In Liam's office, Ivy and Liam kissed, and he asked how her how their first night had been. Ivy had loved waking up to his face, but he jokingly apologized about it. The two said they loved each other. Ivy remarked that she liked being at Spencer, and it peaceful. Liam advised her to wait until Bill arrived.

Ivy recognized Bill's bombastic nature, but she didn't think he was dark. In her view, darkness within a person permeated everything, and working at Forrester had become oppressive under the new dictator's shadow. It was worse for Ivy at home with Maya in person and on the wall. Liam proposed that Ivy solve her problems by visiting her new toothbrush.

Ivy described Forrester as a warzone. It wasn't good for Ivy's creativity, but she doubted her pieces would be more than collateral damage in Rick's war. Liam snarled as Ivy said it was as if Caroline couldn't do anything right. Caroline and Ridge's designs were amazing, but nothing was good enough for Rick, who appeared to be out to destroy everything. Liam bit out that it was no way to run a company.

Ivy relayed that Liam hadn't heard the worst of it, and Rick had fired a gun around Ridge and Caroline. Liam was enraged at that Rick had shot at Liam's cousin. Ivy explained that it had been in the room, but Liam didn't care. Liam said Rick couldn't get away with it.

Just then, Bill arrived. Ivy left for work, and Liam repeated to Bill what Ivy had said about Rick and the gun. Liam declared that Rick had to be stopped, and Liam knew how to do it.

Liam relayed what he'd heard about the climate at Forrester, He asked why Caroline or anyone else had to put up with it. Bill asserted that a Spencer shouldn't have to put up with it. Liam refused to let Rick terrorize his girlfriend, either. Liam believed that he was a diplomatic guy and could get along with anyone, but he couldn't stand the self-entitled Rick Forrester anymore. Bill asked what Liam had as a solution. "I want to take over Forrester Creations," Liam replied, and Bill grinned.

At Brooke's house, Brooke and Donna had coffee as Brooke discussed the Milan office being a mess. It had taken her time to sort it out. Brooke conveyed that Hope wasn't coping well, and but Wyatt was hanging in there. Brooke remarked that time hadn't stood still in her absence, and Donna asked if Brooke had been to Eric's house.

Brooke relayed that Maya had answered the door looking like a Brooke's Bedroom advertisement. To Brooke, Maya moved faster than Brooke ever had. Brooke had been preoccupied with the Milan office and taking care of Hope, and Rick hadn't filled his mother in on what had been going on. Brooke asked why Donna hadn't said anything about it sooner.

Donna hadn't wanted to distract Brooke from Hope, and Donna hadn't wanted cross Rick. "He's been a little scary lately," Donna warily added. She asked if Brooke had seen Rick. "Right after he fired shots at Ridge and Caroline," Brooke replied, and Donna gasped.

Brooke relayed that Rick had behaved as if shooting a gun in an office was an ordinary occurrence, and he'd been detached while claiming that he could have killed the designers if he'd wanted to. Donna asked why Rick would shoot, and Brooke explained that he'd wanted to get Ridge off of Caroline. Donna asked if Brooke found Rick's behavior extreme.

Donna explained how Rick had been treating Caroline and flaunting Maya in everyone's face. Brooke was shaking her head and shrugging as she tried to relay Rick's reasoning, but she admitted that she didn't know what he was trying to accomplish. Brooke said that he believed Maya was his salvation, and looking unsettled, Brooke added she hadn't decided if it should worry her or not.

Donna relayed that Maya had been five steps ahead of everyone. Brooke felt that Caroline should have known better than to entangle herself with Ridge of all people. Donna felt that Caroline was young and inexperienced, and Ridge should have known better.

Donna explained how Maya had exposed the designers' kisses in the middle of a meeting. Brooke, who'd been exposed like that before, felt bad from Caroline. Donna stated that Maya had been there to pick up the pieces for Rick. Donna wasn't sure what to think of Maya, but Donna shuttered to think of what Rick would be like without Maya.

Donna wished Eric was there to handle Rick and Ridge. She stated that Rick was shooting guns -- again -- and asked if Brooke remembered when he'd shot grant. To Donna, it felt ominous, as if the whole bottom would fall out at any moment.

