1990 (#2) - Tensions with Victor, John's illness, and Jim's breakup with Nikki

Following Victor's acquisition of Jabot, many things changed at the company. First, the removal of Jack from the CEO position to make way for Brad. But more than anything else, the philosophy of the company has changed, led for decades by John with firmness but also experience, passion and human warmth. All qualities, these, that Victor evidently lacks. Although he is an excellent, capable and ambitious manager, he has never had anything to do with the particular sector of fashion and cosmetics in which Jabot operates. And beyond Jack's deep hatred for Victor, it is John himself who is suffering from the situation, seeing himself pushed aside and bypassed within his own creature that he founded and personally led for so many years. It is therefore difficult for John to accept the rapid and radical changes that Victor is bringing to the company, in his mission of rationalization and renewal that John just cannot understand. And so there is no shortage of heated discussions between the two men, as different as they are equal in charisma and character. It is during one of these animated squabbles, in which John accuses Victor of having taken away the soul of the company with his cold and cynical management aimed only at increasing profits in the short term, that John himself falls to the ground unconscious. Jack immediately realizes the seriousness of the situation and, together with Ashley, takes his father to the emergency room, where fortunately he is declared out of danger. However, the episode impresses Victor, who realizes that he respects and feels deep admiration for a man with a strong character like John. In the meantime, Victor himself resolutely pursues his sentimental interests, throwing himself to the reconquest of Nikki's heart, who is quite listlessly building a future with Jim. It is obvious to Victor that he can read feelings for his rival in her eyes, and when, during a ceremony, Victor assures Nikki that he will leave her alone if only she will confirm that she loves Jim more than anyone else, Nikki realizes that she doesn't just want to be content to live, but to be happy. With tears in her eyes, she confesses to Jim that she has realized she can no longer deny the obvious, that it will never work between them. Jim, as the wise man he is, and not without a deep bitterness, confesses to admire the woman's sincerity and confirms his intention to leave her free so that she can pursue her desires and wishing her good luck.

1989 (#30) - The story between Jim and Nikki and the backfire with Victor

Deeply grieved and shaken by Jessica's death, Jim is consoled by Nikki, who spends a lot of time with the man. Between them, in fact, has never disappeared that affinity and understanding that has always characterized the couple since their first meeting, and they soon return to see each other. This time, however, the union is certainly not supported by Jack, who realizes that he has an interest in the woman and hopes that something can be born between them; after all, this would have been an important revenge against Victor! In all this, of course, there is also Victor's position. In fact, Nikki is not only divided between Jim and Jack's interest; after all, Victor's feelings for him have never faded, nor could they ever disappear now that the woman is raising her son Nicholas. It is precisely the presence of the child, after all, that keeps the two of them close, and they get very close by spending happy moments with Nicholas. Jim does not hide a certain annoyance in the fact that Nikki often sees Victor, despite the woman denies that there is anything between them. Unfortunately for Jim, however, the woman lies, since she is also aware that she cannot resist the charm of the man. He thus finds free rein when he seduces the woman by spending a passionate night of love with her. The probable flashback between Victor and Nikki, however, is not as obvious as one would say, since Jim tries more and more Nikki with the perspective and the guarantee of a relationship certainly more stable and less agitated than a possible return with Victor and his unknowns.

1989 (#29) - The worsening of the disease and the death of Jessica

Jessica is grateful to John for allowing her to rediscover love over the past year and sacrificing herself to let her return to Jim and reunite her family. With him and all his family reunited, and therefore Jim, Christine and Scott, Jessica lives moments of serenity and happiness, knowing that her life is coming to an end. Jessica's illness worsens rapidly, and when the doctors inform her that she only has a few weeks to live, she informs all her relatives and friends of the situation. John and Christine, strongly shaken by the news, try to console her by committing themselves to make her live as peacefully as possible these last few days; but perhaps the person most grieved is Jim, who hoped more than anyone else for a recovery of the woman. Unfortunately, however, Jessica's health conditions are now compromised, and when she realizes that she has come to the end, unable to find the strength even to speak, she decides to write a letter asking to let her die in a dignified way and thanking everyone for allowing her to live this last year as if it were a dream, despite the little time she was given. Jessica, after very long and endless days of suffering, dies peacefully in the pain of all those who loved her. Jim is grieved that he did not have more time to get to know the woman, even though he still thanks God for this short experience. At the woman's funeral, the union between Scott, Christine and Jim is stronger than ever, you agree that Jessica was able to perform a real miracle by bringing them together like never before. Of all of them, it is Christine, the youngest but also the closest to Jessica, who is suffering the most and living a very difficult period of pain and discomfort. But also thanks to Danny, who never fails to be close to her, the woman soon manages to metabolize the grief and take over her life.

