Bill give Thomas some fake news
At Spencer, Steffy held Douglas as she and Bill debated which family the child resembled most. Caroline felt that her son was the perfect blend of his mother and father. Bill quipped that Douglas' father was busy pushing polyester with orphan Sally. Caroline felt responsible for it because, in the past, she hadn't made enough of an effort to unite her family.
Caroline regretted remaining on the East Coast, but back then, she hadn't known what was best for her and Douglas. She'd figured it out, and she wanted to be with Thomas. Bill reaffirmed his commitment to help, and she thanked him and Steffy for their support. Steffy said they loved Caroline and wanted things to work out.
Caroline told Douglas it was time to leave so that Bill could make them some money. Bill said he'd disinherit them if they stayed away too long again. After Caroline and Douglas left, Bill asserted, "That settles it. I'm kicking Sally out of that building and your brother's life."
Bill felt that Sally was a termite in need of fumigation. He wanted the building demolished and for Sally to be gone. Steffy thought it was easier said than done, but Bill asked when he'd ever failed at anything. Steffy believed that Sally was there to stay because Thomas was invested in her and Spectra. Bill said his company, Caroline's family, and profits were all in jeopardy because of that "redheaded wannabe."
Bill added that Sally was also leeching off of his summit, which put his reputation in jeopardy. Steffy said Sally was riding Forrester's coattails all the way to Monte Carlo. Bill fumed about Thomas happily becoming one of the clowns in the circus. Steffy didn't know what had gotten into her brother, who'd become "one of them" overnight.
Bill decided that they needed a plan to drive Sally and Thomas apart. He rasped that Thomas was way too swept up in "that ginger," who was desperate and broke. "What's attractive about that?" Bill asked. Steffy said Thomas wanted to be the hero and rescuer. Bill reasoned that Thomas wanted to ride up and save the day, but Thomas would learn the hard way, just like his father, that there was only one stallion. "One what?" Steffy replied.
Dismissing the thought, Bill asserted that Sally ate chumps like Thomas for breakfast, and after she used Thomas to get her footing back, she'd kick him to the curb. Steffy said that her brother was stubborn. She decided to leave, and Bill asked where she was going. Steffy needed to get to work and prepare for the trip. Bill told her to look pretty and leave the rest to him.
At Spectra, Thomas and Sally made out, but they agreed to stop and keep their eyes on the prize: winning at the competition. There was no doubt in Thomas' mind that they'd win.
Later, Shirley waved ostrich feathers and a swatch of rhinestones and suggested they be added to a design. Thomas said they were trying to keep it chic and classy to compete with Forrester. Saul and Darlita wheeled a rack of clothes into Sally's office, and Saul said that Forrester was boring. Jiggling herself, Shirley told Sally to spice it up and add a splash to it. Thomas believed they would and said he couldn't wait to compete with his sister and family.
Saul informed Sally that he'd booked Sally and Thomas' hotel rooms. Darlita was sure that Sally and Thomas wanted just one room. Thomas said he'd taken care of it, but he thanked Saul for the effort. Shirley said Sally needed to brush up on her Monaco, and Sally became confused. Thomas said the people in the country spoke French and English.
As Saul closed a box of racked clothes, Thomas stopped him and pulled out a garment. He noticed that it was frayed and said they couldn't have that type of thing if they were competing with Forrester. Thomas felt that presentation was paramount, and they couldn't be going with "this mediocre stuff" anymore. Saul snapped that he hadn't realized that they were.
Thomas announced that it was Spectra's comeback. It was their chance to show the world that Spectra was there to stay. The women all clapped, and Saul appeared to be annoyed.
Later, Thomas received a call from Bill, but he told Bill that they had nothing more to say. Bill apologized for being harsh before and asked Thomas to please meet at Bill's office. Thomas claimed he couldn't do it because he was in the middle of making an entire collection for the showing. Bill implored Thomas, who finally agreed.
After the call, Sally said she could guess what Bill wanted from Thomas. Thomas said she shouldn't worry because there was nothing Bill could say or do to get between her and Thomas.
At Forrester, Wyatt, Katie, Zende, Nicole, Brooke, R.J, Coco, and Ivy worked in the photo studio with bikini-clad mannequins. Wyatt liked what he saw and believed they'd dominate at the summit. Brooke noted that Wyatt had been spending a lot of time at Forrester. R.J. joked that Katie had been doing so well that they hardly missed Wyatt. Coco asked if Wyatt was jealous that Katie had filled his shoes, but Wyatt said he'd always known Katie would be wonderful.
