Darla asks Thorne if he's made up his mind.

In Eric's office, Darla asks Thorne if he's made up his mind. He reminds her that he can't accept Sally's offer unless his parents buy back his Forrester stock. Then there's only one thing Thorne can do, Eric says. Sally tells Thorne that Spectra needs him, but Eric and Stephanie insist that Eric needs him more. Since they clearly disagree, Thorne asks them both to prove their case. Eric points out that Forrester is a proven winner. But his last collection wasn't so hot, Sally retorts, while Spectra's sales have skyrocketed under Thorne. Thorne thinks that sounds like a challenge. He wants to prove Spectra's success was no fluke, so he proposes another showdown on the runway, "his" designs against Eric's. Stephanie reminds him that he lost the last challenge. And if he loses again, he says, he'll come back to Forrester, along with the Forrester name. Sally emphatically objects. But if Spectra wins, he tells Sally, his parents will buy back his stock.

Thorne asks Sally if she's up to the challenge. She thinks the whole thing is ridiculous, since he already agreed to buy half the company from her. But he can't unless his parents buy back his stock, he replies. Sally thinks Eric and Stephanie are holding him hostage, but Eric says he did nothing wrong given the money involved. Sally asks to speak to Thorne alone: Stephanie objects, but Thorne says it's OK. He and Darla lean close to Sally, who tells him that she doesn't want her company in the middle of this. Darla thinks Sally's afraid she'll lose. Sally denies it. Then why not accept the challenge and show Forrester what they can do? Thorne asks. He reminds her he's staking his own future on this. Sally reluctantly agrees: if Eric and Stephanie want a fight on the catwalk, she'll give them one, and the winner gets Thorne!

Eric is determined to win the challenge.

After Thorne, Sally and Darla leave, Eric sits down at his easel and starts sketching. Stephanie asks if he's redoing the collection. He says he is, since that's the only way he can get Thorne back here and reunite this family. Stephanie asks if he thinks Thorne can win. Eric feels that Spectra's sales come from high visibility and use of the Forrester name. That may get them noticed, Stephanie says, but people don't pay good money like they are do Spectra on bad designs. Meanwhile, the press was underwhelmed by their recent preview. Eric intends to fix that by designing a winning collection. He doesn't look forward to beating his son again, but it's the only way to keep Thorne from throwing his legacy away and get him back here where he belongs.

Serge introduces himself to Amber.

Amber enters Sally's office and sees the spread for the party. As she noshes on a grape, Serge and Clarke come in. Clarke tells her to lay off the produce and introduces their party planner. Professional events coordinator, Serge corrects him. Amber's impressed that Sally would hire a party planner and says things are changing here. And they'll change more once Thorne signs the papers and becomes Sally's partner, Clarke boasts. He and Serge get back to their preparations, so Amber offers to leave. Clarke senses something's wrong, so he tells her to wait. He asks Serge if they can have a moment alone, so the planner goes to trim his chia pet. Once they're alone, Clarke asks Amber if her plan to help Brooke and Ridge backfired. It sure did, Amber says: Stephanie threw her out!

Clarke asks Amber what's going on.

Clarke isn't surprised at Amber's news given how protective Stephanie is of her family. Amber says she just wanted to tell Brooke what was going on. And what was going on? Clarke asks; he recalls that she had something on Ridge. It's just that he's out of control, Amber says, and she thought she could stop it. Now the Forresters have ammunition to use against her. Clarke gets a call that Thorne's on his way back, and it sounds like good news. Amber wishes she had some of that and thinks she should leave. Clarke offers to help her get settled somewhere, but she says she's more concerned about Thomas. She wants to tell him what she did before Ridge does and uses it against her. Unless he already has, Clarke points out. Worried, Amber bolts out the door.

Sally frets about what could happen if Spectra loses the showdown.