Later, Brooke returned downstairs from changing into a suit, and Donna explained that she'd just spoken to Pam, who reported that things at the office were tense enough to burst between Rick and Ridge. Donna said no one felt safe because of Rick. Brooke found it disturbing for the family, but Donna said it didn't feel like a family anymore.

Donna stated that Eric had ruled with benevolence, and even when Ridge had been in charge, no one had feared for their lives. Brooke asserted that Eric wasn't there, but she was back. Brooke refused to let Eric and Stephanie's work go down in a blaze of testosterone.

In the CEO's office, Maya arrived to let Rick know that maintenance had repaired the bullet holes in "his" office walls. She still couldn't believe Rick had shot off a gun at the office. "I wasn't going to hurt them. You're not going to scold me, are you?" he asked in a pouting tone. She claimed it wasn't her style, but she wondered if it really bothered him that much to see Caroline with Ridge.

Rick purported that issue was the designers lying about being together. He wanted the designers to know that he was onto them. Maya said the walls were his to shoot up all he wanted. He gloated about how quickly Ridge had hopped off Caroline, and Maya scowled.

Ridge and Caroline charged into the office. Rick rasped that he was busy, but Ridge demanded that Rick step down as CEO immediately. Rick found it funny, and Maya stated that Rick had a contract. Ridge doubted they'd need Maya's services, either, but she asserted that he couldn't fire her.

Rick declared that he and Maya weren't leaving -- especially not at Ridge and Caroline's command. Caroline said that shooting at her and Ridge had given them a case, but Rick dismissively replied that he'd shot a gun in an office at his father's company. "You guys just happened to be there," he concluded. Ridge said Rick could have killed them, but Rick noted that if he'd wanted them dead, they wouldn't be there, having a pointless conversation with him.

Ridge clarified that the point to the conversation was that if Rick didn't step down, Ridge and Caroline would file charges against Rick for attempted murder. Maya uttered that they wouldn't dare, and Rick smugly grinned, surmising that they expected him to step down and let Ridge take over as CEO with Caroline by his side."Well, we all know that's a fantasy, don't we?" Rick said to Maya.

Rick figured his opponents would seek to have him arrested when all he'd done was fired into a room. Ridge declared that it wasn't normal behavior, and Rick wasn't fit to run the business. Caroline believed something was wrong with Rick, and she shrieked that he couldn't just shoot at people.

Ridge advised Rick to go to an island and get his head on straight, and Ridge and Caroline would find Rick something to do upon his return. Rick asked Caroline if she really thought he was unstable. Caroline hated to agree, but she did. Rick asked if she really thought he should step aside and let Ridge and her take over. She quietly agreed with that, too.

Rick became thoughtful, and Maya hoped he wasn't considering stepping down. Rick said they needed to consider all the conclusions. He decided that his arrest would launch the company into a bad spotlight, and the first question from the media would be why he'd fired the gun.

Rick "supposed" he could give a jailhouse interview to garner sympathy, and Maya chimed in that she'd work the press to get it from the outside. Caroline quipped that it would be sweet of the gold-digging mistress. Rick asked if the designers wanted to take the company into tabloid hell just to get back at him. "Not to get back at you -- to stop you," Ridge asserted. Ridge ordered Rick to step down, or Ridge would call the police.

"No, you won't. You're not calling anybody," Brooke declared, entering the room. Ridge welcomed Brooke back, and Caroline could only imagine what Brooke had heard about the state of affairs. Brooke said she hadn't heard anything she'd liked and asked someone to fill her in on things.

Rick told his mother that Ridge was running a typical power-play, but with Caroline running shot gun that time. Brooke berated Ridge for making a move on her son's wife and then decided have her son arrested to get her son's job, too. Ridge said Rick was out of control and had shot a gun at Ridge and Caroline. Brooke shouted that she didn't care, and Ridge was shocked.

Brooke accused Ridge of trying to break Rick and take everything that mattered to Rick. Brooke was angry about what she'd returned home to but declared that it would stop. She said Rick had worked hard to prove himself, Eric believed in Rick, and the irrevocable control would not change.

"Maybe you didn't hear me. He shot at us," Ridge repeated.

Brooke asked Ridge what was wrong with him, and Ridge repeated the question. She accused him of making out with Rick's wife, a woman half Ridge's age. "That's what this is all about," Ridge decided. Brooke decided that no charges would be filed, Rick would remain as CEO, and if Ridge didn't like it, Ridge could leave.