Eric’s Warning: Will Ridge Lose Brooke Forever?

The Forrester mansion glowed golden with late-afternoon light, but tension simmered beneath the polished surface. In the study, Eric Forrester looked at his son, his face lined with both tenderness and exasperation.

“Ridge,” Eric said, tone firm but loving, “you need to listen—truly listen—for once.”

Ridge sighed, tossing aside a sketch he was pretending to study. “Dad, I know what you’re going to say. I don’t need a lecture right now.”

“This isn’t about a lecture,” Eric shot back, rising from his chair. “This is about the woman you’ve loved most of your life. Brooke. And if you keep ignoring what’s right in front of you, you could lose her forever this time.”

Ridge’s jaw set. He was tired—tired of Nick’s games, tired of the push-pull of love and loyalty with Taylor, tired of feeling like he was losing control of his life. And yet every word Eric spoke sank uncomfortably deep. “Brooke made her choice, Dad. I’m engaged to Taylor now. Maybe it’s time to let the past stay in the past.”

But Eric wasn’t finished. “Don’t kid yourself, Ridge. You know your engagement to Taylor is standing on a weak foundation. This isn’t destiny. This is a misunderstanding—one you never let her explain. You twisted what happened, what Brooke did for you. She took over as CEO to save your company from Hope and Carter, and you made it into a betrayal. Then you turned your back on her—just like that. And ran to Taylor.”

Ridge’s brow darkened. “It’s not that simple.”

“But it is,” Eric insisted. “All because of the takeover. All because you wouldn’t listen to the one woman who’s stood by you over and over. Now, you think she’ll always be there, waiting? What if you wake up one day and she’s gone? What if she finally chooses someone else?”

Eric’s voice softened, his next words piercing. “What if you open your eyes, Ridge, and you’ve lost her? Forever.”

A heavy silence filled the room. Ridge looked away, but Eric pressed on, recalling a treasured memory from years past. “Remember the showstopper dress, Ridge? When Brooke walked on water at Portofino, all those years ago? She became the living vision of everything you two built together. I asked her to wear that dress, to remind you of your journey. Of your love. But I realize now—you need more than reminders. You need a wake-up call before it’s too late.”

As Eric’s words echoed, Ridge’s mind spun with images—Brooke laughing on the Italian coast, holding his hand, the fierce love in her eyes; the warmth, the forgiveness, the willingness to weather any storm. He thought of Taylor, too—steady, loving, safe—but something wasn’t right. Something was missing, and the edges of his heart ached with doubt.

“I know you, son,” Eric finished softly. “You chase after what you’re scared to lose. But if you keep denying your heart, one day, you really will lose Brooke. And this time—she won’t come back.”

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That night, under a velvet Los Angeles sky, Ridge found himself pacing the garden. The thought of Brooke—her laugh, her smile, the way she still looked at him sometimes—clawed at him. But so did memories of Taylor, her quiet strength, her gentle touch. Could he betray one again for the other? Was destiny just a word, or did it demand a price?

His phone buzzed: a message from Steffy.

Dad, Nick’s been in the office again. He’s taking Brooke on that yacht when everyone’s in Italy. Are you okay with this?

Ridge gritted his teeth. Nick Marone. His half-brother, his rival, Brooke’s old flame—now back in L.A., and already stirring trouble. Nick had thrown a wrench in Forester business, deliberately holding up a silk shipment just to get Brooke’s attention. Ridge knew every trick in Nick’s book. And now, after months away, Nick was making his play—for Brooke…and maybe more.

The week before the Italy trip, the Forrester and Logan households buzzed with anticipation and anxiety.

Donna beamed as she offered packing tips to Brooke. “Oh, it’s going to be so romantic! Naples, Capri, Rome—Brooke, you’ll glow!”

Brooke rolled her eyes, grateful for her sister’s optimism, but inside, nerves danced. She glanced at the ring Ridge had returned to her years ago—a promise half-kept, half-broken. She’d forgiven so much, too much, but could she keep waiting?

Katie, too, offered advice as they folded gowns. “You can never count out the magic of Italy, Brooke. Something incredible always seems to happen to you there.”

But what did Brooke want? The safe love with Ridge, if he’d let down his walls? Or the wild, unfinished story with Nick—a man who saw her not as a role, but as a partner in mischief and adventure?

The night before departure, Nick himself stopped by, confident and cocky as ever. “You know, Logan, I plan to make some memories with you in Capri that you’ll never forget.”

Brooke smiled, half-flattered, half-wary. “We’ll see, Nick.”

But Nick was undeterred. “Maybe it’s time to let fate decide. Or maybe I’ll just ask you myself—what do you want? The man who keeps you waiting, or the one who’s willing to throw it all away, just to win your heart again?”

Those words stuck in Brooke’s mind as the jet soared over the Atlantic, her heart thudding with anticipation and fear.

Italy dazzled with its ancient beauty: Naples a whirl of color and noise, Capri impossibly blue beneath the July sun. The Forrester team arrived in style, with hopes—and tempers—running high.

Eric, true to form, seized the moment to revive history. He arranged a private boat tour for the team, Brooke at the center—orchestrating, perhaps, a chance to jog Ridge’s heart again. Ridge, however, brooded at the rail, torn between resolve and rawness.

On the day of the showstopper event, guests gathered on the yacht for a gala that shimmered with promise. Nick sidled up to Brooke, more earnest than usual.

“You said you wanted a new journey,” he murmured, slipping a velvet box into her hand, “I want to be the man you start it with.”

Brooke’s breath caught. Did she dare open the box? Was it a ring?

Just then, Ridge stormed over, eyes blazing. “Stay away from her!” The argument that followed cut through laughter and music, a flashpoint of jealousy, grief, and love long denied. Before anyone could stop them, tempers flared—and then, as the yacht swayed, Brooke lost her balance. She tumbled over the side, plunging into the bright blue Capri waters.

For a heartbeat, the world stopped.

In an instant, both Ridge and Nick dove in. They pulled Brooke up together, each man’s face a mask of fear and devotion. She coughed, gasped, then laughed—half-sobbing, half-thrilled to be alive.

On deck, shivering in towels and the sun, she glanced between them—one man a story unfinished, one a love that refused to die.

As Eric watched from the shadows, he saw it: Ridge’s eyes, filled with terror at losing her, and then relief, realization, and love so clear it hurt. Eric’s warning had found its mark. Ridge’s voice trembled more than Brooke’s.

“I can’t lose you,” Ridge said, voice breaking. “Not ever again.”

Nick said nothing, just squeezed her hand, a silent promise that, if she chose him, she’d never know regret.

And as the afternoon sun bathed the yacht in gold, Brooke knew: the tides of destiny had shifted. Someone would win her heart forever.

But for now, all three breathed in the magic of Italy, knowing that on these waters, anything—love’s redemption, heartbreak, or something altogether new—was possible.