The Young and the Restless Performers of the Week: Michael Mealor and Zuleyka Silver 

Blood has been drawn on The Young and the Restless, and we’re not just talking about the life-threatening injuries to Nick! Kyle made Audra bleed, well, figuratively, when he exposed her seduction scheme. Soap Central is bestowing Performer of the Week honors on Michael Mealor (Kyle) and Zuleyka Silver (Audra) for their dramatic performances!

The Young and the Restless, Michael Mealor and Zuleyka Silver

Kyle laid approximately two dozen (yeah, we counted) kisses on Audra before he gave a betraying smile to the camera. “I’m onto you, Audra,” Kyle told the woman he was lying on top of as he wore nothing but a towel.

"You’re a smart woman, you can figure it out,” Kyle triumphantly informed a stunned Audra when she couldn't believe he abruptly ended their make-out session. He accused her of planning to seduce him. “’I feel so safe with you,’” Kyle taunted Audra, mocking her helpless tone when she spoke those words to him.

He recounted that Audra pushed for him to go on this trip to France. Kyle said that using her boyfriend (Nate)’s brother (Damian’s) death as an excuse to come on to him was low even for her.

Audra was shocked Kyle had seen through her ruse (well, maybe it wasn’t a ruse), and immediately did what she did best – she went on the offense, telling Kyle that she was the innocent party and he was the guilty one.

“This isn’t fake,” Audra protested, adding she was genuinely concerned for Nate (Sean Dominic) and Amy (Valarie Pettiford), Damian’s (Jermaine Rivers) mother. She claimed that if Kyle had not pulled back, then she would have.

Undress for success

It’s difficult to be in the power position when you’re only wearing a towel (even when you have a very fit gym bod like Kyle has), but the man stood there in the total power position as he fired off one zinger after another towards Audra.

“You have talents – they’re just not in cosmetics,” Kyle teased Audra. “I wonder how Nate’s going to feel about this?”

Kyle told Audra he knew about the plan Victor and Audra came up with. He accurately figured out that Audra was trying to split him and Claire (Hayley Erin) up. “You’re a joke. All of this is a joke,” Audra defensively responded.

Mealor made sure Kyle did not back down. He kept throwing in Audra’s face that he was on to her as if he were Camille Vasquez cross-examining Amber Heard. Like Camille, Kyle did not back down.

Audra may have genuine feelings for Damian and how his death will reverberate into the lives of people she cares about, but she lied like a rug as she pretended to know nothing about any scheme with Victor.

Zuleyka is an expert at knowing when her character needs to go on the offensive. She played Audra with confidence as she pointed out that Kyle was the one who had a contract with Victor. (She’s got you there, Kyle. You do!)

“What’s to say you’re not leading me on right now?” suggested Audra, ever the expert on turning the tables. She pointed out that Kyle responded to their kissing with great passion.

“That kiss was just to see how far you would take it,” Kyle confidently shrugged. “Today, I got my answer. You were willing to go…all…the…way.” Mealor played Kyle as the (no pun intended) “victor” in this situation. The actor looked like he was having tons of fun playing these scenes. Why shouldn't he? Kyle won this battle.

Zuleyka is a performer who infuses her character with a “never say die” attitude. She refused to give Kyle an inch, not acknowledging even an iota of Kyle’s stance was accurate.

Alas, Audra, Kyle did have the truth on his side. He told her she was upset that he beat her at her own game. “Screw you!” Audra hissed at her former love. Kyle shot back: “Not today.” (Ouch!) Kyle hit Audra where it hurt, telling her that Vibrante would never see the light of day, and he no longer had to pretend.

More to come on The Young and the Restless

Mealor’s and Zuleyka’s terrific performances continued into the week. Audra was seated in her next meeting with Victor, but we saw Zuleyka dancing as fast as she could. As Audra told Victor what she felt he wanted to hear, we saw her carefully choosing her words as she wasn’t sure how much Victor knew or didn’t know about Kyle being onto her.

Mealor hit it out of the park when he stood up to Victor in the courtyard. After the mogul left, Mealor softened Kyle’s voice as he shared with Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) his fervent hope that she wasn’t in on Victor’s scheme.

Audra may know that Kyle is on to her, but their game is far from over. The two later ran into each other in the maze of shrubbery to go another round. We saw Audra get under Kyle’s skin a bit. Zuleyka brings a “never say die” attitude to her character. She’s as persistent in terms of getting what she wants as we’ve seen Jill Foster Abbott (Jess Walton) be. (That’s a compliment we don’t give out easily!)

The way Silver plays Audra, we get the impression that this isn’t even necessarily about Audra getting her hands on Victor’s funds to run Vibrante. It’s most likely some combination of her simply not wanting Kyle to win and her truly having cared about Damian, not necessarily in that order.

And while Kyle deeply loves Claire, we see a glimmer here and there of him being attracted to Audra. How could he not be? Sure, Kyle and Audra are at odds, but there is an attraction there. Two things can be true at the same time.

Kudos to Silver for making us believe that, sure, she wants to build Vibrante into a powerful company, but, yes, she also feels bad for not only Damian but his loved ones, who will be devastated to learn of his passing.

And bravo to Mealor because some may have thought Kyle would give in to Audra’s charms. He not only proved both Audra and Victor wrong, but he did it in a deliciously wicked way!

Catch all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus