At the park, Nick meets up with Phyllis again. He questions her being as thick as thieves with Cane at Society last night. Is she helping him steal his family’s companies or not?

Phyllis reminds Nick that he asked her to keep him in the loop. She has to spend time with Cane to do that. She spent the entire evening trying to convince him not to use the AI software. Nick asks if she was successful. Phyllis claims he’s more focused on his children. Nick’s not buying it; he can multi-task. The redhead hedges that he won’t risk his relationship with his kids right now. Ashby trusts her, but Nick doesn’t. Nick feels he’s being played.

Nick complains that Phyllis doesn’t see the red flags that he does; he’s saved her from herself more times than he can count. They’re on the edge and she’s ready to fall. Phyllis argues that his father has him conditioned to think the universe revolves around the Newmans. Nick warns that for Cane to get what he wants, she could be one of the people who gets hurt.

Cane, but she’s tired of him passing judgement on her. She’ll work for who she damn well pleases. Nick warns that what’s happening between them right now plays into Cane’s hands. Is he supposed to watch her ruin her life?! Phyllis, boring into his soul with her eyes, implores him to trust her… to trust that she knows what she’s doing. If he doesn’t, that’s his problem, not hers.

Will Michael and Victor Make Up?

Michael arrives in Victor’s office at Newman, and the Mustache declares that all he wants to hear from him is “yes”. Suddenly, Michael gets a call from Cane. He muses that he must want to know his answer as well. Victor informs him he’ll have to pick a side. In his train car, Cane leaves Michael a voicemail saying he wants to know if he’ll come and work for him… by tonight.

Michael pulls out a chair to sit and Victor snaps that he didn’t invite him to do so. Refreshingly, the attorney sits anyway and informs Victor he’s not there to kiss the ring. He’s willing to infiltrate Cane’s world and he misses their friendship, but not the imbalance between them. Michael forces his stubborn former boss to listen as he explains his motivation is to get rid of the aggressor and keep peace. Throwing the attorney a bone, The Mustache hints that their friendship could be reinstated some day.

Can Sally Get Through to Billy?

At Billy’s place, Sally finds him passed out on the sofa and gently awakens him. He says, “I was dreaming.” She replies, “You always are.” Sally informs him she won’t let him go forward with his plan to work with Cane. He argues it’s not the time to play it safe. Sally is sure Ashby’s leading him off a cliff.

Sally knows Jill broke Billy’s heart, but Abbott Communications was about proving he could build something on his own. They don’t need Cane. They have their own company and each other. “Isn’t that enough?” Clearly, it’s not, as Billy complains about her lack of flexibility and starts going on about Chancellor. When Sally gets exasperated, Billy informs her Jack pulled his funding; their company is dead. That’s why he has to work with Cane. They both want the same thing: to take down Victor Newman.

Sally, visibly upset, rants that she trusted him and put her whole reputation on the line. People warned her this would happen. She already feels she’s losing him when she sees the look in his eye when he talks about going after Chancellor, and fears she’s not enough for him. She reveals that she told Cane and Phyllis last night that she wouldn’t let him do this. He’s putting his obsessions ahead of them and he’s not listening to her. Billy tries to convince her to stand by his side as they rise to the top and reveals that he has a plan (oh, that’s bound to make her feel better).

Will Victor Sign On to Adam’s Plan?

Victor checks in with Adam at Newman Media and goes over making Cane turn over his very powerful weapon to them. Adam notes Nick and Victoria are worried about the legal ramifications. Predictably, Victor shrugs that off.

Talk turns to Chelsea becoming an asset and the failure of the Abbott Communications launch. Adam thinks they should test the AI out on the media company. Chelsea knows Billy is aligned with Cane and will surely understand. Victor’s impressed that he’s managed to bring her around. He agrees to bring Billy down… and then they’ll train their sights on Jack Abbott. Adam looks less sure of this.

Michael Makes His Rounds

Michael joins Cane on his train and tells him he’s inclined to accept his offer… but he has a few conditions. He doesn’t want anyone to know about their collusion given he’ll have to bend rules. Cane asks if that’s because of Victor or Lauren. Michael tells him it’s none of his business. Cane agrees to keep things between them. Michael wants to haggle on the offer, so Cane doubles it and they shake hands.

Cane tells Michael his first assignment is to make peace with Phyllis, who is part of the team. While he’s doing that, he’ll fix things with his fami

Michael returns to Victor’s office and says it’s done. Victor asks what he found out. Michael tells him Phyllis has a role in whatever game Cane is playing. He points out Summer won’t be happy if her mother is hurt. He’ll try to keep the redhead out of the fray. Victor muses, “Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone.”

Phyllis walks into Society and takes a call from Michael. She calls him a back-stabbing ex-friend, and he asks if they can get together. On his end, Michael glances at Victor as he says, “There’s something important we need to discuss.” Phyllis sort of agrees to meet him at the overlook. After Michael disconnects, Victor tells him that if Phyllis is involved, Cane clearly plans to proceed despite his threat. Michael asks, “So, what do we do now?”

The Final Scenes

Adam finds Nick in the park. His brother complains about getting kicked in the head. Adam guesses he’s talked to Phyllis. Nick’s convinced she’s playing for the other team. They worry if Cane uses Phyllis as a hacker and installs the software he could create havoc. Nick can’t protect Phyllis, who’s in between them, if she doesn’t pick the right side. Adam asks if she comes after their family, will Nick be OK with going after her?

At Billy’s place, he tells Sally his plan is to use the threat of AI warfare against Victor. He won’t actually have to use the software. He’ll get Chancellor in exchange for not ruining him. He won’t use Cane’s plan, but his own. “It’s a win-win for us.”

In his train car, alone, Cane smiles like the cat that ate the canary.