As Anna grows increasingly weaker, she desperately tries to convince Frank and Nick to help end her pain. After Maggie dissolves in tears after a phone conversation with Michael, Tommy consoles her, revealing his true feelings for her. On a business trip to Chicago, Richard encounters a glamorous woman who is a dead ringer for Melissa. Pretending that it will help his ill mother, Richard convinces his new conquest, Samantha Ross, to return to San Francisco and impersonate Melissa. After Richard agrees to Samantha's hefty price, the deal is cemented.

As Pilar and Sinclair plot against Richard, Samantha and Richard continue to scheme against Angela, while Nick Agretti investigates the background of a forged document. When Lance discovers one deed too many in Angela's safe and burns the document, he is unaware that he has been observed by Pilar, who has joined forces with Sinclair to undermine Richard in his upcoming investigation by the S.E.C. Richard misunderstands Tommy's presence in Maggie's hotel suite. Samantha helps Angela to escape from one of Richard's ploys.

Having escaped with Samantha's help, Angela finds her family doubting her kidnapping story, but Pilar gains Angela's confidence with her plan to help her regain control of the Glenbraddoch stock. At the court hearing, Richard wins custody of the children. Angela agrees to protect Samantha from Richard's wrath and calls Lance to pick her up in San Francisco. However, Samantha disappears before he arrives. When Richard warns Pilar about opposing him, he plays a tape that has been edited to indict both her and Sinclair and which will exonerate Richard. Richard also obtains a warrant ordering Angela into custody for a psychiatric evaluation to determine her mental competency.

While undergoing observation in the psychiatric ward, Angela is harassed by other patients. Richard emerges triumphant in winning custody of the children but begins to have qualms about his relationship with Samantha, while Ben becomes increasingly despondent after the death of Anna. Maggie exposes the hospital's negligent treatment of Gabriel, while Nick continues his drive to regain Falcon Crest. Richard dupes Samantha into leaving for Paris. At her judicial review, Angela creates a scene that could prove detrimental to her case.

Having successfully frustrated Richard's plans by marrying Frank Agretti, Angela returns to Falcon Crest, where her family rallies to her side and plans are devised for Richard's total downfall. When Samantha returns to Chicago from Paris, Richard tells her to forget their association or she will have to pay consequences. Nonetheless, when Samantha arrives at Falcon Crest, she provides evidence that Richard was involved in Angela's kidnapping. Consequently, Pilar and Angela work with the S.E.C. to facilitate Richard's financial ruin.