1989 (#25) - Derek's suicide and the marriage between Scott and Lauren

The happiness and tranquility at home of the reunited Grainger and Blair family, unfortunately, lasts only a short time. Jessica, Jim, Scott and Christine, not having a house where everyone can live, their respective apartments being inadequate, decide to move temporarily to the Genoa City Hotel, waiting for final accommodation. Just when Christine finally seems to have found the smile and the joy of living, thanks also to Danny's love, however, here is the threatening Derek again, who just to better keep Christine under observation is hired at the hotel where he lives. For days and days Derek studies the habits of the family and waits for Christine to be alone in the room; and using the second key used by the hotel staff, Derek manages to enter the room. Faced with a terrified Christine, Derek does not break down and orders the woman to withdraw her charges so that the trial against her will be dropped. While a frightened Christine begs Derek not to hurt her, Jim and Scott return to the room, finding Derek shocked to put a gun to Christine's head. While Jim tries to talk some sense into Derek, Scott takes the initiative, kicking the gun and dropping it on the floor, triggering a violent collusion with the man. Derek is in time to pick up the gun and shoot Scott, but in the end he gets the upper hand and points the gun at Derek, while Jim calls the police. Derek, however, not at all intent on ending up in the hands of the authorities, surprisingly throws himself from the hotel, killing himself. Fortunately, the blow suffered by Scott was light and the wound is only marginal. However, very upset by what happened, Scott, having realized that life is too short to postpone his dreams, instinctively asks Lauren, in a rush of love, to become his wife, wanting to plan a future with her from this moment on. The woman, who also finds the closeness of her mother Joanna, who returned to Genoa City specifically to meet Scott, is very happy to marry the man. A few days later, the two celebrate their union before God and the whole family, still upset by Derek's events but determined to put this period behind them. After moving into Lauren's luxurious home, Scott and the woman began to build their life together.

1989 (#22) - The divorce with John and the reunion between Jim and Jessica

Jim's arrival in Jessica's life has shocked John's world, shocked and disappointed that Jessica had not told him the truth. Jessica, however, tries to apologize to John and understand his willingness not to talk about his previous life, pointing out that Christine herself seems to have forgiven him. John, reassured several times also by Jim that he did not want to meddle in his marriage, finally accepts the situation, confirming his love for the woman. New complications, however, arrive when Christine, still affected by Derek's rape, asks her mother to reunite the family and marry Jim. Christine found in Jim the father figure she never had and was delighted to receive the man's offer to help her through this difficult moment. The understanding between father and daughter was further enhanced when Jim offered to host her in his apartment with Scott for as long as she wanted. Jessica understands her daughter's desire, but she certainly doesn't want to hurt John; not after the man has shown him all her feelings during her illness. However, noticing Jessica's desire to please her daughter, and the fact that Jim is willing to reunite with her despite his association with Nikki, John eventually agrees to dissolve his marriage so that the family can be reunited. Jessica is moved by John's noble gesture, and both Jim and Christine show great gratitude for the man's understanding. And so, finally, Jim and Jessica can unite under the same roof with their children Scott and Christine, so they can give them what they never had: a real family. Not long afterwards, Jim and Jessica declare their eternal love at the altar, thus leading to a wedding in front of two moved Scott and Christine, happy to finally see their dream of love crowned.

1989 (#20) - Victor's contrasting feelings and Jim and Nikki's dating

Having obtained a divorce from Leanna and taking revenge on Jack with the conquest of Jabot, Victor is a man strongly satisfied and satisfied in the professional sphere, but alone and hurt in the sentimental one. The only joy in his private life is the birth of Nicholas, his first son, which makes him proud. But although Nikki is looking forward to reuniting with Victor, he seems doubtful given his recent experience of marriage with the woman, with whom he does not want to go back to being a de facto separated husband at home as he was for a long time before the divorce. The reality, of course, is that Victor's feelings for Ashley have never waned, despite the fact that their lives have now taken different paths and the two have drifted apart. To all this, of course, it must be added that a possible reunion between Victor and Nikki is strongly opposed by Jack, who wants to hinder Victor's life in search of revenge after his Jabot was stolen. Jack tries to get Nikki away from Victor in any way he can, and thus elaborates a plan to bring Jim Grainger and Nikki together, hoping that the spark will strike between them. Jim, in fact, became very close friends with Jack, when he informs the man that he doesn't want to meddle in the marriage between John and Jessica but that he is looking for his soul mate, he finds in Jack a very interested interlocutor. Not much time passes that Jack organizes a first meeting between Jim and Nikki, who immediately seem to be at ease. After all, Nikki, who still has the goal of getting back with Victor, is happy to make her ex-husband jealous by agreeing to see Jim, whose company she appreciates anyway..

