Sitting at his desk, Ridge let Rick blast away at him, saying the most awful things. Ridge didn't respond because all the while he was taping the venomous attack on his laptop. Rick went on and on about how Steffy was more than satisfied by him sexually and said that he had Steffy under his control.

Rick warned if Ridge continued to fight Rick and Steffy's marriage, Rick would take Steffy far, far away from the family. Full of himself, Rick then admitted that the reason he wanted to marry Steffy was revenge. It was his way to destroy Ridge. He would marry Ridge's daughter and ruin her life.

Ridge let Rick spew all the hatred he wanted, knowing that the computer was getting every word. Rick demanded that Ridge treat him with the respect of a Forrester, because Rick was a real Forrester, not a Marone like Ridge. Rick taunted Ridge about how he would be making Little Ricks with Steffy-babies that would look like Rick-and Ridge couldn't do anything about it. Rick tried to get Ridge to fight with him, even accusing him of being a chicken, but Ridge kept his composure and didn't respond to Rick.

Later, outside Ridge's office, Rick wondered to himself why Ridge hadn't fought back. He couldn't figure it out. Then, outside Ridge's office, Rick overheard Ridge replaying the recording of their conversation to Taylor. He heard what he had said, the horrible words that were the truth about why he was marrying Steffy, and Rick turned pale. Taylor and Ridge agreed that had to protect Steffy and stop the wedding. Rick left the building to get to Steffy before her parents were able to play the recording.

At the beach house, Brooke was throwing a bridal shower for Steffy. Marcus showed up and asked to speak with Steffy alone. He told her how perfect his life had been when they were dating, that she had been wonderful to him. He admitted that he had been seeing other women since they broke up, but he assured her that he would never know another woman quite like her in his life. He hoped that Rick appreciated her.

Rick suddenly burst into the party. Brooke told him that he couldn't stay, but Rick asked Steffy to go with him right away for a special romantic surprise. Brooke, who was unaware of Rick's ulterior motive, wrapped up the shower, and Steffy got ready to leave with Rick. Katie reminded Rick that there was an important meeting at Forrester the next day to strategize after the Jackie M fashion show, but Rick ignored her. He was intent on getting Steffy out of the beach house before Ridge and Taylor showed up.

Taylor and Ridge raced to the beach house in the car. Taylor worried that Steffy would not be able to get out from under Rick's spell. Taylor and Ridge showed up a few minutes after Steffy and Rick had left. Taylor suspected that Rick knew about the recording and was going to say or do whatever he had to in order to keep Steffy from learning the truth. Driving away from the beach, Rick was desperate to make up something that would explain why he was rushing Steffy away from the party. He suggested that they elope.

At the Jackie M post-fashion show party, Clarke, Stephanie, Jackie, and Nick celebrated the success of the show with champagne. Clarke wondered how shocked Eric must have been to hear that Stephanie was part of the competition. Stephanie showed Nick a text message she had received from Bill Spencer, president of Spencer Communications. In the text, Bill said that Eric had never appreciated Stephanie. Nick was impressed that Stephanie was friends with Bill Spencer. She suggested that Stephanie invite Spencer to visit Jackie M; they could use the publicity.

At the fashion party, Owen told Bridget that the she was the big hit of the show. Jarrett walked over to interview Bridget about what it was like for her to work with her ex-husband, Nick. As she responded, Owen stepped aside and eyed Jackie across the room. He then texted her and arranged for a romantic rendezvous.

Nick spoke to Bridget about getting back to work to keep the momentum going. She admitted that she wanted to play for the night. Her mind was on Owen, but he wasn't in the room. Owen was alone with Jackie, pleasuring her with kisses. Owen and Jackie had snuck away to her loft. Jackie was enjoying a bubble bath. They had moved the tub to the living room to enjoy the view of L.A., and while Jackie moaned in pleasure, Owen rubbed her shoulders and kissed her seductively.

At Steffy's shower, Rick whisked Steffy off in his car and told her he wanted to spend some time alone with her. Steffy was miffed that Rick interrupted the shower and rudely dragged her away. While he was driving, Rick called Earl, the caretaker at Big Bear and asked him to open up the cabin and turn on the heat. Steffy argued that they didn't need to go to Big Bear, and Rick said they might even elope.

