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Dex was waiting at Alexis’ penthouse. She wanted to be home by four; now it was already six and she wasn’t there yet. Dex stepped out onto the terrace and lit a cigarette. His mind kept replaying his affair with Scarlet over and over again, trying to justify it in some way. Sure, sleeping with a woman he hardly knew was a mistake, but it had happened at a difficult time in his life. Thanks to Monica, he had felt lonely and hurt, believing Sable hated him and didn’t want to see him. Dex leaned against the railing and exhaled the smoke slowly, thinking about whether he should confess everything to Alexis right away or not. He knew he had to tell her about Scarlet and the baby sooner or later. There was no way he could hide it forever, and he didn’t want to risk her finding out by herself. He was not going to screw up things with her again by lying and keeping secrets from her … not this time. Dex didn’t want to repeat the mistakes he had just made with Sable. However, things certainly wouldn’t be the same afterwards. He didn’t consider the affair itself as a problem for Alexis. It was meaningless; he didn’t love Scarlet and it had happened long before his and Alexis’ reconciliation. The real problem was that she had his child. Dex was worried how Alexis would take the news. So far she was not even willing to talk about Cameron, and if this issue was a taboo, how could he confront her with the fact that he had another child? What was he supposed to do? He didn’t want to hurt her, but it seemed unavoidable, but not tonight. He would tell her the truth later. Dex stubbed out the cigarette and stepped inside. Meanwhile, it was 6:15. Where was Alexis? He picked up his drink from the bar and made himself comfortable on the couch. A few moments later, the doors of the elevator slid open and Alexis entered the penthouse. “Hello,” she called out quietly after she caught sight of Dex. “Sorry, I got an emergency call and had to stop by at the office,” she lied approaching him. In reality, she needed time to think. “I was already worried you had forgotten me,” he tried to joke, starting to get up from the couch. Gently, Alexis pushed him back down. “No, don’t stand up,” she said, lying down beside him and resting her head on his chest. “Just hold me.” Dex gladly followed her request. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. “Is everything alright?” he asked, running his hand over her back. 
No, nothing was alright. She was scared and felt like her whole world was collapsing. Something in her wanted to tell him about the mammography, but something else stopped her. She wanted his love, but not his pity. She wanted to be healthy and attractive. Besides, maybe she was worried about nothing and the result of the second mammography wouldn’t confirm the first one. There was no use in alarming Dex right now. Alexis lifted her head a little to look him in the eyes. “Sure, everything is fine. I’m just a little tired, that’s all,” she said, forcing a smile on her face like nothing was wrong and out of the ordinary, but it was a struggle. “What did the doctors say?” he asked, caressing her cheek. She put her head back on Dex’s chest and closed her eyes. “They say I’m in great shape,” she replied. 
A grin spread across Dex’s face, “That is something I could have told you, too ... without a medical degree.” Alexis couldn’t make herself smile, but it felt so good to be in his arms. She felt safe and full of comfort. Alexis tried to push the thoughts about the possible tumor in her breast out of her mind and changed the subject. “Darling, you can congratulate me to my two new grandchildren,” she said. Dex was slightly irritated, “I thought the twins are not Steven’s.” “Well, that’s what Sammy Jo and her doctor tried to make everybody believe, but they lied. They distorted the paternity test,” Alexis stated angrily, “but I knew the twins are Steven’s the first second I saw them. That’s why I charged another laboratory with a second test and it proved that I was right. Alex and Iris are Carringtons.” Dex’s face grew serious. The mentioning of the babies reminded him of Scarlet and his own daughter. The story about the twins told him that it was impossible to keep lies and secrets from Alexis. Jim's Apartment Jim picked up the phone and dialed the ranch. No answer. It was the fourth time that he tried to call there, and no one answered. He hung up the phone angrily, took his coat from the closet, and stormed out from his bedroom only to find Anne in the living room. "I thought I told you to leave!" he called, not too happy to see her there. "Where are you going?" Anne asked, ignoring his question. "It's none of your business. Now, I want you out of here, got that?" "You are going to Sammy Jo, aren't you? It's not a good idea, Jimmy. She's still very upset. She is not ready to deal with you … at least not yet," Anne said. "So, now you are relationship expert, hmm?" "I'm just trying to help you. I know you are angry and you think the worst of me, but I did all of that only for you. You got to believe it." "You must be kidding, right? I don't believe one word that comes out of your mouth, Annie! Now take your things and get out. You are not welcome here!" he raised his voice. "Oh, Jimmy. Don't be mean to me. I still care about you. I don't want to see you upset. I know you’re hurt, but you'll see everything will be fine." "You don't get it, hmm? I don't want anything to do with you, Annie. You ruined my life once, and you are doing it all over again! I won’t let you interfere in my life ever again!" he shouted. "Strange, I thought I already did," Anne said as she stood up. Jim looked at her as she approached him. "I'm here to stay, Jimmy. If you like it or not, I'll be here and I'll help you deal with that. Remember what a great team we were back in Germany? All the excitement we had then? It could happen again. You know nothing has changed. Our emotions are still here, Jimmy. I can feel it," she said and put her hand on his lips. Jim looked into her eyes, trying to get into her mind. "Annie, I know what you are trying to do," Jim said. "So, join me, Jimmy. Let's relive what we once had. It's still here - I can feel it. You can feel it too. I know you can," she said and began kissing him. Jim hesitated, but eventually kissed her back gently. "I love you, Jim Martinez. I never stopped loving you," Anne said moaning and taking his shirt off. "Make love to me like in the old times, Jimmy. Kiss me," she pleaded as she caressed his naked chest. Jim kissed her back, and soon they were lying on the sofa, making passionate love. 
