On The Young and the Restless episode that aired Monday, December 1st, 2025, the Abbotts got down to business after Thanksgiving dinner, Victor got an unexpected guest, and Lily and Phyllis took off the gloves.

At the Abbott mansion, Sally left to meet with Audra, leaving just the Abbott siblings, Diane, and Kyle to talk in the living room. Jack revealed to his sisters that Jabot was in danger and told them about Cane’s AI app being in Victor’s hands. Ashley said she wouldn’t stand by and let Victor attack Jabot. She thought her history with Victor would help, but Jack didn’t think it would have much leverage since Victor was intent on coming after him.

The Abbotts rehashed Victor’s anger about Jack’s night of debauchery with Nikki and where things stood now. Jack told them that he had a plan — but they weren’t going to like it. Jack anticipated that Victor didn’t think the timing was right to use the app, and that he would want it to be the ultimate humiliation. He asked if anyone could think of a public event coming up that Victor could take advantage of. “The launch of Abbott Communications,” Billy offered. 

Jack agreed the launch was a distraction and knew Victor would see it as them letting their guard down. Traci wondered how they could protect Jabot if Cane couldn’t protect Arabesque. Jack was sure he knew how to predict Victor’s next move and how to give the boxer a counterpunch that he would never see coming.

Jack said the only way to stop the software from getting into their system was to shut it all down. Jack agreed that the first quarter of the new year would be a disaster, but at least they would have control. He hoped it would throw Victor off his game by doing the unexpected.

Traci reminded Jack about their dad and how he taught them how to work together to solve problems by thinking like him. Ashley and Traci thought Jack’s plan would have too big of a long term effect on Jabot. They asked if there were any other way to fight Victor, but no one could think of another plan.

At the Newman Ranch, Victor updated Adam about Noah’s disappearance, so Adam offered to fly to L.A. and help. Before Victor could respond, the doorbell rang and he asked Adam to answer it. 

Adam saw Cane at the door and asked what he was doing there, but Victor told him to let him in. Cane walked into the living room and told Victor that he was there to admit defeat. “You won, Victor,” he announced.

Adam and Victor said they weren’t falling for Cane’s surrender. Cane insisted he was on the level. “We fought, you won. My company’s on the verge of collapse. I’d congratulate you, but it would probably sound hollow,” he said. Cane said he paid the price for underestimating Victor.

Cane offered Victor a deal: He would sell him what was left of his entire empire right there and then. Despite Adam’s mocking, Cane said he wasn’t ashamed to admit defeat. “When you’re finished trying to goad and humiliate me, you and your father will know that what I built, what I still have, is of value to Newman Enterprises,” Cane added. 

“But now you’re telling us it’s teetering on the brink,” Adam responded. “Thanks to you,” Cane retorted. Cane told him that they all knew he and Victor stole his app, and now they know it works. But he’d never known Victor to leave a bargain on the table, and letting Arabesque die was pointless. He said he just wanted his initial investment back, and Victor could have everything else. 

Adam told off Cane, saying that after everything he’d done, he had some audacity coming there and asking Victor to clean up his mess. “But it is nice to watch you grovel,” Adam concluded. 

Victor said he could rescue Cane, but it was judgment day for him. “You’ve committed so many sins it’s difficult to forgive you. So instead of rescuing you and forgiving you, I’ll let you twist in the wind until you reach your inevitable end. How’s that?” Victor snapped.

Cane admitted that he hurt people, he got people hurt, and he went down every wrong path he could, but he couldn’t take back the past. He said the penance was to be destroyed by the very thing that he created. “It’s kind of a fitting irony, isn’t it?” Victor smiled as Adam snickered.

Just then, Chelsea and Nikki walked in. Cane explained he’d only stopped by to offer her husband a Thanksgiving olive branch, but he wasn’t interested, and said he was leaving. “Hey, Cane…I’ll consider your proposal,” Victor called out. Cane thanked him and told them to all enjoy the holiday before leaving.

After Cane left, Adam, Nikki, and Chelsea wanted to know if Victor was actually being serious. He said that what they just witnessed was Cane playing right into his hands, like he always knew he would.

Victor told them how Cane surrendered, hat in hand and tail between his legs. Victor wanted to leave Cane a shred of hope, but had no intention of helping bail him out. Instead, Victor said he had prepared a noose around his neck that Cane didn’t know about.

Victor explained that he would wait until the damage to Cane had run its course. He said if he hadn’t gotten the AI app, Cane would have destroyed Newman Enterprises. He said he would wait until everything was destroyed, and then he would swoop in and get whatever was left.

At the GCAC, Lily was at the bar talking to Charlie on the phone, asking him to remember Cane loved him, and hoping that he and Mattie would come home for Christmas. 

After she hung up, she stood to leave just as Phyllis came downstairs and the two locked eyes. They had a stilted conversation about how they had just both talked to their sons, and Lily noted that it was one thing they had in common. 

Phyllis asked if it was good parenting to pit Cane’s kids against him. Lily suggested that Phyllis stop being a bad influence on Cane. Phyllis said she was onto Lily’s game by dangling a carrot over Cane’s head and then hitting him over the head with it. She said it was cruel and petty, and she wasn’t going to let Lily get away with it.

Lily and Phyllis bickered, and Lily accused Phyllis of wanting Cane to remain Dumas and take over the world with him. She said the real Cane would never have any respect for her.

Phyllis told Lily that insulting her wouldn’t make her any more right. “Why do you hate Cane so much?” Phyllis wondered. Lily said she pitied Cane, not hated him. Phyllis admired him and his diligence to succeed. Lily told her to take him.

“So easy for you to look down on all of us peons when you were born with a silver spoon,” Phyllis sneered. She said that Lily could say that money and power weren’t important because she always had it. She said that Lily was perpetuating anger with her children against their father.

“You want Cane to be good, but you want him to be your version of good,” Phyllis added. She said that Lily was creating impossible goals and that no one could meet her demands. “And you’re wanting him to walk away from this empire he created with his dad, and you’re telling him to just leave his connection to it,” Phyllis told her. She said that Lily was heartless, and she couldn’t put that on her.

Lily mocked Phyllis for spinning a tale where she was saving Cane from Evil Lily. “I forgot that you believe you’re a nice person,” Phyllis quipped. Lily was just happy she wasn’t Phyllis. 

Phyllis said that Cane wasn’t the first guy she hung out to dry, such as Billy and Daniel. Lily noted that Phyllis’ exes run for the hills when they see her. Lily said that Cane reached out to someone like Phyllis when things were falling apart because she’d keep him from being the good man he used to be. 

As Phyllis and Lily bickered about who was better at manipulating Cane, he walked in and told them that no one, not them, and not anyone, manipulates him, ever.

Lily told Cane to calm down. She laughed that she was just listening to Phyllis take the high road, which didn’t come naturally for her, and it was entertaining. Lily then scolded Cane for scraping the bottom of the barrel by aligning himself with Phyllis.

Phyllis called Lily jealous, who laughed until Phyllis said that Lily rode on her billionaire brother’s coattails. Once that nerve was struck, Lily and Phyllis began arguing again. All of a sudden, Cane hollered, “Enough!”

Lily told Cane that Phyllis would be his downfall and left. Cane turned on Phyllis, accusing her of looking for trouble. Phyllis was offended and said he needed to pick a side. “I have picked a side. I know where I’m going,” Cane growled.