Carter Walton believed he’d finally reached a turning point in his emotional journey with Hope Logan. After Liam Spencer—Hope’s long-time love—stepped aside and encouraged her to explore a future with Carter, it seemed the stars had aligned in Carter’s favor. For once, he allowed himself to believe that he might be the one Hope would choose. But that fragile sense of hope shattered the moment he overheard a conversation not meant for his ears. Peeking into Hope’s home, he saw Liam looking frail on the couch beside her—and then came the crushing blow: Hope confessed she never stopped loving Liam, calling him the only man she ever truly loved. The words hit Carter like a thunderclap, cutting through him with devastating finality.

Unable to face her, Carter withdrew, his dreams now reduced to painful regrets. In his emotional freefall, he sought comfort with Daphne, a woman who had long warned him about Hope’s emotional entanglement with Liam. Though Carter didn’t love Daphne, he welcomed the distraction. When Hope tried to reach out to explain, he ignored her, believing she had made her choice. But just as he was about to cement that choice, fate knocked—literally—on his door in the form of Liam, visibly weaker and emotionally broken. What followed was a truth no one expected: Liam confessed he was dying from an inoperable brain tumor.

The revelation redefined everything. Liam wasn’t fighting to win Hope back—he was trying to prepare her for a world without him. He told Carter that Hope still loved them both and would need someone to carry her through her grief when he was gone. Liam didn’t want Hope to feel like a burden or a consolation prize—he wanted Carter to love her for who she truly was. This confession ripped through Carter’s guilt and pride. All at once, he realized how much he’d misjudged, how harshly he had abandoned Hope, and how wrong he was in assuming she had chosen someone over him. Now, time was short—for all of them.

Meanwhile, Hope has been left in emotional limbo. Carter’s silence and his apparent closeness with Daphne sent confusing signals. Can she trust him again? Does she stay beside the man she’s always loved until the end, or dare she hope for a life beyond that pain with someone who once cherished her deeply? As the days pass and Liam’s health fades, every moment becomes more precious—and every decision more permanent.