Patricia's suite at the Carlton
Patricia felt that William was disappointed about the meeting with Blake. He hadn’t said much since they had returned. It had hurt her to see his face when they got into the car and drove away from the mansion. She herself had hoped that it would work out easier, but then again, she couldn’t really have expected it. “Do you want to talk about it?” Patricia eventually said, as she poured some wine into the glasses. William shrugged his shoulders. “What’s there left to talk about?” he mumbled and rose from the sofa. “I didn’t expect it to be a success. What did you think, that he would jump in the air and clap his hands out of joy?” William said sarcastically. Patricia handed her son a glass of wine. “Blake is not a bad man; he’s just confused. He promised me that he’ll call you as soon as he had some time to think,” even though Patricia sounded as confident as can be, she doubted whether Blake would really do. “I don’t know,” William replied. “Maybe we should just pack our bags and go back to New Zealand.” 
“What? No! We’re staying here,” Patricia exclaimed, putting her glass down and taking William’s shoulders. “You can’t give up now. Not after all you’ve been through. You deserved this William.” “You mean, you deserved this?” William sharked back. “Look, he’s a rich man with a family of his own. For twenty-five years he didn’t even know I existed, and suddenly...” William clapped his hands, “...hello, I’m William, your new son. He’s a Carrington and...” “... and so are you!” Patricia cut him loudly. William didn’t reply but looked in his mother’s face, which told him she was serious. “Look, Blake is confused indeed, but he will come to his senses and realize that you are his son. I might not have been there for the last twenty-five years, but believe me I will do everything to make this up to you. And I will do everything in my power to see that you get what you deserve: a family and the name of the Carringtons, if it’s the last thing I’ll do in my life.” 
LB's bedroom
"Here, take this," Ashley said giving LB some aspirin with a glass of water. He was still very upset from the last events. He tried to think over and over again how it could happen that five men of his crew were killed at his construction site. How could it be that the place crashed all at once? It was too much for him to handle, and the worst thing was that he knew it was only the beginning. He swallowed the aspirin with the water and put his head on Ashley's. She stroked his hair and tried to comfort him. "It wasn't your fault, LB. You can't blame yourself," she said for the millionth time. "Yes, it is, Ashley. I'm the one in charge there. I should have known something like this could happen." "How? You've spent days at the site. You worked so hard. I'm sure if it was something that could have been predicted, you would have been the first one to know, but no one knew something like that could happen. It was an accident, LB, and accidents happen every day," she tried. "Not to me, Ash. You don’t understand. We are not talking about a car accident on the street. It's the whole site! God, five people lost their lives because of me! Five families! Children who will grow up without their fathers! Wives who lost their husbands! There's nothing I can say or do to comfort them, Ashley! Nothing!" he said upset. "And there is nothing you could have done to prevent it. You had no idea! Your foreman and the architect were in charge as well, and they are responsible for that tragedy, do you hear me? Not you!" she encouraged him. "No, I won't throw the blame on them, Ashley. It's my project and I need to take the responsibility for what happened," he insisted. "Besides, the police won't stop until they find out exactly what happened there," he added. "And I'm sure they'll find the right people to blame for it – and it's not you!" she repeated. LB moaned. He looked at her and forced a smile on his face. "I'm so lucky to have you next to me, you know that?" he said and Ashley smiled back. "And I'm sorry for the incident with Danny today. It's just that I don't want to lose you, Ash. I love you so much," he said as he kissed her. "And I love you too, honey. And besides, you are not going to lose me. You are even going to spend more time with me, I think," she said. "Really?" he asked surprised. 
"Yes, if you'll agree, of course. I mean, I don't have a place to live anymore, so I thought I'll stay here with you until I find a place of my own," she explained. "Are you kidding? Of course, I want you here, Ash! God, this is the best thing that happened to me all day!" he announced cheerfully. "But what about Delta Rho? Don't get me wrong, I want you here, but I thought you are moving there with Jim?" "You don't know?" Ashley was surprised that he hadn’t heard it yet. "What?" LB asked. "Sammy Jo called off the wedding," Ashley announced. At the meantime, downstairs... Jeff entered the mansion and was just handing his things to one of the servants as Gerard descended the staircase. “Gerard,” Jeff began, “where is Mr. Carrington?” “He’s in the library, sir.” “Thank you, Gerard.” As Jeff walked the hallway to the library, he wondered how he was going to break the news to Blake. Blake Carrington’s mind may still be sharp, but his body was old, and had surely been tested lately. He was still recovering from previous injuries. Jeff knocked on the door and entered the room. Blake sat at his desk, his eyes closed. Krystle was sleeping. He gave her some water and, together with Gerard, succeeded to wake her up. However, Blake’s head was still spinning and he looked tired, which made things harder for Jeff. “Blake?” said Jeff. “Can we talk?” Blake opened his eyes. “Oh, Jeff, yes, come on in. Pour yourself a drink.” Jeff obliged and came in while Blake moved from the desk to the leather couch before the fireplace. Jeff looked at Blake and it pained him to see the old man so tired, so stressed, and now he had to add to it. “Blake,” Jeff began. “We need to talk about the accident. I wanted to give you a personal report.” “Accident? What accident?” “At the construction site. Don't tell me you haven’t heard,” Jeff was surprised. “No, no. It’s been, well, hectic here tonight,” Blake replied, referring to Patricia and the man who claims to be a Carrington. "What happened?" Blake asked. “There was an accident at the construction site. The whole thing collapsed. We lost five men,” Jeff explained. “My God, Jeff, how did this happen?” Blake was beginning to get upset. 
