The atmosphere in Genoa City has never been heavier. For Chelsea Lawson, the walls are closing in. Working under the iron grip of Victor Newman at Newman Media, Chelsea’s confidence is cracking. Once a strategist with fire in her eyes, she now sits across from Nikki Newman at Society, desperate for guidance and questioning everything she thought she could control.

“Victor doesn’t change his mind,” Nikki warned with the cool authority of someone who’s weathered the storm too many times before. “You either ride it out, or you drown in it.” But Chelsea’s heart ached with conflict. With Adam trapped between family loyalty and personal survival, and Billy Abbott in Victor’s crosshairs, the lines between ally and target are blurred beyond recognition.

Meanwhile, across town, Audra Charles isn’t watching the storm—she’s building one of her own. With her eye set on a high-stakes Dumas gala in Nice, she knows one thing: bringing Kyle Abbott into her corner could tip the scales. But a volatile new player—Holden Novak—threatens to unravel her plans. Tension between them simmers dangerously, and Victor’s awareness of their conflict makes Holden an unpredictable wildcard.

But while power games unfold in boardrooms and secret meetings, something darker brews behind closed doors.

Cole Howard, once trusted, once broken, now seems irreversibly transformed into something terrifying. In a chilling confrontation, Mariah finds herself face-to-face with a man no longer tethered to reason. His threats, his physical aggression, his cruel smile—it all confirms what she feared: Cole is not sick… he’s spiraling.

“You should have stayed out of it,” he sneers, pinning her to the wall. His grip bruising. His voice venom. “One word, and I destroy everyone you love.”

But Mariah refuses to be silent. And just as it seems all hope is lost, a commanding voice cuts through the darkness—Victoria Newman, flanked by the last person anyone expected: Holden Novak.

“You’re better than this,” Victoria says, unwavering. Holden’s voice follows, low and resolute: “This ends tonight.”

In a standoff that freezes the room, Cole’s rage clashes with their defiance. Mariah trembles. Victoria steps forward. Holden holds his ground. And for a brief moment, the monster blinks.

Then, without warning, Cole retreats, leaving destruction in his wake. Mariah collapses into Victoria’s arms, barely breathing. Holden, unexpected but heroic, steadies her.

“You’re safe now,” he promises. But even Mariah knows it’s not over. Not truly.

Back at Newman Enterprises, Victor reads the signs. A city in upheaval. Secrets on the verge of explosion. And somewhere in the shadows… Dumas still watches. Cain Ashby? Adrien Callahan? Whoever he is, his grip on Genoa grows stronger by the hour.

In The Young and the Restless, every power move comes at a cost. And this time, survival may not be enough.

Because when monsters wear familiar faces, and allies hide daggers behind smiles, no one walks away untouched. Not Chelsea. Not Mariah. Not even Victor Newman.