Audra descended the stairs of the jazz club, where Devon and Nate were having a drink at the bar. Nate responded to Audra’s greeting, while Devon turned away and checked his phone. Audra stressed that she’d been saying hello to Devon, too. Devon curtly said “hi” and asked if that was it. She acknowledged that she’d given him reasons not to like her, but she figured they could be civil. Devon wondered why it was necessary. Nate announced that he and Audra were seeing one another.
Devon stammered that he hadn’t known Nate and Audra’s relationship had turned into more than lunches and coffee. Nate swore they weren’t putting labels on it, and Audra added that it was nothing serious. Devon muttered that it was none of his business, but Audra surmised he didn’t like it. Devon dismissively said they could do whatever they wanted, and Audra figured his answer to being civil was no.
Nate and Devon bickered. Audra swore she was genuinely fond of Nate, and there were no ulterior motives because she was happy running Glissade. Devon spat that she’d taken the company from his dad, and Nate incredulously asked whether Devon was defending Tucker. Devon doubted Nate’s girlfriend had changed as much as she’d claimed, and he stalked off.
At Crimson Lights, Kyle ordered a very specific coffee drink, and Summer appeared behind him and requested his favorite mocha beverage. He remarked that she remembered, and she called him sweet for ordering her drink of choice exactly right. Summer shared that she’d been about to place the same order to fuel them with caffeine before they headed into a meeting with their lawyers. They chalked it up to like minds, and he mused that it had been a long time since they’d been able to admit something like that. She wondered if they could keep it up for the custody negotiation. “For Harrison? We have to,” Kyle affirmed.
Kyle was confident that he and Summer could reach a revised agreement, and Summer pledged not to let their lawyers take over and turn it back into a war. Kyle asserted that it was their son and their decision. He found it weird that they’d gotten to that point after months of anger and hostility, and he recognized that it had been hard. Summer pointed out that they’d both said things they regretted. Kyle was happy that they were able to talk again as two parents of an amazing kid, since it was all about Harrison. They headed out.
Later, at the Athletic Club bar, Kyle and Summer celebrated their custody battle finally being over. Kyle imagined Harrison would be even happier than they were with the arrangement, and they toasted with Champagne. Summer was amazed that she and Kyle had finally found a way to meet in the middle, and he joked that they were turning into grownups. They agreed to resolve any future problems between themselves and leave their lawyers out of it. Nate and Audra walked in, and Summer scowled. Kyle assured Summer that he wanted Audra out of his life as badly as Summer did, and he was working on it.
Across the room, Nate complained that it was irritating how Devon acted like he had a halo over his head sometimes. Audra assured him that she didn’t care what Devon thought as long as she was still one of Nate’s favorite people. A server suddenly presented them with a bottle of wine they hadn’t ordered. Kyle approached and explained that it was a gesture of teambuilding, since he was having a good day personally, and he’d decided to pay it forward.
Audra invited Kyle to join them. Nate remarked that it was nice to see things starting to get better between the co-CEOs when it couldn’t have been easy to be forced to work together. Audra cut Nate off, and Nate claimed that Audra still wouldn’t tell him who had bought out Glissade. Nate raised a glass to whoever he or she was. Kyle cautioned that Nate wouldn’t get a name out of him, either, since loyalty was important.
Kyle told Audra he’d see her at the office in the morning, and he stepped away, Nate swore that he hadn’t intended to reveal Victor’s name. Audra worried that Kyle had suspected she’d told Nate that Victor was their silent partner, and she wished she hadn’t asked Kyle to join them because he was looking for anything to smear her with. Nate implored her to relax because Kyle had no proof, and he proposed that they enjoy the rest of their Pinot Noir.
In the foyer, Kyle called Victor and said they needed to meet to discuss Audra. Kyle claimed that he’d just found out she couldn’t be trusted.
Nikki met Lauren for lunch at Society and apologized for being late. Nikki remarked that it felt like she had less time since she’d stopped going to the office. Lauren pressed to know why Nikki had agreed to let Adam run Newman Media, but Nikki confided that she hadn’t exactly agreed. Nikki explained that Victor had been adamant about having Adam there while she took time off to concentrate on her recovery. Lauren voiced surprise that Nikki had backed off from something she loved, and she sensed something was off.
Nikki revealed that she and Victor were working on something for her going forward, but it was a secret. Lauren begged for a hint, and Nikki implied that the new venture would give her a new level of power and responsibility that was bigger than Newman Media. Lauren was thrilled, noting that Nikki deserved a win. Nikki promised that Lauren would be among the first to know once it was official.
Nikki anticipated that there would be a lot of maneuvering to get things in place. Lauren suspected Victor was cooking something up, and it made her nervous. Lauren mentioned that Victor had called Michael in for a last-minute meeting that morning, and she hoped whatever the men were talking about was legal. Nikki swore Victor would never do anything to get Michael in trouble. “Are you sure about that?” a skeptical Lauren asked.