Brooke loved Zende's designs. He thanked her but said it was a collective effort of the entire design team. Nicole waved a bikini and said she couldn't wait to do her thing on the runway. R.J. remarked that his mother was modeling, too, and Brooke affirmed it. R.J. announced that he wanted to have a pool party because he and Coco hadn't been invited to Monaco.
Nicole asked where Ridge and Quinn were, and Brooke conveyed her belief that they might be working from home. Wyatt believed that Forester was looking at a major victory, and the Forrester gang cooed and cheered.
Katie and Wyatt discussed getting Eva to set up an interview with the prince, and Charlotte became excited. Ivy, Nicole, and Zende discussed how excited he had to be about his first showing. Nicole said Zende was modest, but Rick and Maya were also excited. Wyatt joined the conversation, remarking that they should see the hotel.
Brooke approached the note-taking Katie to express how impressed she was with what Katie had accomplished and how busy Katie had to be. Katie said she'd had some help, but she was enjoying it. Brooke didn't think it could all be about the job, and Katie wondered if Brooke was talking about a love life. Brooke asked if Katie was seeing anyone special.
Wyatt approached, and Brooke took off. Wyatt lauded Katie's good work, but Katie said the initial idea had been his. He compromised, saying they'd done it together. When he said he enjoyed working with her, Katie seemed to become shy. He asked what was wrong and if she needed to take a coffee break. Katie said she'd just finish up her work and head out.
When Katie looked up, Wyatt was grinning. "What?" she asked. She asked if she had something in her teeth, and she began panicking about it. He assured her that she was fine, and she asked again why he was looking at her "that way."
In the CEO's office, Caroline arrived, saying that Pam was showing Douglas off all around the building. They laughed about how much Douglas had grown since Christmas. Steffy hoped the child would be smarter than his father. She wished Caroline had returned months back, and she said Caroline and Thomas would be happy together. Steffy wished she could get through to Thomas, but she just couldn't.
At Spencer, Bill paced around, thinking. Something occurred to him, and he grinned.
Thomas arrived. Bill sounded conciliatory as he greeted Thomas. Thomas believed he knew what it was about. Bill said he'd be lying if he said he understood why Thomas would get involved with a con artist like Sally. "There it is," Thomas exclaimed, turning to leave.
Bill asked for Thomas to give him a break. Thomas, however, had heard enough of Bill's complaints about Sally. Bill replied that Thomas hadn't heard it all, and there was something Thomas didn't know. Thomas decided that if it was about Caroline, Bill needed to accept that Caroline had left Thomas, and Thomas would never abandon his son.
Bill noted that Thomas hadn't had the best role model in Ridge. Even though Bill had been the playboy's playboy back in the day, he'd learned the proper way to conduct himself with a woman. Bill had learned family responsibility. He said he'd discovered something that Caroline didn't want anyone to know. Thomas asked what he was talking about.
Bill said that family meant the world to him, and he looked out for Caroline as if she was his own. Thomas understood that Bill would always help Caroline. Bill affirmed it, but he sadly said he couldn't help her. Thomas asked what Bill meant. Bill replied that Caroline had something she didn't want Thomas to know. Bill thought the father of her son had the right to know. Thomas asked what was going on. "It's Caroline. She's dying, Thomas," Bill replied.
At Spencer, Thomas was in shock after Bill told him that Caroline was dying. Thomas mumbled that it couldn't be real because Caroline looked healthy. Thomas wondered how it could be possible.
Bill answered that Caroline had a rare autoimmune disease. He added that she had been to every specialist in the world and that she was adamant that no one find out about her condition. Bill encouraged Thomas to stay close to Caroline and Douglas so they would always have memories because family was important.
Bill told Thomas that he didn't want Caroline to know he had betrayed her trust, but it was important for Thomas to know so he could quit wasting time with Sally Spectra and at Spectra. He needed to return to his family and Forrester.
