THE SILENT SCREAM: BRIDGET FORRESTER’S MURDER UNLEASHES GENOA CITY’S DARKEST SECRET!
The deceptive morning sun shone golden over Malibu, casting a tranquil glow on the Pacific Ocean, but inside Finn and Steffy’s cliffside house, a gloomy darkness and a cold that no sunlight could warm had settled. The call, which shattered everything, came at 7:04 a.m. “We need you both to come to the coroner’s office,” Chief Baker’s solemn voice echoed, almost a whisper, yet Finn felt the thunderous weight of his words reverberating inside his chest. “A body is present. You should watch it.” No name, no other information, just pure, unadulterated dread.
Even after the call ended, Steffy remained motionless in the kitchen, phone still clutched in her hand. Her eyes met Finn’s, already tinged with unshed tears. Like electricity, the unspoken anxiety flowed between them. They understood without words that this was personal, not just another police formality. Every red light seemed to mock their nervousness as they navigated the gridlock of Los Angeles. Finn’s knuckles were bone white as his hands gripped the wheel tighter than necessary. Sitting next to him, Steffy stared out the window, but saw nothing. Her thoughts whirled with names, faces, and terrifying possibilities. Who might it be? Who would Baker call directly to them? And why? Who had suddenly vanished like a ghost from their lives?
THE UNTHINKABLE DISCOVERY: “NO, IT CAN’T BE HER!”
A gust of stale air, heavy with disinfectant and chilling dread, met them as they arrived at the county morgue. Only the soft clicking of the coroner’s sneakers broke the suffocating silence as he escorted them to the viewing glass. Finn’s footsteps were silent compared to his pounding heart. Steffy grabbed his hand, squeezing it until it hurt. They needed the pain; it was a reminder they were still alive.
Standing at the glass, Chief Baker’s eyes were weighted with more than just formality. He nodded slowly, then pointed to the window. “We weren’t certain. But there are personal consequences. You must observe for yourself.” Slowly, the sheet was drawn back. Steffy gasped. Her knees buckled. Before she could fall, Finn caught her, but he himself couldn’t hold it together. His world imploded as he saw her face: so quiet, so pale, so painfully familiar. His voice broke, trembling with shock, agony, and unadulterated fear. “No, no, no, she can’t be it. No!”
But it was her. Bridget Forrester. The bright doctor, Eric and Brooke’s daughter, Rick’s sister, Hope and R.J.’s cherished aunt—gone, dead, killed. And none had anticipated it.
The room spun around Finn. His medical intellect struggled to comprehend the situation. Bridget—a coworker, a confidant, a Forrester. She was more than just a person he knew; she was his married family. Only a few days prior, she had been at their home, giggling with the children, discussing a new study project they had been organizing. No indications of concern had appeared. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Now, Steffy’s cries reverberated off the chilling morgue walls as she sobbed hysterically. “She was just here! She was just here!” Her voice broke, shattered beyond repair. “She braided her hair and played with Kelly! Why?! Why?!”
A WEB OF SECRETS: BLACKMAIL, PATERNITY, AND A BURNER PHONE
After a brief, agonizing pause, Chief Baker handed Finn a sealed plastic bag. Inside was a phone, shattered but intact, a locket, and a piece of blood-soaked, ripped cloth. “This was discovered close to her body. It was far away up in the hills outside Mulholland. The body has no ID. However, she had this in her pocket.” He gestured at the locket. With trembling hands, Finn opened it. Inside was a small photograph of Bridget cradling her daughter Logan, whom she had shared with Owen Knight years prior. Next to it was another photo, an old one, showing her and Brooke smiling in the Forrester mansion, most likely taken more than ten years ago. There was no question. It was Bridget.
“However, why would she be outside?” Steffy’s voice was hollow as she whispered, “How come she was in the hills by herself?” Baker let out a sigh. “That’s what we’re looking for.”
Finn’s thoughts whirled. During his time working in trauma units, he had seen numerous bodies. But this was different. Bridget had been like a sister, a confidant. She had consoled him following his own gunshot. He recalled how she had helped him heal mental scars that could not be healed with a scalpel. And she was gone now. Taken. Killed.
“Did foul play occur?” Finn’s voice was low and threatening as he inquired. Baker gave a nod. “Indeed. Several injuries from blunt force, arm injuries for defense. There’s more though, something unsettling.” He led them to an evidence locker down a little hallway. A folder with the label “CONFIDENTIAL. PRIORITY” was within. “This was discovered in her vehicle, parked half a mile away from the body’s discovery site.” He gave Finn the file. “It’s an email printout from a burner account. Dangerous. Blackmail. She was being stalked.”