She asked him why he was so adamant about leaving Los Angeles. They lived together at the beach house, and she didn't understand why they were running away to be alone together. Rick said it was because Taylor and Ridge were going to try to stop them. Steffy said her parents promised not to fight them. She added that her parents weren't happy, but they didn't plan to keep Rick and Steffy apart so she didn't understand why he was making a big deal about nothing.

Ridge and Taylor were in hot pursuit of Rick in their vehicle. They wanted to share the tape of Rick badmouthing Steffy. Taylor called Steffy on her cell phone, but Ridge speculated that Rick wouldn't let her answer. Steffy insisted on answering and told her mom that they were headed up to Big Bear.

Rick took her phone, and told her not to talk to her mother because he was convinced Ridge and Taylor would follow them to the cabin. Steffy wondered why Rick was freaking out. He turned the car around and decided they would go to Mexico to a spot where there were no phones and no electricity so he could be alone with her. Steffy told him she did not have her passport. Then, he decided they would go to Hawaii on the company jet.

Meanwhile, Taylor and Ridge headed up to Big Bear. En route, Ridge got a call from Madison at Forrester Creations. She told him Rick wanted permission to take the company jet. Ridge was furious and called the pilot, who told him he had booked a flight plan for Hawaii. The pilot told Ridge that Steffy was with Rick, and Ridge forbade the pilot from taking off.

Steffy was looking for a sweater when the pilot came in and warned Rick that he could not take off without Ridge's permission. Rick reminded the pilot that he was the president of Forrester Creations. If the pilot valued his job, Rick told him he'd get the plane in the air. Rick and Steffy shared some champagne as they waited for the pilot to file a flight plan and be cleared for takeoff.

Steffy was worried that she didn't bring anything to wear, but Rick said they would buy everything there. Rick told Steffy to trust him. She said she did, and Rick explained that she was the only one who understood him. Rick apologized for sometimes saying things he didn't mean just to get a rise out of some people, and Steffy knew he meant Ridge. Steffy wanted to call her parents, but Rick asked her not to make the call.

Outside the plane, Ridge and Taylor were on the scene as Ridge drove his vehicle right onto the runway. The plane was taxiing down the runway and came to an abrupt halt. Rick used the intercom to contact the pilot to find out what had happened, and the pilot said there was a car on the runway. Rick raced into the cockpit and told the pilot to keep going. The pilot said the car was too close. As Rick, the pilot, and co-pilot looked out the cockpit, they saw Ridge running toward the plane.

On the ground outside, Taylor yelled at Ridge to stop, but he kept running toward the plane yelling, "Steffy, Steffy"

Inside the plane, Rick was calling Ridge crazy.

At Jackie's house, she and Owen started kissing while she was in the bathtub. She insisted that Owen needed to turn the other way as she dried off and donned a robe. Owen began kissing her again, and Jackie said she couldn't promise anything past the night. She said it had been a long time since she had been in love and she wanted honesty and respect from him no matter what. Owen agreed, and Jackie said she had never had that in a relationship. Owen guessed that perhaps she had never really been in love. Jackie wondered what Owen saw in her. He told her he saw a beautiful and sexy woman and he removed her robe.

Jackie and Owen fell down on the bed and made love. Afterwards, Owen got up and checked out Jackie's refrigerator, but he found next to nothing in it, so he suggested they go out to dinner. Jackie said she didn't want people to see them together and speculate that she was his mother. Owen told her she didn't look like anyone's mother, but she reminded him that she was Nick's mom, and she didn't want Nick asking a lot of questions about their relationship.

At Jackie M, Nick had a few moments alone with Bridget and presented her with a gift - a trophy as "World's Greatest X." She wondered what he meant, and he told her she was the best Madame X, ex-wife, all kinds of things. She laughed and said she considered it an honor, considering the prestigious exes she beat out for the award, including her mother and Taylor.

Nick joked that Bridget had brought in cash for the company, something Brooke and Taylor had never done. He also told her she had a very big heart. Bridget had a gift in her bag, and Nick wondered if it was for him, but Bridget said it was for Jackie. They both wondered where Jackie went, and Nick said she had been acting strangely.

