At an FBI office in an unknown location, Bill met Ridge in a surveillance room. Bill was eager to put Sheila Carter behind bars for life. As they watched Sheila on the surveillance footage of Bill's home, Bill seethed because a sting operation that should have lasted a week had dragged on for months. He said it had been months with a vile woman in his house and in his bed.
Ridge and Bill wondered who Sheila was talking to on her phone, and Chen, an FBI agent, said it was Deacon Sharpe. The agent raised the volume on the video feed, and they heard Sheila assert that Bill could never be onto them. Bill murmured that he was onto her. Ridge said Sheila was a woman about to lose it, and they had her right where they wanted her.
Bill and Ridge watched Sheila end her call. Ridge teased Bill about his "girlfriend" straying; however, Bill said that the pizza boy convict was doing him a favor by occupying Sheila, and it had allowed Bill to plant seeds in Sheila's head. Upset, Bill said Sheila had been close to confessing until the lights had flickered, causing her to clam up.
Chen replied that there had been a glitch. Bill stated that he hadn't realized the lengths he'd have to go to when he'd decided to involve the FBI. He raged that it had better not be for nothing. Ridge said he had to hand it to Bill for finally making someone love him. Bill told "Samurai Sam" not to push it. Ridge said Bill had gotten far with Sheila but had to keep going until they got a confession. Bill said that he'd given it everything he had, and he didn't know what the hold-up on the confession was. Ridge said that once she confessed, they'd have her for murder one.
Bill told Ridge that after he'd rescued Finn, Bill hadn't bought the bear-mauling "BS" or Sheila's "missing toe story" for a second. Gazing at the monitor, Bill admitted he detested watching Sheila around the clock and being watched around the clock. Ridge teased Bill about his form-fitting pajamas.
Bill hoped there were no cameras in his bedroom. Ridge said there weren't because no one could unsee that. Chen stated that they'd been keeping tabs on Sheila when she left the house, too. Bill said he'd almost had Sheila. He brought up her killing Lance Day with bees and pushing Dr. Garvin to his death. Bill added that Sheila had said she'd done unimaginable things, and he wanted her to "spit it out already." Bill worried that he'd gone so deep undercover that he was beginning to believe what he was saying to Sheila.
Ridge stated that Bill would be a hero once everyone knew the truth. Bill replied that he only cared about everyone being safe. He hoped they'd understand and forgive him. Ridge said they'd throw Bill a party, because Sheila wouldn't be in jail forever for attempted murder. Ridge insisted that they needed a confession. Bill said he was trying, but Ridge asserted that Bill had to try harder because no one was safe as long as Sheila was loose.
Bill replied that it was easy for Ridge to say, but Bill wondered if Ridge knew what it was like to be intimate with a murderous, vile woman like Sheila. Though Ridge stated that he would never like Bill, Ridge respected what Bill was doing. Like Bill, Ridge wanted it over with and joked that all he was doing was sitting there, growing hair, while his kids thought he was in Europe. Ridge decided that they were all doing what they could, and in the end, Sheila would be gone for good.
Later, Ridge said he'd thought Bill had been nuts for his crazy scheme. Bill replied that all past attempts to keep Sheila imprisoned had failed, and they needed iron-clad proof that Sheila was responsible for several murders and attempted murders. Ridge asserted that if anyone could get Sheila to say the words, it was Bill, who'd duped Sheila into believing she finally had love.
Bill replied that he hadn't thought through how to maintain his dignity in the process, and he was struggling to keep up the façade of pretending to accept Sheila. Bill recalled that it had begun the night he'd lured her to the beach. Bill had been at Il Giardino, drinking, and he'd known Sheila had been watching. He'd sent her enough signals to grab her attention.
A flashback of Bill drinking at the bar played on the screen, Sheila sat at a table in a hooded shirt and glasses, watching Bill. When he left the bar, she followed him.
