"Since he'd already emptied most of the valuables out of Cortlandt Manor, there was really no reason for Palmer to return to his former home. Somehow Opal was able to predict that her husband was come slinking back---and she was waiting for him. Opal sat in the middle of the empty parlor on what appeared to be the only chair that Palmer had not taken. In her hand, she held an antique handgun. Palmer froze in his tracks when he realized that Opal was pointing the gun in his direction. He held his hands in the air and pleaded with Opal to put down the gun. He explained that old handguns were unreliable and could go off accidentally. Opal assured him that if the gun fired, it would be no accident. Palmer warned Opal that she would not get away with shooting him. Opal disagreed, stating that she'd tell the police that she'd heard an intruder and fired in self-defense. She smiled as she noted that Palmer's luck seems to have taken a downward spiral in recent weeks. She floored Palmer with the news that Braden had confessed to "getting it on" with Kit. Palmer said nothing; He'd been sideswiped by the news. He turned and scurried out of the mansion.
Down at the courthouse, Braden could not understand why Gillian had turned on him. In his mind, Braden felt that he'd kept Ryan out of jail. Tad, Dixie, and Adrian observed from the doorway as Gillian unleashed with another barrage of slaps and punches. Braden explained that Ryan would never have gone to jail had he not confessed to the crime. Gillian argued that Braden was simply letting Ryan take the fall for a crime that he had committed. Still Braden continued on with evidence that he believed proved he was trying to help his brother in his time of need. Braden reminded Gillian that he had fed the tabloids the stories about Kit's past transgressions. Had he come forward, Braden feared that he'd have been railroaded in much the same way that Kit had done to Tad. Tad shook his head and asked to be left out of Braden's excuses. "I hate that he confessed," Braden said softly. He claimed that Ryan had confessed to the crime because he felt that he was helping him. He tried to explain that his "dream job" at Cortlandt Electronics also prevented him from coming forward. Gillian was outraged that Braden had put his job before helping his brother. Gillian slapped Braden several times before Adrian pulled her away. Tad received a frantic phone call from Opal asking him to help her deal with Palmer's latest monkeywrench. He excused himself and left Adrian and Dixie to handle Gillian and Braden. Dixie walked over to Braden and offered to help him find a lawyer. As they spoke. Palmer arrived on the scene and fired Braden on the spot. Dixie argued that Palmer could not fire Braden because he hadn't committed any crimes. Contracts, said Palmer, have nothing to do with the law. The mogul argued that as long as a black cloud was hanging over Braden, the terms of the moral clause had been violated. Understandably, Braden threatened legal action. Palmer chuckled fiendishly and reminded his now former protege that he had millions and millions of dollars to fight off Braden's suit. Palmer turned and walked away. Dixie chased after him to try to talk him out of firing Braden. Meanwhile, Gillian had a few more choice words for her brother-in-law. Gillian yelled at Braden for nearly killing Ryan. She figured that since Ryan had caught pneumonia while trying to elude the authorities, Braden was directly responsible for his near-death experience. More than that, she accused Braden of being responsible for their break-up. "People fall out of love all the time," Braden said unsympathetically. Gillian snapped that she and Ryan had not fallen out of love, they had "been pushed out" of love. Gillian tearfully recounted how she'd offered to sleep with David to earn money for Ryan's escape. She didn't mention her near-affair, instead saying that she'd made a "terrible mistake." Braden rolled his eyes and walked away. Gillian feared that Braden would skip town, but Adrian assured her that he'd tail Braden. Gillian wanted to accompany the former spy on his mission, but Adrian calmly stated that he worked alone. Gillian pleaded with Adrian to reconsider and ultimately he agreed to let her tag along.
Back at Cortlandt Manor, Tad was not at all happy to see that Opal had been left with nothing. He instantly knew that Palmer was behind the extensive spring cleaning, but urged Opal not to let her husband upset her. "The room may be empty, but it's full of promise," he said optimistically. Opal agreed, stating that the room was a reflection of her life. Opal wondered if she would ever find a true love like Tad had found in Dixie. Dixie returned and brought Opal and Tad up to date on what had transpired at the courthouse. Neither were surprised that Braden had been fired. Opal headed upstairs, leaving Tad and Dixie enough time to have an intimate encounter in the furniture-less room.