Ridge ran onto the airport runway in front of the Forrester jet to keep it from taking off. Inside the cockpit, Rick urged the pilots to take off, anyway, despite the danger. The pilots stopped the jet. Steffy stepped into the cockpit to ask Rick what was going on. Rick begged her to not let anyone tell her anything that would break them up.

Ridge and Taylor confronted Steffy and Rick in the cabin of the plane. Taylor forced Steffy to step outside so Ridge and Rick could talk. Ridge told Rick that his days of manipulating Steffy were over. She was going to hear the truth.

Ridge told Rick that Steffy would change her mind about him when she heard the tape. Rick was confident that Steffy wouldn't believe the tape. Rick drank champagne and ate strawberries, acting overconfident in his power over Steffy. Ridge reminded Rick that he had said he owned Steffy, and that would tick her off. Rick didn't think he had said that, but Ridge had the damning tape.

Back at Taylor's, Steffy asked her mother to explain what was going on. Taylor told Steffy about how disrespectful Rick had been to Ridge, but Steffy only wanted to know why her parents wouldn't accept her decision to be with Rick. Taylor revealed that Ridge recorded a conversation with Rick so that Steffy could hear how he spoke when she wasn't around. Steffy was aghast, but when she heard Rick boasting about how he owned Steffy and how he would take her away from her family, Steffy tried to make excuses. The more she listened to the laptop recording, though, the more shocked she was by Rick's words.

Going on the offensive, Steffy lashed out at her father for secretly recording Rick. Taylor asked Steffy to listen to the rest of the tape. Even when Steffy heard Rick talking about the wedding night, she refused to believe that Rick was bad. Then she heard him say that their marriage would not be about two people in love. It would be all about Rick's revenge on Ridge.

Steffy didn't want to believe what she'd heard. Taylor said Steffy couldn't marry a man who could talk like that about her and her father. Back at the plane, Rick defied Ridge, daring him to try to take Steffy from him. Rick warned Ridge that Brooke would not like that he conspired with Taylor to bring Rick down. Rick predicted that Brooke and Ridge's marriage would fall apart.

Ridge believed that Brooke would understand. Rick said that Brooke was a fan of Rick and Steffy, and would not appreciate that Ridge lied to her about supporting their engagement. Steffy called Rick and asked him to meet her at Taylor's. Rick taunted Ridge as he left, saying that Steffy was riding the Rick train and wasn't about to get off.

Owen and Jackie were basking in post-lovemaking. She wanted to stay in, but Owen was anxious to go out for something to eat, then return home for more sex. Owen understood that Jackie wanted to keep their tryst private, but since they worked together, he felt they could be seen out without creating suspicion.

As they opened the door to leave, Bridget appeared and asked Owen what he was doing at Jackie's. Bridget was impressed that Owen and Jackie were working late and with so much passion. Bridget reminded Jackie that she had recommended Owen because he was a hard worker. Jackie agreed that Owen had been an excellent employee.

Bridget admired Jackie's new loft, especially the tub. She gave Jackie a gift to thank her for the opportunity at Jackie M. It was a framed photo of Jack. Bridget thanked Jackie for being part of her life and helping her through the tough times. Bridget asked Owen if he would like to grab a bit of dinner, since she was leaving and he was on his way out. Owen tried to say no, but Jackie encouraged him to go with Bridget. When Bridget went ahead to get her sketchpad, Owen asked Jackie why she was pushing him to Bridget.

Jackie explained to Owen that dinner with Bridget was no big deal. Owen and Bridget left together, with Jackie hoping they have a great time. To herself, Jackie revealed that Owen was the perfect specimen to make Nick jealous. If Nick were jealous of Bridget being with Owen, then maybe he would leave Katie. Her plan was to see Bridget and Nick reunited.

Rick and Ridge arrived at Taylor's. Rick asked to speak with Steffy alone and she agreed that she wanted her parents out of the room. Steffy told Rick that she understood why he was trying to whisk her away-because he was trying to keep her from hearing the tape. Rick blamed Ridge for setting him up. Steffy thought that Rick was doing what he always did, blaming someone else for his actions.