Bill said he'd been playing the part of the lonely, brokenhearted, and misunderstood man. He believed that Sheila had bought it. A flashback of Sheila finding him on the beach played. Bill said he had acted surprised to see Sheila and had pretended to open his heart and soul to her. They'd talked for hours, and he'd worked his magic to get her to trust him, using her vulnerabilities and insecurities against her.
Bill said it had been risky to tell Sheila about Taylor, but he'd had to do it for the blackmail scheme to work. Bill added that he'd gone to the Feds to have Taylor exonerated of all charges. Ridge didn't like that Taylor had had to be involved or what it had done to Steffy and Finn. Bill replied that they'd all had to suffer.
Ridge added that he didn't like being away from his family, but Bill said he'd had to push his family away. Ridge said it would change once Bill's family knew the truth. Bill expressed that he felt a little offended that they all believed that he'd actually fallen for Sheila Carter. Ridge quipped that they made a handsome couple. Bill replied that he didn't know how much more he could take. Ridge urged Bill not to quit -- "Not now."
At Il Giardino, Hope arrived, and Deacon hurried off his phone call. She noticed that he was tense and asked if everything was all right.
Later, Deacon expressed his reservations about Hope working with Thomas again and said Liam wasn't sure that Thomas could hold up his end of the bargain. Hope said she and Liam had had the discussion, and they agreed that they didn't want it to affect their marriage. Deacon replied that it was easier said than done.
Hope claimed to get why Liam was upset but said, "I am allowed to change my mind." Deacon replied that it was a woman's prerogative. Noting that Douglas would be back home, Deacon advised her to take care of her family. Hope said she felt it would all be okay, but he was the one that she was worried about after the abrupt way he'd ended his phone call.
Deacon attributed his stress to starting up the restaurant. Hope offered to help by washing dishes, mopping floors, and making margaritas. She didn't want her father to be stressed and said she worried about him the same way he worried about her. He promised that he had everything under control and wouldn't ruin the life he was building.
At Bill's house, Sheila looked at a framed photo of herself and Bill. She thought of the time Bill had told her that he loved her.
In the CEO's office, Petra modeled Thomas' latest HFTF design for him and Steffy. Steffy said the design was flawless and asked how he'd gotten it done so quickly. Thomas attributed it to long hours. Claiming she'd missed working with him, Petra asked if he'd be free for a drink. Thomas offered to take a rain check.
After Petra left, Steffy noted that Thomas was interested in someone other than Hope. Thomas said Petra was great, but he was focused on being the best designer, brother, and person he could be. Thomas wondered if she'd talked to Ridge about Thomas' return, and Steffy said that, because Ridge hadn't been home in so long, she was beginning to wonder how involved Ridge wanted to be. Thomas assumed she was worried.
Just then, Hope arrived, saying Petra was gorgeous in the new gown. Steffy studied Hope and Thomas with a curious expression. As she took a call, Steffy watched Hope and Thomas discuss changes to a design. Hope chuckled and said it was good to have him back. He hoped it wouldn't be a problem. Hope replied that they'd create a lot of buzz together.
Steffy flashed back to talking to Thomas about Hope thinking he was hot. Steffy continued to study Thomas and Hope as they discussed another design. He received a message from the sewing room and took off. Hope frowned at the look on Steffy's face, and Steffy noted that Hope was giving Thomas a lot of encouragement. Hope asked if something was wrong with that.
Steffy replied that she'd thought Hope would be more reserved. Hope said she was surprised by how quickly she and Thomas had fallen back in step with each other. "In a purely professional sense, right?" Steffy asked. Hope questioned how else she'd mean it. Steffy asked if Hope could work with Thomas. Hope replied that she and Thomas were already working well together.
Steffy claimed not to want to make something out of nothing. Hope didn't know what Steffy was getting at and reminded Steffy that she'd had Hope take Thomas back. Steffy wondered if she should be concerned about how it would affect Hope personally. Hope said she'd talked to Liam.
