after seeing her flirt with Kyle right in front of them in France.
Inevitably, the conversation turns to Cane. Lily complains that her kids thought that Cane was doing something honorable, but all he was doing was inflating his bank account. She’s thankful when her brother offers to reach out to them, and then picks up ranting about Cane becoming like Colin with his high-level game of setting up marks. She wishes Cane had never come back into her life and mocks him for having a train on every continent. Devon then learns she tried to make a deal with him, but he wouldn’t divulge any information. She fears all Cane is left with is retribution.
Will Nate Get the Truth?
At Crimson Lights, Audra continues her denials, but Nate’s not buying it. He’ll give her one last chance to come clean. If she lies again, he’s out of there. Trying to turn the tables, Audra cries that her boyfriend’s willing to blow it all up over a rumor or lie. Nate protests that he doesn’t want to do that. “You mean everything to me.”
Audra sniffs that he’s made his mind up. She tries to storm out, but he stops her. She fumes that Kyle will be so pleased about this; it was his goal. Nate tells her to stop grasping at straws. The only one trying to make him look like a fool right now is her.
Audra keeps trying to pull the wool over his eyes where Kyle’s concerned, but it’s the Victor part that doesn’t add up for him. He can’t believe she suddenly had second thoughts about taking the Black Knight’s money. Unable to convince her boyfriend of her story, Audra finally blurts, “What do you want me to say? That Victor came to me with an offer? That he hated the fact so much that Kyle was dating his granddaughter, Claire, that he’d go to any length to stop him? Using me to juice things up… is that what you’re accusing me of?” Nate narrows his eyes, “Is that what you did, Audra?”
Nate pleads with Audra to tell him the truth. “Was that Victor’s deal?” Audra tries to leave again, crying about being called a liar and whore by someone who loves her. “Goodbye, Nate. This is your loss.” She storms out, passing Cane, who exchanges a stare with Nate.
Nate confronts Cane about his brother’s death. Cane assures him it will haunt him for the rest of his life. Nate snarks, “Oh. Should I send you a sympathy card now?” He wonders if they’re all just supposed to move on. Why did Cane lie all these years and why did he put Lily and his kids through this pain and confusion? “So, you could leap out of the hedges and yell, ‘Surprise! Daddy’s home!?” he snarks. Cane, steely, insists there are reasons for what he did. Nate questions why anyone would ever trust him again.
Cane next engages with Esther, who is sorry about Colin dying, even after what he did with Mrs. C’s will. Cane orders, takes a seat, and reads a message from Charlie asking him to stop calling him and Mattie. They don’t know who he is anymore. Just then, Lily appears. She reads the text and asks if he’s surprised. Cane’s sure he can fix it. “I did it for you. I did it for them.” he wheedles. Cane kept it secret because he was afraid to fail.
Nate meets Devon at the bar in Society. Devon unironically, says he looks like he’s about to hit somebody. Nate divulges that he accused Audra of lying to him. She gave him more of the same song and dance. He’s sure he’s pushed her away for good. Devon’s not sorry to hear it. Nate frets about blowing up his relationship, but Devon points out that Audra’s focus is only on herself.
Clash of Two Vixens
In the park, Phyllis reads about AI on her tablet and learns she has to use this to get inside all the major companies in Genoa City. Audra storms by and Phyllis hollers, “Oh, hey, Audra! I heard you crashed and burned again.”
Fuming, Audra repeats her lie about walking away from Vibrante because she didn’t want Victor financing it. Phyllis asks her how Nate is doing after Damian’s death. She guesses they’re relationship is on the rocks and needles about her flirtation with Kyle in Nice. Audra asks why she gives a damn. Phyllis thinks Nate deserves a lot better than her. She asks Audra why Cane invited her to Nice. She’s working with him and needs to know the players. Audra learns Ashby is working on something beyond what she could ever imagine, and mocks the idea of him relying on Phyllis, who’s sketchy past is a lot worse than hers. Phyllis tells her that what they build together will be more than she, or anyone else in this town, has ever seen.