1989 (#16) - Christine's rape and Derek's escape during the investigation

After firing Chase, Jack decides to fill the post left vacant by the man as Jabot's marketing director at Derek Stuart. Derek, an ambitious and capable man thrilled to work under Jack's orders, who seems to appreciate the guy's character, shows an immediate interest in Christine. The girl, still shaken by the forced breakup with Scott, is pleasantly impressed by the man's kindness, who begins to show himself openly with the girl, despite the fact that she has made clear her willingness to do things very calmly, having to metabolize her recent experience. Behind Derek's polite and seemingly sincere ways, however, lies a very dangerous man. One evening, with an excuse, Derek shows up at Christine's with Chinese take-away food; Christine appreciates the idea of having dinner together, and the two of them joke and dance like two boys in love. But when Derek starts laying his hands on the woman, what seemed to be a quiet evening at home turns into a nightmare for Christine. The girl tried to stop Derek but she is overwhelmed by him who, in the grip of alcohol, rapes her all night long. The next day Christine finds the strength to throw the man out of the house and, afterwards, she asks Nina for help who, finding her completely distraught and upset, takes her to the hospital as soon as she informs her about the strupo. Here, the doctors urge Christine to go to the police, where she finds the courage, thanks to the proximity of Jim and Scott as well as the psychologist Beth Conway, to denounce the man. Derek immediately claims that Christine had been willing and now accuses him only of regretting losing her virginity; and Derek's own lawyer, John Silva, tries to discredit Christine hoping to drop the charges against the man. However, Scott and Chase manage to find a witness who confesses before Judge Jeffrey Harris that she was also raped by Derek at school three years earlier, admitting that she did not press charges because the school did not encourage her to do so. Before Derek can be found guilty by the jury, although he continues to claim his innocence and promises to prove it, it is Derek's own lawyer who realizes he is defending a guilty man. John thus decides to propose to Derek to call the prosecutor to confess in order to get a reduced sentence; however, John's reasoning and proposal becomes all useless, since Derek has already escaped.

1989 (#11) - The past between Jim and Jessica, the revelation of Christine's fatherhood

Things between Christine and Scott, meanwhile, are going well. The couple has been well accepted in the family by both John and Jessica, both agreeing that a mature man like Scott is much better suited for a girl like Christine than a rock star like Danny; and their feelings for each other are so genuine and sincere that they think Christine is living in a fairy tale. And when Scott, surprisingly, asks her to become his bride, an enthusiastic Christine accepts happily, already dreaming of crowning her dream of love. However, no one imagines what would soon come to light. One night Christine, while waiting in Scott's hospital room for the end of her shift, starts flipping through Scott's family album, stumbling across a photo that looked very much like the description Jessica made about her father, fantasizing that one day she too would meet him. When Christine asks Scott, on her way home from work, who the man is, Scott answers proudly that it's her father Jim Grainger, and that she would soon meet him since he is planning to move to the city to be with his son. Upon his arrival in town, Scott introduces Christine to Jim, who doesn't hide his curiosity about the girl since she reminds him so much of a woman he had met in Genoa City years before; and when Christine claims to be Jessica's daughter, Jim appears dark in the face and completely shocked. The man expresses his desire to talk to his mother and, as soon as he meets her, everything is clear: Jim is Christine's father. Everyone is shocked to hear these revelations, but Jim explains to Jessica and all the others present that he is the man she had made love to many years before, adding that he was going to propose to her. When Jessica, enraged, denies blaming Jim for abandoning her, the man appears confused, since it was Jessica herself who drove him away, showing her letters she had sent him. Jessica denies ever having sent them to him, and when Jim shows her one, Jessica recognizes in shock, in that letter, the calligraphy of her mother Clara. Jessica thus realizes how her mother had interfered decisively and decisively in her life, probably denying her the love she had always wanted and waited for. In any case, Jim and Jessica are happy to be reunited, although Jim guarantees John that he does not want to interfere in his marriage at all. This whole thing, however, obviously has repercussions on the relationship between Scott and Christine; the two find themselves to be brother and sister, and to their great regret, they are forced to stop all their plans for life together. As it is easy to imagine, this devastates both of them, who will take a long time to overcome and accept it.