At Victoria's, Nick and Victoria asked Victor what he'd done with Ashland. Victor claimed he didn't know anything, but he was certain the police would find Ashland. Victoria asked what would happen if Ashland returned. Victor and Nick suggested that Victoria stay at the ranch until she was out of danger.

Victoria told Victor she didn't want to stay in her house after what had happened; Nick suggested the living room needed to be cleaned by professionals after the police had completed their investigation. Nick said Ashland hadn't been breathing, and he'd had no pulse, yet somehow, he'd left the house. Victoria said Ashland had been very angry with her, and he'd been unstoppable.

Victor told Victoria that if Ashland had died, everyone would think it had been a revenge killing, considering the bad relationship Locke had with their family. Victoria said she'd only wanted Ashland to leave. Nick said he'd tried to protect Victoria because he'd believed Locke had intended to kill her. Victor said he would have done the same thing, but he was concerned that Nick might have put himself in a tough legal situation.

Nick told Victor the legal situation paled compared to him believing he'd killed Locke. Nick said it had been the right thing to do to call Chance. Nick said he was prepared to face the consequences. Victoria and Victor left for the ranch.

Alone, Nick had a flashback to punching Locke, Locke falling and hitting his head on the fireplace hearth, and Nick telling Victoria he couldn't find a pulse.

Nick walked to the French doors, and something caught his eye -- Locke's signet ring was on the floor, just under the drape.

In his suite, Adam woke up and saw Sally; he asked what she was doing there. Sally said she was giving Adam a second chance, so that he could make the right choice and reclaim their future. Adam told Sally she shouldn't be there, but Sally claimed it was exactly where she belonged. Adam accused her of ignoring everything he'd said earlier. Sally said she'd known Adam would be in their suite because it was the place where they had felt safe. Sally said she understood him.

Adam told Sally she didn't have the slightest idea of who he really was and that she'd read far too much into where he'd decided to sleep that night. Sally said Adam had left the ranch angry because Victor hadn't given him the CEO position. Sally claimed Adam had opened up to her because of their connection, but Adam claimed it had been a calculated act of vulnerability on his part to get her to fall in love with him, as he'd known she would. Sally told him to stop playing his game and treating her like she'd been another one of his conquests; she knew that wasn't true because she'd been the one who'd pursued him.

Adam said Sally needed to stop. Sally asked if Adam thought she would give up. Adam said he thought she had too much self-respect to keep throwing herself at someone who'd rejected her. Sally claimed she had a ton of self-confidence, and she would endure whatever Adam wanted to dish out until he dropped the pretext.

Adam told Sally that that part of their lives was over, and they were moving on in opposite directions. Adam said Sally had to let him go. He said that whatever she thought he was feeling or wished he felt for her, he didn't, and whatever she thought should happened between them, wouldn't. He said there was no future for them, and he didn't want one with her. Sally claimed she didn't want to lose what they'd had together.

Adam told Sally he hadn't meant to hurt her, but she was disillusioned and confused. He said their working and personal relationship weren't intertwined, and she didn't need love to succeed. Sally stated she wanted love in her life, and she knew exactly why she wanted to be with Adam above anything else.

Sally told Adam that her parents had vanished from her life when she'd been very young; she and her sister had had to fend for themselves. Sally said her parents had left a big black hole where her heart had been. Sally said she had been thankful she'd had her sister and a grandmother who'd taken care of them. Sally said every time she'd reached high and fallen hard trying to build her career or searching for someone to spend her life with, her sister and grandmother were always there for her when her life imploded. Adam suggested she contact them, but Sally told Adam not to give her advice because she knew what was best for her.

Sally told Adam that many times she'd believed she'd found the perfect job or the man of her dreams, only to have her heart broken, but it had never broken her spirit because she'd known there was the right person out there for her. Sally said that when she'd met Adam, for the first time in her life, that black hole had vanished, and it had been like she'd known Adam her entire life. Sally claimed they'd been in the right place, and it had been their time. Sally stated she'd never stood between Adam and his family or anything he'd wanted because she'd wanted the same things. Sally claimed they could have those things together.