“The police are still investigating. I’m sorry Blake. It’s bad. We don’t know what happened.” Blake’s stress increased. First Patricia showed up with William, then Krystle collapsed, and now this. Blake was tired. This was something he could not deal with right now. “Jeff, there’s too much going on here right now. I need you to take care of things. I know you can handle this. You’ve dealt with damage control before. Get PR on this right away. Call Andy Laird. I don’t want Denver-Carrington’s name tarnished.” “You can count on me, Blake. Adam and I will take care of things at Denver-Carrington. I promise you.” “Thank you, Jeff. I know I can count on you. Keep me informed, okay? Now, if you’ll excuse me …” Blake exited the room, and Jeff poured himself another drink when he heard Gerard greeting Fallon in the foyer. Jeff approached Fallon, “Where have you been all day?” “Some things came up with Roman. It can wait though. Tell me what happened at the site. I heard things on the radio. Is LB okay?” “LB’s fine. He’s shaken, but he’ll be fine.” Jeff retold the story to Fallon, but before she could question him further, the phone rang. “It’s Amanda,” he told Fallon. “Jeff, thank God. I finally reached you!” Amanda said on the other end. “It’s Miles. He’s in the hospital. He collapsed. The doctors think he may have had a stroke!” “Oh, my God.” “Jeff, what is it?” Fallon asked. 
“We’ll be right there, Amanda,” Jeff said. “Jeff, what the hell is going on?” “I’ll explain on the way. Come on, we have to get to the hospital," he said and the two dashed out. Roman's Apartment Sable Colby woke up and found herself naked in Roman’s bed. She started to get out of bed when Roman entered the room. “Hello, Mrs. Colby,” he said with a devilish smile. Sable remained quiet and pulled the bedclothes closer to her. Roman came and sat down on the bed next to her. He took his hand and brushed her cheek. “Last night was amazing. It has been a long time since I felt something so wonderful. I want to thank you. It was pure bliss with you, Sable. You are an incredible woman,” he said. Sable refused the compliment. She was confused and was not sure things should have progressed the way they had. Sable voiced her feelings to Roman, and added, “I think it’s time that I leave.” “No, Sable, please, don’t go,” Roman pleaded. “Sable, I know this is sudden, but …” he began searching for the right words. “Sable, you are the most incredible woman I have ever met. You are beautiful, intelligent, and cultured and … Sable, I’m in love with you.” Before Sable could react, he leaned in and kissed her. “Please, Sable, don’t leave. Stay.” 
He kissed her again, his hand caressing her shoulder. This time, Sable allowed his advances, and allowed Roman to seduce her, and the two made love. 
Delta Rho – The next morning
Sammy Jo put Alex down after he finally fell asleep again. She looked down at her hand and saw the wedding ring on her finger. She didn’t remember much about last night; every thing was still a blur. Judge Peterson married her and Steven and her wedding ring was proof. “Good morning,” Steven walked in. “Morning…” Sammy Jo said as Steven pulled her into a hug. “My head is throbbing,” Steven stated as he let go of Sammy Jo. “That’s what happens when you drink too much,” she smiled and walked out. Steven followed her into the living room. They sat down. Steven grabbed her hand, “We can make this work…” “I don’t know. It was done out of anger and pain, Steven, not …” Sammy Jo started. “Love? Sammy Jo, that has never been a problem.” Steven stated. “I don’t know…” Sammy Jo said. “I think it’s time we gave ourselves a chance. I’m going to get my stuff from my apartment and move into your bedroom,” Steven said as he stood up. “Steven, keep your apartment,” Sammy Jo stated. “I’m moving back here … with you,” Steven stated as he walked away. Sammy Jo watched him walk away and wondered if things could work out somehow between them. Can they make each other happy this time? Roman's Apartment Sable was angry with herself when she woke up. She was angry for spending the entire night with Roman. How could she? How could she allow herself to do such a thing? However, it had been a long time since she felt the company of a man. For a moment, she thought about the men in her life. Jason Colby was the great love of her life, but he was also the great loss. He loved her sister Francesca, not her. Sable had cared for Zach Powers, but wondered if she was a mere pawn in his game of revenge against Jason. Then, there was Dex Dexter, her cousin’s lover. She thought about the passion she shared with Dex, but then questioned herself. Could I have used Dex the same way Zach used me? Did I use him as a way of getting even with Alexis? It certainly wasn’t her intention, but in hindsight, was it possible. And now, there was Roman to deal with. Sable looked around her. On the pillow next to her was a note from Roman. My dearest Sable, How does a man thank a woman for a night like we shared? My darling, I love you. -- Roman P.S. I’ve made lunch reservations for the two of us at La Mirage. Sable folded the note and put it in her purse. She took out her cell phone and checked her messages. One after another was Monica, and each one was bad news about Miles. "Dear God," she murmured, gathered her things in a hurry and rushed to be with her children. The Memorial Hospital Dana had finished dressing and waited for Adam. He called her not a while ago and promised he would be there first thing in the morning to pick her up. She suffered only minor injuries from the crash at the construction site, but the doctors refused to take the risk, so she spent the night in the hospital. She was still confused and tried to remember what happened. One moment they were driving with LB's foreman John and in the next moment they were lying under the destroyed site, between dust and debris. The doctor said she was very lucky to get away of it with only minor injuries. Other people found their death in that tragedy. Dana wondered what caused the crash and somehow had a strong feeling that John was involved. Adam told her the police are still looking for him, but it looks like he has disappeared – it didn't look good … not at all. She heard steps from the outside and smiled. It’s probably Adam, she thought, and took her bag. She was about to walk out toward him as the door opened and a young lady entered the room. "Oh my God, Cassie!" she called with shock.  
