Steffy stands over and close to Bill's face and taunts him that she has Katie's ring. All he has to do is sell the company back to her and she will get what she wants......that is to give the company back to her father. And her lips will be sealed about last night and he'll get Katie's ring back. He tells her that she is beginning to irritate him and she does not want to do that. He reminds her what will happen when Ridge finds out she is sleeping with the enemy. She gloats that he will forgive her when he gets the company back. She tells Bill to just sign the papers otherwise his marriage is up for grabs. Katie tells Brooke and Donna that she has a concept for a new line  Goddess. She shocks them when she says Steffy will not be doing the PR as she is going to fire her today. She can not work with Steffy any longer when she knows she is after her husband. Brooke points out that Ridge is already very unhappy; firing his daughter will only irk him more. Taylor brings a pot of flowers to Ridge to cheer him up. He tells her she looks glowing; must be a man; must be Whip. She says he is not the slick talking man most think he is; he's a very sweet man. Steffy hands Bill the papers, but he grins and tells her that her fantasy is over. He won't be signing the papers. She says fine, good thing she already has a meeting with Katie. Bill confides in Justin how he over-reacted when he thought Katie walked out on him. He saw Steffy and things got heated. Now he needs to work damage control. Somehow he has to work with Steffy so Katie won't hear this. Steffy meets with Katie. Katie tells her that Bill is her man, not Steffy's. It's embarrassing. She has a crush, but there is always consequences. One of them has to go, so it's Steffy that has to find another job. Katie's interrupted by a phone call. Steffy gets a call too from Bill. Steffy tells him that she just got fired. She has the ring and she is going to show it to Katie unless he sells her the company. He asks her not to show Katie the ring.
Bill: You don't honestly think I'd go along with this, do you? Selling Forrester Creations back to your family? Steffy: I think you're a smart enough guy to know when he's been beaten at his own game. You know what I want. And you are in the position to give it to me. Bill: And what exactly would I get in return? Steffy: Well, these lips... sealed. Katie will have no idea that we were in the bedroom. So, boss, what's it gonna be? The company, or your wife? Bill: (Sighs) [SCENE_BREAK] Katie: That meeting with Eric and Ridge was so frustrating. Why do they have to make everything so difficult? Brooke: You were a little rough on them. Katie: I was? Donna: So, um, how is Hope? Brooke: Oh, she's-- she's much better. Thank you for asking. She's determined to put this whole ordeal with Graham behind her. Katie: But she still needs time to recover. Donna: So I guess we have no campaign. Katie: Well, I have an idea for an internal one. It's the perfect follow-up to the Royalty line and the Glamour line. It's called, um, Goddess. What do you think? Brooke: I love it. Katie: Good. Donna: Because every woman is a goddess. Katie: Exactly. Brooke: Yes. Donna: (Laughs) Brooke: That is a perfect tagline. I'm gonna call Steffy and tell her to get some press ideas right away. Katie: Oh, Steffy won't have time to work on this line. She'll be too busy cleaning out her office. I'm firing her. [SCENE_BREAK] Taylor: Oh, there you are. I brought you a little present. Ridge: What's this? Taylor: Well, I know how difficult things have been for you around here, working here. Ridge: Well, I hope it's plastic, because this is where living things go to die. Taylor: Ridge, you are the company, and you should be running it, but until that happens, you need to find a way to cheer yourself up. Don't get so depressed. Ridge: You're awfully chipper. What's going on? Taylor: Uh, I'm just trying to cheer you up. Ridge: Hmm. You're different. Kinda glowing. It's Whip, isn't it? Taylor: Uh, Whip? Ridge: Yeah, you know, fast-talking P.R. guy. Very slick. Taylor: Oh, stop it. He's not like that. He's very sweet. Ridge: So you do like him then. Taylor: Well, we're a little bit past "like." Ridge: I see. It's that serious? Taylor: Uh, well, I haven't given him closest space yet, but I-I don't know. I could see that maybe in his future. Ridge: You've hardly spent any time together. Taylor: Would you just be happy for me, Ridge? Ridge: That's all I ever wanted for you, Taylor-- your happiness. No one deserves it more. Taylor: Okay, enough about me. I'm looking for Steffy. She really has become irreplaceable around here, hasn't she? [SCENE_BREAK] Brooke: You can't just fire Steffy. She's Ridge's daughter. She has a right to work here. Donna: No, this is going to crush Ridge. Brooke: He's having a hard time already. I mean, this is gonna make things worse for him. Katie: Brooke, she's after my husband. What am I supposed to do? Donna: (Sighs) Brooke: She's really trying to fit in. Katie: (Scoffs) Brooke: Please, try to ig-- I promised Ridge that I would protect her. Katie: Trust me, that girl doesn't need any protecting. Donna: But you can't just toss her out. Katie: We can't underestimate her. The sooner she moves on, the better. I just hope it's not too late. [SCENE_BREAK] Bill: You are starting to irritate me, and that's the last thing you want to do. Steffy: