After months of mystery surrounding Nate’s disappearance, the truth comes to light when the lake—infamously known for a tragic limo crash—is dredged due to a slurry leak caused by John himself. What begins as an act of sabotage aimed at Mackenzie backfires in the worst way possible, forcing a horrifying secret to the surface.

Unbeknownst to the villagers, Nate had been dead all along, his body submerged in the icy lake ever since a fatal confrontation with paramedic John Sugden. In a twisted irony, John, known for saving lives, ended Nate’s during a rescue attempt gone horribly wrong. In a panic, he dumped Nate’s body and buried the truth.

Tragically, the only person who ever caught a glimpse of the body was Amy Barton, who saw Nate’s lifeless form beneath the ice just before she herself drowned in the same lake. Her death left John’s crime buried — until now.

With the lake being drained just days before his wedding to Aaron Dingle, John is plagued by guilt and paranoia. “There’s a lot of sleepless nights for him,” actor Oliver Farnworth revealed. “It’s just a big web that he’s created for himself, and he’s constantly putting out fires.”

As the dredging continues, the discovery of Nate’s corpse seems inevitable. And when it happens, John could face the wrath of Nate’s loved ones — especially Cain Dingle, who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth behind his son’s death.

As John teeters on the edge of fleeing or staying for love, fans are left wondering: will justice catch up with him before he can say “I do”?