Victor Blindsides Nikki and His Children — and Michael Warns of a Plot Against Jack

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Nikki and Lauren are having lunch at Society. Lauren thinks she’s looking beautiful and healthy. Her friend is feeling more like herself than she has in a long time. They talk about how horrific things got before Nikki realized how far she had fallen. Now she feels like she’s on the other side of that nightmare and thinks she will be okay. Lauren says she was lucky to have the world’s most devoted sponsor. They are both still shocked that Jack went as far as taking drugs. Things could have ended very differently. Although Nikki and Jack wanted him to remain her sponsor, she suspects that Diane changed his mind about that. Lauren is no fan of Diane but can’t blame her for being scared. They can never risk going to an extreme like they did again. Nikki still needs Jack’s support as a friend, even if he’s not her sponsor. She’s missing Katherine and Neil at times like this. For now, her focus is just to continue getting stronger.

Lauren wonders what this means for Newman Media. Nikki can’t thank her for all that she’s done at the company; even Nick has said what a great job she has done. Lauren appreciates that but running two companies at once is not sustainable. Her friend expects to return in the next few months. That sounds like a long time to Lauren. Nikki isn’t expecting her to stay there for that long. She has another solution in mind. She’s going to ask Victoria to step in. Lauren would be happy to turn it over to her capable hands.

At Crimson Lights, Nick and Adam discuss how hard things have been with Connor. Adam still can’t get over him punching himself in the face. The image of that is keeping him up at night. They talk about the therapy and how the doctors are still hopeful that Connor will learn to manage his OCD. They are thrilled when they suddenly get a text confirming the Mailer deal has gone through. Adam thinks their dad might even be impressed by this. They have both been asked to the ranch to see their father but can’t guess what this is about. “I guess we’ll have to brace ourselves for an evening,” says Adam.

At the Newman ranch, Michael asks Victor to be straight with them about why he wants him to get closer to Diane and Cole to become buddies with Kyle. Victor says the reasons are of no consequence. The lawyer assumes this is about Jack. The Newman reminds them that they asked for a chance to make up for their betrayal. This is it. Victoria wanders in and wonders what she’s just walked in on. Her father claims they were just discussing the protocol at Jordan’s prison. He tells Cole and Michael that he hopes they are all on the same page and they can speak later.

Once Cole and the lawyer exit, Adam and Nick join their sister, wondering why they have been summoned. Their father explains this is just about business. He asks if his daughter has considered returning to work. She wasn’t expecting to have this conversation in front of an audience. Although she appreciates his confidence in her, she’s not sure she will return. Claire’s recovery is going wonderfully but her other kids are coming home soon and she wants to be available to all of them. When Adam says he understands, Victoria squints at him. Her father thinks it would be a pity to let her business talents go to waste. Adam assumes if she comes back, he will end up in the men’s room. He’s always the first to be shoved aside. His sister rolls her eyes. Victor thinks they should be able to work together. Adam points out that never works and his sister accuses him of always casting himself as the victim. Nick adds that he is more or less siding with his brother on this. Their father explains that he wants Adam to be the head of Newman Media again. He did a great job with it before.

The kids wonder if he’s talked this over with Nikki. Even if he is being offered a CEO position, Adam is feeling like he’s being sidelined. He and his brother have been a solid team. Things are working. Nick backs this up so Adam wonders why they should throw obstacles in the path of the company’s stability. Victoria assumes she’s the “obstacle” he’s referring to. Victor insists that he is proud of Adam and all that he has done. Nick assumes that Victor has not spoken to Nikki about removing her from Newman Media. Shouting, Victor claims he’s only ever done what’s best for the company. Standing up, Victoria says that she’s not ready to return and she wants her mother to keep her job and stay focused. Besides, shouldn’t Adam being concentrating on his son, not a career shift? Adam can concede that. Victoria declares this puts and end to it for now and exits. Adam assumes he won’t be sidelined just yet and leaves.

Nick asks his father what that was all about. Victor is proud of how his sons have worked together but he knows they have different styles. Nick adds they also have different morals, but he thinks they can get past their differences for the sake of the company. His father is sure that Victoria will soon be chomping at the bit to come back. Nick sides with what his sister said and asks why he wants them all working together again. His father wants Nikki to stay focused on not falling off the wagon. He wants Nick to encourage his sister to return. “This could really backfire,” Nick warns. There’s no telling how Adam will react. Victor asks him to leave Adam to him. His son wishes he would think this through.

Nikki shows up and they fill her in on wanting to get Victoria back at the company. Nikki has an idea for that. She wants her daughter to take over at Newman Media. Nick thinks that’s a viable plan. He fills his mom in on Victor’s plan to install Adam in her place. That makes her furious. It’s a terrible idea. Her daughter would step aside when she wants to come back but Adam would never want to leave. Victor rejects this notion, but his wife feels that this will only lead to chaos. She guesses that this may have more to do with her choosing Jack as her sponsor, and not once but twice. “Tell me the truth, are you punishing me for that?” she asks.

Michael and Cole get drinks at the Athletic Club and mull over what Victor could be up to. The lawyer assumes this is about Jack. He fills Cole in about all the tension there is rumored to be between Kyle and Diane. Victor is still fuming about what Jack did in his desperate attempt to save Nikki. Michael assumes that this could be a revenge plot. Cole would rather not get drawn into that, especially since his daughter is working at the Abbott house. If he refused the request, what would happen? Michael doesn’t think that’s an option. He urges him to accept the task to get to know Kyle. He’s a good man anyway. Meanwhile, Michael will spent time with Diane. She’s already a good friend. One day, Victor may want information or something more insidious. He will have time to try to ferret out what is happening.

Once Michael takes off, Cole sends Victoria a text, asking to get together. When she arrives, she tells him that her father has started pushing her to return to work. She’s made it clear that she wants to focus on her children for now but she gets the sense he has some mysterious plan. When she asks what’s going on with him, he says he’s just happy to see her and he wonders if they could have dinner together. Just the two of them. “Like a date,” he suggests. She smiles.

Lauren meets with Michael at Crimson Lights and fills her in on being in a bit of a pickle. It’s another mess with Victor. She doesn’t want him involved in any trouble. Her husband says it’s too late. Victor is on the warpath and Jack appears to be the target.

Sally is startled when Adam returns to the penthouse. She starts asking him for his opinions about pillows and he declares the place looks better already. He wants her to feel at home. They chat about Connor and how there has been no change before he recaps his meeting at the ranch with the family. His father clearly has an agenda at play and floated the idea of him returning to Newman Media. He feels like he is being shoved out. Sally suggests it could be a good thing since he built Newman Media. Although Adam is attached to it, this doesn’t feel right. It feels like he is a pawn in a larger power play. His dad seems to want Victoria to come back and for Nikki to have time to recover. Sally tries to put a positive spin on it all, but has to admit that it doesn’t sound like anything Victor would do. Adam worries that Victoria is just stringing their dad along until she gets what she wants. This is all odd. Will he be out again if Nikki wants to come back? Every time he thinks they are past it, his father jerks him around again.

Next on The Young and the Restless: Claire lets her guard down with Kyle, Nick questions Victoria about her future plans, and Victor and Nikki share a difference of opinion about her connection with Jack.