Well, score one for the Forresters. Bill: I told you to stay away. Steffy: Your mouth says one thing, but your lips say quite another. Bill: I love my wife. Steffy: Fine. You want your Logan? You can have her. In fact, why don't you take her on an extended honeymoon around the world? Bill: (Chuckles) I'm not going anywhere. Steffy: Oh, right. Katie's the one who keeps leaving. Bill: Katie left for a meeting. I misinterpreted. I will not let you hurt my wife. Steffy: I understand wanting to protect the people that you love, fighting for your family, which is exactly what I'm doing. Sell the company back to me, and you will get what you want. Your marriage will be untarnished, and I will get what I always wanted-- to save my dad and give him back Forrester Creations. [SCENE_BREAK] Ridge: Steffy? She's one of the few things keeping me chained to this place, Doc. Taylor: Ridge, the way you say that... Ridge: Look, sorry, I don't mean to sound so grim. Taylor: (Sighs) Mm, I know this place has got to feel like a prison for you. Ridge: I try to rise above it. I do. I try to look on the bright side. Taylor: Well, there you go. That's the way you do it. That's positive. Try to find the bright side. Ridge: Yeah, but that takes some hard looking. I'll tell you. Taylor: I don't doubt that. Ridge: Except when I see our daughter coming into her own. That's the time it seems easier. Taylor: Well, Ridge, she treasures the time that she has here with you. Ridge: It's a father's dream, Doc, which in some ways has become kind of a nightmare. Taylor: Would you stop talking about it like that? Ridge: Okay, I don't want to. I don't want to. It's just-- just when I come in this door, I feel like the walls are closing in around me. Taylor: Yes, Ridge, but things always change, and it won't always be like that. Ridge: That's what my daughter says, too. She has this utter conviction that someday we're gettin' this company back. She really believes it. Makes me wonder, though. Taylor: What? Ridge: Where she gets that confidence. How she can go on believing. I give Steffy a lot of credit, though, because she never lets go of her dream. [SCENE_BREAK] Brooke: (Sighs) This makes no sense. Didn't you just tell Bill you were through being insecure about Steffy? Donna: Aren't you and Bill back on the right track? Katie: Yes, and we're going to stay that way. Brooke: By kicking Steffy out? You were always the peacemaker. What happened? Katie: Steffy doesn't want peace. She's made that abundantly clear. She's relentless. Come on, Brooke, you know what it's like to have someone constantly undermining your marriage. I have watched you for years fight Stephanie. Same goes for you, Donna. Stephanie has never given you a moment of peace. Donna: She has a point, Brooke. Brooke: Oh, please. Let's stop this-- the Logans pitted against the Forresters. Katie: Oh, it's going to stop. It's going to stop today. I won't work with her, and I'm the one with a ring on my finger. Brooke: You still haven't found your engagement ring? Katie: It'll turn up. [SCENE_BREAK] Bill: Hmm, look at you, sitting in the grown-up chair. It's cute-- sort of like when a little girl tries to slip on her daddy's shoes. They're just too big. Stealing Katie's diamond for collateral. Okay. You've got my attention. Steffy: You know, last night, you so wanted to have sex with me. Bill: I want the ring back. Steffy: You were so turned on kissing me. But then your wife came home. But we both know, don't we? You wanted me. Bill: Remember me telling you not to overestimate yourself? Last night wasn't nearly as much about wanting you as it was about my misguided anger toward Katie. Steffy: Really? Bill: Now you have a lot to lose, too. When your father finds out you almost slept with the enemy, all hell's gonna break loose. Steffy: I'm doing this for my dad. I wanted to be the only person who could defeat you. And when I give him back the company, he'll forgive me. But will Katie forgive you? Bill: So this is all just a big game to you, huh? Steffy: No, I-I told you that. It's not all a game. You are a very attractive man, and, hey, power is a turn-on. But what I wanted always was Forrester Creations. And you were the means. Bill: So this is my punishment for supporting you at Forrester, trying to help you succeed? Steffy: It's not fun getting the rug pulled out underneath ya, like what you did to my dad. But this deal's much more fair than what you offered him. At least you get to leave with your dignity. Bill: We got too close. I'm back with my wife. This company is not some sort of consolation prize. Steffy: Would you prefer breaking Katie's heart? Sign the papers. You have no alternative. Just sign it or your marriage is up for grabs. Bill: Even if I agreed to your demands, your father couldn't afford to buy the company back. Steffy: Don't worry about that. Bill: When I bought Forrester Creations, I used business tactics. Steffy: Underhanded ones. Bill: You're exploiting a personal relationship, Steffy. Steffy: Whatever it takes. Bill: It's wrong. Steffy: This coming from the master manipulator. Bill: I understand your wanting to do this for your family. It's admirable. But what you're doing-- it's not right. Steffy: You of all people preaching about morals. I think that's really, really cute. Bill: It's beneath you. Steffy: I'm sorry, really, that it had to be