The Young and the Restless just delivered a jaw-dropping twist that fans can’t stop talking about. Cole Howard is dead. But was it really natural causes—or did someone want him gone?

What appeared to be a serene, heartfelt hospital farewell between Cole, Victoria, and Clare has now sparked serious suspicion. Because just minutes after that emotional moment, Cole suddenly flatlined. And viewers are starting to wonder… was it all too perfectly timed?

Jay Eddie Peck’s exit from the show was expected—but no one anticipated the undercurrent of foul play tied to Cole’s final scene. Now all eyes are on Holden Novak, the smooth, calculating assistant to Kane Ashby. He was there when Cole died. And it’s looking more and more like he was sent in with a mission: make sure Cole never leaves that hospital room alive.

Holden isn’t just some background lackey. He’s Kane’s fixer, his shadow, and potentially his hitman. And it’s all tied to Kane’s secret rise to power—operating under the alias Aristotle Dumas, building a covert empire from the shadows of Chancellor-Winters and Newman Enterprises.

So why would Cole be a threat?

Easy. Cole Howard’s return to Genoa City reconnected him with the powerful Newman family. His history with Victoria and ties to Clare gave him inside access—exactly the kind of access Kane can’t afford to be snooping around. If Cole got too close to Kane’s secrets, he had to be removed. Cleanly. Quietly. Permanently.

That’s where Holden steps in. No witnesses. No questions. Just a sudden, tragic death. And to top it off, he’s now positioning himself as a “comfort” figure to Clare—the grieving daughter of the man he allegedly killed. Coincidence? Or manipulation?

Clare is vulnerable. Her father just died. And Holden, ever the master strategist, might be using this moment to get even closer to her—maybe to keep tabs, maybe to control what she knows. Or maybe… he’s setting her up for something even darker.

But there’s one wildcard Kane didn’t count on: Victor Newman.

Victor doesn’t let go of people easily—especially not family. If Victoria or Clare start questioning Cole’s final moments, and if Victor catches even the scent of murder, Holden and Kane better watch their backs. The Newmans don’t bury secrets. They dig them up and burn everything in their path.

The stakes are high, and the fallout could be explosive. If this truly was murder, and Holden Novak is exposed, it could bring Kane’s empire crashing down—and take half of Genoa City with it.