Bill maintained that Thomas should have gone to New York to be with Caroline earlier, but Thomas angrily replied that he had gone to New York, and Caroline had said she hadn't known what she'd wanted. Bill said it was time for Thomas to return to New York to be with Caroline and Douglas because Thomas had to fulfill his obligation to his son and Caroline. "Make happy, lasting, loving memories for Douglas to cherish long after his mother is gone. Only you can do that," Bill said.
Thomas was emotional. Bill warned that Thomas had previously abandoned his family. "Not true. Damn it, Bill, I wanted a family with Caroline and my son, but she left me for New York," Thomas said. He lamented that the mother of his child was dying. Bill asked if he was still in love with her. Thomas answered that he was. Bill encouraged him to be there for Caroline.
Bill shared that his greatest regret in life was that he had not been able to raise his sons when they were young. He was grateful he had met them as adults, but he'd missed out on a lot. Bill said that it was important that Douglas have his mother and father because his great-nephew and niece were precious to him.
Thomas asked how much time Caroline had, and Bill said no one knew. He encouraged Thomas to break it off with Sally and return to Caroline as soon as possible. Thomas looked shaken.
At Forrester, Steffy and Caroline discussed all the preparations for Monaco, and they hoped Thomas returned to her. Steffy made a pitch that family was important, and she had grown up without both parents in the same home. She wanted Douglas to have both parents.
Caroline lamented that she and Steffy could see that Sally was all wrong for Thomas, but they wondered why Thomas couldn't see it. Caroline sighed and said it could have been worse. She was a mom to a wonderful baby boy, and everyone was healthy. She was grateful for all of that, and she was still in love with Thomas. She regretted that she had pushed him away and into Sally's arms. Steffy said that they were all rooting for her and Thomas to be together.
At the Forrester mansion, Ridge and Quinn discussed that neither of them would go to the Spencer Summit in Monaco because they were worried about Eric. Quinn continued to text message and call Eric, but he ignored her messages. She hated to leave the mansion in case he decided to return.
Quinn worried that Eric was confiding in Sheila. She told Ridge that Eric was vulnerable, and Sheila was probably filling his head with lies. Ridge agreed.
Steffy showed up and noted that her father looked awful. Ridge admitted that he and Quinn hadn't eaten or slept. Ridge drank some tea and said he was worried. He wanted to know that Eric was safe.
Steffy looked guilty. She said that Eric was safe. Ridge asked if she had heard from him. Steffy admitted that she had seen him. Ridge was upset. She reminded him that Eric didn't want anyone to know his whereabouts. Ridge asked where and when she had seen him. She said that she and Liam had visited him at a hotel. "Was he with Sheila?" Ridge asked. Steffy confirmed that he was. Ridge was upset.
At Eric's hotel room, Sheila asked if she could do anything for him. She offered to take his clothes to the dry cleaners, and Eric seemed distant, but he thanked her. Eric went into the bathroom, and Sheila caressed his clothes. She flashed back to when she had kissed Eric.
Sheila smiled. Eric returned. She wondered if there was anything else she could do for him. He asked her to turn back the clock. Sheila wished she could turn it back to when they had been together and happy.
Eric said he wanted to turn back the clock to when he'd been "blissfully unaware" of Quinn's deception. Eric wondered when Quinn and Ridge had decided to lie to him. He noted that they had only kissed each other and had planned to tell him themselves -- but Sheila had beaten them to it. Sheila argued that they hadn't confessed and that an emotional affair was just as powerful as a physical one.
Eric paused and said he really didn't know who Sheila was. He noted that she had worked hard to turn her life around and had been picked on by the Forresters. He marveled that she had literally taken a bullet from Steffy and helped him.
Eric apologized for everything. Sheila said she cared about him. He told her that they could never return to the way they had been. There had been too much pain in their pasts, but she was a good friend. Sheila said she was glad to be called a friend. She wondered if Steffy would tell Quinn and Ridge where he was. Eric didn't know. Eric and Sheila hugged.
Later, at Spencer, Caroline visited Bill, and he told her that he'd had a chat with Thomas. He was convinced that Thomas would soon return to New York with her and Douglas. Caroline was elated and wondered how Bill had accomplished it. "I just gave him a push," Bill said.
Caroline hugged Bill and said he couldn't be serious. "As a heart attack," Bill answered. He guaranteed that Thomas would return to her. Caroline asked again how he had done it. "I told him you were dying," Bill said. Caroline broke the embrace and gasped.