"Hello, Aunt Dana!" the brunette girl called excited. 
ColbyCo, Alexis’ office
Alexis’ secretary announced over the intercom that Stewart Marshall was there to see her. “Please send him in and hold all calls, David.” she said, before taking a deep breath and thinking about the kindest way to tell Stewart that they couldn’t be more than business partners and friends because of her reconciliation with Dex. It had been a mistake to let him hope for more. She finally needed to clear up things with Stewart. The longer she waited the more she risked hurting him, and she didn’t want to hurt him. She really had started to care for him and she still felt attracted to him. He was an extremely handsome young man, without doubt. He was sincere and kind, but she knew she could never reciprocate his feelings and she also wasn’t interested in an affair anymore now that Dex had returned into her life. The matter with Stewart had to stop before it became more serious. The door opened and Stewart walked in. David followed him, carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. Alexis got up from her desk and approached her young partner while her secretary placed the vase down. “Thank you, David, that’s all,” she said, and the young man left the office. “Hi!” Stewart smiled, walking up to her and taking her hands in his. They hadn’t spoken to each other since the ceremony for the pipeline in Edmonton about a week ago. As promised, he had given her the time she had asked for to think about their relationship – no faxes, no emails, and no phone calls. “Hello, Stewart! Thank you for coming,” she returned his smile and looked at the flowers. “They are beautiful,” she remarked, feeling his fingers tighten around hers gently. “I’ve missed you.” Stewart whispered, his voice soft and childlike. He leaned in for a kiss and as appealing as the thought of feeling his lips over hers was, she stopped him, pulling back a little. “We really need to talk,” she said, taking a seat on the couch. He joined her. “Sure, what is it?” Alexis’ expression grew serious. “It’s about us,” she said, trying to sound as less dramatic as possible. “You know I like you a lot. I like working with you. I enjoy going out with you and spending time with you, but that is all it will ever be. It can’t be more and that has nothing to do with you,” she paused, wanting to say just the right thing. “A lot has happened since I left Edmonton.” Stewart looked at her in curiosity. “Being what?” he asked quietly, not liking the way this conversation was turning. “Dex and I are reconciled,” she came straight out with it. “What?!” Stewart couldn’t believe it. After a separation of 13 years and all he had done to her she was falling for her ex-husband again? “I can’t understand how you can forgive him ... how you can trust him again?” Alexis looked at Stewart and could see the hurt in his eyes. She sighed and stood up. He watched her as she stepped away from him. “We had our differences, but I love him though and I know he still loves me,” she explained. “He hurt you before. I know men like Dex Dexter; he will do it again,” Stewart was convinced he was the only man who could make her happy, because he was the only man who really understood and respected her. Alexis almost wished he would be angry then she wouldn’t feel quite so guilty. “I never meant to hurt you, Stewart. You will find someone else.” “I don’t want someone else!” he objected, almost pleading now. He stood up and approached her. “I love you more than anything else in the world and I want us to be together forever. Please, I’m begging you, give us a chance,” he reached for her hand and held it tight. “Stewart, I am sorry. I ...” Alexis didn’t know what else to say. Why didn’t he understand that there was no ‘us’? They looked at each other, both at a loss for words. He shook his head in a gesture of helplessness. “If that’s what you want. I won’t stand in your way.” The Carrington Mansion Blake felt tired and weak. He had just returned from the construction site. It had been a horrible mess, but as the head of Denver-Carrington, he had to go and inspect things for himself. Right now, however, he had only one thing on mind: his wife Krystle. After she had collapsed last night, Blake immediately called the doctor. Fortunately, her dizzy spell was brought on by stress from the day’s events. The doctor had suggested that she spend the rest of the day in bed and gave her a light sedative. So, Krystle continued to sleep when Blake entered the room, exhausted and tired himself. After he had taken a shower and returned to the bedroom, Krystle awoke. “Darling, how are you?” Blake asked gently, and walked over to the bed. “I’m okay,” Krystle replied dryly and looked at the clock. “Already so late? I’ll get dressed for lunch,” she said and got out of bed. “Krystle, I think it’s better if you stayed in bed. I’ll have Jeanette serve us lunch here,” Blake suggested, but Krystle kept changing her clothes. “No, I’m fine. Don’t worry, I’ll be down in a minute,” her voice still sounded cold. “Have you been out?” she asked as she spotted Blake’s coat hanging over the chair. Blake sighed and wasn’t