Young & Restless Recap: Damian Tells Lily About Dumas

Holden joins Nate at the Club bar and orders a Vesper. Nate, surprised to see him, thought Holden was leaving town. Holden explains his plans have changed—he’s actually starting to warm up to the place. He’s equally surprised to see Nate and assumed he’d be home with Audra. Nate questions why that would matter to him. Holden apologizes, and the conversation shifts to Audra’s struggles finding work. Damian Tells Lily About Dumas.

Holden remarks that he hopes Nate has better luck holding onto her than he did. Nate raises an eyebrow at Holden calling what they had a relationship. Holden admits Audra was “the one that got away.” He wanted something serious, but she wanted to leave L.A. Nate simply replies, “Your loss, my good fortune.”

Meanwhile, at Nate’s place, Audra is setting up a romantic evening for him—but her thoughts are elsewhere. She flashes back to her deal with Victor, where she agreed to help lure Kyle into an affair to prove how easily he could fall. As she sets the table, her anxiety grows. Looking at a framed photo of her and Nate, she seems torn. Victor’s betrayal looms in her mind—she recalls him firing her and wonders aloud, “Why can’t anything ever be easy for me?”

Audra grabs her phone and begins dictating a message to Sally. She admits she’s having second thoughts about working with Victor. Sally might be right—he’s already screwed her over once. But now, he wants something only she can deliver. And in return? It might be her last real chance to run her own company. Despite her doubts, Audra deletes the unsent message and tries to calm herself. She calls Nate, telling him his surprise is ready. Still haunted by uncertainty, she quietly reassures herself, “You can do this, Audra.”

Nate Warns Damian

At the club, Nate settles his tab, signaling the end of the night. Holden assumes that means it’s time to say goodbye. Nate mentions that Audra has a surprise waiting for him at home—though, he adds pointedly, it’s none of Holden’s business. Holden, half-smiling, reflects that Audra always did enjoy keeping him on his toes. He confides that before anything else, they were friends—he knows her well. “I hope you know how lucky you are,” he says, “and don’t mess things up like I did.”

Nate brushes off the advice, making it clear he didn’t ask for it. He suspects Holden is trying to stir up tension, acting like they’re rivals for Audra’s heart. “That’s not what this is,” Nate replies firmly. He questions whether Holden is going to be a problem or cross any lines. Holden assures him he won’t. He even offers his best wishes to him and Audra.

Still, Nate is skeptical. He challenges Holden on why he keeps bringing Audra up—and whatever history they had. Is that clear? Holden downplays it, saying it’s just small talk, and that Audra is the only thing they really have in common. Nate disagrees—they both know Damian—but notes Holden isn’t bringing him up.

Nate issues a final warning. Holden insists he’s genuinely happy Audra has moved on. With that, Nate walks away.

Damian’s Ready

At Society, Damian thanks Lily for showing up. She admits his call caught her interest and hopes he’s finally ready to answer some questions. “Fire away,” he says with a smile. “I’m an open book.”

Lily cuts to the chase—she wants the full story on his boss, Aristotle Dumas. Damian hesitates, calling it complicated. Lily tells him to simplify it, warning that this is his last chance to convince her he’s being genuine.

Damian agrees to come clean, but with one condition: the conversation stays strictly between them. “That’s my one term,” he says, asking for her word.

Lily scoffs, challenging the idea that he knows her well enough to trust her just by looking into her eyes. But Damian insists—he believes she’s honorable, and if she says something with those eyes, he’ll trust it’s the truth.

She teases him about his “lines,” but he holds firm, complimenting her eyes once more. With a smirk, Lily gives her word that their conversation will remain private.

Damian’s Story

At the park, Lily asks Damian why he’s suddenly willing to open up about Dumas. He admits that his priorities have shifted since learning the truth about Nate and Amy—he’s now thinking less about work and more about family. Lily relates to that. Damian adds, with a hint of a smile, that maybe he also wants to get on her good side. It bothers him that she doesn’t trust him. He insists he’s not trying to deceive her or her family—and he genuinely likes her. “I don’t want people I care about to think poorly of me,” he says.

Lily, still cautious, explains that her guard is up because she’s been hurt by people she’s known far longer than him. Damian understands. He tells her that if being honest about Dumas will help build her trust, then it’s a risk worth taking.

“So,” Lily asks, “what can you tell me?”

Damian replies, “For starters, Aristotle Dumas isn’t real.”

Lily had suspected it was an alias—the literary references were a giveaway. They briefly discuss The Count of Monte Cristo, a story of revenge against those who betrayed the protagonist. Damian admits he doesn’t know Dumas’ true motives—he’s never even met him in person.