Steffy quipped that Liam was Hope's business, but Thomas and Hope were Steffy's business. Steffy wondered how it would all play out, "given Liam's feelings for my brother -- and yours." Confused, Hope asked what Steffy was insinuating.
In the FBI surveillance room, Ridge told Bill to go home and talk to Sheila, but Bill said he was on a doughnut break. Ridge and Bill bickered about Ridge merely having to watch monitors while Bill did the heavy lifting. Chen said that, thanks to both men, a murderer might be put away.
On the monitors, the people in the FBI room watched Sheila take a call from Deacon, who wanted Sheila to meet at his place. Bill hoped Sheila wouldn't find out that her phone was bugged. Worried that Deacon and Sheila suspected that Bill was onto them, Bill said he'd worked too hard for it to fall apart.
During Sheila's call, Sheila said she got that Deacon missed her, but they shouldn't be talking. "This isn't some booty call," Deacon quipped, saying it was urgent and to get there soon.
As Sheila left the house, Bill grimaced. He hated having Sheila in his bed and seeing her nine grimy toes walking around his house. "I gotta do something more drastic," Bill decided, but Chen admonished Bill to stick to the plan. Ridge said soon, Sheila would be gone forever.
Chen told Bill and Ridge that Sheila had gone to Deacon's, and they'd check again once she left. Bill regretted not leaving her in jail when he'd had her arrested at his house. Ridge said she would have found a way to get out. Bill asserted that she had to go away for first-degree murder.
Chen stated that as Bill, Ridge, and Baker knew, Sheila was a person of interest in at least a couple of homicides. Ridge replied that Lance and Dr. Garvin's deaths should be enough to get life without parole in a maximum-security prison. Chen said it had been good to bring Ridge in on it because everyone had bought the bribery of Judge McMullen. Ridge wished he could bring his daughter in on it, but Bill insisted that everyone had to believe it, so Sheila would.
Chen left to check on the other team. Bill expressed his disgust at having to say he loved Sheila. Ridge reminded Bill that he'd known it would be a challenge. Bill replied that it was beyond that, and he had to wake up next to that creature daily. Bill said he'd burned every bridge to keep people safe from Sheila, and it was family time he'd never get back.
Ridge said that Bill's remaining time with his family would come without fear, and Bill was doing well. Bill admitted he didn't want any praise for his work with Sheila. He just wanted to remain focused on the end game. Ridge told Bill to focus and get the information they needed.
Bill was worried about "the Deacon thing," but Ridge said Bill could offer Sheila things Deacon couldn't. "All Sharpe can do is make her pizza and license plates," Bill quipped. Bill was upset that he had to play Sheila's protector in front of his family and be silent while Katie was threatening to take Will. Bill hated that he had to let Sheila tell people to get lost. Ridge said they would put Sheila away because of Bill. Bill added that they would if he got the confession.
Opening up to Ridge, Bill said he'd thought it would be quick, but they'd gone way past that. He'd gone from catatonic stoicism to reaching into painful emotions in his life that he'd put away a long time back. He asked how long he'd have to play the broken, lost man who'd found love in the arms of Sheila Carter. Ridge yelled that he was sorry, but Bill had to do it until they got a confession.
At Deacon's place, Sheila insisted she couldn't stay. Deacon told her that they needed to talk. Puzzled, she asked what was going on. He stated that he'd put a lot on the line for her, and she knew how he felt about her; however, his visit with Hope had rattled him. He said Hope was proud of him. Sheila gleaned that he was worried that Hope would find out about them.
"If she even sees that you're on my phone -- " Deacon started to say. With an endearing look, Sheila asked if she was on his phone. Deacon told her to be serious. He assumed she was going through the same thing with Spencer. Deacon was worried that Hope might drop by and see Sheila and him together. He insisted that he couldn't lose his daughter.
