What should have been the pinnacle moment for Forrester Creations — a glamorous fashion show in front of the fashion elite — took a dark, tragic turn that would haunt the Forester and Logan families forever.

Brooke Logan, the centerpiece of the show’s finale, was scheduled to unveil a gown designed exclusively for her — a symbol of rebirth, love, and a new chapter. But when she failed to appear on stage, Ridge Forrester sensed something was wrong. The celebration around him faded as dread overtook his heart. He left his seat and hurried backstage. The usual buzz was replaced with a haunting quiet. When he neared Brooke’s dressing room, smoke seeping under the door confirmed his worst fear.

Inside was a scene straight from a nightmare. The dressing room was engulfed in flames. Ridge spotted Brooke crawling through the smoke, coughing violently. Her dress was burned, her face blackened by soot. Ridge pulled her from the inferno just in time — but the horror wasn’t over. When he asked about Taylor, Brooke, gasping and sobbing, gave him the answer he never wanted to hear: Taylor was gone.

The fire department arrived, but it was too late for Taylor Hayes. Her loss struck like a bolt of lightning through the Forrester clan. She wasn’t just a former flame of Ridge’s — she was the mother of his children, a beloved figure in their family. As Ridge grieved beside Brooke, paramedics rushed her away. At the hospital, she lay unconscious, hovering between life and death.

Detectives and fire marshals began their investigation immediately. The show was shut down, the venue declared a crime scene. Rumors flew — faulty wiring, sabotage, or maybe something more personal. And the one person with the answers couldn’t speak.

But when Brooke finally woke, the truth spilled out in painful pieces. Taylor had confronted her in the dressing room, enraged after discovering that Brooke’s gown mirrored her old wedding dress with Ridge. Consumed by jealousy and pain, Taylor set the gown on fire. Brooke panicked, tried to extinguish the flames, but everything spiraled. In the thick of the chaos, Taylor suffered a heart attack. Brooke tried to save her, dragging her toward the door, but collapsed from smoke inhalation. Ridge’s arrival was the only thing that saved Brooke from joining Taylor in death.

The fallout was immediate and fierce. Steffy exploded with grief and rage, publicly accusing Brooke of murder. Hope, ever protective, defended her mother with fierce loyalty. Ridge stood at a crossroads, trapped between the memories of Taylor and the raw truth in Brooke’s eyes. Forensics supported Brooke’s version of events — the fire was intentionally started at the gown. It was not sabotage from outside, but an emotional explosion that turned deadly.

Now, the families are divided. Steffy and Thomas are shattered, unwilling to accept that their mother’s final act was one of rage and heartbreak. Ridge, tormented by what-ifs, drifts through his grief unable to fully move forward. Brooke, though innocent of malice, remains burdened by guilt and loss. And amid the ashes of their lives, nothing will ever be the same again.