Raquel searched all of Max's usual hiding places, but was unable to find her son. She strolled into Mateo and Hayley's room and noticed a conspicuous lump under their covers. She pulled back the sheets and Max chirped giddily about being located. Max told his mother that he wanted them to sleep in the same bed as Mateo. Raquel bowed her head and explained that they could never do that again because it would make Hayley unhappy. "Why does Hayley have to be so mean?" he asked. Raquel dodged the issue by telling Max that it was time for bed. Max managed to talk his mother into another game of hide and seek.
Downstairs, Edmund phoned Brooke and asked her to be on the lookout for Kit. Mateo and Hayley returned home at about the same time, with Hayley still ranting furiously about the judge's decision to keep Ryan in jail. Mateo didn't want to appear to be the bad guy, but he explained that Braden's statements had yet to be proven. They both agreed to take the night off from discussing Ryan and Kit. As they kissed to seal their deal, Jack stormed into the house and asked if they'd seen Kit. They both shook their heads and Jack continued towards the parlor. There, he and Edmund agreed to scour the town for Kit. Dimitri strolled into the room and announced that he'd seen Kit in the parking lot of The Pit earlier in the evening. Edmund and Jack were furious with Dimitri for leaving her there by herself. Dimitri smiled arrogantly as he explained that he told Kit that she should leave town. Jack raced out of the house and headed for The Pit. Meanwhile, Edmund read his brother the riot act for turning a cold shoulder to Kit. Dimitri explained that he'd grown tired of Kit's games. Because of Kit's allegations, his family had fallen apart. Dimitri let it be known that he was still hurt that Edmund had taken Kit's word over his. Dimitri took time out to lay blame on Edmund, stating that Ryan would never have gone to jail in the first place had Edmund not agreed to press assault charges against him. Edmund tried to defend his decision, but he knew that nothing he said would undo the damage. Edmund promised to offer Ryan a full apology if it turned out that he'd been telling the truth all along. Jack returned from his search, but he didn't come back empty-handed. Jack found Kit's scarf in the parking lot. When Dimitri learned that Jack hadn't found any money in the lot, he knew that Kit must have "done the right thing" and left town. Jack and Edmund listened as Dimitri bragged about paying Kit to hop a bus out of town. The money, Dimitri sneered, was "stash for her next con." Jack responded with a quick rabbit-punch to Dimitri's mid-section. Doubled over in pain, Dimitri struggled to the sofa. When he regained the ability to speak, Dimitri stated that he knew why Jack wanted to help Kit---they were siblings. But was Edmund helping Kit because he still loves her? "No," responded Edmund coldly. He went on to say that he thought of Kit as a friend and that she deserved to have someone there in her time of need.
Max's hide-and-seek session landed him underneath Mateo and Hayley's bed. Hayley and Matt returned to their bedroom and momentarily forgot about their promise to avoid talking about Ryan and Kit. After a few more gripes from Hayley, the couple focused on planning the move to a place of their own. Hayley grinned as she announced that she'd found map wallpaper for Max's room. Under the bed, Max beamed from ear to ear. Hayley told Mateo that she needed a few gallons of chocolate pudding to make her feel better, but Mateo felt that a weekend getaway might do more for her frazzled nerves. Hayley closed her eyes and said that her life would be perfect if Kit and Raquel would disappeared forever. The remark sent waves of terror through Max. He ran out of his hiding space screaming for his mom. In the hallway, Max told Raquel what Hayley had said. Raquel took her son in her arms and took him back to his bedroom. Hayley buried her head in her hands and tried to explain that she didn't mean what she'd said. Mateo looked crossly at her and said that he needed to go talk to his son. Hayley offered to accompany him, but Mateo told her to stay put before she does any more damage."
- Soap Central