Billy’s Staggering Choice After Fiery Argument — Nikki Reels Over Victor’s Startling Scheme!

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In the jazz lounge, Summer tells Kyle that if they’re going to reach a compromise, he’ll have to tell her while he’s dug in about working with Audra. Kyle asks if she really wants to blow up their co-parenting situation because she doesn’t like his business partner. Summer says who Harrison is exposed to is important. Kyle guarantees that Audra will never have any interest in Harrison. She’s irrelevant. Why does she keep on about this? He feels she’s been so scared of losing Harrison, she needed a dumping ground to put the fear and anger. Kyle says Audra is playing a much bigger role in her mind than she really has. Summer says he’s wrong and counters that he doesn’t trust Audra anymore than she does. “You’re deflecting my questions.”

Summer knows him and he’s not really telling her what’s going on. She suspects her grandfather is involved. Kyle says Victor only urged him to work things out with her, but that’s his only influence. “Neither of us want to see Harrison get hurt.” Summer balks, “You think that I do?” Kyle doesn’t think she wants to hurt their son, but it’s more reason to find a solution… and disentangling him from Audra isn’t it. Summer notes his interesting choice of words. Kyle says he’s not sleeping with her. Summer says, “But you are clearly in something that’s messy and difficult to get out of.” She senses he doesn’t really want to work with Audra. “Are you somehow being forced to stay in this partnership?” If he wants to find common ground with her, he needs to tell her what’s really going on here.

In the dining room, Audra tells Nate he’s right… she’s somehow landed in the middle of another personal feud. Why does this keep happening to her? Why can’t she have a career that’s not tied to these powerful families in Genoa City. Nate points out nobody is forcing her to take these jobs. Audra warns she will not walk away from Glissade. Nate admires her commitment, but Victor is holding all the cards. Audra says Tucker thought he was holding all the cards too. Nate says Victor isn’t Tucker. He won’t give her any choice in how the company is used against Jabot. Audra asks him not to underestimate her. Nate cares about her and doesn’t want to see her become collateral damage in another of Victor’s power plays. Audra appreciates that, but she’s been running Glissade all this time. She won’t be easy to dislodge. Nate asks if she’ll set Kyle up to crash and burn. If she can give Victor what he wants, and he gives her solo control of Glissade, it’s win/win.

By the door of the Club, Audra tells Nate she’s headed up to her room. He asks if it’s a statement or an invite. She muses that it could be both. Nate sighs. He has a proposal to get out and has to get coffee and head back to the office. Audra notes they both keep their eye on the big prize. Nate notes they don’t always have the same methods of going after things. He doesn’t agree with how she intends to keep Glissade. He urges her to take a step back and think about this… there are other companies. Audra declares that one way or another, Glissade is going to be all hers. Nate warns that sneaking around and back-stabbing people almost always blows up in your face. Audra’s touched that he worries about her, but if this blows up in anyone’s face, it will be Kyle’s and not hers.

At Abbott Chancellor, Billy walks into the office, and Lily asks where he’s been. She notes he seems frazzled. He says he’s fine and it’s nothing he can’t handle. She asks about the revisions on the press release. Billy says there won’t be any until they iron things out. He can’t stand her lying to him and she needs to tell him right now what her real agenda is! They bicker about her wanting to make him a silent partner. Billy hollers at her to lay her cards on the table and tell the truth. Lily yells that he’s exhausting, and she doesn’t like his wild projections. He wants her to send it out like some kind of test. Billy asks why she partnered with him if she feels that way. He accuses her of wanting to stay on the inside until she could kick him to the curb. “Is that what you’ve been planning all along?!”

Chance approaches the office door as the battle wages on. Billy tells Lily she’s power-hungry like her brother. Lily screams that he needs to get over himself. Chance knocks to interrupt. Lily tells Billy she’ll put out the press release and will have marketing send him dates for the party. She stalks out. Billy tells Chance he’s exchanged one member of the Winters family who doesn’t trust him for another.

In Victor’s office, he updates Nikki on Jill’s illness. It was serious enough for her to hand over the reins to her idiot son. Nikki has empathy for her. Victor insists he does too. He’s known Jill for years and has respect for her. Nikki’s happy to hear it, because she would hate to hear that he planned to exploit Jill’s condition to weaken Billy and take control of Chancellor. “That would be, ah, I don’t know, what is the word?” Victor cracks, “Fortuitous.” Nikki sighs, “So, you are going to use Jill’s illness.” Victor says it was her decision to hand over the reins of Chancellor to her idiot son, so if information about her illness throws him off his game, he’ll use it. Nikki argues it doesn’t seem right. It will affect Jill because she wants Billy to succeed. Victor says she made a mistake, and he’ll take advantage of it. Nikki says it still seems wrong. Victor says Billy hasn’t even been to see his mother, all he cares about is reviving his failed career. He has no qualms about pulling the rug out from under him.

Suddenly, Nikki realizes that Victor plans to have Adam use Newman Media to go after Billy. “That is why you gave him my job!” Victor denies that it’s dirty work and crabs about Billy being too self-involved to go to his mother’s bedside. Nikki worries he’ll make Jill’s illness public. Victor shrugs that Adam will only have to threaten to make it public and Billy will tow the line. Nikki asks, “Really? What if you’re wrong?” What if Billy calls Adam’s bluff? Victor says there are other ways to take care of Billy Abbott. Nikki reminds him this is his grandchildren’s father. Victor says they’re used to him changing jobs. Soon, Chancellor will be theirs. Nikki says, “Yeah, with Lily in charge. How does that help us get what we want?” Victor says, “That’s where you come in.”

