Bill is rushed to hospital and placed in Intensive Care as Tom and Sarah struggle to come to terms with their new relationship status. Bill gives Stephanie a full explanation of her father's deception and explains how he put Tom up for adoption before he and Rena subsequently adopted him themselves to help ease their guilt.

Jilly enjoys telling Jake about Stephanie and Tom but he's not interested in the gossip and tells her not to leak the story to the press. In exchange, Jilly wants her shares back and Cassie out of Tara's. Jake returns the shares, having got what he needed out of them, but he won't get rid of Cassie.

Stephanie accuses Jilly of helping Jake citing how everything in her life has been going wrong since the day Jilly got out of prison. Jilly denies the allegation and blames Cassie for having gone behind her back to transfer her shares to Jake. Philip returns from Hong Kong and wants to know where Jilly's been while he's been away. She refuses to answer and storms out prompting Philip to call Cassie to arrange a meeting to discuss a note she sent him.

Stephanie confronts Jake in her old office at Harper Mining and vows to have him removed from the board. When she rebuffs his offer to work together, he shifts focus to getting her out of the company all together. Still recovering in hospital, Bill signs over his Harper voting rights to Tom. Cassie presents Philip with the original records of Jilly's stock transfer to Jake.

Stephanie pays a visit to Sheik Ahmal, a long-time friend and business partner, to tell him about her struggle to maintain control of Harper Mining. In light of Cassie's revelation, a drunken Philip demands the truth from Jilly who again storms out. Stephanie vows to be more careful with Jilly but Dan is upset by her unwillingness to simply walk away from the company.

Jake informs Stephanie that he'll be asking for her to be removed from the board of directors and she counters by telling him she intends to asks for a full inquiry from the stock exchange into how he obtained Jilly's shares. At the board meeting, Tom backs Stephanie but Dennis surprisingly votes against his mother, citing Tom as the reason, ousting Stephanie from her own company.

Jake and Jilly celebrate in his office but Philip eavesdrops and overhears Jilly admit to her misdeeds. Philip makess an audio recording for Stephanie warning her about her sister before taking his own life. Stephanie informs Sheik Ahmal that he is Tom's father.

Dan challenges Stephanie on her efforts to reunite the family, skeptical she's not just doing it to further her efforts to retake Harper Mining. Stephanie informs Dennis and Sarah that she's mortgaged everything and wants to purchase their shares to ensure their financial safety should her takeover plan not work out but Sarah and Dennis both agree to give her their shares. Still in hospital, Bill also turns over his shares and warns Stephanie about Jilly.

Stephanie laughs off the marriage proposal Jake makes prior to a joint television appearance during which she publicly embarasses him by revealing the backstage proposal. Tom tells Sarah he's going to Old Eden to search for information on Stephanie's child and she gives him the name of their old housekeeper. Cassie offers to help Stephanie after seeing her take down Jake on tv. Angelo asks Cassie out on a date.

Stephanie and Dan's latest fight ends with her admitting the importance of Ahmal's advice in deciding to fight for her company. After seeing Stephanie and Ahmal out for dinner together, Jilly correctly assumes they have a past together and rushes to inform Jake that Ahmal is Tom's father but Jake refuses to use the information to his advantage. Jilly then overhears Jake talking with his lawyer about Dennis' investigation into him and realises there may be more to Jake than she thought.

Jilly informs Dan that Ahmal is Tom's father but insists there is nothing more to their relationship now. Tom meets with Katey Basklaine, the Harper's old housekeeper, who puts Tom on to the nuns at the convent he was adopted from. Sarah tries to reassure Jessica about her appearance and refers her to Dan who is sure he can help with her scars.

Dennis meets with his private investigator who presents him with his initial report on Jake. Jilly is through the PI's door immediately afterwards to obtain the information as well — despite Jake's lawyer having payed him to keep quiet. Jilly tasks Olive with finding out the significance of a certain cemetary Jake visits.

Stephanie gains the support of the company's workers and buys back their shares thereby acquiring over 51% of the company. Olive observes Jake at the cemetary visiting his brother's grave. With Stephanie back in control of the company, Ahmal prepares to leave town but first declares his love for Stephanie.

Stephanie marches into Jake's office at Harper Mining wanting it back. He insists he has genuine feelings for her and proposes yet again, and again it falls on deaf ears. Before leaving, Jake drops a bombshell, revealing to Stephanie that he's placed the company in liquidation and transfered all of its assets to Sanders Investments, his own company.