Ashland Signs on the Dotted Line at Newman-Locke — and Lauren Enlists Kevin’s Help to Find Michael

Lauren rushes into Society to join Kevin and tells him she’s concerned about Michael going to work for Victor and being shipped off to another part of the world. She has no idea what kind of shady business her husband is now involved in.

Kevin tries to give Lauren a rational explanation, but she’s sure that something is not right. Her husband would know better than to drop out of touch for days at a time. She can’t shake the feeling that Victor has gotten him involved in something bad. She’s worried that Michael is paying the price for that involvement. Lauren suspects her husband has been sent to do the kind of job that should be done by a private investigator. Kevin offers to look into it.

Still upset, Lauren has to leave and exits as Chloe arrives. She asks Kevin what’s happening. He worries that his brother going back to work for Victor has landed him in trouble. She tells him not to let himself get pulled into Lauren’s concerns. Chloe feels there could be lots of reasonable explanations. Kevin’s already considered that, but realizes Victor must have needed his brother for something delicate. Kevin says they owe it to him to investigate.

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Victoria joins her mother in a booth at Crimson Lights and things are tense. Her mother is one half of what has her furious. She accuses Nikki of not treating her like an adult and trusting her to make her own decisions. She can’t believe that Victor has been poking around in Ashland’s medical records. Nikki claims she only heard about this shortly before her daughter did and was in shock. Her daughter hopes she doesn’t believe these hateful accusations. Nikki doesn’t know. The lies from Ashland’s past just keep coming. Victoria pointedly says she may find it easier to forgive her husband’s transgressions since she’s so used to forgiving her father’s. Her mother insists that Victor is only trying to protect her. “By going after my husband, he’s already lost me,” says Victoria.

Victoria reminds her mother that Victor has a habit of using underhanded manoeuvers and lists some of the recent ones. Nikki still wonders if the accusations could be true. Her daughter knows that Ashland has been a ruthless business man, just as Victor has, but what she is suggesting is a level of evil deception that means he’s never truly loved her. Her mother speculates that he could have set up this entire charade before he met her or came to Genoa City. She urges her to speak to Michael, but Victoria has had enough of this. She thought her mom was on her side. Upset, Nikki insists she is on her side and storms off. Once alone, Victoria calls and leaves Michael a message.

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When Nate stops by the office at Newman-Locke, Ashland immediately guesses he was speaking to Victor. Nate asks his friend to reassure him that he has not been lying to him and the Newman family this whole time. Locke tells him that he’s made a lot of enemies in his life and this is just someone looking for revenge. It’s hard for him to make sense of this but it’s important to him that Nate not buy into it. Of course Nate wants to believe he’s telling the truth; Ashland would have to be an awful person otherwise. “I couldn’t agree more,” Locke says.

Ashland assures Nate that he is not playing him. There are few people he trusts and the doctor is one of them. He’s someone he can confide in and he hasn’t had that kind of friendship in a long time. That’s why he impulsively asked him to be his best man. Could be truly believe that he could be so cunning? Nate admits it’s difficult to imagine. Locke explains this is a carefully calculated plot that Victor has bought into. The doctor has known Victor for some time and, although he does things he hates, he recognizes that Newman is a careful man. Ashland agrees: this trap has been carefully laid and he refuses to stand idly by and let people destroy what he has accomplished with the Newmans. “Is that how you see what you have with Victoria; an accomplishment?” asks Nate.

Ashland insists that Victoria is the love of his life. Marrying her is a gift and has given him the kind of happiness he never had. He’s also made her happier than she’s ever been. He doesn’t know how much time he has left with her and won’t let anyone take away a second of it. Locke assures him the business world isn’t always so rough and vows to he will expose whoever is behind this lie so they can move on.

Victoria joins them and her husband explains they are having an unexpected conversation about the accusations that have been made. Victoria can’t believe her family is spreading such humiliating and absurd rumors. The doctor affirms that all the evidence he has seen supports her husband’s diagnosis. She urges him to speak to Victor about this. It’s hurting her and Ashland. He hopes for their sake the truth comes out sooner than later. Locke tells him how lucky they are to have him as a friend. He’s looking forward to talking to him about his future with the company. Nate smiles and leaves.

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Arriving in Adam’s office, Victor tells his son that Ashland called his bluff, told Victoria “everything”, and she believed him. Now she is furious with him. He gave him a way out and it failed. His son asks what the next step is. Victor has been forced into the untenable position of telling his daughter she’s married to a fraud. He’s angry that he let Locke spin his lies and deception right under his nose. It will be his fault if they allow him to sign the contract that will make him co-CEO of Newman-Locke. Adam wonders who is working with Ashland and asks if his father has heard from Michael. Victor admits that Michael has disappeared. They assume Locke is behind it, and Adam suggests he knows something they don’t. Victor needs irrefutable proof against Locke; until he gets it, Ashland is in the driver’s seat.

Victor says that Michael was collecting all the dirt he could before he went missing. Adam points out that until he gets the evidence, there’s nothing he can do to convince Victoria. Victor admits that it hurts to think he may have lost his daughter’s love and trust by crossing a line. Nikki joins them to say how upset their daughter is. If he is wrong about this, it could have harmed their relationship irreparably. Considering how serious this is, Adam says they can’t wait around for Michael. Lauren pops up just in time to ask what that means. She wants to speak to Victor in private.

Once they are left alone, Lauren says she hasn’t heard from her husband in the longest two days of her life. He gives her vague reassurances. She accuses him of covering things up and demands the truth. “Sweetheart, it was a delicate mission I knew he could handle,” he says. That doesn’t help. She worries that he’s off the radar and her gut is telling her something is very wrong. Trying again, Victor assures her that if anything is amiss, he will move heaven and earth to get his friend back. She hopes he’s telling the truth because if anything happens to Michael, she will never forgive him.

After Lauren leaves, Victor makes some calls. Adam returns and muses that Michael is a smart guy and has gotten himself out of tight spots before. Victor didn’t think Ashland could get the upper-hand like this, but now his back is against the wall so they have to be ready to expect anything.

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Nate joins Elena at Society and she asks what was holding him up. He tells her there was Newman family drama. “Shocking,” she says sarcastically. He adds it’s some next level stuff and there are scandalous accusations about Ashland. That doesn’t surprise her given his past, but she thought falling in love changed him. Nate’s not sure he believes it, but Nick came to him with his suspicions. He has a lot of questions and Locke claims, convincingly, that it’s all lies. The doctor was ready to leave Memorial, but now he has doubts about that and Locke himself. She suggests they have brunch and not discuss this anymore. She trusts his instincts and he should too. If something feels wrong, it probably is. That’s what he’s afraid of and that’s why he needs to find out who is behind this.

Lauren meets Kevin and Chloe at Crimson Lights. He’s hacked into his brother’s devices but only hit brick walls. She tells them that Victor gave her some false assurances and seems reluctant to admit he has no idea what’s happened. Kevin is going to keep digging but if he doesn’t find anything by morning, he will get his work involved.

Back in her office at Newman-Locke, Victoria is relieved to hear that Nate isn’t buying into this but wonders why her husband doesn’t look happier to have the chief of surgery in his corner. Ashland is just glad that Nate heard the truth from him and promises to discover who is behind all of this and remove any shred of doubt from Victor’s mind… and anyone else’s. He asks her to look him in the eye and tell him she believes he’s telling the truth. She does that. Suggesting they celebrate this, she hands him the contract to make him full partner and a pen to sign it with. “I can’t tell you what this means to me,” he says, sitting down and signing.

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