At Abbott-Chancellor, Billy was on the phone, crowing that a deal would revolutionize the industry and change the way they did business. As Chance walked in, Billy told the person on the call that they’d have to wait with the rest of world to find out more at the Abbott-Chancellor launch. After Billy hung up, Chance noted that the conversation had sounded positive. Billy recognized that everyone expected him to screw up, but he’d made an epic deal that would change everything.
Chance was shocked to hear that Billy was about to sign a deal to acquire Odyssey 7. Billy bragged that the owner was a tech nerd who Jill had tried to get in touch with for years, but Billy had finally gotten the guy locked in. Chance halfheartedly congratulated Billy, who observed that Chance didn’t seem excited. Chance reasoned that Odyssey 7 mostly did artificial intelligence, which wasn’t a natural fit for them. Billy expected it to modernize and streamline the industry, with the world stopping and taking notice. “Of you, right?” Chance questioned. “Why not me?” Billy shot back.
Chance admitted that Billy was good at what he did, since locking in the deal was huge. Billy sensed disapproval in Chance’s tone, and Chance indicated that it didn’t make his other concerns go away. Chance worried that Billy’s impulsive style could one day come back to bite them, and the crash would be a big one. Billy chided Chance for thinking about problems down the road when they were about to close the biggest deal ever, and he wondered what else he had to do to prove he knew what he was doing. Chance prompted Billy to make him co-CEO.
Chance reasoned that the move would show that Billy was willing to compromise and recognize that even the best of them had limitations. Billy argued that if he’d focused on limitations, he never would have made the deal happen. Billy opted to think big, not play safe. Chance protested that sometimes they had to look at the bigger picture, but Billy doubted Chance would have made the deal better if he’d been co-CEO. Chance proposed that he take on the role temporarily until Jill was back, since Billy needed someone to reel him in with Lily out of the picture.
Billy appreciated Chance’s enthusiasm, but he wanted to table the discussion until after the launch. Chance asked if Billy had read Chance's ten-year plan. Billy thought Chance had some good ideas, and he swore that he wasn’t ruling out a promotion to co-CEO. Billy maintained that it wouldn’t happen then because it would look like they were scrambling. Chance retorted that it would look like it wasn’t just Billy calling the shots, and he refused to leave without getting an answer.
Billy reiterated that Chance wasn’t ready for the position, and becoming the boss after spending five minutes in business wouldn’t happen. Chance stressed that it would be a good move for the company that might put Jill’s mind at ease. Billy bristled at the implication that he was putting his mother’s health at risk, and he reminded Chance that Jill had put Billy in charge. Billy swore that he wanted Chance to stay on as COO.
Chance didn’t think that was possible, given that Billy had chosen to dismiss his reasoning. Chance accused Billy of shutting him down every time he disagreed with something Billy said, and he expected that Billy would always do things his own way in the end. Billy accepted that he couldn’t stop Chance, but he warned that if Chance left, there was no turning back.
At Society, Chance told Summer that he wanted to hear every detail about the custody meeting, but he was bursting to get something out first. He announced that he was walking away from Chancellor after the play he’d made hadn’t worked out. Summer was sorry she’d encouraged him to make it, but Chance wasn’t because he felt liberated. He revealed that he’d given Billy an ultimatum to make him a partner, or he’d walk. Summer was surprised that Chance had walked away that quickly after agonizing over it for weeks.
Chance envisioned that if he’d stayed, he would have ended up just like Billy, and life was too short to spend every day angry and resentful. Summer urged him to speak to Jill before Billy painted Chance as the bad guy. Chance expected Jill to eventually see Billy for who he was because no one could work with him. Chance proclaimed that he’d had to be true to himself, and he hadn’t been able to live with the way things were. Summer asked if he knew what he wanted to do next. Chance suspected she wasn’t going to like it.
Summer wondered if Chance’s new job would take him far away, but he thought there was a better chance it would keep him there. He shared that the job had other drawbacks, and she guessed people might be shooting at him. Summer assumed that he was going back to police work, and Chance confirmed that it was where he felt most comfortable. She admitted that she wasn’t thrilled, and she imagined his mom would be even less so. Summer found it ironic that Chance would rather chase bad guys and dodge bullets than work with Billy.
Lily stopped by Newman Enterprises, and Victor said it was nice to see her again. She was determined to move forward with their plan before Billy had a chance to ruin Chancellor. Victor asked what she had for him, and she informed him that she thought she had the key to Billy’s downfall. Lily divulged that she’d been privy to all of Billy’s big plans before he’d fired her, and he’d been focused on the launch of the new Abbott-Chancellor, overhyping and overpromising everything. Victor wasn’t surprised, given that Billy was a “serial blowhard.”
