Hope Logan has been floating on air for days, eagerly counting down to her long-awaited wedding to Liam. After surviving breakups, betrayals, and emotional landmines, she finally feels like life is giving her a fresh start. The Forrester estate glows with fairy-tale charm—twinkling lights, elegant flowers, and the buzz of loved ones gathering to celebrate a romance that refused to die.

The final piece Hope has been yearning for arrives just days before the ceremony: word that Douglas is flying back from Paris. The news brings tears to her eyes. She’s imagined this reunion for months—their family finally feeling complete again. His presence becomes the emotional anchor of her entire wedding day.

As the ceremony begins, Hope is breathtaking in her gown, while Liam stands proudly waiting for the moment he can call her his wife again. Brooke, Ridge, Taylor, Finn, and the rest of the Forresters and Logans soak in the rare peace filling the air—a break from months of tension, heartbreak, and danger. Yet Hope’s eyes keep drifting toward the entrance. He’s coming, she assures herself. He has to be here.

Liam squeezes her hand gently, whispering that Douglas wouldn’t miss their wedding for anything. The officiant asks them to join hands, voices tremble with emotion, and everyone leans in as they prepare to say “I do.”

But just as the final words are about to be spoken, a stunned gasp ripples through the room.

Hope’s heart stops.

Every head turns toward the entrance—where Douglas appears at last.

But this is not the joyful reunion she imagined.

Douglas stands in the doorway pale, unsteady, and struggling to balance on a pair of crutches. One leg is wrapped tightly in a brace. His suit looks hastily thrown together, his hair is a mess, and the pain in his eyes is unmistakable. Murmurs scatter through the guests as Hope’s face drains of color.

“Douglas… what happened to you?” she whispers, voice breaking.

Ridge and Taylor rush forward. Finn’s expression shifts instantly into doctor mode. Liam is already at Douglas’s side, steadying him before he collapses. The boy forces a weak smile, insisting he’s okay, but the trembling in his voice contradicts every word.

This is not the condition anyone expected him to arrive in—and certainly not on Hope’s wedding day.

A chilling unease washes over the room. Something about this injury feels wrong… as if something happened that he’s too afraid to talk about.

Hope falls to her knees beside him, brushing his hair away, pleading for answers he can’t—or won’t—give. Liam tightens his grip on Douglas’s shoulder, promising he’s safe now. But his eyes reveal worry he’s trying desperately to hide.

Steffy and Finn exchange a knowing look—this isn’t just physical pain. There’s fear behind Douglas’s silence.

As paramedics are called and the ceremony screeches to a halt, one question hangs heavily in the air:

What happened to Douglas in Paris… and why did he arrive alone, injured, and terrified?

And when Thomas finally returns to Los Angeles, he may be facing more questions—and suspicions—than he ever expected.