So how did Damian end up working for someone so mysterious?

“He didn’t find me,” Damian says. “Dumas was already on my radar.”

Dumas went from being a complete unknown to suddenly becoming a major player. Wanting to impress him, he made up a fake backstory. When he got an unexpected call, he lied about his experience—and somehow, it worked. Dumas probably saw through it right away, but must’ve liked his pitch enough to look past it. He ended up hiring him to run two of his companies. To keep things under wraps, he had to pretend he was offloading the businesses while secretly staying in control. He became the face of the operation, never hesitating or asking questions.

Lily thinks the whole thing sounds shady—she worries Dumas was setting him up. But Damian shrugs it off, saying he had nothing to lose. “If Dumas was the devil,” he says, “I was ready to dance.”

Audra’s Big News

Nate walks through the door and is immediately greeted by a passionate kiss from Audra, who eagerly pulls him inside. He takes a moment to admire both her and the romantic setup, curious about the special occasion. Audra reveals that she wanted to treat him for a change, since he’s always spoiling her. With Amy off having dinner with Traci Abbott, the two of them have the evening to themselves.

As they toast, Audra asks about his day. Nate replies that it pales in comparison to this moment. Then, Audra admits she has a confession—it’s not just a night for pampering him, but also to celebrate something exciting.

Audra announces she’s finally landed a job. Overjoyed, Nate hugs her tightly. She confesses she had started to doubt it would ever happen, even though she cherished the time spent with him and getting to know Amy. Still, not working had begun to chip away at her confidence. Nate, proud and curious, asks which company was smart enough to hire her.

Instead of answering, Audra pulls him up and invites him to dance. As they sway slowly together, Nate asks if she’ll reveal more about the job after dinner. But Audra, caught up in the moment, says dinner can wait. The night deepens as they continue to kiss, lost in each other’s arms.

Devon Spars With Holden

Devon walks into the Club, chatting on the phone with Abby, who’s on her way back from Europe with Dominic. He tells her there’s plenty to fill her in on and ends the call. Noticing Holden at the bar, he heads over. Holden smirks, noting it must be family hour—Nate just left. Devon asks if he and Damian are planning to stick around. Holden responds with a hint of sarcasm, wondering if they’re not exactly welcome. He adds that his boss is currently with his ailing mother. Devon raises an eyebrow, curious how Aristotle Dumas feels about Damian stepping away for personal matters. Holden admits he doesn’t know Dumas. Devon quips that maybe he’s spending time with Amy. Holden fires back, suggesting Damian could be out on a date—with Devon’s sister, no less.

Devon shuts that down quickly, saying Damian and Lily aren’t seeing each other. Holden says he knows that, but questions if Devon’s getting defensive. He teases that Devon’s a bit prickly, then reveals Damian genuinely likes Lily. Devon insists Lily isn’t interested. Holden isn’t convinced. In fact, he says Damian’s not the type to give up—he goes after what he wants.

Later, left alone with his thoughts, Holden recalls Audra telling him she’s open to a friendship—but she can’t trust him not to cross the line.

Lily’s Agenda

At the park, Lily confronts Damian with a question: why did Dumas pretend to sell the companies when he hadn’t? Damian admits he doesn’t know—and honestly, he doesn’t care. For him, it was a chance at a life he never imagined. Lily nods in understanding. “Fake it till you make it,” she says. Damian likens himself to a rudderless ship until Dumas came along and opened a door. It hasn’t been easy, but he’s made it. “That’s something, right?” he says with quiet pride. Lily thanks him for sharing, but now Damian has a question of his own: “Why do you care so much about this?”

Lily explains she’s curious about Dumas because his actions impact her company and her family. He’s already brought Billy Abbott on board—someone she had a major falling out with—and Victor suspects Dumas is targeting Winters. Damian lets out a laugh. “Finally,” he says, realizing Lily’s true motive. “You got me talking so you could dig into Dumas’ agenda. Pretty slick, Lily.” He chuckles again. “I’ve got to hand it to you—I didn’t see that coming.”

Lily meets his gaze and asks simply, “So, will you help me?”

Nate Is Not Amused

At Nate’s place, after an intimate moment, Audra asks if he’s ready for dinner. Instead, he’s more interested in hearing about her new job. She shares that she persuaded Victor to make up for how he treated her at Glissade—he’s now setting her up with a new company to run. Nate pulls back, clearly surprised. “You’re not serious,” he says. Audra insists she’ll be in charge, making the decisions herself. “Come on, can’t you just be happy for me?” Nate shakes his head, conflicted. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”