Thomas returned to Spectra and somberly looked on his phone at a family picture of Caroline and Douglas. He flashed back to Bill's conversation, and he looked at photos of them as a happy family.
At the Forrester mansion, Steffy had told Ridge that she knew where Eric was. Ridge demanded that she tell him where Eric was staying. He knew that Eric didn't want to speak to him, but he had to. Steffy looked anxious and didn't want to betray Eric's trust.
"Tell me where he is, now," Ridge said. Ridge reminded his daughter that Sheila was a dangerous criminal. Steffy sheepishly admitted that she had shot Sheila -- but the bullet had only grazed her. Ridge was incredulous.
Steffy explained that she had used her grandmother's gun when she'd encountered Eric and Sheila. Steffy said she had worried that Sheila had had a gun because Quinn had made her believe that Sheila was armed. "We were arguing, and she reached for her purse," Steffy said. Steffy had believed Sheila had had a gun, so she'd fired at her, and then hotel security had shown up.
Steffy noted that Sheila could have sent her to jail, but she'd lied to security to protect Steffy. Ridge angrily warned Steffy that Sheila was too smart to send her to jail because she was trying to worm her way into Eric's life and wanted to befriend Steffy and get Steffy to take her side.
Ridge explained that Sheila wanted to keep Eric isolated. He repeated that Sheila was dangerous, and Eric would not be safe around her. He demanded again to know where Eric was.
Steffy sighed and finally told Eric which hotel he could find Eric in. Ridge said Steffy had done the right thing. Steffy said she planned to cancel her trip to the Spencer Summit in Monaco, but Ridge insisted she had to attend as the Forrester CEO. Steffy wondered what she would say about Eric and Ridge missing the event. Ridge ordered her to go and make it work.
At Spectra, Thomas flashed back to Bill's conversation about Caroline's impending death. Sally entered and said she was looking forward to the summit and hoped that the next season, they could add some summer accessories. Thomas was disengaged, but Sally thanked him for his infusion of life into a company that was on its way out of business.
Sally couldn't wait to ride across the Atlantic on a private plane. She wondered if Bill had anything up his sleeve. She added that Thomas had been worried, but Thomas said he had misread Bill. He felt the trip would be fine. She hugged and kissed Thomas.
At the hotel, Eric looked at his phone, and Sheila said she thought he had turned it off to avoid the barrage of text messages, calls, and voicemails. Eric admitted that he missed everyone. Sheila hoped Ridge didn't find out where he was hiding. Eric didn't know what to do. He wanted to see Steffy.
Sheila promised that she wouldn't let him down, and she hadn't returned to Los Angeles to ruin his life. She added that she knew the truth mattered to him. That was why she'd told him about Quinn and Ridge.
Eric figured Quinn and Ridge would have eventually told him. Eric wondered how many stolen kisses Quinn and Ridge had had. He drove himself crazy thinking about it. Sheila told him to stop thinking about it.
Sheila felt it was purely coincidence that they had ended up on the same floor in the same hotel. She appreciated Eric's kindness and generosity. She appreciated that he had trusted her. She was sorry for what he'd had to go through, and she promised to stay with him and help him work his way through all his troubles. She wanted him to know she was sincere.
Sheila said she wanted to make sure Eric was all right. She added that if he wanted help in keeping his family away from him, she would help him. "Push them out of your mind," she said.
Ridge showed up and was outside the hotel door. He banged on the door and demanded that Eric let him in. Eric stood up and opened the door. He angrily glared at Ridge. Ridge faced Eric and glared at Sheila, who stood behind Eric.
At Spencer, Caroline was in shock after Bill told her that he'd told Thomas she was dying in order to persuade him to return to her. "Oh, my God, he didn't believe you, did he?" she asked.
Caroline said Bill was not helping, and lying wasn't going to work. She said she didn't want Thomas to return to her just because he thought she was sick. Bill huffed that it was good for Thomas to put his family first.
Caroline worried that Thomas would say something to Douglas or to her mothers. She chastised Bill and said it wasn't a joke. "I didn't ask you to lie to him to make things happen," Caroline yelled. Bill defended his plan because it would make Thomas realize how important family was.
Caroline was angry and told Bill she would not go along with his plan. Thomas showed up, and he looked somber. Bill said he and Caroline had been talking about him. Thomas said he was sorry about everything. Caroline said she'd had no idea that Bill had told him.