this way. But refusing me-- that is an option you don't want to consider. It's really simple. Just sign right here. Bill: Sorry, sweetheart. This is the end of your little fantasy. Steffy: Well, it's a good thing that Katie asked to see me. I don't want to keep the boss waiting. [SCENE_BREAK] Taylor: Well, you shouldn't be giving up on your dream either, Ridge. Try some creative visualization. Think of yourself being in charge again. Ridge: I've tried that. It's such a cold slap in the face when I see Katie trying to draw on my designs. It... the other day, I got so wound up, I smashed some Spencer memento. Taylor: Ridge. Ridge: There was blood and glass all over everything. Taylor: Oh, my gosh. Ridge: I felt like I was hallucinating. It must have been some kind of panic attack. Taylor: Listen to me, Ridge, you cannot go on like this. Ridge: I need to be here for my children. This company is their birthright. How much good am I gonna be if every moment I spend here is just eating me alive? Taylor: (Sighs) [SCENE_BREAK] Justin: Last quarter's projections are due in any moment, and-- Bill: Not now, Justin. Justin: Uh-oh. Obviously, you're still dealing with that problem you mentioned. You want to talk about it? Bill: Last night, I was alone with Steffy. Justin: (Scoffs) That was a bad idea. Bill: Things got a little heated. Justin: Better start at the beginning. Bill: Katie and I had an argument. I thought she walked out. You know how that pushes my buttons. Turns out, she had a late meeting. Justin: So you overreacted? Bill: And now I need help with damage control. Justin: One question. How big is the damage? [SCENE_BREAK] Brooke: This isn't like you, Katie. You've always taken the high road. Katie: Oh, come on. Let's be fair. I have given Steffy chance after chance, and what does she do? Look, this isn't about me being insecure. I am simply doing what any sane woman would have done months ago. She's out of here today. My decision is final. (Door opens) Donna: Steffy. Katie: Good, you're here. Will the two of you please excuse us? We have some issues to discuss. [SCENE_BREAK] Taylor: This has got to be so hard for you, Ridge. I know it has to-- having to work here with people you have total dislike for. Ridge: Katie and Bill are incompetent. And it really breaks my heart the way they're pushing Steffy around. Taylor: I just wish there was something I could do to help. (Sighs) Ridge: You do help. Just being here, you help a lot. Taylor: (Sighs) [SCENE_BREAK] Justin: So what trouble are you in? Bill: When Katie walked out, I was angry. I wasn't thinking clearly. Steffy showed up. Justin: Oh, boy. Bill: In that moment, I thought it was over with Katie. That she had left me. Still, I told Steffy to leave. Justin: So let me guess. She didn't. Tell me that you're not sleeping with Ridge's daughter. Bill: I didn't. But it was close. Justin: Okay, so will she keep quiet about this? Bill: For a price. She wants me to sell the company back. Justin: Oh, come on. So you're telling me young Steffy Forrester is blackmailing you? Bill: (Sighs) If Katie hears about this, I... I can't let that happen, Justin. I can't lose her. Somehow, I have to deal with Steffy. [SCENE_BREAK] Katie: I know what you're up to with my husband. Steffy: Really? Katie: I know about the kisses and the intimate lunch and the fact that you were at the beach house that night that Bill and I fought. Steffy: It's not like I'm forcing him to hang out with me. He enjoys it. Katie: You know, it's kind of embarrassing watching you throw yourself at someone who has no interest in you. I mean, I'm sure Bill entertains your flirtation to a certain extent. He is a man, after all. But he's my man, not yours. And it just makes your advances seem a little pathetic. Steffy: Hmm. It's really nice you're so confident. Katie: You really shouldn't interfere in someone else's marriage, Steffy. In my experience, the wife doesn't like that so much. You had a crush. You tried to push it. Believe me, there are always consequences. Steffy: Yeah, you're absolutely right. There's always consequences to every action. Katie: This situation is no longer tenable. Steffy: What situation are you talking about? Katie: You have talent, but you have no future here, not after the way you've behaved with my husband. Steffy: So one of us has to go. Katie: You're right. And that someone will be you. Steffy: So you're firing me? Katie: Do you blame me? You've crossed the line over and over again. Your family has no respect for me. The act like they still own the company. They don't. They never will ever again. This is our company, Bill's and mine. You work for us. And that's not going to change. This company, under my direction, is solid. So find yourself another job and find yourself another playmate. (Telephone rings) (Ring) Katie: This is Katie. (Cell phone buzzes) Katie: Yes, I do need that information. Can you give it to me now? (Buzzing) Katie: Yep, I'm ready. Okay. And how long will that order take? Steffy: I've been expecting to hear from you. Bill: Are you with Katie? Steffy: Yes, I am. She's on the phone. Look, this has gone on far enough. She just fired me. I have your ring. I'm gonna show it to her. Bill: Don't do it, Steffy. Steffy: The company, Bill. I want it. I want it now. Is it gonna be the company or your wife? Bill: Steffy, listen to me. Steffy: Now, Bill.