A shroud of sorrow cloaks Genoa City as the Young and the Restless reels from devastating news—Victor Newman, the iconic and formidable patriarch portrayed by the legendary Eric Braeden, has tragically passed away. As fans grapple with the heartbreaking loss of this CBS titan, whispers of a deeper, more sinister game begin to echo through the storyline.

In the eye of the storm stands a shadowy figure—Aristotle Dumis, an elusive billionaire with no trace online, no photographs, no past… only secrets. The internet is ablaze with speculation: Who is this ghost in a tailored suit? And more importantly—who will dare portray him?

But one man knew Dumis intimately: Victor Newman. Longtime rivals, their clashes were whispered about in back rooms and boardrooms alike. Victor once confided in Michael Baldwin that every time he outmaneuvered Dumis, the mysterious billionaire would vanish. Yet this time, Victor wanted a final confrontation—he was deliberately baiting Dumis, even misleading Lily Winters to set his trap.

But here’s the chilling twist: What if Aristotle Dumis isn’t real at all? What if Victor, ever the master manipulator, invented Dumis as a phantom adversary—his ultimate smokescreen? His way of testing loyalty. Watching. Waiting. Plotting.

Billy Abbott received a mysterious message from Dumis—not the other way around. Could Victor have orchestrated it all to see if Billy’s pursuit of redemption with Abbott Communications was genuine? Or simply another vendetta masked in ambition?

Even Phyllis Summers and Sally Spectra, the two women who know Billy best, sense danger. Is Billy walking into another one of Victor’s traps—one he won’t escape from this time?

With Victor gone… or is he? One thing remains certain—in Genoa City, the dead don’t always stay buried. Stay tuned.