Thomas promised that he wouldn't let Caroline down. She was the most important person in Douglas' life. "I want to be there with you and Douglas," Thomas said. He said it was the way it should have been. "I'm proud of you, Thomas," Bill said.
Caroline told Thomas that Douglas missed him, and Thomas agreed he missed his son. He promised to change that. Bill said that Caroline was overcome with emotion. Caroline didn't want his pity.
Thomas said it wasn't pity. He admitted that he'd been heartbroken and miserable after Caroline had dumped him, and he'd immersed himself in his work. He promised that his family would be his first priority. He hugged Caroline, and Bill looked happy.
At Spectra, Sally and Shirley discussed that Sally would be traveling with all the Foresters and Spencers on a private plane. Shirley worried about Caroline Spencer's return, but Sally claimed that Thomas was dedicated to Sally. She knew he would always be in his son's life, but Caroline was out of the picture.
Shirley worried that Bill would pull something on Thomas and Sally. She advised Sally to have a good time but warned her to keep her eyes open and to keep her guard up at the Spencer Summit.
In Bill's office, Thomas wanted to know why Caroline hadn't told him sooner about the illness, and he said they were in it together. Caroline replied that they hadn't been in it together for a long time. He believed her diagnosis changed everything. She snapped that she wasn't happy about that fact. Bill interjected that he'd told Thomas that she hadn't wanted Bill to tell him.
Thomas wanted to know what would happen with Douglas. Though he loved Caroline's moms, Thomas said, "I need my boy." Caroline cited that they'd always had separate lives, and Douglas hadn't been made out of love. She'd been married at the time, and Thomas had been playing the field.
Thomas asked to know more about the autoimmune disorder. Bill called it a rarity without a name. He started to describe it as a cluster of unresponsive symptoms, but Caroline said to just stop it. Bill asked when the time would be to discuss it and added that they didn't know how much time they had.
Caroline asked Thomas if he knew how offensive it was that he only wanted to be with her because he thought she was dying. Thomas asserted that it wasn't true and had never been true. He'd been heartbroken when she hadn't wanted him in New York, and all he wanted was to spend whatever time they had left together.
Thomas didn't want Caroline to be angry with him or say that he'd done too little too late. He'd been trying to cope the best he could ever since their breakup in New York. He'd thrown himself into his work because he'd seen his father do it, but that wasn't the kind of father Thomas wanted to be. Bill started to speak his mind as a father, but Caroline warned him not to make things worse. Bill said he had pure motives, but he and Thomas also had a plane to catch.
Thomas revealed that he wasn't going to the summit. Bill said he understood it, but Caroline insisted that Thomas would go. Thomas claimed that everything had changed. She replied that he'd made a commitment and needed to keep it. Keeping commitments was what she expected of Thomas. Thomas asked her not to make any decisions until he returned.
Thomas left, and Caroline asked if Bill saw what his lie had done. Bill told her to see that people didn't grow up. Instead, they remained juveniles until a catastrophe. "And then -- and only then -- can you break them," Bill stated.
In the CEO's office at Forrester, Steffy updated Brooke and Katie about where Eric was and whom he was with. R.J. and Coco arrived, and Katie and Steffy took off. Brooke said she'd heard from Lieutenant Baker, and she hoped R.J. and Coco knew that they were lucky. Coco replied that it could have wound up being more than a fine.
Brooke didn't want Coco and R.J. to feel as if they'd gotten away with something, because that would make the fine, the close call, and the wrecked car be in vain. Brooke believed R.J. and Coco were lucky to be alive.
Brooke asked if R.J. and Coco would play a video game or watch television while driving. R.J. said they got it, but Brooke continued, saying that they could only operate one machine at a time -- the car or the phone.
R.J. didn't see the difference in using the phone or talking to a person in the backseat of a car.
Brooke pointed out that one didn't type on a small keyboard when talking to a backseat passenger. R.J. then asked about having a radio or music player in the car. "Look. I'm going to tell you a story," Brooke decided.
When Brooke had been in high school, she'd had a boyfriend who'd been signed to a record label. He'd died in his car because, according to his surviving sister, he'd been fiddling with the radio, trying to find the station that was playing his song. Brooke insisted that it wasn't worth it to drive distracted. Three seconds could destroy one's life and the lives of those nearby.
