Carter learns the truth about Liam, while Liam receives an update on his condition in The Bold and the Beautiful recap for May 21, 2025.
We begin today at Carter’s (Lawrence Saint-Victor) house, where Hope (Annika Noelle) tells him he’s the man she wants to spend her future with. “Not Liam?” he asks.
At the hospital, Liam (Scott Clifton), Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) await Grace (Cassandra Creech, who has news. Steffy is eager to hear if there has been a development. Liam asks if there’s a way to save him
In the office, Daphne (Murielle Hilaire) pulls up a picture of Carter on her phone and thinks back to her conversation with him about how he and Hope aren’t meant to be. Zende (Delon De Metz), Will (Crew Morrow) and Electra (Laneya Grace) walk in to talk about ideas. Electra proposes they do a fragrance line tied to gemstones. They quickly realize Daphne is not listening to them.
Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) tells Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) that she’s still amazed Hope and Steff are not fighting anymore. Certainly, if they can do it, so can Brooke and Ridge. Ridge doesn’t look so sure.
Will asks Daphne if she heard the news about Hope’s return? Zende says she’s back with the company, which shocks Daphne.
Ridge says Steffy is stubborn and Brooke teases about where she gets it. He ignores the jab and says that she wouldn’t do anything without a reason. “Maybe something happened,” he muses.
Finn asks if Liam’s prognosis changed, but Grace says the latest scans confirm that the mass on his brain is still inoperable. However, there is a possible treatment that could delay the impact, but it would have serious implications on his quality of life.
Carter wants to understand what Hope is saying, given that she was pledging her love to Liam. She tells him that what he overheard is not at all what he thinks.
Brooke is thrilled that their daughters’ feud is coming to an end. Ridge says it’s what every parent would want, and they both say it would be nice to be able to work together. Katie (Heather Tom) walks in and Brooke tells her she was just reminding Ridge they will always be each other’s destiny.
Daphne is shocked that Steffy reinstated Hope. Zende realizes this is the wrong time to pitch an idea and they hope that Daphne can get along with Hope. Daphne says the company is better off without Hope, as is Carter.
Grace explains that Liam would be a great candidate for a treatment that would give him more time. Liam asks about the side effects? Grace explains that after many consultations they have come up with a plan that could extend his survival time. However, it’s not a guarantee and people react to it differently. The side effects could make him worse, too. Finn explains all of the side effects to him and Liam is even more perplexed; at first he had no options, but now he has an “impossible” option that could give him more time but ruin his quality of life for the time he gets back.
Carter thinks he heard Hope making a commitment to Liam. Hope begs him to trust her. She admits she told Liam that she wants to spend every moment with him, but it’s not what Carter thinks. She says Liam doesn’t know how much time he has left because Liam is dying. Carter is stunned.
Brooke will never forget the way Ridge looked at her on the runway. The whole world saw how much they love each other. Brooke leaves, and Katie says her sister isn’t wrong.
Zende knows Steffy was adamant that Hope wasn’t coming back. Will admits they’re all excited about having Hope back, and Zende agrees. When Electra adds that Hope has been missed by Carter, Daphne doesn’t look happy.
Steffy points out that the doctors can give him more time with his daughters, but Liam wonders if it’s worth the cost of not being able to get out of bed or having to stay in hospitals. Grace says they have time to think about it and she tells him to reach out with questions. Finn thanks her for her hard work. Once they’re alone, Steffy begs Liam to say something. Finn acknowledges it’s a difficult decision because the very thing that could give him more time could impact the quality of his life.
Hope says Liam didn’t want anyone to know and she feels so helpless. That’s what she was saying to him, that she and Beth need to spend time with him because they don’t know how much time he has left. She breaks down in tears and Carter pulls her in for a hug as she sobs.
Ridge asks Katie if she’s going to say the same thing as Brooke? But Katie says it’s all true and they are meant to be together. Nothing will ever change that, she says.
Brooke finds a brochure from the fashion show and smiles as she thinks back to the runway, when the audience cheered when she and Ridge appeared on stage.
Liam tells Steffy he knows she’s coming from a place of love, but all he can think about is the suffering his mother went through during her cancer treatments. Does he want that experience for Kelly and Beth? Does Steffy? Steffy says she just wants their daughters to have him as long as possible. She begs him to get the treatment. Liam turns to Finn, who nods solemnly.
Zende walks back into the office to check on Daphne. He knows she’s struggling because she’s in love with Carter.
Hope says she’s still in shock. She explains how they found a mass on Liam's brain and there are no options for him. Carter can’t imagine how hard this has been for her, and for Liam. He says she’s not going to do this alone and she can lean on him. Hope doesn’t want to waste time when it comes to the people she loves. She begs him to put everything behind them and start over. He promises to be the man she needs and deserves. He’ll be her rock, and he’ll never question her love for him ever again. They share a passionate kiss.
The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS and the following day on Paramount Plus. Check your local listings to see when it comes on where you are.