Sheila understood and said they had to be that much more careful. Asserting that she wasn't hearing him, Deacon said they couldn't see each other anymore. Sheila told him not to lie to himself about being able to stop seeing her. He admitted that she was right -- he couldn't stop.
In the CEO's office, Stephen and Lucy dropped by to visit Brooke, passing through on their way up north. Stephen and Lucy had heard about Thomas and the voice app, which had caused Ridge to go back to Taylor. Brooke said Steffy had really stepped up and had called Thomas out on it.
Lucy was surprised that Taylor had known all about it before the wedding. Brooke said she didn't blame Taylor, who'd planned to tell Ridge after the wedding. Stephen didn't understand how it had even gotten that far and asked why Ridge hadn't explained why he'd been upset or hadn't fought for his marriage.
Later, the topic turned to Taylor and Brooke's friendship, and Lucy remarked that it was a new dawn. Brooke said she was enjoying it, and Stephen wondered how Ridge felt about it. Stephen said Ridge was off licking his wounds instead of protecting his family from Sheila. Brooke replied that she'd told Ridge to go. "He doesn't know how to cut a trip short?" Stephen asked. Stephen whipped out his phone, determined to call Ridge.
At Bill's mansion, Sheila looked in the mirror. Bill watched from his hidden location, calling her a "smug bitch." Ridge asked why Bill was there that morning when he was supposed to be getting information from Sheila. Bill replied that he'd figured out how to get Sheila to confess. "I'm gonna asked Sheila to marry me," Bill announced.
Ridge asked if Sheila would really buy a proposal from Bill. Bill said Sheila loved him in her own warped way and needed a protector. He believed his total commitment would show "the Bride of Frankenstein" that he'd protect her and their families. In Bill's view, half the battle with Sheila was making her feel worthy.
Bill stated that he'd run out of patience. Every time Sheila touched him, he wanted to be disinfected by a hazmat crew. Ridge agreed with Bill's plan and wanted to hurry it along, so Ridge could get back to his life. Bill said he'd pick up the ring that day, and slipping it on her would open the door to a confession; then, they'd trade the ring in for "bracelets." Ridge joked that Sheila Spencer had a nice ring to it.
Later, Sheila was smiling to herself, thinking of Bill saying he loved her. Bill gazed at a camera outside the front door and mouthed to Ridge to wish Bill luck. As Bill entered the house and greeted Sheila, Ridge received a call from Stephen, who was irate that Ridge had left his family alone "at a time like this." Ridge said it wasn't a good time.
Stephen asked if Ridge was aware of the situation, and Ridge said he was. Stephen asked what would happen if Sheila cornered someone else in an alley at gunpoint. Stephen persisted, saying that Brooke deserved better from Ridge. Promising he wasn't being rude, Ridge repeated that he had to go. He clicked off the call and rejoined Chen at the monitors.
On their screens, Chen and Ridge listened in as Bill was telling Sheila that he'd been alone, but she was there for him and only him. He called her beautiful and incomparable. He reminded her of their intense connection on the beach. He said he'd been proving himself to her ever since. He'd kept her out of prison, distanced himself from his family, and defended her. She said she got emotional each time she thought about it, but even after all those things, there were still times she didn't know what he was thinking. Bill admitted that he felt the same way about her.
Bill said he wanted Sheila to be as open with him as he'd been with her, but he knew that she held things close to the vest, dark things. He told her that she could express anything about her past, and he'd never leave her. He stated that words were just words, and she needed action. He stated that he had the key to show her that she could believe in him and their life together.
Bill recalled that he'd given up on love. He'd been depressed at the beach, but he'd become the luckiest man on the planet. Sheila said she was free because he'd put it all on the line for her. Bill claimed he'd do it again because she was worth it; they were worth it.
