EXCLUSIVE FRIDAY CANADIAN Y&R DAY AHEAD: Phyllis Summers Sniffs Out A Secret That Could Blow Sky-High

PHYLLIS SUMMERS EAVESDROPS HER WAY INTO TROUBLE

TL;DR: Phyllis Summers catches Cane and Matt mid-scheme at Crimson Lights and smells a rat the size of Genoa City. Meanwhile, Victoria leans on Claire over Nikki’s health scare, and Sienna and Audra claw it out at The Shadow Room.

Phyllis Plays Spy And Strikes Gold

Lurking is a love language, and Phyllis Summers speaks it fluently. She tucks herself into a corner at Crimson Lights and eavesdrops while Cane Ashby grills Matt Clark about laying it on a little thick. Cane wants to know why Matt keeps playing his biggest fan, and he is not buying the act for one second.

Matt, bless him, comes armed with a backstory. He claims he used to work on Adam’s mother’s farm out in Kansas, wrangling horses before he drifted around, then nursed his sick father until the man passed. Broke and adrift, he turned to Adam for help and now bunks by the stables. Cane, who has met a con or two in his day, eyes him and drawls that he doesn’t seem like the horsey type. The horsey type does not exist, but Cane senses the lie underneath anyway.

Matt spins harder. The horses feel different, he says. All those years with animals might be why he’s so bad with people. He’s looking for a new life. Cane suggests he take advice from Adam, and Matt fires back that Adam has never worked a day, unlike Cane. Flattery: the last refuge of a man with no alibi.

Then Phyllis pounces, demanding to know what these two are doing together. She starts babbling about names, Matt scrambles to explain he wanted Cane’s wisdom on maintaining relationships, and Cane connects the dots out loud. Adam introduced them? Matt met Phyllis and Adam both? He calls it exactly what it is, suspiciously convenient, and walks out.

Now it’s the two schemers alone, and Phyllis is not impressed. Is pretending to be a horse wrangler the best he could do? She admits Victor asked her to keep his secret, then warns that Victor is using him and will stab him in the back the moment it suits him. Matt reminds her she manipulated him too, and she counters that at least she’s decided he’s not a maniac. He asks if she’s sure. Honestly, Matt, neither are we.

Got a wild theory about what Matt is really after? Send your juiciest speculation to amber@soapoperamagazine.comand we may feature it.

Victoria Spirals While Claire Holds The Tissues

Over at the GCAC, Claire Newman clocks her mother’s mood in about four seconds flat. Victoria Newman fills her in: Nikki Newman is dealing with a lot and doesn’t have Jack Abbott to lean on right now, since the latest split with Victor Newman is grinding her down.

Claire wonders if they should nudge the famously combustible Newman parents back together. Victoria shuts that down fast, because fixing other people’s marriages is a full-time job nobody survives. Then the real worry surfaces: Nikki’s been having terrible headaches, and Victoria fears it’s more than stress sitting on top of her mother’s long battle with alcoholism.

Victoria rockets straight to worst-case scenarios, and Claire gently points out she’s doing it because of what happened with Cole. Victoria admits it. She wants answers now. As she chokes up, Claire says she’s glad her mom can lean on her. Victoria is afraid, and she doesn’t want Nikki to see that fear. She can’t picture a world without her mother in it. Claire, wise beyond her chaotic origin story, assures her she’ll find a way to carry the grief if and when it comes. Victoria says she sounds exactly like Cole. The hugs commence.

Then a call shifts the mood, and Victoria invites Claire home to see the kids. Claire confesses Holden Novak asked her out instead. Mom, to her credit, tells her to go have fun, because it’s perfectly fine to keep things casual and skip the part where you plan a future.

Sienna And Audra Throw Down At The Shadow Room

Noah Newman chats with his new staff, who apologize for missing opening night. In swans Audra Charles, gushing to the owner about how this place is destined to be the hot spot. Noah gives Sienna Bacall the credit, because of course he does, and Audra coos that his humility is what makes him so darling. He’s always inspired her to be better, she says, right before reminding everyone she’s wildly talented and considering a career pivot.

Sienna arrives mid-gush, watches the performance, and shakes her head. She glides over, Audra notes the design is the same but the vibes are off, and the claws come out the second Noah gets pulled away. Audra brings up Matt still lurking in town and accuses Sienna of starting drama to distract from cheating on a psycho and painting a target on Matt’s back. Sienna orders her to back off. Naturally, this delights Audra, who accuses her of using Noah as a human shield.

Sienna fires back that Audra drove Noah away by feeling exactly that possessive, and refuses to be threatened. She’s seen the games, including whatever went down with Holden. Audra, she sniffs, lives for attention and drama. Noah returns, Audra warns them both to be careful with “that freak” Matt, insists she and Noah can talk with zero romantic subtext, and floats off, bumping straight into Holden.

He wonders if she’s stirring the pot. She blames Sienna. He figures she’s chasing what she can’t have. She assumes he’s awfully invested in her, and he says she’s not worth the concern, which only makes her wonder why he’s so interested. Claire pops up to ask the identical question, and the snark flies. Audra insists she’s a threat to no one and exits on a fake-sweet good night. Holden clarifies he and Audra aren’t friends exactly; she just loves getting a rise out of people and will go far to get what she wants. Claire wants to know why he cares so much. Excellent question, Claire. Hold that thought.

Back inside, Sienna tells Noah his ex wants him and won’t quit. He knows Audra needs a mountain of attention and he has none to give. They kiss. Audra glares. Curtain.

Which Genoa City showdown has you more invested: the Shadow Room claws or Phyllis sniffing out Victor’s secret? Sound off in the comments.