sure whether it was good to tell Krystle about the accident. On the other hand, he didn’t want to lie to her. “There’s been an accident at the construction site of LB’s project,” he said after a small pause. “Oh my God! Did anybody get hurt?” “Well, five workers died and many were injured,” Blake replied and decided not to tell Krystle that Dana and Joseph had been there too. “The whole building just collapsed like a cardboard box.” “How horrible! How could this happen?” “They don’t know yet, but I’m sure they’ll start investigating soon. I hope there was no problem with the security, otherwise this could turn out really bad for Denver-Carrington.” Then he approached Krystle and took her hands. “There might be some hard times coming up. We have to stick together. I need you more than ever,” He said and was not only referring to the incident at the site. “Blake, you know how much I love you, but I can’t live in this kind of a mess anymore – not as long as Patricia is still around,” Krystle replied and hoped that Blake would go to the phone this very minute and call Patricia and tell her to get lost. “Look, I will take care of that, I promise. We will soon find out whether or not Patricia has told us the truth,” he said and made a gesture with his hand. Krystle frowned, “What do you mean?” “I won’t make the same mistake like I did back then with Adam. I will immediately insist on a blood test so we will know the truth.” “But Blake, can’t you see what you are doing? You’re still playing along with her game.” “That’s not the point, Krystle. If William should really be my son I want to know, and we will have to accept it,” Blake said and couldn’t understand why Krystle didn’t see it from that point of view. “This and that woman in our lives, right?” Krystle replied upset. “Just like before with Alexis.” “Krystle, that is not the point. You know I’m married to you, and I love you, and our family. These are what matters most to me,” Blake defended himself. “But it doesn’t matter to her,” she came back. “She doesn’t care whose husband you are or that you have a family. Her main goal is to be around as often as possible and stay in your life. And if you don’t stop her, then Patricia will never leave.” “Darling, please,” Blake tried and touched Krystle softly, but she stepped back. “Look, Blake, as long as she is trying to play the second wife and alienate you from me, I can’t stand by your side and be there for you like I used to.” “What do you mean by that?” Blake asked, sounding a bit shocked. “If you want to accept her, then do so. But I can’t, and I won’t,” Krystle replied sharply. “I can’t go on like this anymore, I just can’t. It makes me literally sick!” After a slight pause, she eventually said, “Maybe it’s better if I moved out temporarily, so you could make up your mind.” Then without another word, Krystle left the room. Back at ColbyCo Dex stepped off the elevator and walked down the corridor towards Alexis’ office. Her young secretary greeted him politely as he entered the outer office. “Good morning, Mr. Dexter!” “Good morning! Is she in?” Dex asked. “Yes, sir, but she is in a meeting with Mr. Marshall,” David replied, picking up the phone to announce Dex’s coming. Dex’s curiosity was taking effect. Stewart Marshall was in town? If his visit was about the pipeline, why hadn’t Stewart informed him? And why hadn’t Alexis mentioned it? “That’s not necessary, David,” Dex stopped him and made his way into the office. Without knocking, he opened the door and stepped in. Alexis and Stewart were standing in the middle of the office, holding hands. Dex could feel the tension. What was going on here? Stewart let go of Alexis’ hands and she pulled away from him as they realized Dex was standing in the doorway watching them. Dex closed the door. “Good morning! I hope I’m not interrupting you?” he said. 
“Oh, no, not at all,” Alexis replied, trying to smile. Dex looked at Stewart, but he broke their eye contact after just a few seconds and a slight blush rose into his cheeks. Dex stepped up to him and reached out to shake his hand. “Hello, Stewart! Anything up with the pipeline?” he asked, knowing quite well that the pipeline probably wasn’t the reason for his visit. Alexis looked uncomfortable. Stewart accepted Dex’s handshake. “Hello, Dex! No, everything is fine,” he said, his nervousness apparent in his greeting. He turned back to Alexis. “Time for me to go. I’ll see you.” He said, trying to keep the sadness out of his eyes and off his expression, but he couldn’t. Alexis nodded. “Have a safe flight!” she didn’t know what else to say, and Stewart knew that there was nothing else to say. They had said it all. He nodded at Dex and made his way towards the door. Quickly, he pulled it open and left the room. Dex put his hands on his hips and didn’t look pleased. Alexis could tell that he was jealous. She immediately grew defensive, “Before you draw the wrong conclusion, at least give me the chance to explain the situation.” Dex folded his arms. “Okay, then explain it,” he said, staring unblinkingly at her. “It is not what you think. On the contrary, I told him that it is over,” she began. 