Finn skimmed the papers. The emails were eerie: “You believe that the past is behind you. It isn’t. I’ll stop you if you don’t stop your research. You will die with your secrets.” With wide eyes, Steffy peered over his shoulder. “What studies?” Finn shook his head. “I… I’m not sure. A few weeks ago, she made reference to a DNA anomaly. She discovered something in the medical records. She claimed to be looking into a number of paternity tests that were improperly filed. I assumed that was merely a mistake.” Steffy stopped. “Hold on. What do you think?” Both of them looked at Baker. Finn remarked, “Bridget was on to something. Something she wasn’t meant to find out.”
THE FORRESTER DYNASTY SHATTERED: ERIC IS LUNA’S FATHER?!
When Steffy returned home hours later, she was inconsolable. Bridget’s laughter reverberated throughout the home. Her final voicemail played repeatedly: “Hey Steffy, wait until you hear this! I have something crazy to show you! It concerns a person we both know. HUGE secrets. Come see me on Tuesday, will we?” They didn’t ever cross paths. Bridget did not appear.
Like a man under a spell, Finn paced the room. “What sort of secret might be valuable enough to kill for? A test for paternity. A cover-up? Could this have been done by someone in our family?” Steffy’s gaze expanded. “You don’t mean…” “Yes!” answered Finn firmly. “Anyone! I mean, there are more skeletons among the Forresters than there are in a cemetery. And if Bridget happened to find the incorrect one…” They pondered about Ridge to Brooke, even Taylor. Is it possible that one of them was defending someone or something?
The second call then came, from Hope. She sounded tremulous. “Then I must see you. In my mother’s safe, I discovered something. It has to do with Bridget. Regarding a piece of writing she did just before she passed away.” That night, when the sun had turned into a blood-red disc and was lowering itself into the horizon, they gathered at Brooke’s cabin. Hope gave them a page from her shredded diary. It said, “I’ve discovered who changed the tests. It was not a coincidence. It was intentional. And the explanation is that it transforms everything. The truth will devastate lives if anyone discovers it. However, I can no longer keep it a secret. To the child, I owe it.”
Steffy’s fingers were shaking. “The kid?” Hope gave a nod. “Bridget was looking into a baby. A new one. Someone who was born in the previous two years.” Finn went as pale as a ghost. “Luna,” he muttered. Suddenly, everything made sense. Bridget had been looking through the medical records. She was a part-time lab employee. She had witnessed Luna’s paternity test, which revealed that Bill Spencer was not the biological father. “However, what if… what if it was an incorrect test?” Finn whispered. “What if she discovered who Luna’s biological father was?!” Steffy gasped. “Oh my God!”
However, a rock broke their window just as the theory came together. It had a note linked to it: “Cease digging. Alternatively, you will be next.”
Another bombshell was released the following morning. With bloodshot eyes and a USB disc in her hand, Zende arrived at the residence. “I discovered this in Bridget’s hospital locker. She probably left it for you.” Finn connected it. A video rolled. Bridget’s voice was subdued as she appeared on film, obviously anxious. “I didn’t make it if you’re watching. Someone really wanted something buried, and I found it. There are two reasons why I think Luna Nozawa’s paternity test was tampered with. The true father is not who people believe him to be. It’s not Bill. It’s not Finn. It’s ERIC FORRESTER!”
Finn stumbled back. Steffy gasped, stunned. Hope covered her mouth. “I confronted the person who tampered with the file,” Bridget added. “They pleaded with me to keep quiet. Claimed that it would destroy lives. However, I couldn’t allow a kid to live a lie. I was forced to be honest. If I were killed, you’ll understand why.” The screen turned dark. The quiet was intolerable.
“Eric, Luna’s grandfather, is actually her father,” Steffy said, aghast. Finn’s mind was racing. “Someone who knew must have been close to Eric if Bridget was correct. An individual has access to the healthcare system. Someone who would kill to conceal the truth.” All eyes suddenly shifted to Poppy, Luna’s mom. She had a reason. She may get in. Additionally, she had never been clear about Luna’s birth.
THE “KILLER” REVEALED… OR IS SHE?! POPPY’S SHOCKING ARREST!
Poppy was detained later that evening while attempting to catch a flight to Tokyo. Police discovered a burner phone with the same number as the threatening emails in her suitcase, along with the same kind of gloves that were used in Bridget’s murder. Poppy sobbed when she was confronted. “I just intended to frighten her, not kill her. It was not her place to go out there by herself. I planned to meet with her, tell her everything.”
