Mariah stood frozen, disbelief etched across her face. Her breath caught, the weight of Tessa’s words knocking the wind from her lungs. “You don’t mean that,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “You can’t.”

But Tessa didn’t look away. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, yet her jaw was set. “I don’t know what I mean anymore,” she confessed. “All I know is that we’ve been walking in circles, pretending everything is okay when it’s not. I feel lost, Mariah. I feel like I’ve lost us.”

Back at Society, the soft clinking of silverware and hushed conversation created a romantic hum of ambiance. Dany sat across from Christine, trying to steady the flutter in his chest. The waiter brought over a bottle of vintage red, and Dany nodded politely—but his thoughts were consumed by the ring burning a hole in his pocket.

Christine, radiant in a simple black dress, noticed the distant look in his eyes. “You’re nervous,” she said, smiling warmly.

He laughed, trying to shake it off. “That obvious?”

“Only to someone who knows you inside and out.”

He reached across the table, taking her hand. “Christine, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time.”

She leaned forward, her eyes searching his.

And just as he reached for the ring, his phone buzzed on the table. A message from Daniel: “Emergency. Call me when you can.”

Dany’s hand froze mid-motion. His heart pounded with the choice before him—follow through with the proposal, or step away to deal with whatever crisis had just landed at his door.

Christine noticed the hesitation and glanced at the screen. “Everything okay?”

Dany took a breath. “I think… I think I need a moment.”

Meanwhile, at Chancellor-Winters, Billy Abbott was in the boardroom reviewing financial reports when Devon stormed in, his expression tight. “We’ve got a problem,” Devon said.

“What kind of problem?”

“The kind that involves insider leaks, forged documents, and someone sabotaging the fragrance division. I think this goes deeper than we thought.”

Billy tossed the folder aside. “You think it’s Audra?”

“I think it’s someone working with her.”

The plot thickened.

In Genoa City, every choice rippled across lives, touching hearts, igniting betrayals, and rewriting destinies. And as the next week unfolds—from July 7 to 11, 2025—the fallout from hidden desires, explosive truths, and impossible decisions will leave no one untouched.