Dex interrupted her, “It is over?! How can it be over if you say that there never was anything between Stewart and you?” His dark eyes were fixed on her as he awaited an answer. “I told you the truth. There was nothing,” she assured him, but Dex had his doubts. “Darling, please ... yes Stewart and I get along quite well, but that doesn’t compare to my feelings for you. Don’t turn this into something it isn’t,” Alexis added. “Quite well?” Dex called out. “Who do you want to fool? You two are spending a lot of time together. He can’t take his eyes off of you and you seem to enjoy that.” He glanced at the huge bouquet at her desk. “He sends flowers and writes you obvious poems. I just want you to be honest. Did you sleep with him?” Alexis grew angry. The only way Dex could know about Stewart’s poems was that he had read the card that came together with the flowers Stewart had sent to her office after their evening in New York. “What gives you the right to invade my privacy?!” she protested. Dex’s answer was quick. “The fact that I love you. I told you before that I won’t share you with another man.” Alexis’ anger rose. He of all people insisted on exclusivity and faithfulness, after he had betrayed her with Sable. She remembered how often they had had similar arguments in the past. “Old habits die hard, don’t they, Dex? You haven’t changed a bit. Stop suffocating me with your jealousy. I’m really sick of it,” she said, her voice sharper than she intended it to be. “Then maybe you should call Stewart back,” Dex annoyingly declared. “Well, maybe that would be best,” Alexis replied. Both realized how ridiculous they were behaving. After all, she had used Stewart to make Dex jealous, so why was she complaining now? She sighed and felt her anger vanish. Slowly, she ran her hands across the front of his shirt and up to his shoulders. “Why don’t you stop arguing?” she suggested with a smile he was all too familiar with. “Why? You seem to enjoy our arguments,” he stated coolly. “I do not,” she replied, drawing her body to his and sliding her arms around his neck. “Tell me what this argument is really about. You need me,” she stated, looking into his eyes. “Do I?” he asked arrogantly, a grin spreading across his face. Alexis responded only by nodding her head. Then she pulled his head down for a kiss. With his hands on her waist he returned the kiss, pulling her closer. In this moment the door opened and Steven entered the office. “Mother, I need ...” he stopped, seeing them kissing. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll come back later,” he apologized and turned on his heals. Before he could close the door, Alexis called him back, “Steven, what is it?” Steven came back in and closed the door. “Hello, Dex!” He greeted him with a handshake. Then he turned to Alexis. “David wasn’t at his desk, and I didn’t know you ...” he thought about what he should call it. “I didn’t know you were in a meeting.” he said with a grin. Steven was delighted about his discovery. Alexis looked up at Dex. “Darling, can we continue our ‘meeting’ later?” she asked playfully. “Steven and I need to talk about business.” “Are you are sending me away?” he asked, playing along. “I am sorry, but business before pleasure,” she replied, tracing the collar of his shirt. “Call me and let me know when you can put me into your schedule,” he teased her, before kissing her lightly on the lips and turning to leave. Alexis and Steven waited until he was gone. “Well, that’s a surprise!” Steven remarked, brushing a kiss on her cheek “Happy?” he asked. “Yes, very happy,” she replied without hesitation. “When did it happen?” Steven inquired. He had known that his mother and Dex still had feelings for each other, because with both of them he had talked about it, but he hadn’t been sure if they would manage to get over the past. Now he was surprised how soon it had happened. “A few days ago, while we were in Edmonton,” Alexis replied. “Maybe Alberta is our destiny,” she remarked, recalling that their relationship had started there almost 20 years ago. “Do you think it will last this time?” Steven asked, having his doubts. Alexis shrugged her shoulders. “You never know, darling, but we want to give it a try.” Then her expression grew serious. “Enough about me and Dex, what did you do about the paternity test? Did you confront your ex-wife and her new husband with it?” “Yes, I did, and I have to thank you. You helped discover the truth,” he paused for a moment. “By the way, Sammy Jo called off the wedding,” he came out with half of the news. “Oh, are we to be sorry or happy for her?” Alexis asked, her tone not hiding her dislike for Sammy Jo. “Mother, please. She had nothing to do with the wrong test results. She was as shocked as I was,” Steven said defending her. “Jim is sterile. His ex-wife showed up at my doorstep and told me he can't father children. He knew the twins couldn’t be his, so he faked the paternity test,” he explained. “Really?” Alexis remarked, still having doubts. “You see, Sammy Jo had nothing to do with it.” Steven repeated. “Okay, if that’s what you want to believe, darling,” Alexis dismissed him, not interested in an argument. “No, that’s what I know,” he corrected. Delta Ro – at the stables Danny was excited. It seemed as if his dream had come true. After all these years, he finally has a brother and a sister; not half-brother, not half sister – but full. He still couldn’t believe it. Only yesterday he was so sad to know that Jim would be living on the ranch and would be a father to the twins. He hated that thought and prayed to God something would happen. God probably listened to him and now, finally, his parents were together again, and if Jim is man enough – he will keep honor the impact he made with Steven and won't sabotage with their lives. He looked at the twins and smiled. He couldn't ask for anything better to happen. "Can I come in?" He heard a voice behind him. He turned around and saw Ashley at the doorway. "It was opened," she explained. "Sure, come on in! What's up?" he welcomed her. Ashley noticed his good mood. It was obvious he was happy that his mother called off the wedding. "Nothing special. I still can't believe what Jim did," she said. "Me either, but I'm glad you mother showed up here and told us the truth. Now my parents can finally be together!" he exclaimed cheerfully. Ashley wasn't so happy, and he sensed that. "Hey, I know you are disappointed. I guess it's natural. You and Jim are very close," he said as they sat down on the couch. "It's not only that, Danny." "You are talking about the accident at the construction site?" he guessed. "Yes. LB is so scared. He blames himself for what happened. I'm trying to encourage him that it wasn't his fault, but the truth is it looks bad," she murmured. "I'm sorry. It seems that my happiest day yesterday was your worst." "Something like that, yes. And, of course, there's my mother who keeps interfering with my life. I was so angry yesterday that I left Jim's apartment and went to the mansion. I just can't sleep there after all the lies Jim told everyone, and the fact that my mother is there makes it worse," she complained. Danny looked at her and knew this might be his chance. "Ashley, no matter what happened between Jim and my mother – you are still very welcome here, you know that. We have plenty of rooms here, and I wouldn't mind to have some company here, you know," he smiled. Ashley smiled too. "I know, thanks. It means a lot to me, but I don’t think it's a good idea, Danny. "Are you sure?" he tried. "Yes, don't worry. I'll be fine. LB already told me I can live at the mansion, at least until I find a place of my own," she said and stood up. "Any way, I came to take the bag I forgot here yesterday," she said. Danny stood up, approached her and looked at her. She was so beautiful. He came closer to her, planning to kiss her as Krystina burst through the door and stormed in. 
