Credit: CBS screenshot

Tucker comes to the door of the Abbott house, where Jack asks what he’s doing there. Tucker has come to see Ashley and asks Diane if she told Jack that he’s no longer interested in Jabot. She didn’t, because she doesn’t believe him. Ashley appears, and Tucker tells them all that he’s decided to focus his energy on the new business — a fresh start. Jack asks what that has to do with Jabot. Tucker says that’s the million-dollar question and asks where Billy and Kyle are at.

Ashley asks why he cares; does he need a bigger audience. They spar about being adversaries and Tucker insists he wants to declare peace with the Abbotts. Jack informs him they’re not buying it. Tucker repeats that he no longer has any interest in Jabot. He wants peace and extends his hand for Jack to shake. Jack tells him to put down his hand. He’s sick of the war and sick of waiting to see what his next move will be. Tucker’s sick of it too and hopes the new business will give him a positive purpose. He’s there to see Ashley to buy her half of Glissade. Ashley muses that he hasn’t even heard her price. Tucker’s unconcerned. He asks Jack, “You’re not afraid of a little friendly competition, are you?” Jack says not at all. Ashley tells him if he comes up with the cash, he’s got a deal. Tucker exits, and Jack says, “That was almost too easy. You think he suspects something?” Ashley says, “Of course he does.”

Jack crabs about Tucker wanting peace and playing the victim. He can’t fathom why he wants to use Glissade to rebuild his empire — he knows nothing about the beauty industry. Ashley argues that business is business. She wouldn’t count him out yet. Jack decides they have to de-stabilize Glissade before it’s up and running under Tucker’s control. They need to leak the dirt on McCall. Diane warns they have to be careful of the timing. If they do it before he takes control, Ashley will take the hit as well. Diane also complains that Billy’s supposed to be here for this strategy meeting. He just keeps dropping the ball when it comes to Jabot.

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In Audra’s suite, she and Kyle are in bed having 𝑠e𝑥. After, Kyle asks if she has something on her mind. Audra has to tell him something. “You really need to stop dragging your heels about getting us information about Jabot.” Kyle cracks that their love-making makes her think about Tucker. Audra says the warning is from Tucker; she’s just the messenger. Kyle can’t draw suspicion at Jabot. Audra urges him to come up with something to prove his loyalty. Kyle asks how he’s supposed to do that. Audra feels there must be some sort of confidential information he has access to that would help. Kyle says it would help if she’d give him some idea what their game plan is.

Audra claims she’s in the dark about Tucker’s plans for Jabot. Kyle says his father floated the theory that there isn’t one and the fun for Tucker is simply making the Abbotts worry. Audra muses that maybe he wants to be underestimated. Kyle asks, “What if he’s playing all of us — you included?” Audra will trust him until there’s a reason not to. She tells Kyle that he need to come up with some information of value. If McCall still shuts them out, they’ll know they’re about to be left hanging.

At the Club bar, Tucker texts Audra, “We should meet.”

In Audra’s suite, Kyle tells her he’ll be fine if Tucker has no plan; he has a safety net. But she has everything riding on this. If he’s just doing this for his own amusement, where does that leave her. Audra has her own safety net in Newman Media. Kyle insists he’s not dragging his heels. Audra agrees they both need to know more about what McCall is planning. They canoodle and kiss and Tucker’s text goes unnoticed.

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Billy joins Chelsea at Society carrying a big gift bag. She fishes to find out what it is, but he teases that it’s wrapping paper and tags and won’t let her look. He asks, “What shall we eat?” and she laughs. She hopes the gift isn’t an expensive one for Connor. She keeps pushing to find out what it is. Billy relents and pulls out a snorkel, a beret, and a bikini. Chelsea is stumped, “What is going on?” Billy’s taking her to celebrate New Year’s in St. Tropez. He wanted to properly thank her for setting him straight.

Summer finds Chance at Crimson Lights and singsongs, “Funny seeing you here.” He jokes that she followed him from Society. Summer denies it. She came for caffeine. Talk turns to Chance and the GCPD. He says some of the guys are going to take him out for a beer and the others feel he’s letting them down by leaving. Summer rants, “How can they be so selfish!” Chance grins, “Whoa. Easy there, Tiger. Stand down.” Summer admits she can get heated; it runs in the family. Chance appreciates her. She hopes he has more plans for his next chapter aside from beer with the guys. Chance crows that he’s taking Sharon to see one of his favorite bands tonight. Summer chokes out, “Nice.” Chance goes on that he thinks Sharon doesn’t want to go; she’s just humoring him, But he expects her to be their number one fan after the show because they’re so good. Summer asks the name of the band, and he says, “Say Jump.” Summer’s jaw drops. “Is Sharon crazy?! They’re the best!”

Chance had no idea that Summer loved Say Jump. Summer says she has a concert tee from their last tour. Anyone with good taste loves them, “No offense to Sharon.” Just then, Chance gets a call from Sharon. He tells her, “I totally get it,” and disconnects. Chance turns to Summer and says, “Today must be your lucky day.” He has one extra ticket to their favorite band, “And it’s all yours.”

Summer doesn’t think it’s a good idea; Sharon might want to go still. Chance says she’s tied down in a conference at work. “What happened? I thought you were in love with these guys?” Summer yammers about work. Chance tells her to call him later. He won’t let her miss this opportunity without a damn good excuse. He walks off as Daniel comes in. Chance says, “Tell your sister to come to the concert with me tonight. Opportunity of a lifetime.” He leaves and Daniel asks Summer, “Are you blushing?”