When Thorne returns, Serge carries Darla in piggy-back while the employees sing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" to Thorne, who's impressed with the celebration thrown for him. Sally says they really don't have anything to celebrate and orders everyone to get back to work. Reluctantly, Darla and Clarke usher everyone out of the office and send Serge on his way. Clarke then asks what's wrong. Sally tells him what transpired at Forrester. Clarke can't believe Eric and Stephanie would blackmail Thorne into coming back to Forrester. Thorne tells everyone to calm down. Sally says that's easy for him to say: he wins either way, but if Spectra loses, her dream of competing in the fashion industry dies. Thorne says he wanted to buy into Spectra, but his parents wouldn't buy back his stock. Sally suggests they find another way, but he says there is none. They have to go through with this showdown and believe they can win - and he believes they can. They're hungry and motivated, while his dad only has two inexperienced designers and misses his family. Sally agrees that Eric's not at the top of his game. And that's why they can win this and make Spectra the leader in haute couture, Thorne says.

Ridge, Brooke and Bridget tell Thomas about what Amber did.

Ridge and Brooke are on their couch, kissing. Brooke says it feels like the calm before the storm, but Ridge feels anything but calm kissing her. Bridget interrupts and asks what's going on. Ridge tells her that Thomas is on his way home. Bridget looks worried; she knows they have to tell Thomas before Amber does, but she just wishes they didn't have to tell him at all. They have to do this before Amber puts her spin on it, Brooke and Ridge remind her. Just then, Thomas comes in and asks what's up. As soon as Ridge asks him to sit down to talk about Amber, Thomas senses a lecture, and he can't believe they're dragging Bridget into it, too. Brooke, Ridge and Bridget all ask him to hear them out. Bridget tells him this isn't easy to tell him. But it will show him what Amber's really like, Ridge adds. He tells Thomas how Amber came over the other night looking for dirt on him and thought she found some, but she got the wrong idea about what she saw. And what did she see? Tom asks. Bridget says Amber saw her with Ridge. Thomas is confused, so Ridge hands him the picture. Thomas looks and says he doesn't get it. Brooke explains that Ridge and Bridget once had feelings for each other.

Thomas can't believe that Amber would hurt his family.

Thomas asks his dad and Bridget if Amber thought there was something going on between them. There isn't, Ridge says. But there was a time right after his mom did, Bridget adds. They remind Thomas how Bridget lived here after Taylor died. Did they...? Thomas asks. Nothing happened, Bridget says; it was just an emotional time for all of them. Ridge felt overwhelmed holding the family together after losing Taylor, while she needed something stable in her life. She found it living here, and she and Ridge became close. And now, Brooke adds, Amber took that picture to dredge all that up and drive a wedge between her and Ridge. She came here with the photo and insisted that Ridge and Bridget still had feelings for each other. Thomas says that's crazy. Bridget agrees: she hopes he knows she would never interfere in his family or her mom's marriage. He says he knows that, and so does Amber: that's why she wouldn't do what they're saying. Bridget tells Thomas that Amber wanted Ridge to accept their relationship so badly that she was willing to ruin Ridge's reputation to do it. A defiant Amber appears in the door and says Bridget's wrong: she was trying to SAVE Ridge's reputation!

Amber tries to tell Thomas her side of the story.

Amber tells Bridget not to get involved. Bridget says Amber involved her by taking that photo. Thomas asks if it's true: did she take it and show it to Brooke? Amber insists she wasn't threatening anyone, no matter what Ridge says. She looks to Brooke and asks for her help, but Ridge says they already told Thomas the truth. Even about what happened after Taylor died? Amber asks. Yes, Thomas says. Then he can see why she was so concerned, Amber says, and why she had to show Brooke how out of control Ridge was. Brooke and Ridge tell Amber that she was the one out of control, trying to use that photo as leverage. Amber insists she did nothing wrong, since Ridge and Bridget were... They're none of her business, Ridge insists. He tells Bridget she can go; they can take it from here.