R.J. didn't think his mother understood that if his phone chimed, it meant someone was trying to reach him. Brooke asserted that nobody trying to reach him wanted to cause any deaths over it. She advised him to let it go to voicemail.
"That tree could have been another car, and they could be dead right now. So could you," Brooke stated. Coco agreed. Everyone stood, and Brooke urged R.J. to be careful while she was in Europe because she didn't know what she'd do without him. R.J. promised to wait until her return to be his bad self. "No, you won't," she said, giggling, and they hugged.
In the design office, Wyatt expressed to Katie that he wanted swimsuits that became transparent like the one Elizabeth Taylor had worn in a movie. Katie thought it was a good idea for the Men's Line and asked Wyatt's size. He said to scratch the idea.
At Spectra, Sally and Shirley discussed how Sally would have to sleep on the private jet. Shirley was trying to be supportive of Sally and "Tom of Forrester." Shirley dreamily said that calling Thomas that made him sound like Robin Hood. Sally quipped that Shirley had believed Sally would lose Thomas to Caroline. Shirley admitted that she had no problem being wrong, especially when being right would bankrupt them.
Shirley told Sally to go and have a good time. Shirley and the gang planned to watch the challenge on the livestream. Sally reminded Shirley of the time difference, and Shirley decided that they'd record it. She told Sally to beat the pants off the Forresters, and Sally left.
Later, on the jet, Bill observed as Wyatt poured Steffy some Champagne, and Katie and Brooke held water glasses. Sally arrived, and Katie, Steffy, and Brooke grimaced. Katie asked what Sally was doing there. Bill claimed that he was a big-hearted guy, and Sally was his guest. He reminded them about keeping friends close, "and your enemies and so on."
Aside, Bill asked Brooke how it had gone with R.J. Brooke believed she'd gotten through to her son. Bill remarked that even he didn't text and drive. He figured that the talk would enable Brooke to relax on the trip.
Thomas arrived and apologized for being late. Sally was glad to see him. She'd started to think the airline ride was a plot to drop her into the ocean. Wyatt quipped that Bill saved such treatment for Ridge. After an awkward silence, Steffy stated that Ridge wouldn't be with them. "Typical," Bill quipped. Steffy added that Eric wouldn't be there, either.
At the hotel, Eric was disappointed that Steffy had told Ridge where Eric was. Ridge said that Steffy hadn't wanted to tell it, but she was scared for Eric. Eric asked why Ridge wasn't enjoying the spoils of his victory. Ridge said he'd moved off the property. "With Quinn?" Eric asked. Ridge said that Quinn barely left the house, as far as he could discern.
Ridge was there to talk. He said it would happen through the door if Eric didn't let him. Eric backed up, and Ridge entered the room with Eric and Sheila. Ridge asked if Eric knew what day it was. It was the day they'd all go to Monte Carlo -- except Quinn. Ridge reminded Eric that Quinn had surprised Eric there, and it was the anniversary of them being together in public.
"And you told her how much you love her," Ridge added. He didn't think Eric had stopped loving Quinn and asked, "So, why are you here?"
Ridge asked how Sheila had found Eric and didn't believe it when Eric and Sheila said that she happened to be rooming down the hall. Ridge wanted to be honest and talk with his father alone, with no one else there. "Nobody that matters," he said, shooing at Sheila.
Ridge claimed that it wasn't his and Quinn's relationship that caused the problem. It was really the relationship between Ridge and Eric. Ridge said that Eric had known before Ridge was born that Ridge was a bastard. Ridge stated that he was what he was, which was a man who wanted to win at everything. Eric had been the first adversary and still number one.
Ridge recalled that Eric had fired Ridge and wouldn't let Ridge return unless he accepted a role beneath his own daughter. Ridge stated that he'd had to retaliate in some way. He hadn't planned it and said it had just happened that way. Ridge said he just did what he'd always done because he could do it. He could make a woman want him. He asked Sheila if he was right.
Sheila replied that she'd never had that problem. Ridge agreed. He said Sheila had been wary of him, but Quinn hadn't been because Eric had told her not to be. Ridge claimed to have taken Quinn and wooed her; however, she'd resisted because she loved Eric. Ridge said something within Eric made Eric better than Ridge. Ridge couldn't find whatever it was within himself.