At the Abbott house, Ashley tells Jack and Diane she’s off to contact her attorney and come up with a price for Tucker. Jack tells Diane that he wants to table her concerns about Billy for now. Undeterred, Diane complains that he’s nowhere to be seen. Jack knows that she wants Kyle in his position and points out that their son has accepted his new position even if she hasn’t. He won’t argue this with her, “Kyle and Billy are both where they belong.”

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At Society, Billy recaps how Chelsea compared his desire to bring down Tucker to gambling. He sees how much work she’s put into herself and wants to live up to her example. He took what she said to heart and realized how the battle for Jabot was making him feel, “It’s not good. It’s always in me… that feeling, that chase…” He doesn’t need to go there because it ends up in a dangerous place. Chelsea says the important thing is that he recognized it. Billy says, “Thanks to you.” He needs to fight the instinct by removing the temptation to engage. Chelsea asks if he’ll leave Jabot right when his family is about to go to war.

In Audra’s suite, she and Kyle dress after 𝑠e𝑥 and he asks her to promise that if Tucker continues to evade, that she’ll concede that he has no plan or he doesn’t plan on including them if he’s successful. She worries he’s playing her by trying to turn her against Tucker. Kyle is genuinely concerned for her. She’s touched. They kiss and Kyle says he has to get back to the office if he’s going to do his part. She walks off into the washroom and a knock comes at the door. It’s Tucker, who smirks at Kyle’s undone shirt and says, “Gee, Kyle. What are you doing here?”

Tucker tells Kyle that they won’t be working together if he keeps this up. He’s supposed to be at Jabot right now and not attracting suspicion. Kyle smirks, “I’m not your lackey. I’m the key to all of this.” Tucker sneers that he’s turning out to be totally useless with his stall tactics. “It makes me wonder whose side you’re really on, Kyle.” Kyle tells Tucker if he wants him to prove his loyalty, he has to tell him what the game plan is. “I’m done with your snarky deflections, so either give me the game plan or count me out!”

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Audra joins Kyle and Tucker, who tells her that her boyfriend wants to know the game plan. She says she wouldn’t mind knowing the plan herself. Tucker wants Kyle to acquire sensitive information. Kyle interrupts, “Sensitive for whom and about what?” Tucker bellows, “Shut up and listen!” He tells Kyle to find him a new and innovative product that Jabot is preparing to unveil, something that’s been years in the making and took millions of dollars to develop. Kyle snarks that leaking it to the press isn’t about to bring Jabot to its knees. Tucker asks Audra if she can get him to shut up. “You will then get me the formula to said product and how to make it.” Glissade will launch the product first, Jack will search for the mole in the company, and the breadcrumbs will lead to the guilty party. This will succeed in upending Jack’s trust in his closest allies as well as tanking the new product. The guilty party will be Diane or Billy, he hasn’t decided yet. The scandal will rock the family and Jabot.

At Crimson Lights, Daniel tells Summer he hasn’t seen her this way since she was a teenager with Kyle. Summer says she and Kyle are over. Daniel was referring to the gentleman who was just there a moment ago. Summer wants him to back off. Daniel was just thinking that by not pursuing this attraction, she might be driving herself a little bit crazy. “Go to the concert with him. You know you want to.” Summer wants to go. If she does, they’ll have an amazing time and she won’t want to turn back. It will inevitably get messy with Sharon. Daniel isn’t telling her to jump into bed with him. They discuss unrequited attraction, which gives you butterflies and makes you feel nauseous. Daniel thinks the best way to deal with it is head on. Summer wonders if they’re talking about him now. Heather and Lucy are back in Genoa City and Lily is away… Daniel declares he has to get back to work and takes off.

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At Society, Billy tells Chelsea he’s going to let Jack, Diane, and Ashley finish this battle with Tucker. Chelsea questions if he’ll be able to do that when he’s the one who brought his mother into the battle. She thinks he’ll get sucked into the thrill of the fight. Billy isn’t sure he can leave Jack in the lurch like that. Chelsea doesn’t know what the answer is. She thinks he needs this as his purpose. Billy has one other option — he could accept Jill’s offer. Chelsea thinks it’s the same war, different front. Billy tells her it’s different because Jack is at Jabot. He always feels he has to impress him or he’ll let him down. Chelsea asks, “Don’t you feel the same need to impress your mom?” Billy says she has complete faith in him. She doesn’t have anyone. She’s by herself on that side of the table, “She needs me there and that means something to me.” Chelsea teases, “I hear St. Tropez is better in the summer anyway. It sounds like you have somewhere important you need to be.” Billy kisses her.

At Crimson Lights, Summer phones Chance and tells him that she’ll go to the concert with him.

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In Audra’s suite, Kyle tells her he made a calculated decision to come on strong and go after Tucker. She muses, “Seemed like it worked.” Kyle’s not sure. He doesn’t buy that his plan is to set up Billy or Diane as the guilty party. “He would never trust me to set up my own mother.” He thinks he’ll be the sacrificial lamb and he likely plans to double-cross Audra in the same way. It’s up to him to turn Tucker’s plan against him. “Are you with me? Or are you sticking with Tucker?”

In the Club dining room, Tucker answers his phone to Ashley and asks, “You have a price?” She just texted it to him. He reads it and says, “You’re not kidding around, are you?” Ashley wants to get it done as soon as possible and disconnects.

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At the Abbott mansion, Ashley finishes her call and tells Diane and Jack, “Done. Now we wait.” Jack feels close to victory, “Finally, we will put an end to Tucker McCall.”