"Well, hello!" she called, knowing that she showed up at the right time. "Krys!" Danny was surprised to see her. "What a lovely surprise!" "Is it?" she smiled to him. Danny knew she was on to him and smiled. "Well, I better go now. Thank you for everything, Danny," Ashley said, and was about to leave but Krystina stood in her way. "What's the hurry, Ashley? I'm sure you planned to stay longer," she asked her. "No, actually, I have things to do. Excuse me," Ashley tried to go, but Krystina was not going to give up. "I bet you do. Running to the good doctor? I'm sure you two are crying together now since you both lost your ticket to the ranch," Krystina exclaimed. "Krystina, stop that!" Danny asked his youngest aunt. "It's about time you see her real face, Danny. She isn't the naive girl you think she is. I bet she knew all the time that Jim faked the results!" she accused Ashley. 
"How dare you!" Ashley became angry. "I was upset as everyone else when I heard about that yesterday!" "I don't doubt it, Ashley. I'm sure everybody here bought that charade, but not me. See. I'm on to you. I know exactly what you are trying to gain!" "Krystina, please, Ashley didn't know anything!" Danny interfered. "Don't be stupid, Danny. It's all an act. She is just trying to find a way to get into our family. Can't you see that? Come on!" "I'm not going to listen to this crap! You are wrong, Krystina, and I'll prove it to you some day!" Ashley announced and then stormed out the door. "What is the matter with you, Krystina?!" Danny sharked at his aunt. 
"She's poison, can't you see that? Don't be so naïve, Danny. She's after our money! I know people like her. It's all one big act! She's putting you on hold if things with LB won't make it. And who knows, now that he has all those problems at the site, she might just dump him and come back to you!" "No, you are wrong about her. Not everyone is a thief like Kyle, Krystina!" he yelled and immediately regretted it. Krystina became silent. He certainly hit a nerve. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I know it's still hard to you with everything that happened to Kyle," he apologized as Steven and Sammy Jo stepped downstairs. "Well, look who's here!" Steven announced. "Hey, Krystina!" Sammy Jo called. "Hi ... sorry about the wedding," Krystina said. "It's alright, something good turned out of it," Sammy Jo said and showed her the wedding ring on her finger. "What's that?!" Danny didn't understand. "What is going on, Dad?" He looked at his father. "Well, you want to tell them?" Steven asked Sammy Jo with a big smile. Sammy Jo nodded. "We got married!" she announced to the amazed Danny and Krystina. Kyle's Apartment "Mr. Roberts, open up! Mr. Roberts!" Mr. Cohen knocked nervously on the apartment's door. "Mr. Roberts. If you won't open up I'll barge in, do you hear me? It's about time you pay your rent!" he shouted, but no one answered. "Okay, you asked for it!" he warned Kyle and barged into the flat. However, instead of getting his rent, he found Kyle lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. "Oh my God, Mr. Roberts!" he panicked and tried to wake him up, but it was too late. Kyle was already dead. Scarlet’s Hotel Suite Scarlet emerged from the bedroom and closed the door quietly, after her daughter had finally fallen asleep. Just then she heard somebody knocking on the door to her suite. Nervously, she took a quick look at herself in the mirror and then approached the door, already knowing who was standing outside. “Good afternoon, Dex!” she greeted her former lover with a smile. “Hello, Scarlet!” he returned her greeting. “Please come in,” she offered, stepping aside and motioning him in. Dex walked by her and she closed the door. “You said you had something to tell me?” she inquired. Scarlet’s visit the previous day and the news about his newborn daughter had shocked Dex, but he still hoped Scarlet and he could resolve the situation reasonably and come to an agreement that would work for everyone. He didn’t want to risk his still very fragile relationship with Alexis, but if his father had taught him anything, it was to take his responsibilities seriously. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday, Scarlet,” he began. “You caught me completely off guard. I ... I wasn’t prepared for what you told me,” he stuttered. “but this is my responsibility as much as it is yours.” They sat down on the couch together. Scarlet was relieved. He wasn’t mad at her. “Thank you, Dex, I knew I could count on you.” She crossed her long legs, trying to catch his attention. It worked. “It is very important for me that you believe me that I don’t want to lasso you with the baby. I was shocked too ... even a bit scared, when I found out about the pregnancy. First, I wasn’t sure if I should keep the baby,” she looked down and sighed, “but I couldn’t do it,” she paused for a moment. “This child is God’s will ... or call it destiny,” she said, playing with the little golden crucifix on her necklace. Dex was surprised. He didn’t expect Scarlet to be very religious, but what did he actually know about her? Nothing. “When I found out about the baby I decided to leave the company, because I didn’t want to cause you any inconvinience and to prevent any gossip about us. I thought I could manage it alone ... I tried ... but I can’t. I need help, Dex.” Dex was about to reply when the crying of the baby interrupted their conversation. “Oh, please, not again!” Scarlet remarked tiredly, getting up and entering the bedroom. Hesitantly, Dex followed her. Carefully, Scarlet took her daughter out of the crib and tried to calm her. “Shhh ... what’s the matter, sweetie?” she asked, rocking the little girl in her arms. “Well, Elise, if you don’t want to sleep, you can say hello to your father,” she said, stepping up to Dex. “Would you like to hold her?” Scarlet