Steffy demanded an explanation. Rick suggested that Steffy was confused by what she heard. He claimed that what he had said was only words and he didn't mean it. He had been provoked by Ridge.

Rick apologized to Steffy, pleading with her not to let her parents get between them. Rick begged Steffy to believe that he would never do anything to hurt her.

At Taylor's house, Steffy laid into Rick after hearing the tape of his statements that he "owned" her. She also replayed the sections of the tape in which Rick told Ridge that when Rick and Steffy took their vows, Rick would be staring at Ridge, not Steffy, because the wedding was all about revenge.

Steffy played another section of the tape where Rick warned Ridge that Rick would take Steffy away and Ridge would never see her again. "Say bye-bye to a second daughter," Rick said on tape.

Steffy told Rick that his cruelty was unbelievable. Rick tried to squirm out of his statements by telling Steffy that he didn't mean what he said and that her parents forced him to say those things by tricking him. Steffy didn't buy it. She demanded to know what Ridge could possibly have said that would have triggered the reactions she heard on the tape.

Rick said he didn't remember, but he added that Ridge and Taylor were trying to prevent Steffy from being with the man she loved. Rick wanted Steffy to go away with him. Steffy refused and told Rick that her father was acting like a father and acting out of concern for his daughter. She reminded Rick that Ridge had already lost one daughter.

Steffy told Rick that she would never marry him and that she didn't even know him. She said she never wanted to see him again, let alone marry him, and she asked him to leave. Rick refused.

Steffy said that her parents had been right about Rick all along, and she refused to believe anything he had to tell her. She told Rick that he needed help. Rick tried another angle to get Steffy to listen to him when he told her the person who said those things on tape was a terrible person, and that he knew that.

Rick told Steffy that he knew he needed her help, and he begged her to help him become a better person. Steffy refused. She told Rick it was just more lies. She recalled his attempt to enlist in the armed services, and she accused him of knowing he would never be accepted because of his medical problems. She told Rick that he had been conning her all along.

Rick agreed he needed help to overcome his hatred for Ridge. He begged for one more chance and implored Steffy to understand that he knew he had made mistakes. He told her that she was the only good thing in his life. Steffy countered that she was not a thing. She was a woman. Rick asked her to give him one more attempt to show her how much he loved her. Steffy stared at Rick, but did not answer.

In the other room, Ridge and Taylor discussed their hopes that Steffy would not give in to Rick. They knew that Rick would try to convince Steffy that he loved her. Taylor said she believed that Steffy was stubborn and strong-willed just like her father, and Taylor was confident that Steffy would never stand for the disrespect she had just heard on the tape in Rick's own words.

Ridge remarked that it must have been difficult for Taylor to play the tape for Steffy. Taylor agreed, but said it was worth it to protect Steffy from Rick. Taylor and Ridge embraced as they hoped that Steffy had enough self-respect to walk away from Rick.

At Brooke's house, Donna and Katie stopped to see Brooke and wondered why she was so stressed. Brooke admitted that Taylor was against Rick and Steffy's relationship, and Ridge was spending a lot of time supporting Taylor, since they had been through so much after the loss of Phoebe. Brooke was confident that Ridge would support Rick and Steffy's relationship in spite of Taylor. Donna and Katie weren't so sure, and asked if there were problems in the marriage.

Brooke said that she and Ridge had problems like any couple, but she finally broke down and told her sisters that Rick had come between Ridge and Brooke in the bedroom. Brooke admitted that for the first time she could remember, Ridge had not been in the mood for sex. She told her sisters that Ridge told Brooke that Rick had made him so angry that he couldn't concentrate on anything else.

Donna told Brooke that she had an answer for that. She told Brooke that Eric often took pills to help with sexual problems and that she would gladly share some with Brooke. Brooke and Katie stared at Donna in disbelief. Katie told Donna that Brooke and Ridge's problems went far beyond Ridge not being in the mood.

Brooke explained that Ridge hated Rick for what Rick was doing to his family.

Rick pleaded with Steffy for one more chance. He promised to prove himself to her, but she didn't believe him. She believed what she had heard on the recording. Steffy refused to listen to Rick's explanations, and when he lost his temper, it did not intimidate her.