Ridge believed that Eric's actions in their fallout were punishing Eric, not Ridge. Ridge said that Eric was with the one woman who loved and understood him more than anyone, and Ridge had used her as a pawn to beat Eric. The game was over, and Ridge said Eric could go home to his wife. Sheila asked if Ridge was done, and he replied that it was up to Eric.
Eric apologized for calling Ridge a Marone whenever Eric felt like insulting Ridge. Eric felt that Ridge had been his son from the moment Stephanie had put Ridge into Eric's hands. Eric said Ridge had turned into a great boy, and they'd had fun and laughter. Eric believed that Ridge's siblings had adored him and given him all the attention he could want. He said Ridge had learned to crave it, and he'd taken it. "Because you could," Eric added.
Eric recalled that Ridge had begun to draw. Eric recalled being amazed by it and by the things Ridge would say about shape, style, and color. Ridge would say things about design that Eric hadn't taught him. "That made you my son," Eric stated. Ridge had wanted to emulate Eric, so Eric had put Ridge into the business. They'd become the father-son team, and the world bathed them in accolades.
Eric felt that Ridge wanted to have more than Eric, so Ridge had taken it. Eric continued, saying Ridge had taken Stephanie and Brooke from Eric, and then Ridge had taken the woman Eric had loved more than anything in the world, Quinn. "Because you could," Eric said.
Eric grasped Ridge's head, and tears flowed from Ridge's eyes. Eric said he'd loved being Ridge's father. Kissing Ridge's forehead, Eric stated that Ridge would never be his son again. Ridge nodded and silently exited. Sheila fought back tears.
On the jet, Bill informed Brooke that the sun was rising, and they'd soon be landing. Sally cooed about being in Thomas' world on a private jet. Loud enough for Thomas and Sally to hear, Bill wished he'd pushed harder for Caroline to go on the trip. He asked who knew when they'd see Caroline once she was back in New York.
Wyatt and Katie expressed excitement about the response their press conference had gotten. Wyatt said the showdown had created more traction for the Spencer website than the previous year. Katie replied that it would be "so much fun," but Wyatt replied that it kind of already was.
Steffy and Katie went over what the crew was doing on the ground with interviews and inventory. Steffy wondered if "they" were ready, and Sally assumed Steffy was referring to her. Steffy said they'd wipe the floor with Spectra, and Sally retorted that Steffy was going down.
In the private cabin, on his phone, Bill checked out the interest in the showdown. Brooke giggled, joking that he could close out the show in his sexy swim trunks. He decided to reserve the trunks for the spa on his yacht but then realized he wouldn't need them there. The two kissed.
Bill and Brooke rejoined the others, and Bill gave a speech about the fun they'd have. He said they'd also give to some of Spencer's favorite charities. Wyatt said Bill sounded like Liam. Claiming to be a charitable guy, Bill said he could be compassionate, and it was incumbent upon them to ease people's suffering when they could. Brooke hadn't known he'd felt that way. Bill said he did, and it was the right thing.
Bill moved on to making a toast to Wyatt for incorporating the fashion show into the challenge. Brooke said Wyatt couldn't have done it without Katie. Katie didn't want them to jinx it by congratulating themselves too soon. Wyatt decided that they should just toast to a "kickass" showdown and fun on the side.
Later, Thomas privately asked Bill if he was sure Caroline was dying. "I'm sure, Thomas," Bill replied. It didn't make sense to Thomas, and he was trying to figure it out. Bill said Thomas had better figure out it and think long and hard about his next move.
Thomas found Steffy and Sally sniping at each other about who'd win. He took Steffy's vacated seat and asked if Sally was okay. Sally said she welcomed verbal sparring. She noted that he seemed distracted and asked if he was having second thoughts about them. "About us?" he asked. She clarified that she meant about them crashing the summit. He didn't. She said he seemed to be really in his head, and he told her that there was a lot to think about.
Bill announced that they'd soon land. He wanted to speak to them before they touched down. Even though the fashion challenge pitted brother against sister, Bill felt that they all were family, even Sally. "There is a mutual history," Bill explained.
In Bill's view, Douglas was the embodiment of what Bill was talking about. Bill stated that they might sometimes stray from the fold, but family was always first. Sally glanced at Thomas.
