Y&R SPOILERS OCTOBER 23-24: DOES PHYLLIS SUMMERS SEDUCE CANE ASHBY TO STEAL HIS AI PROGRAM?

TL;DR: On October 23’s Young and the Restless, Phyllis Summers catches Cane Ashby off guard with a risky move that could turn their business partnership into something far more dangerous, while Cane is still reeling from agreeing to destroy his AI program to win back Lily Winters.

The moment of truth is here, Y&R fans.

Just when Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) thought he’d made the ultimate sacrifice for love, Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) is about to change the game entirely. This week’s episodes promise a collision course between ambition and vulnerability that could blow up multiple lives in spectacular fashion. And if you know Phyllis’s history? This woman doesn’t make moves without a plan.

What Happens Between Phyllis Summers and Cane Ashby This Week?

Phyllis Summers catches Cane Ashby completely off guard on Thursday’s episode, leading to a shocking encounter that culminates in the two reaching an “understanding” by Friday. The timing couldn’t be worse—or better, depending on whose side you’re on. Cane just agreed to destroy his powerful AI program to prove himself to Lily Winters, leaving him emotionally raw and professionally vulnerable. Enter Phyllis, who’s been scheming from the shadows, viewing his grand romantic gesture not as noble but as weakness ripe for exploitation.

Here’s the thing. While Cane was making peace with Lily’s brother Devon Winters and dramatically surrendering his billion-dollar tech empire for a chance at love, Phyllis was at Crimson Lights plotting her next move on her laptop. The show literally intercut these scenes to hammer home the point: he’s thinking with his heart, she’s thinking with her head. And in Genoa City? That’s a deadly combination.

The official CBS episode guide uses very specific language—”catches off guard” and “reach an understanding.” In soap speak? That’s code for an intimate encounter that changes everything. Could be a kiss. Could be more. Either way, it’s calculated on Phyllis’s part and impulsive on Cane’s.

Does Phyllis Summers Have Feelings for Cane Ashby, or Is This a Power Play?

This is absolutely a power play, and Phyllis’s three-decade history in Genoa City proves it. Phyllis Summers has weaponized seduction since the day she arrived in town back in 1994. She drugged Danny Romalotti to trap him into marriage. She’s bounced between Jack Abbott and Nick Newman for years, always with an agenda. She had a torrid affair with Billy Abbott that served multiple purposes—none of them pure romance.

The pattern is crystal clear. Phyllis uses men to get what she wants, and right now she wants Cane’s AI program.

But here’s where it gets complicated. Could there be genuine chemistry between these two? Maybe. They’re both schemers, both survivors, both willing to burn bridges to get ahead. In another universe, they might actually work. But Cane didn’t recast the role, create a billionaire alter ego named Aristotle Dumas, and return to Genoa City for Phyllis. He did all of it for Lily Winters. That woman is his endgame, his obsession, his “Great Gatsby” motivation to become someone worthy of her love.

So while sparks might fly between Phyllis and Cane, they’re the kind that start fires—not the kind that light the way home.

How Will This Affect Cane Ashby’s Chances with Lily Winters?

It’s going to be catastrophic, and Cane should know better. Lily Winters divorced him years ago because she couldn’t trust him anymore. His lies, his secrets, his betrayals—they all added up until she walked away. His entire comeback strategy hinged on proving he’s changed, matured, become someone she could depend on again.

Then he sleeps with Phyllis.

Not just any woman—Phyllis Summers, one of the most notorious schemers in Genoa City. Lily already watched Cane partner with Phyllis in business, and that alone raised red flags. Jill Abbott, Cane’s mother, explicitly warned him to cut ties with Phyllis. Everyone could see this disaster coming except the man at the center of it.

When Lily finds out (and oh, she WILL find out—this is Genoa City, where secrets have a shelf life of about five minutes), it’s going to confirm her worst fears. Cane hasn’t changed. He’s still the same impulsive, reckless man who destroyed their marriage the first time. And you know who’ll be waiting in the wings looking like the safer choice? Damian Kane.

This encounter doesn’t just set Cane back a few steps in winning Lily over. It might permanently destroy any chance of a reunion.

What’s Phyllis Summers’s Real Endgame?

Phyllis wants the AI program, plain and simple. She’s been eyeing it since Cane revealed himself as Aristotle Dumas. That technology represents power, leverage, and the ability to take down Newman Enterprises, Jabot, or any other corporate giant in Genoa City. And now that Cane’s agreed to destroy it for Lily? Phyllis sees an opening to swoop in and claim it for herself before he can follow through.

Seducing Cane accomplishes multiple goals. It gives her emotional leverage over him. It potentially gives her blackmail material. It positions her as his closest confidante in a moment of vulnerability. And if she plays it right, she can convince him not to destroy the program—or steal it outright while he’s distracted by the fallout with Lily.

But there’s a secondary agenda too. Phyllis is a chaos agent. She thrives in drama. Right now, her ex-husband Danny Romalotti is preparing to marry her mortal enemy Christine Blair. Creating a scandal with Cane—especially one that hurts Lily, who’s connected to so many powerful families in Genoa City—gives Phyllis a new battlefield and a fresh distraction from her own personal disasters.

What’s Next for Phyllis Summers, Cane Ashby, and Lily Winters?

Could this mean the end of “Lane” before the reunion even begins? Don’t be surprised if Lily throws herself into her relationship with Damian Kane after learning about Cane and Phyllis. She’s been holding Damian at arm’s length, but betrayal has a way of pushing people toward the safe harbor—even if it’s not the one they truly want.

Given Phyllis’s history, she’ll absolutely find a way to make sure Lily discovers the truth at the worst possible moment. Maybe she’ll engineer a public reveal. Maybe she’ll let it slip during a confrontation. Either way, maximum damage is the goal.

This likely leads to Cane spiraling into damage control mode, trying to explain and apologize his way back into Lily’s good graces. But words won’t be enough this time. He sacrificed his AI empire to prove his love, then immediately compromised himself with the one woman everyone warned him about. The math isn’t mathing, as the kids say.

And Phyllis? She’ll walk away with exactly what she wanted—more power, more leverage, and probably that AI program tucked safely away for her own purposes.

The real question is whether Cane can recover from this self-inflicted wound. He came back to Genoa City to prove he’d changed, to show Lily he was worthy of a second chance. Instead, he’s about to prove the exact opposite.

Sometimes the biggest threat isn’t the enemy at the gates. It’s the moment of weakness when you open the door yourself.

Don’t miss our latest The Young and the Restless spoilers for more twists and turns.