Bill declared that Sheila belonged with him, and he said he wanted her by his side forever. Chuckling, she asked what he was saying. Bill said "this" paled in comparison to her beauty, but it was the best he could do. Sheila sat down and gasped at the sight of a ring box in his hand.
Inside the box was a black diamond ring. Bill asked Sheila to wear it as a token of his "unabiding" love for her. He said he didn't want her to get away, and he wanted to give her everything she deserved. He urged her to say she'd be Mrs. Bill Spencer, with no more secrets or walls between them. He asked her to say she'd be his wife.
Back in the CEO's office, Stephen wondered what was wrong with Ridge and where Ridge was. Brooke shared that Ridge had told her that he was doing something important for the entire family. Stephen asked what that meant. Brooke was unsure of the answer; however, she said Ridge loved his family, and there was nothing he wouldn't do for them.
In the design office, Steffy was working when Hope arrived to talk more about their conversation the other day. Steffy interrupted to inform Hope that the other day, Paris had reminded Steffy that Hope had said she was attracted to Thomas. Hope stated that she'd never said that, but Steffy recalled that Hope had said Thomas was hot.
"Oh, my gosh. That was a comment in passing. Paris, she wouldn't let it go. We needed to get back to work," Hope said, unsure of why it was still a topic of conversation. Steffy said she needed to know whether Hope thought Thomas was hot or not. Hope didn't get why Steffy was asking.
Steffy claimed she was responsible for saving HFTF, and she cited that Thomas and Hope would be working closely, inspiring each other, and bouncing ideas off each other. Hope asked if Steffy was inquiring for Thomas' sake. Steffy said she'd spoken to Thomas, who'd assured her that there was no issue. Steffy was confident that Thomas wasn't obsessed with Hope.
Glad for Thomas, Hope asserted that she was married and committed to Liam. Steffy claimed not to be questioning that; she just wanted Hope to be honest about her attraction to Thomas. Hope stated that Thomas was attractive. Hope gleaned that, even though plenty of women at the office held that same opinion, Steffy wasn't questioning them. Steffy said those women didn't share a child and complicated history with him.
Hope replied that her feelings were not complicated. Hope explained that she'd agreed to work with Thomas to save her line. That was as far as it went. Steffy said she was just looking out for Hope and Thomas, but Hope insisted there was no need to be concerned.
In the CEO's office, Stephen was miffed because Ridge had left town while Sheila was around. Brooke replied that Ridge had his reasons, and he'd told her that he was doing something for himself and the family's well-being. "Whatever that means," Stephen quipped.
The topic turned to Bill and Sheila. Brooke wished Bill hadn't elected to date a criminal. "Or someone who hasn't tried to kill you," Lucy added. Brooke said she didn't think she'd ever understand what Bill was doing with Sheila.
Lucy figured that it had to be terrifying for Brooke to have a woman who'd shot her walking free. Stephen asserted that it was all the more reason Ridge should be there. Stephen claimed that he was practicing restraint, but he believed Ridge could disappear another time, not when his family needed him the most.
At Il Giardino, Deacon and Hollis discussed Brooke, who wasn't ready to put herself out there in the dating world. Hollis suggested that the longer Ridge was gone, the easier it would get, but Hollis wondered if Ridge had finally made his way back. The topic turned to Deacon's love life, but Deacon quipped that Hollis had been on more dates than Deacon had.
"What one? One?" Hollis asked. Deacon affirmed that it was one more than Deacon had been on, and Hollis inquired about Deacon's mystery woman. Deacon replied that the only mystery he had going on was whether the restaurant would succeed. Deacon told Hollis to get back to work. Once alone, Deacon sadly sighed.
At Bill's house, Bill urged Sheila to imagine what it would be like for them to be authentically themselves in a marriage without barriers or secrets. He asked her to say she'd be his wife. Meanwhile, in the secret FBI location, Ridge looked on, eager for Sheila to take the bait.
