1994 (#17) - Brad's decision and the reconciliation between Traci and Steven

Finding herself in front of her hospital bed hoping for Brad's awakening, Traci begins to seriously wonder if marrying Steven was a big mistake. The woman, in fact, realizes that her feelings for Brad have never disappeared and she soon becomes convinced that she wants to get back together with her ex-husband. Not at all happy with Traci's interest is of course Lauren, who also prays for Brad's health and accuses Traci of not being able to come out and enter her man's life at will, receiving the accusation of having almost caused his death. Upon Brad's awakening, both Traci and Lauren are delighted to learn from Dr. Josh North that Brad has now passed the critical stage and is slowly but steadily improving. As a result, the man finds himself coping with his recovery as he watches the two women struggle to please him. Concerned about Brad's health is obviously Victor, who, needing to replace Brad, calls in his place his old enemy and rival Jack, with whom he reconciles and entrusts a delicate role such as the direction of his economic empire. And so, while Brad sees Jack blow his job away, to the point that Victor compliments the man by promising to keep him at the helm of Newman Enterprises even after Brad's recovery, he decides it's time to make a profound change in his life by taking a drastic decision, painful but absolutely necessary. Informing both Traci and Lauren that he has made an important decision about his life, he tells both women that he is not interested in having a relationship with either of them. Traci, disappointed for the umpteenth time by the man, abandons all her dreams and desires to get back with her ex-husband and decides to go back to New York to Steve, wondering how she could have been foolish enough to believe she had a new chance with Brad. But Lauren is also deeply disappointed by her decision with Brad, with whom she definitively breaks all ties and removes him from his role at Fenmore. Left alone, Brad's only goal in life is now to regain his position at Newman Enterprises, which he says was unfairly snatched by Jack, who in the meantime sees his role change from temporary to permanent.