Lily revealed that Billy wanted to promote the new company with a deal he thought would take it to the next level, but she believed the deal would make the company “sink like a rock.” Lily conceded that the acquisition wasn’t a terrible idea, but the plan to integrate it with Chancellor hadn’t been thought out, and it stood to create massive layoffs. Victor reasoned that it was sometimes the result of doing business, but Lily preferred to structure the deal without compromising everything else Chancellor did.
Victor inquired whether Lily thought Billy could pull the deal off, and she reported that things had been looking good before she’d left. Lily added that Billy was planning the entire launch around it—unless someone else with their own conglomerate and superior negotiating skills beat him to the punch. Victor imagined that it would leave Billy scrambling to avoid another humiliation. Lily contended that Billy was vulnerable when he scrambled.
Lily pointed out that it was Billy’s pattern to self-destruct, and if Newman Enterprises stole the deal out from under him at the last minute, he’d be desperate to save face. Victor bet that Lily would be good at chess. She predicted that he’d see that she was good at a lot of things once she was running Chancellor again under his ownership. Victor noted that she hadn’t disclosed the name of the company Billy was about to take over, and she pointedly confirmed that she hadn’t. He asked if something was wrong. “I am going to be running Chancellor again, right?” she inquired.
Victor countered that he hadn’t said anything to the contrary, but Lily wanted confirmation in writing that it would happen. Michael arrived and was surprised to see Lily there. Victor insisted that the plan was for Lily to return to Chancellor once Billy was out the door. He agreed to think about her proposal and was sure they could reach an agreement. Lily thought Neil would have loved that they were working together because they had mutual trust. Victor recounted that Neil had been one of the few men he’d trusted, and he knew her father would have been proud of her that day.
Lily recalled that her dad had always taught her to be her own person and fight for what was hers. She continued that she wasn’t asking for a handout, since she had a proven track record and just wanted back what was rightfully hers. After Lily left, Michael sputtered that Victor was obviously leading Lily on to get information when the job she thought she would be getting was going to Nikki. “I do what I have to do,” Victor stated. Michael warned that Victor was playing with fire in Lily’s case.
Michael questioned whether Victor wanted him to nod his head and say yes to whatever Victor was doing or give sage advice as Victor’s counsel. Victor ordered Michael to say what he had to say. Michael asked if Victor was still planning to put Nikki in charge of Chancellor when he acquired the company. Victor confirmed he was, and Michael had no doubt she would shine in the role—eventually.
Michael pointed out that Nikki had never worked at Chancellor before, so Lily was a prime asset under the circumstances. Michael continued that Lily had been the boss and had excelled at it, and he doubted she would accept a secondary position after Victor had made her think she’d get the top job. Victor anticipated Lily would be fine with it once she understood the scenario, but Michael wasn’t so sure.
Nikki entered the office and shared that she and Lauren had just been talking about Victor and Michael. Nikki mentioned that Lauren had voiced concern about the men skirting the law, and she demanded to know if they were. Michael assured her that Victor hadn’t asked him to do anything illegal. Victor chimed in that Nikki had nothing to worry about, and everything was going according to plan.
At the jazz club, Billy ordered a drink to celebrate. Devon told Billy to enjoy himself while he could, since kicking Lily out of Chancellor had been the biggest mistake of Billy’s life. Billy savored his drink and called it smooth, clarifying that he was talking about the whiskey and not Devon’s threat. Devon countered that he had no reason to threaten someone who was already on his way down. Billy boasted that he was only going one direction—up. “Up in flames,” Devon cracked.
Billy expected Devon to soon be dazzled by something bigger than anything Devon could imagine, and the cherry on top was that Billy had done it himself. Devon figured that Billy could take sole credit after sandbagging Lily, but Billy sneered at the idea that she’d been an innocent victim. Billy accused Lily of attempting to do the same thing by luring him into a phony partnership and waiting for the opportunity to axe him, but he’d beaten her to the punch. Devon thought Chancellor didn’t stand “a chance in hell” without Lily’s leadership. Billy questioned why Devon hadn’t hired Lily back at Winters if she was so amazing.
Devon taunted that Billy had no clue what he’d lost in Lily, who could have propped him up, while Billy would sink on his own. Billy appreciated Devon’s support of his sister, but he maintained that Lily couldn’t be trusted. Billy recommended that Devon watch his back if he rehired her, and he excused himself to celebrate somewhere else.
Billy brushed past Lily on his way out, and she asked Devon what their exchange had been about. Devon informed her that he’d reminded Billy of what an idiot he was for letting her go. Lily thanked Devon for defending her, but she intended to fight her own battles—and she was all over that one.
