Next week on The Bold and the Beautiful, the stakes soar as passion, suspicion, and old wounds flare up once again. With Forester Creations preparing for a major international showcase in Italy, Ridge is determined to keep the focus sharp and the energy professional. But his blunt refusal to let Taylor join him on the trip sets off alarm bells that can’t be silenced.

What begins as excitement quickly turns tense. Italy is more than just a fashion capital—it’s a place dripping with history, intimacy, and unresolved emotions. For Ridge, it’s a symbolic backdrop for progress. For Taylor, it’s a potential trap. The moment she learns that Ridge will be traveling alone with Brooke to one of the most romantic places in the world, her pulse quickens. She doesn’t want to be suspicious—but the past won’t stop whispering in her ear.

Taylor voices her concern in a vulnerable conversation with Steffy, asking plainly, “Do you really think it’s wise for them to be going there together?” Steffy listens, but her expression doesn’t offer much reassurance. Brooke and Ridge have always been drawn to one another like a flame and a moth—and Taylor knows what happens when they get too close.

Unable to quiet the growing dread, Taylor makes a decision. She tells herself it’s about support and clarity. She wants to be there for Ridge, to share the spotlight and the pressure, to help hold the company up during this pivotal moment. But when she brings it up to Ridge, the conversation turns unexpectedly cold.

“What do you mean you want to come?” Ridge asks, already on edge.

Taylor softens her voice. “I just think it might be better if we all go. I know what Italy brings up for you—for both of you.”

That’s when it happens. Ridge’s tone sharpens like a blade.

“Don’t follow me to Italy.”

He doesn’t just say it—he throws it like a challenge. Taylor freezes. The man who once begged her for honesty, for trust, now shuts her out without warning. His eyes burn with frustration, and something else she can’t quite name. It isn’t just about privacy—it’s about distance. About exclusion.

Taylor is stunned. “I’m not trying to control you,” she says quietly. “I thought we were past this kind of distrust.”

But Ridge doesn’t budge. “This is business. This is my job. I need to focus. You being there… it complicates things.”

Left behind, Taylor spirals. Alone in her home, she replays the conversation over and over. Why doesn’t he want me there? Is it about Brooke? About space? Or about a secret he’s not ready to share?

Meanwhile, Ridge boards the jet with Brooke and Eric, his jaw tight, his mind far from the sketches in his bag. Brooke senses the tension. She leans in, gently placing her hand on his arm. “You okay?” she asks. Ridge doesn’t answer. He looks out the window at the horizon ahead—Italy, the place where so many chapters of his romantic past began.

And maybe, just maybe, another one is about to begin.

But what exactly is Ridge protecting? His career? His heart? Or is he hiding from the truth—about who he loves, and who he’s leaving behind?

One thing is certain: Italy will not be just another business trip.