Sally asked Adam to admit he loved her and that she was good for him. Sally asked him to work with her so they could find their way back to each other. Adam told Sally nothing had changed, and he didn't feel the same way Sally did. Sally reminded him that when they'd started working together and been within five feet of each other, they'd been in dangerous territory and that Adam hadn't ever met a woman like her. Sally claimed that Adam had been looking for her his entire life. Adam said life moved on, and so had he.

Sally told Adam he could pretend that he didn't love her for whatever misguided reasons. She said perhaps he'd convinced himself it was true; however, she knew what was real, and she knew Adam. Sally said she knew Adam would eventually come around when he realized the breakup had been a massive mistake. Sally said Adam probably wouldn't realize what a catastrophic mistake it had been until it was too late and she'd moved on. Sally told Adam to think about what he would lose if he let her slip away just to prove a point he was trying to make.

Adam told Sally he'd thought everything through; what was done was done, and he had nothing more to say. Sally picked up her purse and was about to leave when Adam asked if they were done. Sally told Adam she would be resigning from Newman Media the next day. Adam said Sally couldn't do that because she loved that job. Sally said that becoming CEO might have cost her her happiness. Sally left.

Alone, Adam called the airport and booked a flight for the next day from Genoa City to Las Vegas.

At Crimson Lights, Chance gave an officer instructions on how he wanted Ashland tracked down. Michael arrived and asked Chance to update him on his investigation. Chance reminded Michael that he was no longer the D.A., and he asked if Victor had sent Michael on a fishing expedition.

Michael reminded Chance that he was Victor's attorney, and he cared about all the Newmans. Michael said he had a vested interest in what had happened to Locke. Michael said Victor was anxious for news because Victoria had been attacked by Locke, who was still on the loose. Michael said Victor was entitled to be kept abreast of whatever was transpiring with the search for the man who'd tried to kill Victoria. Michael said Victoria was Chance's sister-in-law, and family always came first.

Chance told Michael that he had to play it by the book, and he wouldn't let anything interfere with his investigation, not even Victor. Chance said he'd told the Newmans he would contact them once he'd located Locke.

At Newman, Victoria told Victor she needed to grab some files for her meeting the following day. Nikki arrived and asked why Victor and Victoria were there. Victor said Victoria was going to stay at the ranch for a while. Victoria explained that Ashland had stopped by her place earlier and that he'd been out of control and threatened her. Victoria assured Nikki she was fine, thanks to her hero, Nick. Victor said the cops were looking for Locke.

Victoria received a call from Nick, who asked if the signet ring was Ashland's. Victoria said she'd given it to Ashland on Valentine's Day because it bore the Locke family crest. Victoria said Ashland had waved it around and ranted how it had once symbolized their future, but how it had come instead to represent her deceit. Victoria said he'd put it into his pocket because he'd wanted it to remind him how cruel the world was. Nick asked how it had wound up on the floor. Victoria didn't know, but she never wanted to see that ring again.

When Nick arrived at the coffeehouse, Michael said that Victor had told him what had happened. Nick asked for an update, but Michael said Chance hadn't been in a sharing mood. Michael stated that Nick was probably experiencing a lot of conflicting emotions after the events of that evening. Nick admitted he was walking a fine line; he absolutely wished Ashland would disappear off the face of the earth, but he'd been horrified about the possibility of having a hand in taking a man's life.

Michael assured Nick that he was a good man and Nick couldn't blame himself for anything he'd done in that moment; Nick had had every right to protect Victoria and himself. Nick said he wanted Ashland found. Michael claimed Ashland couldn't hide for long with the number of people looking for him.

On the patio, Nick gave Ashland's signet ring to Chance. Nick told Chance it had been a Valentine's gift from Victoria. Nick said Locke had told Victoria it was a symbol of her betrayal, and after flashing the ring in her face, Locke had put it in his shirt pocket. Nick said he'd found it on the floor, and he asked if Locke had been found. Chance claimed it was odd they hadn't found Locke yet, since Locke had been injured. Chance assured Nick they would find him. Chance received a call.