asked. Without waiting for his reply, she put the baby in his arms. Dex felt a bit uncomfortable, but hid it behind a smile. He never had held a baby before. She was so tiny and weighed next to nothing. “Elise ... what a beautiful name,” he remarked, glancing at Scarlet. Then he looked back at the baby and felt guilty. His common sense told him that he was holding his own flesh and blood in his arms, but he didn’t feel anything. What was wrong with him? As if the little girl could feel it, she began crying again, her face turning red. Scarlet recognized the helpless expression on Dex’s face and took the baby out of his arms. The little girl quieted down immediately. “I can’t imagine life without Elise anymore now that I have her. She is more important than anything else in the world,” she stated. Her words made Dex feel even worse. She obviously was a loving and caring mother for his daughter and what was he?! “Of course, I will support you and Elise. I don’t want you to worry about anything. Just let me know if you need anything, Scarlet. And if you would like to work in a few years again we will find a solution,” he said knowing that money was the only thing he had to offer her. “Thank you, Dex. That’s very generous of you,” she replied. Dex was relieved. Obviously, she didn’t expect anything more from him, and hopefully she would return to Wyoming again now that they had come to an agreement. The Memorial Hospital Sable rushed to the hospital after getting Monica’s messages. If anything happens to Miles … she blamed herself. She dashed down the hallway, her high heels clacking against the floor. She approached the front desk and requested information about her son from the duty nurse. “Mother?” Sable spun around and came face to face with her daughter. “Oh, Monica! Darling, I got here as soon as I could.” 
“As soon as you could?” Monica scoffed. “Amanda and I have been trying to reach you all night. Where have you been, Mother?” Sable searched for words. Monica had her on the spot. She didn’t want her daughter to know she had spent the night with Roman. “I … I … I went for a drive,” Sable lied. “A drive? All night?” “Well, yes. Darling, so much has happened – Miles, Jason, Frankie, Dex – I needed time to clear my head.” Yes, that was it. Sable knew her daughter and knew Monica would buy that story. “… and I didn’t have my phone with me …” Sable continued, but Monica pushed her mother aside as she saw the doctor coming up from behind. “Doctor?” “I have an update on Miles,” he announced. 
Denver-Carrington
LB and Jeff had been sitting in Jeff's office all morning, trying to find something that would explain the accident at the construction site. However, John was still missing and they both knew most of the answers were with him. Jeff hired the best private detectives to look for him and to try and find the reasons to the accident, but it was too early now, and they had nothing. "Are you sure John never talked to you about a problem in the construction?" Jeff asked his son again. "Positive, Dad. I would have told you if I had any suspicion that something was wrong there, you know that!" LB pleaded. "I know. I'm just worried, LB. If there is a chance the police will find anything …" "They can't find anything, Dad, because there's nothing to find! I get the feeling you don’t trust me one hundred percent," LB said disappointed. "I do trust you, son, you know that, but this is your first job. You are still young and inexperienced. Peter told you already that it looks good. The police suspect that we used unapproved materials in the construction. They already questioned Peter about that, and he promised me there's no way it could have been," Jeff said. He wanted to believe LB, but Peter Johnson, the construction's architect was older than his son and had more experience in the business. "Right. I would have known if John used the wrong materials," LB asserted as Jeff's secretary called on the intercom. "Mr. Colby, there is a police detective and another gentleman here to see you," she announced. Jeff looked at his son, worried. "Send them in," he said into the intercom, “and get Mr. Laird to come here, also.” Jeff stood up with LB as the two men stepped into the office. "Gentlemen," Jeff welcomed them. They nodded and turned to LB. "Mr. Colby, this is Inspector Napier of the US Labor Department,” introduced Detective Friedman. “We have some information that reached us this morning. We want to ask you some questions," he continued. "Be my guest," LB offered. "Is there any chance that you and Mr. Johnson used unapproved materials to build the project?" "No. Absolutely not!" LB exclaimed. 
"Not even if it could save you a lot of money?" the detective asked him. "Of course, not! We used the best materials in the market for that project! My uncle, Adam Carrington, made sure we take the best quality!" he added. "Are you sure about that, Mr. Colby?" the man asked. "Yes, I am sure!" LB felt stressed. "What is this all about gentlemen?" Jeff impeded. "Mr. Colby, we got the lab report today. I don’t know what happened to the ‘expensive’ materials your son claims to have bought because the report shows that you used unapproved materials for the construction," Napier announced. "No, it can't be!" LB got panicked. "It's a lie!" "LB, calm down," Jeff ordered his son. "Are you sure with what you're saying, Detective?" Jeff asked. 
"Look at it yourself," Detective Robbins said, and gave Jeff the police report. Jeff read it fast and then looked at his son. "I can advise you to call the best lawyers you have, Mr. Colby. Five people lost their lives in that tragedy – and it seems you could have prevented their deaths," the detective said. "Don't leave town, we'll be in touch," he added as he took the report from Jeff and they walked out as we … FADE OUT...
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