The Young and the Restless: Genoa City's Count of Monte Cristo 

On The Young and the Restless, we have the makings of a plot straight out of a well-known story, The Count of Monte Cristo. Let's unbox the clues and see what this could mean for the residents of Genoa City.

Damian’s Mystery on The Young and the Restless

Private Investigator Denise Tolliver (Telma Hopkins), who tracked down Damian, met with Nate and told him something seemed weird. Damian moves about a lot and only stays in apartments that are managed by a company called Danglar Properties. “Danglar” happens to be the main villain in the aforementioned story, The Count of Monte Cristo. We all know The Young and the Restless likes to leave breadcrumbs for eagle-eyed viewers and couch sleuths to follow and interpret. The next clue was immediately discovered when Denise revealed to Nate that, along with the curiously named property management company, Damian had only taken jobs that were all under the same main company called…Monte Cristo Investments.

If you're unfamiliar with the story itself, the real-life novel follows the life of Edmond Dantes, his wrongful imprisonment by the main villain (Danglar) for an uncommitted crime, his subsequent escape and discovery of a hidden treasure, and then his path of retribution and revenge. It is a tale as old as time itself, but now it appears that, in some form, it is transpiring on our screens.

Who is the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo? While it could be Damian himself, it doesn’t seem to follow his own story. However, there is a previous character that might fit the bill.

Is Cane Ashby the Count of Genoa City?

Cane Ashby is a great fit as a possible Count in this storyline. When Cane exited The Young and the Restless, he had uncharacteristically been lying (and pretended to be dead), leaving many to wonder how deceptive he truly was. His father, Colin Atkinson (Tristan Rogers), had done a major scam with Katherine Chancellor’s will and made off with her billions of dollars. His dad implicated him in the crime, but Cane swore he had nothing to do with it. To prove to everyone he was innocent, Cane left Genoa City, promising to track down Colin to get the money back and clear his name in the process.

Maybe Damian crossed paths with Cane and has been working with him. Damian’s mom, Amy, recalls how fond Damian was of the Monte Cristo novel growing up; if Damian met Cane and heard his story, he may have seen the similarity to the plot of his favorite novel and wanted to be part of Cane’s redemption.

Catch me if you Cane

There are many reasons to return to Genoa City for Cane Ashby, and he might want to keep it on the down-low until he has set himself up properly. He would want to clear his name from past condemnations, and reconnecting with Lily (Christel Khalil) and his kids would be a priority. Of course, a new business opportunity would appeal as well, and who better to team up with than Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson)?

On his Instagram account, Daniel Goddard recently alluded that something big was coming and said he couldn't wait to share more with his Y&R fans. Was it a clue to a pending return to the show?

So we have a company called Danglar Properties and another called Monte Cristo Investments. Cane could have gotten Colin's money and "come into wealth" just like the Count, and be on a mission to return to Genoa City. It could all be revealed soon as Damian and Nate's paths cross on tomorrow's episode.

What happens next on The Young and the Restless

To introduce himself, Nate thought it was best to dupe Damian with a false narrative that he is head-hunting him for Winters. But Damian might be the one doing to faking if he already knows the players at Winters, particularly since Cane was married to Lily, and the billions that were stolen were actually Devon’s inheritance.

This would be a fantastic expansion to the Nate and Damian storyline and bring back a fan favorite as well. We’re just going to have to follow this closely and watch for more clues to see if this will come to pass.

Watch full episodes of The Young and the Restless on CBS or stream on Paramount Plus.