The Young and the Restless Recap, December 23, 2025: Lily walks in on Phyllis and Cane

Here’s the full recap of what happened on The Young and the Restless on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.

What happened on The Young and the Restless

Traci returned to Genoa City for Christmas and had a meal at Society alongside Lily. They discussed Colleen, and Lily wished she were still alive to go to for advice. She apologized for bringing her up in front of Traci, but Traci appreciated the chance to speak openly about her deceased daughter. She was grateful to have Colleen in her life, despite the brief life that it turned out to be. Lily expressed disappointment that the twins weren’t coming home for Christmas, and she was certain it was related to Cane.

Traci remembered Colleen’s former rebellious phase, which led to her living with Jack for a period, and despite her issues with her parents, she eventually returned. Lily refused to give up trying to make things right. She asked how things were developing between her and Cane, and although it was messy, the ice had begun to thaw a bit. However, she still believed it to be somewhat complicated.

Lily discussed how she and Cane frequently run into each other, and while it mostly drove her crazy, sometimes things were still fun and light between them. Traci asked why Lily allowed Cane to accompany her to the Abbott Communications launch party, and Lily said that her ex-husband was much lighter since the downfall of his company. They’d been through a lot together, and it was difficult to give up on that much history.

Traci reminded her that every relationship has its ups and downs, but they’d always be connected. Lily wondered why Cane suddenly became charming and funny, but with those qualities also came his negative traits, like his selfish streak and endless arrogance. Traci wanted Lily to seize happiness while she could because a genuine connection is rare.

Traci asked whether it was possible or not for Lily and Cane to reunite as a couple. Lily paused at first, but she eventually denied that idea that it could happen. She was shocked by her own openness to Cane, and Traci understood. They shifted gears to talk about Victor’s crusade against Jack and the Abbotts. She expressed sorrow that Neil wasn’t around any longer ot help keep Victor in check. Regardless, Traci didn't blame Cane for anything. If it weren't for the AI software, he would’ve still found a way to strike against Jack and Jabot.

The women discussed Cane’s creation of the AI program, but Traci recognized that Cane had taken the proper steps to warn Jack about the software. His warning gave Jack and their family time to put safeguards in place to potentially mitigate the damage. She asked Lily if she thought Cane was still a good man, and pointed out that good people sometimes make mistakes. Traci told her, “Forgiveness doesn't do anyone any good if it comes too late, and the same could be said for love.”

On his train, Cane left a voicemail for his children, urging them not to punish Lily for his mistakes. He didn’t want them to skip out on Christmas because of his actions. After the call, Phyllis dropped by, and Cane was immediately annoyed with her endless verbal riddles. He cut to the chase and asked her what she wanted.

Phyllis was there to discuss the kiss outside of Crimson Lights, but Cane didn’t think there was anything more about it that needed to be stated. She didn’t care about labels, and she was prepared to make things happen. She wanted to become friends with Cane. However, he reminded her how she previously stated she was done with him, and he felt the same. He questioned why she had the sudden urge to become pals after how they left things.

Phyllis presented Cane with a gift, revealing a puzzle, and he was confident that he’d find a way to solve it. He didn’t have a gift for her, but she joked that she’d whisper something in his ear and “make magic happen.” Cane accused Phyllis of trying to work him, and she expressed regret for walking away from him. She reminded him of how great a team they made together. She called herself compassionate, but he saw her behavior as desperation instead.

Phyllis has hit so many roadblocks in her corporate career. She thought she deserved to be at the top of her game, but Phyllis had nothing to show for it. She admitted she was desperate and came to him with her hat in her hand. Phyllis thought Cane had gone soft because of Lily, but she needed him, and she thought he needed her as well.

Cane was well aware that Victor double-crossed Phyllis, and that’s why she was suddenly trying to get back in his good graces. Phyllis asked if Cane didn’t think that she brought anything to the table, but it was the opposite. Phyllis blamed Victor for the attack on Cane’s company and didn’t think she was responsible, despite her theft of the program. She pitched the idea of teaming up to get payback.

Phyllis thought the idea of going after what they wanted could be a fun adventure for both parties. He asked what the plan was, which she took as an agreement to join forces. They’d be equal partners in their new arrangement, and she promised to steal the sforward back. Phyllis’ new plan was to take over Newman Enterprises, and he asked why he was needed. She believed Cane could take over the parts of Newman that she hated, and she needed him to keep the plan alive.

Phyllis leaned over Cane’s desk, called him Aristotle, and despite his pushback, she thought they could still be that man. She planted a kiss on him, asked if he wanted to take over the world with her, and, unfortunately, for Cane, Lily walked in and witnessed the entire moment, potentially ruining the progress made between the two.

At the park, Noah woke up after being struck from behind by Annie. He frantically searched for Sienna, and when he noticed she wasn’t anywhere to be found, he quickly fled the area.

Nick left a message for Noah, demanding that he get in touch with him or Sharon and return to the ranch. Matt was spotted in Genoa City, and they were in immediate danger. Nick told Sharon that Noah wasn’t afraid of Matt, but she thought that he should be. They were nervous about Noah’s radio silence. He was either ignoring them because of their concerns, or Matt found a way to get to him and Sienna.

Nick offered to go out and search for their son, and he wasn’t worried about Matt harming him because he had traps set all over town. Noah called his parents and asked if they’d seen Sienna, and he told them that he had no idea of her whereabouts. Nick put Noah on speakerphone and told them he brought Sienna to Chancellor Park. Sharon lost it because she warned him to avoid putting themselves at risk. Noah defended his choice, and Nick asked Sharon to back down because it wasn’t the time to scold.

Nick asked if Sienna could have knocked Noah out instead. She previously stated wanting to leave town, so they needed to rule out the possibility. Noah knew that Matt had Sienna, but Nick believed it was part of a bigger, more twisted plan. Sharon and Nick asked him to stay put while they headed to Crimson Lights to check on his condition.

The pair arrived at Crimson Lights quickly and got Noah a towel and ice for his head injury. Nick accused Noah of being his own worst enemy for continually putting himself at risk. Sharon urged Noah to slow down because he was still recovering from injuries sustained in the car crash. However, Noha didn’t think they had time to stop because the clock ticked with more urgency the longer Matt had Sienna.

Nick and Sharon tried to downplay the threat posed by Matt, but he refused to take it lightly. Nick floated the possibility that Sienna went willingly with her estranged husband. He couldn’t rule out the idea of the pair playing a long game against their family. Sienna teaming with Matt could’ve been the plan all along. Noah, however, wouldn’t even consider the idea of his current love playing him for a fool.

Matt called Noah, saying, “Hey there, friend. Miss me?” Noah tried to intimidate Matt, but he wasn’t worried. Noah demanded to know where Sienna was, and Matt went off on a tangent about the details of their affair. Noah kept prodding for information, but Matt went out of his way to further provoke the son of his sworn enemies.

Noah offered himself as a trade for Sienna, but Sharon grabbed the phone from her son and shouted, “Leave my family alone. Do you hear me?” Noah scolded his mother for potentially endangering Sienna’s life. The last thing he wanted to do was provoke Matt. He wanted Victor’s team to get on the situation, so they could locate Sienna.

Nick tried to get Noah to understand that Matt wouldn’t harm Sienna, at least not yet, because it would negate his leverage. Nick used Noah’s phone to call Matt back and inform him that Burrow was in Genoa City, so he was running out of options. He offered to make Matt a deal.

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