In Sheila's silence, Bill figured Sheila thought living together was enough of a commitment, but he reasoned that the ring would tell the world how they felt about each other and break down any barriers left between them. He said the ring meant she could believe in him completely. It meant that they could be open with each other about anything.
Bill began to slip the ring on Sheila's finger, but Sheila jerked her hand away and said to stop. Sheila stated that she'd never imagined becoming Mrs. Bill Spencer. Bill instructed her to imagine it and the wedding of her dreams. He offered to go to city hall if that was what she preferred. Bill said he just wanted to walk through the door and into their future.
Sheila couldn't imagine how upset Bill's sons would be about it. Bill replied that his sons didn't know what was best for him, but he did. Asserting that she wasn't naïve, Sheila asked what she was getting into and where the prenup was. Chuckling, Bill announced that there was no prenup. He didn't want to go into a marriage with an expiration date on it. He said there were no documents and no lawyers. There was only his full and undying commitment to her.
Bill asked Sheila to say she'd marry him. Sheila admitted that it was the last thing she'd been expecting. "Is it really?" Bill asked, surprised that she hadn't had the slightest idea after all the time they'd spent together. Sheila didn't doubt their powerful connection but said there were times she looked at him and had no idea what he was thinking or how he felt about her.
"I think we've covered that," Bill replied with only a thread of patience in his voice. He proffered that it was hard for people like them to trust, and it was the first time he'd been his authentic self. He claimed Sheila loved him for him, and they could be real with each other. He said the ring and the vows would hold that promise.
Sheila replied that it was what she'd always wanted and craved, but she needed 'to process it. She stated that it would alter the course of her life. Bill agreed that if she accepted, it would permanently change her future. Sheila claimed she needed to go for a drive and wouldn't be long. Bill insisted that she take the ring to try it on. Sheila reluctantly took it and promised she'd be back with her answer.
In the FBI surveillance room, Ridge was upset that Bill had let Sheila walk out. Ridge was worried that she would run. Chen asked if Ridge remembered how many agents had been on her before her "absurd" prison release. Ridge asked why Sheila would even buy that a judge would set her free just because Steffy hadn't testified. "For a criminal mastermind, Sheila's kind of gullible," Chen responded.
Ridge thought of all the time people had put into the plan. Chen said Ridge had been there day and night. Ridge stated that "we" couldn't send Sheila down for attempted murder because "they" would let her go after a couple of years, and she'd go after his family again. Ridge was eager to get some proof to take her down for murder one.
Chen received an alert and said it was no surprise that Sheila had gone to Deacon's again. Bill and Ridge got on the phone with each other, and Bill stated that he'd sold it perfectly. Ridge said Bill had put his own spin on it, going on and on about trust. Bill replied that he was supposed to lay it on thick to get the confession. Ridge yelled that the point was not to tip her off.
Bill figured he had to have missed that chapter in the "How to Con a Psycho" handbook. At the end of his rope, Bill looked into the camera and said he wanted to get the confession and get it over with. Ridge urged Bill to stick with the plan, and he informed Bill that his girl was at Deacon's. Bill asked if Sheila needed permission from the dimwit pizza maker.
Ridge believed that Deacon would give Sheila permission. Bill replied that she'd then race back there and accept the proposal, and Bill would make her squeal like a pig about everyone she'd offed. "And then, then we will have her, Forrester, and our families will finally be safe from that maniac Sheila Carter forever!" Bill proclaimed.
At Deacon's place, Deacon asked what was so important. Taking off her coat, the perplexed Sheila said it was Bill. She said that before, she hadn't understood why Bill had taken her in, but she'd come to realize that it was because Bill loved her. "He truly loves me," she said.
Deacon asked if Bill had done something to demonstrate it, like buy her a tiara. Sheila replied that he'd given her a ring. Deacon was floored that Bill the billionaire had proposed to Sheila the felon. Sheila said Bill wanted her to be his wife and to open up to him completely. Showing Deacon the ring, she asked if it was really happening or too good to be true.
Speaking to one of the hidden cameras in his home, Bill asked FBI agent Chen if there were any updates on Sheila. Bill growled that he could not bear to spend "another day with that whack job." Ridge tried to talk Bill down, assuring him that everything would be over soon.
Ridge asked Chen if he had ever considered that Bill might actually have started to develop feelings for Sheila. Bill, who was on his cell phone to talk to the FBI trailer, snapped that he did not want "to listen to jokes from a grown man who is wearing a samurai bun." Bill promised that when Sheila returned home, he would slip the ring on her finger and get her to confess to murder.
"That's a black diamond -- just like Spencer's heart," Deacon mused as he looked at the ring Sheila handed him. Sheila expressed her disbelief that Bill wanted to marry her. Deacon was floored when Sheila told him that Bill had not asked her to sign a prenuptial agreement. "I am going to be free, and I'm gonna be filthy rich," Sheila exclaimed.
Sheila's elation suddenly vanished as she questioned if Bill was really Bill. Still, Sheila said that she really believed that what she had with Bill was real. "I guess passion and connection can't compete with freedom and the good life," Deacon replied. Sheila felt that something was missing with Bill, but she struggled to put her finger on it. "A brain? Conscience? Maybe a soul?" Deacon quipped.
Deacon became serious as he told Sheila that the ring and lack of a prenup should tell her everything that Bill was thinking. Deacon told Sheila not to overthink things.
Bill phoned Sheila to check on her. Sheila explained that she had a lot to process before heading home. They both said, "I love you," before ending the call.
Deacon pulled Sheila into an embrace. When they parted, Deacon told Sheila that they had shared some amazing times together. He said that he would never forget her, but he urged her to go to Bill and start planning her future with him.
In the design suite at Forrester Creations, Hope found Thomas at a drafting table, working on a sketch. Hope praised Thomas' hard work and the apologies that he had made. Thomas told Hope that he was very happy to once again work on the Hope for the Future line. Hope smiled uncomfortably as she told Thomas that she needed to talk to him about something that wasn't work related: the comment she'd made in confidence about finding him "hot."
Thomas laughed off the comment and insisted it was "no big deal." He promised to continue their professional-only relationship and not do anything to make things "weird" between them. Thomas thought back to some of the moments he and Hope had shared, prompting him to declare that he and Hope made "an incredible team."
Thomas showed Hope some alterations that Zende had suggested. Thomas asked Hope how things were between her and Liam. Without elaborating, Hope said that she and Liam were doing fine.
Later, a model dropped by the design suite, wearing one of the new gowns. Hope loved the dress and repeated how happy she was that Thomas was back.
Back at Bill's house, Bill phoned the FBI observation unit and was immediately ordered by Ridge to remain focused. Bill lit candles and scattered some rose petals around the room moments before Sheila returned home. Bill told Sheila that he had been anxiously awaiting her return. Sheila said that her head was spinning at the idea of marriage. Bill chuckled as she wondered if anyone would ever have predicted that he and Sheila would one day fall in love.
"There has never been anything more important in my life. I burned every bridge for you, and I would do it all again," Bill said as he stared deeply into Sheila's eyes. He told Sheila that he could not give her everything that she deserved if she kept holding back. Sheila admitted that she had always fantasized about someone loving her. She shared that she had given up hope of that fantasy ever becoming reality.
Sheila referred to her and Bill as "two outcasts that need love." She then told Bill, "[Y]ou are everything that I dreamed, everything that I ever hoped for." Bill pleaded with Sheila to accept his proposal. "I want to believe everything that you said... but I've learned a lot in life," Sheila said, before adding, "When things seem too good to be true, they are." In the FBI trailer, Ridge's face fell. Sheila asked Bill what was really happening. "Are you playing me for a fool, Bill?" Sheila asked icily. Bill stood silent, with a slight smile on his face.
