1994 (#3) - The outburst with Paul and the killing of Robert in self-defense

Concerned about April, who has not given any news or made herself known since her departure, Mary urges Paul to go to New York to check on the situation. When April seems to be very vague on the phone about Robert's behavior, Paul decides to leave in the company of Christine, happy to be able to reach her husband to surprise him. Here, Paul meets April, who confesses to him that things, for her, have not improved at all. Showing the man the signs of the beatings he has suffered, Paul decides to act immediately and make this situation end. Despite April's initial resistance, Paul eventually convinces the woman to return with him to Genoa City along with Heather. April's return to the city is a source of great joy for Mary, who does not hide her desire to see her and her son united again. April herself, who with the passing of time feels reborn and forms within herself the conviction that she must break off her marriage with Robert and get out of the nightmare of violence, begins to have a special feeling for Paul that revives old memories in her. The closeness between April and Paul becomes more and more evident, so much so that it almost makes Christine, who is starting to fall in love with Paul, get annoyed. In the end, however, it is Paul himself who makes things clear, informing her that, although he feels great affection and love for her and Heather, he feels spiritually committed to Christine, with whom he is increasingly involved. Dreams and thoughts about new prospects for April are also shattered when she is abruptly brought back to reality by the arrival of an enraged Robert in town. The man recriminates his wife and, upon reaching Paul's house, orders her to return with him to New York immediately. When April refuses, informing him that she has moved on with her life and wants a divorce, the man, in a fierce rage, begins to beat his wife, threatening his daughter Heather as well. It is precisely these words and these threats to his daughter that trigger in April the desire to rebel against her ogre. April starts railing against her husband and, trying to free herself from his grip, she grabs a paperweight and hits him in the back. Help led by Dr. Charles Elliott is useless: Robert, mortally wounded, dies immediately in a pool of blood in front of a petrified April.

1993 (#26) - April's meetings with the support group and Robert's threats

A few months after Paul's last visit to April, she returns to town with Heather. April, in tears, confesses to Paul and Mary that she is fed up with Robert's constant violence, which is getting worse and worse and he takes out all his anger and stress on her. Paul keeps his instincts in check to leave immediately for New York to teach Robert a lesson, but convinces April to stay as long as necessary in Genoa City. In addition, Paul and Mary advise the woman to seek legal help from Christine, who immediately takes April's situation to heart. Christine and Paul, thus, urge the woman to attend the meetings of a support group for women who suffer violence. April and Heather spend happy and peaceful moments in Genoa City, and Paul does not hide his desire to take care of them, proposing to April to stay in town, admitting that he has feelings for her. April seems undecided, but when Robert returns to contact her informing her that he has discovered that she is not visiting her parents at all, and that he suspects that she is instead staying with Paul, a terrified April decides to suspend her meetings and hurriedly returns to New York, where she finds an enraged Robert waiting for her, who doesn't fail to beat her up again and accuse her of cheating on him with Paul. The latter, along with Mary and Christine, are once again disconsolate by April's sudden departure, towards whom they are increasingly worried despite the fact that she reassures everyone that Robert would never hurt Heather. This behavior, that is, defending one's aggressor by continuously justifying him, is typical of women who suffer violence and are victims of family abuse.

1993 (#17) - The violence on April, Paul's warning, and the confrontation with Robert

When April returns to Genoa City with her daughter to visit Mary, who is overjoyed to see her again, she is however worried when she discovers some bruises and hematomas on April's body. The woman, obviously agitated, explains to Mary that she had a car accident during her trip, before hastily leaving for New York. Mary, puzzled by April's behavior and not at all convinced by her justification, vents all her concern on Paul, encouraging her son, whom she hopes will one day be reunited with April, to visit her daughter Heather in New York to find out more about April's marriage to Dr. Robert Lynch. Paul, who has always been suspicious that April is hiding something from him, decides to take his mother's advice. Paul shows up at April's door to find her struggling to hide her tears. Paul realizes that he just missed April's fight, the umpteenth, with her husband Robert, and in the end the woman confesses that the man, despite being a good husband and father, does not fail to hit her sometimes. However, April, as always fragile, defends her husband by taking responsibility and thus justifying Robert's behaviors. Paul is incredulous and furious with Robert and urges the woman to leave her husband and return with him to Genoa City. The woman, however, refuses the invitation, reminding Paul of all that Robert has done for her, not least the adoption of Heather, who is in the dark about Paul's true paternity. Paul agrees to keep the secret from Heather, but does not fail to clash with Robert, telling him to stop doing violence to his wife. Between the two of them a quarrel is immediately triggered that only the presence of April and Heather manages to stop. Paul, listening to April's prayers and to the reassurances of their neighbor Ronald Tanner who swears, lying as Robert's friend, that he has never heard any screams or noise coming from their apartment, gives Robert a second chance, deciding to return to Genoa City not before warning Robert for the umpteenth time.

1992 (#31) - Paul's weekend with Lynne and a visit from April and Heather

The very long wait to see her feeling towards Paul crown into a romance, finally seem to come true when Lynne receives Paul's proposal to go skiing on a weekend in Aspen. Paul's faithful secretary, Lynne, enthusiastically accepts the invitation, hoping that this will be the beginning of a long sentimental journey. In reality, Paul seems to be anything but ready for a relationship with Lynne, wanting to stay on vacation for a few days for the sole purpose of chasing away his sad thoughts; Paul, in fact, is distracted by the fact that that day is the birthday of his daughter Heather, whom he misses very much. All of Lynne's expectations for this vacation, however, are betrayed by the facts, since everything goes wrong. First of all, the woman sprains her ankle during a descent and is forced to stay for days in the emergency room. Moreover, while Paul is assisting her, he finds himself thinking about April and Heather, whom he hasn't seen in years and whom he misses very much. Paul's thoughts are interrupted by his mother Mary, who urges him to return to the city, as April and her daughter have come to visit them. Lynne and Paul immediately return home where Paul can finally embrace his daughter and his ex-wife. Mary does everything she can to bring April and Paul closer together and convince them to get back together, but it is Paul himself who apologizes for his mother, saying he doesn't want to complicate things for April. April, in fact, has already informed Paul that she has just gotten married to Dr. Robert Lynch, something that disappoints Mary, who doesn't hide that she had hoped for a reunion between the two. The woman, however, despite Paul's many questions, seems reticent and reluctant to talk about her life in New York, seeming rather intent on knowing all the news that has happened in Genoa City in recent years. At the end of the stay, Paul says goodbye to April who leaves leaving the man very perplexed, convinced that the woman has kept something important about her life from him.