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.

Dan's search for Stephanie takes him to Eden where Jilly is moving in. It is there that a phone call from the police alerts Dan to Stephanie's reported drowning after her belongings were found on the beach. With her sister dead, Jilly calls an end to her deal with Olive. Jessica blames Jilly for Stephanie's death before Jilly faces the press who question her about the rumours surrounding her adversarial relationship with her sister. Jake arrives hot on the press' heels to confront Jilly for playing a role in Stephanie deciding to take her own life. Jilly's admission to getting Dan into her bed prompts a violent response from Jake but a gun-wielding Olive intervenes.

Stranded and out of communication in the outback after his car breaks down, Tom purchases an old car to continue his trip home. Sarah struggles to understand her mother's decision and finds comfort from Angelo. Jilly informs Dan that Stephanie saw the two of them in bed the night before and died believing the two were having an affair.

Jilly threatens Jake with legal action over his assault and blackmails him into giving her a seat on the company's board of directors. Dan confesses to Sarah his role in driving Stephanie to her death. However, on another beach, Stephanie rouses after her "rescue" which amounted to her pulling her would-be rescuer, John Ryan, out of the ocean. She denies ever intending to kill herself and the pair set off on foot.

Believing Stephanie to be dead, Jilly demands Philip's inciminating audio cassette from Jessica who threatens to take it to the police. Olive makes a fiery threat of her own to obtain the tape. While trekking through the bush, Stephanie tells John about her financial woes and he suggests there could be a benefit to her in staying dead. Driving back to the city, Tom loses control of his car and crashes.

Dan angrily confronts Jake at Harper Mining for his role in Stephanie's suicide but Jake reveals to him how Jilly manipulated him into bed. As two men who both loved Stephanie, they vow vergenace on Jilly but Dennis calms Dan down to keep him from doing anything drastic. Olive presents Jilly with Jessica's audio cassette but Jilly still pushes Olive out of her life, deciding to replace her with a new butler.

After Tom is picked up by an ambulance team, Rena informs Dan of the news that Tom will need emergency surgery and asks Dan to do it. Stephanie and John stumble upon a telephone and John tells to Stephanie to remain "dead". As she makes her call she reflects on recent events and decides to do so... at least for now. Sarah blames Tom's accident on him not being willing to accept the "truth" about Stephanie being her mother. Jilly welcomes her new butler, Michael, and agrees to let Cassie stay on at Eden. Spurned, Olive turns her dark hand to Jilly, slipping a snake into her breakfast tray.