Taylor and Ridge waited in Taylor's bedroom, hoping that Rick would not sway her. When they heard the yelling, Ridge and Taylor went into the living room to interrupt. They told Rick to leave. Rick taunted Ridge about how Rick was manipulating his daughter, keeping her under his thumb.

Ridge didn't get into it with Rick. He just threatened to throw Rick out if he didn't leave on his own. Rick went to the door and walked out. Steffy hugged her father in relief.

Steffy talked to her parents about how stupid she had been to believe in Rick. Ridge blamed it all on Rick and his lies. He told Steffy Rick had used her. Steffy warned Ridge that Rick would try to break up Ridge's marriage to Brooke, but Ridge was confident that Rick couldn't do that.

At her house, Brooke was talking with Katie about her marital problems with Ridge. She assured her sister that the issues between her and Ridge were just temporary. Brooke was confident that she knew how to get Ridge to respond in the bedroom. Katie asked if Taylor had been a distraction to Ridge. Before Brooke could respond, Rick arrived and announced to his mother that the wedding was off. Katie left so Rick and Brooke could talk.

Rick explained the situation to Brooke from his point of view. He said that Ridge had deliberately broken up Steffy and Rick. Brooke wanted the details. Rick said that he had insulted Steffy in an argument with Ridge, but he didn't mean it and would take it all back. Ridge had baited him to say those things.

Rick explained to Brooke how Ridge had recorded their conversation, purposely provoking Rick into saying some awful things. Brooke agreed that it was wrong for Ridge to tape the argument, but she didn't think Rick was innocent. Rick said that he didn't mean what he had said, he was just angry at Ridge.

Brooke recommended that Rick just give Steffy some time to calm down, but Rick disagreed. He went on to describe the situation at the airport, how Ridge had stopped the plane on the runway. He also let Brooke know that it was Taylor who played the recording for Steffy. Rick made sure Brooke knew that Taylor and Ridge had been working together to break up Rick and Steffy.

Brooke tried to give Rick hope that maybe it wasn't over for him and Steffy. Rick portrayed himself as the victim of Ridge and Taylor's trap. When he referred to Taylor and Ridge as a team, Brooke flared. Rick said that what Taylor and Ridge did to him was evil. Brooke told Rick to stay there; she would be back in a little while. She left to see Ridge. Rick looked at photos of him with Steffy and remembered the good times they shared.

Back at Taylor's, Steffy was overcome with guilt over her stupidity. She felt she had dishonored her parents by letting Rick take advantage of her. Ridge and Taylor understood, and when Steffy apologized, they said no apology was necessary. Steffy promised Ridge that he would never lose her.

Steffy went to her room to grieve. She took off her engagement ring, symbolically ending her relationship with Rick. Ridge and Taylor talked privately and were relieved that their family was back together. Ridge hugged Taylor when she grew sad about what was left of their family with Phoebe gone. Then Taylor went to Steffy's room to comfort her. She told Steffy how brave she had been to end things with Rick.

Brooke showed up at Taylor's to confront Ridge. Ridge defended his secret taping of Rick's conversation as a necessary evil. Ridge felt his daughter deserved to hear the truth. Brooke called his actions a dirty trick. Brooke accused him of destroying two people in love.

Taylor heard Brooke and couldn't stay out of the fight. She returned to the living room and told Brooke she was wrong. Taylor said Rick was a sick individual and not good enough for Steffy. Brooke reminded Taylor that Rick was good enough for Taylor to love.

Using her skills as a psychiatrist, Taylor declared that Rick was a neurotic sadist. She said that he took advantage of Taylor when she was at her most vulnerable, then did the same thing to Steffy. Brooke defended Rick, saying that his words to Ridge had been said in the heat of the moment.

Taylor turned on Brooke, accusing her of not being a supportive wife and disrespecting Ridge. Taylor called Brooke and Ridge's relationship dysfunctional. Taylor then urged Ridge to walk away from Brooke and her dysfunctional family right then, to find the courage like Steffy did to get out while he could. Taylor offered to take Ridge back. She wanted him to return to her and their children.