“However, you struck her!” Baker snarled. “You took her life! She intended to inform Luna!” Poppy sobbed. “I had to stop her from ruining everything! Eric isn’t even aware! Nobody is aware! Not even Luna!” Finn was sick to his stomach. Steffy fell into his embrace, and they realized this would permanently alter the family as they gazed at each other. Heartbroken and devoid of joy, Bridget had left. But in the center of the Forrester dynasty, her truth had set off a hidden bomb, and the consequences were only just getting started.
FORRESTER FAMILY EXPLOSION: TRUTH, LIES, AND BETRAYALS!
One of the worst nights in recent memory was the one following Poppy’s imprisonment. Normally ablaze with mirth and luxury, the Forrester mansion now was shrouded in sorrow and darkness. The news of Bridget’s passing had shaken the family like a rock, leaving destruction in its wake. When Hope told Brooke, she broke out in tears. Eric’s aged features were etched with shock as he stood motionless. Ridge’s jaw was so tightened that he was afraid it would crack. With a raspy voice, Brooke cried, “Bridget was my daughter, my darling, and she’s simply gone now!” Despite her best efforts, Hope broke down beside her mother and embraced her. “She didn’t die for nothing, Mom. She was attempting to preserve the facts. Luna had a right to know.”
Brooke’s head snapped up, bewildered. “The reality? What’s the truth?” There was silence in the room. Unsure whether to say it or not, Hope turned to face Steffy and Finn. She didn’t belong there. However, the facts could no longer be kept hidden. Finn nodded slowly. With a shaky voice, Steffy inhaled deeply. “Bridget discovered something. Luna’s paternity test had been tampered with twice. She found out. Bill Spencer is not the biological father. It’s Eric!”
The room blew up. Brooke flinched in disgust. “What?! No! No! That isn’t feasible! That isn’t possible!” Ridge blinked and stumbled back a step. “Eric, there is no logic to that! He is the grandfather of Luna! He is old enough to be…” Finn interrupted him. “Bridget spent weeks working on this. She discovered several altered medical documents. We now know that Poppy was the culprit. She was keeping everyone, including Luna, in the dark about the facts.”
After remaining mute for so long, Eric finally found his voice. It was barely audible and came out cracked. “I had a brief connection with Poppy many years ago, San Francisco. However, she kept her pregnancy a secret from me. Never, ever…” “And you didn’t wonder?!” Ridge incredulously asked. “I believed she had moved on. She was a young woman. Lovely. I assumed she didn’t care about my world. However, we stayed together for a few nights. That’s all. Then she was gone. It wasn’t until Luna entered the picture that I noticed her again.” Incredulous, Eric shook his head. “And you’re telling me now? Is Luna my daughter?!” The ensuing hush was oppressive.
Poppy, meantime, was sitting behind bars at the jailhouse looking terrified and without any grace or makeup. When Carter Walton, the family lawyer, paid her a visit, her hands trembled. He set a folder on the table between them and gave her a disdainful glance that was hardly disguised. “You face charges of tampering with medical documents, obstruction of justice, and second-degree murder, Poppy. This isn’t going away.” She sobbed, “I didn’t mean to kill her! All I wanted to do was frighten her! I reasoned that if she retreated and ceased excavating, everything may return to normal.” Carter remarked icily. “You took away someone’s daughter. A mom, a physician. Are you aware of the damage you have caused to this family?” Tears filled Poppy’s eyes. “I was attempting to keep Luna safe! My existence revolves around her! If she ever learned about Eric, it would have ruined her! She reveres her grandfather! How can I convince her that he is her biological father?!” Carter yelled. “You could have told the truth! You had the opportunity to come clean before it killed someone!” However, it was too late.
THE REAL KILLER’S SHOCKING TWIST: A NEW NIGHTMARE BEGINS!
Finn was sitting on the nursery floor back at the cliff house, clutching a teddy animal that Bridget had given Hayes. He was crying uncontrollably. He had lost someone who had helped him get through some of the most difficult times in his life, not simply a coworker. Steffy entered quietly and knelt next to him. She whispered, “You don’t have to bear this alone.” Finn gasped. “She was like a sister, and she lost her life while attempting to act morally. I ought to have paid attention to her. I ought to have kept her safe.” “You were unaware, Finn. We didn’t. However, she ensured that we would discover the truth. That is important.” They held on to one another as if the world were ending.