Nick pressed Chance for some information. Chance said they'd found a car at the bottom of a ravine. Nick wanted to go with Chance, but Chance told him not to get involved. Chance said he would let Nick know the details when the time was right.

At the Newman office, Victoria told Nikki that when she'd told Ashland that he was a twisted, unlovable monster, Ashland had grabbed her. She said she'd found something to defend herself with, and she had run, with Ashland in pursuit. She said Nick had arrived and had gotten between them; Nick had tried to get Ashland to leave, but Ashland had refused. Victoria said she'd run to the kitchen to get her phone to call the police, and she'd heard Ashland say he was going to finish what he'd wanted to do to Victoria. Victoria said when she'd returned, Ashland had been on the floor, and Nick had been checking for a pulse.

Victoria told Nikki that she and Nick had believed Ashland had been dead after he'd hit his head on the hearth. She said they'd tried to resuscitate him, but there hadn't been a pulse. Victoria said she and Nick had gone outside to try to understand what had happened, and when they'd reentered the house, Ashland had been gone. Victoria said when Ashland had attacked her, she might have killed him if Nick hadn't arrived. Nikki said Victoria had nothing to apologize for and nothing to regret.

Victor received a call from Michael and walked out of the office to take the call. Victor asked if Michael had kept his eye on Chance. Michael said he had nothing to report, and the call ended.

Nikki said she could only imagine what Victoria had felt being attacked in her own home. Victoria admitted that when Ashland had lunged at her, it had triggered a memory of J.T. Victoria said J.T.'s behavior had been caused by a brain tumor and had had nothing to do with her, but she'd brought Ashland into their lives with all his chaos and poison. Nikki said Victoria had fallen in love with the wrong man. Victoria claimed she repeatedly fell for flawed, damaged men and kept deluding herself that she could fix them.

Nikki said Victoria wanted to see the best in the people she loved, and that wasn't a bad thing. Victoria said they both knew she had a blind spot when it came to relationships. Victoria said that when she'd gotten involved with Ashland, everyone had tried to warn her, but she'd failed to listen. Nikki said it didn't mean Victoria had been responsible for what had transpired with Ashland that evening. Victoria stated that she'd forced everyone to accept Ashland, She said she'd made excuses for his lies, and Ashland had done what everyone had said he would. Victoria admitted she didn't know how to forgive herself.

Nikki asked Victoria to explain why she felt any guilt over what had happened. Victoria said she was disgusted by what Ashland had done. She said he'd lied and used her and the rest of the family to get what he'd wanted, and that was completely unforgivable. Victoria said it had been an amazing feeling when she'd turned the tables on Ashland and had taken everything he'd had. She said that had been the plan, but perhaps she'd taken too much.

Victoria asked if Nikki recalled how she'd described Ashland looking defeated when she'd left him in New York. She speculated that something had shattered in him. Victoria said Ashland's behavior seemed like it had been the final destruction of his psyche. Victoria said she'd wanted to punish and hurt Ashland the way he'd hurt her and to exact some modicum of revenge on him.

Nikki referred to Ashland by his real name, Bobby DeFranco. She told Victoria that if Bobby hadn't realized that every predator was someone's prey, then Bobby had learned a valuable lesson: nobody messed with the Newmans. Nikki said Bobby had lost, his feelings had gotten hurt, and that was on him. Nikki said Victoria felt vulnerable because she'd fallen in love with Ashland, the man she'd wanted to spend the rest of her life with, but he wasn't the man he'd wanted Victoria to believe he was. Nikki said she didn't want Victoria to waste any grief over Ashland because he'd never deserved her or her sympathy. Victor returned.

Nikki and Victoria were about to leave when Michael arrived. Victor told Nikki that he needed to deal with something and would be home soon. Nikki and Victoria left. Michael told Victor that Ashland's car had been found with Ashland inside. Victor was pleased.

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