In Monte Carlo, upbeat music played as the camera panned the seaside and focused in on a hotel-top veranda. Bill welcomed everyone to Monaco, home of the Spencer Summit. Eva, Zende, and Nicole were there, along with Bill's jet passengers. Bill thanked everyone and said they'd raise a lot of money. "Let's shoot for a million dollars," he decided.
The group dispersed, and Brooke and Bill recalled that they had great memories of Monaco. Zende and Nicole approached, and she said she couldn't wait for Zende's first showing.
Thomas and Sally strolled off, and she cooed about all the yachts. She felt they'd have great press, and she said they had to win the thing. Thomas said if anyone could do it, they could.
Nearby, Katie and Wyatt talked about the all-nighter they'd have to pull to transform the place. Eva approached and said she was at their service.
In a corner of the veranda near where the Stella Maris waited in the sea below, Steffy called everyone over to her. She said Forrester had been challenged and had brought its A-game. The Spectras had asked for it, and they'd gotten it. "May the best fashion house win!" she exclaimed, and everyone cheered.
At the mansion, Quinn tried to call Eric, to no avail. Ridge arrived. Quinn was frustrated that he wasn't his father. She was ready to hire a private detective at that point, but Ridge said he'd seen Eric and knew where Eric was. Quinn was anxious to know where her husband was, if he was okay, and if he was alone. "No," Quinn said when Ridge relayed that Sheila was there.
Ridge explained that Liam and Steffy had tracked Eric through his phone. Heading for the door, Quinn said she had to see Eric. Ridge halted her and said Eric didn't want to see her. Ridge refused to tell Quinn where Eric was because she'd just run right over there. Quinn affirmed she would and asserted that she wouldn't give up on her marriage.
Ridge said it would just make Eric take off again. Quinn asked if she was supposed to sit around as Eric slipped further away. Ridge advised her to give it time, or Eric would dig in and never return home. Quinn decided that she could give it time, but she wasn't leaving. She'd be there when Eric eventually returned home.
At his hotel, Eric was looking at text messages on his phone when Sheila knocked on the door. She'd arrived with his favorite food, sea bass, after she'd wondered to herself when he'd last had a good meal. Eric wasn't hungry, but she insisted. As she set up his table, he asked where her food was. Sheila planned to eat in her room, but he asked her to join him.
As Eric and Sheila had dinner, she discussed how she'd been impulse-driven in the past, but she'd settled down and taken a hard look at herself in prison. To her surprise, she'd discovered a better person inside her, longing to get out. All she'd needed was love and encouragement. Sheila had birthed a new her with her time in jail.
Eric asked Sheila what the most surprising thing she'd learned was. Sheila said that she'd learned that she could love freely, without expecting anything in return. He thought it was wonderful insight. She also revealed that she'd thought about them and the wonderful times that they'd shared. She was thankful to be able to regain his trust. Eric was grateful for her honesty. Sheila said she'd worked on herself to prove that Eric hadn't been wrong to love her.
Later, Eric said he didn't want to eat any more. Sheila asked if he wanted to talk about it. Assuming she meant his son and wife's affair, he said he didn't. He'd believed in Quinn and had told everyone how loyal she was. Eric couldn't believe she'd done it or that Ridge's excuse was that he hadn't been able to help himself. Eric felt that he'd been a fool.
Sheila cupped Eric's hand in hers and said Eric had done nothing wrong. She stated that his wife and son were the bad people for abusing his trust. Sheila added that no one knew it better than she did. Removing his hand, Eric suggested that they not dredge up their past.
Sheila claimed that no one wanted to leave it behind more than she. She didn't think she'd deserved a man like Eric. What made him good was his empathy and ability to forgive. "And to think you'd let me in, let me close enough to kiss me," she said. Eric told her to hold on because he hadn't kissed her. "To allow me to kiss you," she corrected.
It had been a big deal to Sheila, who'd never thought she'd feel the sensation of Eric's lips on hers again. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world to her, and she said he had no idea of the gift he'd given her. "Sheila...I'm tired," Eric replied.
Sheila readily hopped from her seat and said she'd be leaving. He thanked her for the meal. Before going, she replied that it was her pleasure and told him to call if he needed anything else.
Alone at the mansion, Quinn sat down and stared at her portrait. She flashed back on Eric proposing to her. At the hotel, Eric was deep in thought, and a split screen of Eric and Quinn appeared.