After Victor’s filled her in on a plan, Nikki says she can’t see Lily going for that. Victor says they have to try. Nikki can’t imagine it. Victor says she has to be finessed, and Nikki’s a master. Nikki feels that she’s the one being finessed right now. She asks, “How do you see this happening.” Victor tells his wife to arrange a run-in with Lily, and she’ll know what to say. He reminds her to keep her eye on the prize.

Lily runs into Nate at Crimson Lights, and he guesses she’s in choppy waters with Billy. He predicted it the minute she decided to team up with him. Lily learns that Devon told him the plan was to push Billy out the door and complains that her brother is another person she can’t trust. Nate insists he was just concerned for her. They all agree Billy should never have been handed control in the first place. Lily turned it into an empire, and she rewarded her by pushing Billy onto her. She didn’t deserve that… she should have been able to run Chancellor on her own.

At Society, Billy tells Chance he’s convinced that Lily never intended to be a real partner to him. Chance points out he has no proof. Billy snarls, “You on her side now, Chance?” Chance argues that her concerns didn’t come out of nowhere. Billy wonders if he’ll talk about his past now too. If she was so worried, she didn’t have to partner with him in the first place. Her plan was to try and kick him to the curb or make him a silent partner. She decided she wanted him out, and when he pushed back, Lily made it as hard as humanly possible to get anything done in the office. Chance asks what they do now. Billy says it’s time for Lily to go.

In the jazz lounge, Kyle admits that Summer’s not wrong. She wants a clue as to what’s going on. Kyle says he doesn’t trust Audra and isn’t thrilled to be working with her, but for now it has to be that way. Eventually, he’ll be running Glissade on his own. He’ll outwork Audra and play hardball. Summer sniffs that it sounds like a wonderful collaboration. She warns that Audra’s not a pushover. Kyle likes his chances. “I can handle this. Can you just trust me to do that?” Summer says she doesn’t really have a choice. Kyle asks if they’re good and can find a custody arrangement that works for both of them. He doesn’t want to go to court, and deep down, he doesn’t think she wants to either.

Kyle apologizes for saying hurtful things and asks to start over as the type of parents their son deserves. Summer wants to think about it. Kyle’s surprised. Summer knows he’s being sincere and she wants peace, but there are still things bothering her. It’s his whole work arrangement… the fact that there are things he can’t tell her raises red flags. There could be something underhanded going on. Kyle insists that’s not the case. Summer implores him to come clean. “Tell me everything.” Just then, Audra appears. Summer smirks, “Perfect timing.” Kyle shakes his head.

Audra hopes she’s not interrupting. She needs to follow up with Kyle about Paris. Summer says, “He’s all yours. I’ll be in touch.” Kyle asks Summer to consider what he said. She’ll give it some thought. Audra sits and asks if everything is OK. Kyle says it’s personal, regarding their custody issues. Audra hopes he can keep her out of it. She can’t understand why Summer thinks she’s such a bad influence… she’s never even met Harrison. Kyle thinks it’s best that she never does.

In Crimson Lights, Nate asks if Lily stayed with Chancellor because of him. She says it had nothing to do with that, they’re family. Winters is Devon’s baby. She doesn’t feel the same connection. Jill handed her Chancellor and it’s her baby. She can’t let Billy ruin it. She admits she had to leave the office before she lost it on Billy. She has to stay on the inside until she figures out how to push him out. Nate points out that Jill handed him her voting power. “How do you get rid of him if he has that?” Lily doesn’t know but she has to try.

At Society, Chance urges Billy to talk to Lily before ousting her. Billy has tried; it’s time to cut the cord. Chance warns that Jill won’t like it. Billy says he needs to end this… immediately. He pulls out his phone and texts Lily to meet ASAP.

Lily calls Billy back and he says he got the press release proof and wants to meet her at the Club. He takes off as Summer comes in. She asks where Billy was going. Chance says he’s off to prove everything people say about him is true.

At the Club, Nikki tells Victor now she understands why he wanted Adam at Newman Media… as his attack dog. Is there anyone else other than Billy he’s having him go after? Victor asks her to focus on Chancellor. Nikki doesn’t like the vengeance part of it. Victor wants to stop talking about business.

In the jazz lounge, Audra says she has no problem staying away from Kyle’s son and his personal life if that’s what he wants. He does. She asks him to return the favor. Talk turns to business and Kyle wants to establish trust as partners. Audra just got an email from the Paris group about their projections… they’re over the moon impressed. Kyle thanks her for sharing. She says, “We’re partners, aren’t we?” Kyle likes to think they can be… this is a good start.

At Society, Chance fills Summer in on Billy wanting to fire Lily. He’s doing exactly what he accused Devon doing… the “my way or the highway” mentality. Summer asks if he’s thinking about leaving before Billy can force him out too. Chance says if it comes down to Billy vs. Lily, his money’s on her.

In the Club, Nikki and Victor toast as Lily walks in. Nikki says fate is smiling on them tonight. Victor calls out to Lily to join them. Nikki asks her to have a drink with them, but she has a meeting with Billy. Victor asks how things are going with her partner. Lily says it’s a work in progress. Victor says that’s always the case with Billy. At the door, Billy enters and spots them. Victor tells Lily to sit with Nikki and strides over to ask Billy for a word in private. At the table, Nikki says, “So, Lily. Tell me, how are things… really?”