Sarah is rushed to hospital by ambulance after her fall at the airport. Jake tries to convince Jilly that the land is worthless but she refuses to listen to him or his claims that Stephanie is still alive and behind the whole scheme. Jilly needs a futher $20 million to purchase the land and is encouraged by Cassie, whose stake in Tara's is tied up in the deal, to capitalise on her role at Sanders Investments to get the funds.

Jake leaks an overly dire story to the press about Sarah's hospitalisation in hopes of luring Stephanie out of hiding. As expected, Stephanie rushes to her daughter's bedside well aware she could be walking into a trap. Ahmal learns the truth about Sarah's condition and John rushes after Stephanie to stop her. Entering the hospital disguised as a doctor, John sees Jake and Jilly waiting outside and helps Stephanie get safely out of the hospital so when Jake and Jilly burst into Sarah's hospital room, Stephanie is no where to be found.

Jilly fails to convince Jake to take a vacation to clear his mind. Having accepted the truth, Sarah breaks the news to Angelo that Tom is not her half-brother, and that she still loves him, but Angelo refuses to give up on their relationship. At Sanders Investments, Bill takes Dennis aside and accuses him of being behind the thefts from the company but Dennis denies it. When Bill tells him Jake's ruthless layer, Anton, is taking over the investigation, a panicked Dennis goes to Cassie for help covering his tracks.

Jilly sends Ahmal and Tilitha an invitation to a Middle East meets West themed fashion show at Tara's with them as the guests of honour. Stephanie goes in Talitha's place with Ahmal for drinks with Dan and Jessica beforehand. Stephanie is taken aback to hear from Dan that he and Jessica will be married when the time is right and nearly gives herself away.

After Anton discovered Dennis to be behind the gold theft, Jake decides to not go to the police with the information and instead confronts Dennis directly as he is retrieving the stolen gold. At Sanders Investments, Jilly gets her hands on the company cheque book to obtain the extra $20 million. Johnno and Ahmal try to convince a despondant Stephanie that she can still win Dan back, reminding her that with Jilly on the verge of buying the land, sje will soon have all the money she needs to get her company back.

Jake shows up at Ahmal's hotel with Dennis demanding to see Stephanie. Met with more denials, Jake tells John to inform Stephanie that she must meet him at Tara's or he'll turn Dennis in to the police. At the fashion show, John encourages Jilly to move quickly if she wishes to buy the land before Ahmal. Ahmal's arrival pushes Jilly to sign the deal and begin her gloating. Tom tries to convince Sarah to leave Angelo but she tells him she's pushed aside her feeling for him and won't leave Angelo. Tom accepts her wishes and agrees to walk away.

Jake arrives at the fashion show and eagerly anticipates Stephanie's arrival. Jilly gleefully informs Jake of her successful purchase of the oil-rich land — and having used $20 million of company money to do so. As the fashion show continues, Ahmal informs Jilly the land she purchased is worthless and that Stephanie is still alive and is the beneficiary of the purchase price. Furious over the turn of events, Jake demands to see Stephanie but she is not disguised as Princess Talitha, instead, Stephanie walks down the runway and unmasks herself for everyone to see.

Jake fishes Jilly out of the swimming pool and revives her while Anton locates the incriminating documents inside the house. Jake promises to Anton he can keep Jilly from reporting him to the police and sends him back to the office. That evening, Jake tells a frantic Jilly that Anton would have used the photos against them but he paid him to go away, sidestepping her suggestion he put Anton up to poisoning her. Jilly tries to use her pregnancy to get Jake to marry her. Returning to the office, Jake tells Anton he needs to leave town and of his dream of having a male heir — at which point Jilly will once again become expendable.

Jake meets with Stephanie in her hotel suite and turns over all of the evidence against Dennis. He tells her of Jilly's threat to terminate her pregnancy if they don't marry and offers Stephanie once last chance to be with him and once again she turns him down. Her refusal reignites Jake's desire to fight her for the company.

Jilly confronts Jake at Sanders Investments, accusing him of having no intention of marrying her but he informs her the plans are in place for a wedding in one week's time. Johnno and Stephanie's flirtations continue. Dennis goads Jilly at The Bistro, informing her that Jake gave the evidence against him to Stephanie — and that he did so in one last attempt for Stephanie's heart. In an effort to help Stephanie find her lost son, Johnno offers his encouragement and refers her to Sister Bernadette. They are observed by an unidentified man.

Still being observed, Johnno and Stephanie go to see Sister Bernadette who, although initially reluctant to help, vows to have the information on her son the next day. Jilly wants Jake to help her syphon funds out of the company before they inevitably lose it to Stephanie. Initially skeptical of the illegal scheme, Jake's interest is piqued by the idea of having not just a name but a fortune to pass on to his heir. Instead of following Jilly's plot and jetting off to start new lives in Rio, Jake wants to win big betting on the Melbourne Cup.

Sister Bernadette informs Stephanie that her child's file is missing from their records. Anton meets with a shadowy figure and turns over the missing file in exchange for a sizeable cash payment. While Jake and Jilly are marrried in a simple and rushed ceremony, Stephanie and Dan agree to a clean divorce with Dan refusing to accept her offer to pay off the debts he incurred fighting for her company.

Sarah confronts Angelo over his decision to go back to boxing. With a first fight already on the cards, Angelo leaves to begin training. Jessica informs Dan she's been granted an audition for an acting role on a new telemovie. The possible job in Sydney would delay Dan's return to his island medical practice. An emotional Sarah goes to Tom to unburden herself of her woes over Angelo's return to boxing. She admits to now realising she can't make her marriage work because of her feelings for him — the only person she will ever love. Sarah seeks out Angelo at the gym to tell him of her decision to leave him but lacks the courage to do so. Tom has no such reluctance forcing Sarah to break the news herself.

Jake is stunned by Jilly's appearance at the stables with a briefcase full of money — the company payroll which she has stolen from the office. Angelo confides in Dennis that his reaction to nearly hitting Tom at the gym brought back his past boxing demons and he can never fight again. Having decided to end things with Stephanie, Johnno leaves town. At Eden, Stephanie suggests to Jake they avoid a lawsuit and settle their grievance by putting everything on the line in the Melbourne Cup. They both have horses running... winner take all. Jake can't resist.