Luna was utterly oblivious to the impending storm as she sat in her car parked close to the beach across town. Hope had called her incoherently, requesting a meeting without providing any context. She attempted to divert her attention while she observed the waves by thinking back to Bridget’s generosity. The way she always found time for people, her gentle support, and the way she urged, “Don’t be afraid of the truth, Luna. The sole thing that will ever free you is this.” She was now plagued by those remarks.
Hope was crying when she eventually showed up. “Luna, she replied softly, “you must know something. It has to do with your mother and your biological father.” Luna gazed perplexed. “What are you discussing?” Hope inhaled deeply. “Bridget was killed and she lost her life attempting to learn the truth about you regarding your paternity. Luna, the DNA tests weren’t real. Your father is not Bill Spencer.” It was as if the earth had fallen away from Luna. “Fake?! What do you mean?! So who is?!” Hope said. “Eric. Forrester. Eric. Your biological father is him!”
“No!” Luna took a step back. “No, that isn’t possible! He’s my grandfather! That’s… No, that’s incorrect!” Hope reached out and murmured. “I’m so sorry. Bridget discovered proof. Your mom admitted to it.” Luna sobbed as she fell to her knees on the sand. “Why would she tell me lies?! Why would she not tell me about this?!” Her face was smeared with tears and salt when she looked up. “Bridget passed away as a result of me.” Hope firmly responded, “No, she died as a result of her bravery because, in her opinion, you should live a life founded on the truth rather than lies.”
The Forrester family experienced emotional turmoil in the days that followed. Eric insisted on seeing Poppy behind bars. Since the news broke, he had never looked her in the eyes before. With a mixture of sadness, anger, and anguish, he gazed at her, “What kept you from telling me?” His voice trembled as he asked, “Why did you deny me the opportunity to spend so much time with my daughter?” Chained to the table, Poppy could hardly look him in the eye. “I was afraid. As a Forrester, you were. I was nothing. I assumed you would want me to leave. I wasn’t even asked.” Eric’s voice cracked as he yelled. “You made a decision for us both! Now Bridget has passed away! My granddaughter passed away! Furthermore, my daughter never met me! Are you aware of your actions?!” Poppy started crying, but it made no difference. The damage was already done.
The board convened an emergency meeting back at Forrester Creations. Despite her sorrow, Steffy’s voice was firm as she stood at the head of the table. “We are honoring Bridget’s memory with the upcoming fashion collection. She was more than just a doctor. She was a graceful, strong, and elegant woman. She was a perfect example of what it meant to be a Forrester.” There was profound quiet around the room. Then Ridge spoke. “Additionally, we will be contributing to medical research in her honor to commemorate her legacy. For the truth, Bridget sacrificed her life. We must always remember that.” However, there was disagreement regarding how to handle Luna. After the meeting, a clearly frightened R.J. approached his family. “What is Luna’s current situation? She’s a Forrester. Does she have a place here anymore?” Before anyone else could respond. Eric entered the room and gave his response. “She is my daughter here. She will always be welcome!” Luna heard it all from outside the doorway. Tears streamed down her face, but she felt a sense of belonging for the first time in days.
The sun was obscured by heavy clouds on the day of Bridget’s funeral, giving the impression that the sky itself was in mourning. The ceremony was heartfelt, tasteful, and straightforward. Brooke’s voice was rough with tears as she delivered the eulogy. “She was my daughter. She was compassionate, gentle, and intelligent. Even when she was hurting herself, her goal was always to help others, and she’s gone now. However, I am aware that she is keeping watch over us wherever she is. She is also proud.” Finn placed a stethoscope on top of the casket as it was lowered into the earth. His quiet farewell, a gesture that would only make sense to her. Luna was the last to arrive. Shuddering, she placed a white rose and muttered, “I’m sorry, Bridget. I’ll figure out a method to fix it. I swear.”
The family was just starting to find serenity when it was completely upended by an unexpected, horrifying turn of events! Everything changed when Baker got a phone call back at the police station. The voice on the line said, “You might want to look at the case again. Bridget wasn’t killed by Poppy. She simply believed she did.” “What do you mean?!” Baker narrowed his brows and inquired. “Yes, she struck her. However, it wasn’t the cause of her death. The work was completed by someone else. Someone who stands to lose everything in the event that the truth is revealed!” The line died, and a new, even darker mystery was born. Because the real killer of Bridget Forrester is still out there. They were also observing, awaiting, all set to attack once more.
WHAT?! A SECOND KILLER?! Who do you think really killed Bridget and why?! And how will the Forresters react when they discover the true murderer is still at large?! Share your most shocking theories below!