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At Forrester, Katie updates Steffy that she’s sent the press release to her niece. Steffy says it’s professional to give Hope a heads-up. Katie snips that there’s nothing professional happening here. Steffy doesn’t like her tone and points out that what Hope did was unprofessional. How would Katie react if she found a woman in lingerie on top of her husband. Katie claims she would consider that it might have been a misunderstanding. Steffy, amused, says, “No you would not.” Ridge comes in as Steffy tells Katie the case is closed. Hope is no longer allowed there, and there’s nothing she or anyone else can do about it.

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Katie shows Ridge the very brief press release and he says it must have come as a blow to Hope. Katie adds that it’s a blow to the company as well. Steffy reiterates that Hope came onto her husband… no one forced her to do it. Ridge wishes none of this had ever happened. Steffy thinks it sounds like his opinion of Hope is shifting. “Are you listening to Brooke?” Ridge says of course he is… she’s an important person in his life. Steffy says she’s justified in what she did. Ridge says this is about the company. Getting rid of Hope and Hope For the Future are big decisions for them. Katie adds that she’s Brooke’s daughter and this will send shockwaves through the industry. Ridge asks Katie to hold the press release and she walks out. Steffy tells her father it doesn’t sound like he’s defending her. It sounds like he’s defending Hope and Brooke.

In the cabin, Hope recaps that Carter has taken the first step in their plan by signing his name on the LLC paperwork. Carter agonizes about whether or not he can betray Ridge and Steffy’s trust. Can they take over Forrester Creations? Hope reads the press release again and marvels that her legacy is gone with just a few sentences. All of her hard work meant nothing. Carter says she has a right to feel disrespected. Hope says he does too. Carter questions if that justifies a coup at Forrester Creations.

Brooke arrives at the cliff house to a shirtless Finn and notes he must have just come in from surfing. Finn says he knows why she’s there… Ridge was just there too. Brooke gawps when Finn says he wanted to talk about how out of control Hope is. She argues that her daughter made one mistake, at Eric’s party, and that was it. Finn says it was a pretty big mistake, and his wife thinks so too. Brooke says she apologized and said it wouldn’t happen again, and it didn’t. Finn says it did… she came onto him in lingerie at Forrester. Brooke clucks that it was just a misunderstanding. Finn points out she doesn’t know what happened as she wasn’t there. “Hope pinned me to the desk.” How would she expect Steffy to react? Brooke sighs that they’re wrong. “Hope is not interested in you, Finn.”

Finn and Brooke go back and forth about it. Brooke knows what it’s like to be wrongly accused. Finn says Hope needs to take responsibility and move on. Brooke narrows her eyes and says Hope doesn’t want him. She’s moving in another direction and has no interest in him whatsoever! Brooke reminds Finn that he and Hope were friends once. He says she crossed the line and ruined that. Brooke complains that she apologized for that, and she shouldn’t have to lose everything she’s worked for. She thinks the press will question Steffy’s foolish decision. She warns Finn that he needs to protect the company. He needs to tell his wife to back off… before it’s too late.

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At the cabin, Carter tells Hope he’s always valued loyalty and lives by his conscience. He’s proud of that. Hope says sometimes loyalty is misplaced. They go over being overlooked, undervalued, and discarded. Hope thinks Steffy has been given too much power. Carter’s idea to turn Forrester into an international luxury brand is something Steffy and Ridge couldn’t have dreamed of. She’s sure they’re shutting it down because they didn’t think of it first. Carter then gets outraged on Hope’s behalf. Hope goes over the disadvantage her family is at in the company. She warns if Carter continues down this road, Steffy will want him out. Who does he think Ridge will support? Him? Or his beloved daughter. Carter nods. They need to protect themselves and their life’s work. Hope asks, “Is it really that bad that we’re standing up for ourselves and fighting back?!”

Carter warns if they do this, there is no going back. There will be ramifications for all of them. Hope questions, “Do we really want to go down this road?” Carter says they’ve left them no choice. He’ll try one more time to get through to Ridge. If he fails, they’ll follow through on their plan. “Wait for my call. By the end of the day, our lives could be changed.” Hope tells him she believes in him, and they kiss.

In the office, Ridge tells Steffy he has her back. She asks, “Do you?” Ridge says yes. Hope not being there right now is the right thing. That’s why he sent her away. Steffy feels like he’s wavering. She says she’d never put her personal feelings over the good of the company, but how could she have Hope back here after everything she’s done? Ridge understands, but they have to handle this the right way, “This is delicate.” He disagrees that it’s time to issue a press release. Carter comes in and says he thinks they can resolve this before things escalate out of control.

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In the cabin, Hope flashes through her conversations with Carter and their lovemaking and kisses. Brooke comes in and startles her. Her mother asks if she’s OK. Hope says it’s been a lot to process. Brooke clucks that what Steffy did is just not right. They both know she wasn’t wearing lingerie for Finn. “I went to talk to him.” Hope asks how that worked out. Brooke admits, “Not so great.” She just wishes he’d believe she’s not after him. Hope says Carter has her heart. Brooke told Finn that he has to convince Steffy to change her mind before it’s too late. Hope nods, “Yes. Before it’s too late.”

At Forrester, Carter tells them they’ll have to agree to disagree on what happened in the design office. The optics of firing Hope are terrible. Steffy questions being concerned with optics when Hope came onto her husband. Carter tells her to be concerned about the company. He loves this place and has dedicated over a decade of his life to it. “We all have something at stake here. Are you really going to fire Hope? Brooke’s daughter?” Steffy tells him he’s grasping at straws here. Carter complains that the Logans have been discounted and dismissed for years. That’s why he thinks firing her is personal. Steffy replies, “You’re damn right it’s personal.” But it’s also business. How is she supposed to work with someone she can’t trust. “Why is this so hard to understand?” Carter tells Steffy her issues with Hope are holding her back. She needs to deal with her issues. Ridge thinks he needs to take a breath. Carter is fighting for the company. He declares that Forrester Creations will never be the same if they don’t reinstate Hope and Hope For the Future. “You have no idea what’s at stake if you don’t.”

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Next on The Bold and the Beautiful: Still unable to undo Hope’s firing, Carter makes a convincing case to Ridge.