Monday, November 2, 2026

Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) filled Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) in on the latest rumor that Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings) was pregnant. Soon after, Naomi Hamilton-Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit) and Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla) joined them to discuss their doubts about Lawson’s claims, and Andre Richardson told them to prepare for the possibility that their former stepmother was telling the truth this time.

At Garland Memorial Hospital, Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) arrived to meet Lawson for her ultrasound appointment. After Dr. Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) confirmed the integrity of the doctor who would be handling Lawson’s appointment, the criminal defense attorney joined his second ex-wife in the exam room, where they had a brief, tension-filled exchange.

Congressman Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) and Bradley “Smitty” Smith (Mike Manning) were pleasantly surprised to see Tyrell Richardson-Smith (Jaden Lucas Miller) home from school to support his father on election day.

Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) gave kudos to Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis) for helping to repair the damage done to Congressman Richardson’s campaign after Smith’s arrest. The married couple decided to throw a small election watch party for the family.

Back in the exam room, the doctor arrived to start Lawson’s ultrasound. She confirmed the heartbeat, and the fetus’s length put Lawson in her second trimester. Bill Hamilton immediately requested a paternity test, to which the former paralegal agreed. Head Nurse Shanice Johnson (Ernestine Johnson) collected DNA samples from the parents-to-be.

The Richardson-Smith siblings had breakfast at Orphey Gene’s, and Tyrell Richardson-Smith asked his sister to be honest about how their parents were handling Smith’s legal troubles. Samantha Richardson-Smith (Najah Jackson) said she’s confident in Hamilton-Hawthorne’s legal abilities, but still had doubts about the worst-case scenario.

Samantha Richardson-Smith worried their family would be torn apart if Smith was sent to prison. The Banneker University freshman told his sister it was his turn to care for her the way she cared for him in foster care.

At the Dupree mansion, Congressman Richardson thanked his grandparents for inspiring and supporting him over the years. Smith also expressed appreciation for his in-laws and thanked them for being great marital role models.

At Bill Hamilton’s office, the Hamilton daughters waited for their father to return with the outcome of Lawson’s appointment. Moments later, their father returned and shared the news that Lawson’s pregnancy was confirmed and they were waiting for the results of the paternity test.

Meanwhile, Dani Dupree and Andre Richardson discussed Lawson’s pregnancy and how it might affect the supermodel’s ex-husband and daughters. Dani Dupree told her husband that Bill Hamilton did not plan to be a part of the child’s life.

After she realized she was droning on about Bill Hamilton and Lawson again, Dani Dupree stopped herself and said she was tired of dealing with her ex-husband’s drama.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

The Richardson-Smith family prepared for the election night watch party as they waited for the results of Congressman Richardson’s tight race.

Meanwhile, Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) considered whether to attend the watch party at the Dupree mansion because of tensions stemming from Smith’s arrest, but ultimately decided it was important that Congressman Richardson knew he supported him.

The Congressman asked his sister, Kat Richardson (Colby Nixon), if she would be comfortable with Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) attending the Dupree election watch party. He made it clear he would only invite their half-sister if the ChelseaKat CEO approved and she agreed.

Initially, Eva Thomas thought she wasn’t invited to the watch party, but she later received a call from her brother, who confirmed that both she and Izaiah Hawthorne (Lami) were welcome. The Phoenix Street Free Clinic manager was hesitant until Congressman Richardson assured her that Kat Richardson was fine with her coming.

Vernon and Anita Dupree were concerned about Dani Dupree’s reaction to Lawson’s pregnancy, but their youngest daughter, along with Andre Richardson, assured them she wouldn’t get involved in Bill Hamilton’s latest mess.

Jessica Harris (Camryn Jade) came back to town to vote in the election and coincidentally ran into Tyrell and Samantha Richardson-Smith at Orphey Gene’s. Soon after, Francesca Belleclaire (Madison Alsobrook) arrived to escort her boyfriend to the Dupree watch party.

At the party, the Richardson-Smith siblings discovered an unfavorable AI-generated video of Smith, which also contained audio of Congressman Richardson stating his husband was framed.

Chelsea Hamilton then blamed Jacob Hawthorne for the negative public discourse, putting him on blast in front of everyone. Hamilton-Hawthorne, Izaiah Hawthorne and Kat Richardson defended the former undercover cop, but Chelsea Hamilton then exposed to everyone that her brother-in-law had told his wife that he didn’t believe Smith was completely innocent.

Dr. Nicole Dupree (Daphnée Duplaix) told Vernon Dupree she wouldn’t be upset if her son lost the election because he wouldn’t remain indebted to Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom), who would use the congressman’s office for personal favors. The psychiatrist told her father after the election that they must tell Martin Richardson about Lawson’s blackmail.

Moments later, Congressman Richardson’s opponent called him to concede the election. The politician kept his congressional seat, and his family and friends cheered him on.

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Devon Winters (Bryton James, Y&R) and Lily Winters (Christel Khalil, Y&R) traveled to Maryland to produce a song for the new Articulettes EP. Vernon Dupree greeted the sibling duo, and they took a moment to reminisce about the late Neil Winters (Kristoff St. John), who was a friend of the Duprees.

The Dupree patriarch told Devon and Lily Winters he was concerned about Leslie Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) being disruptive during the recording session, and asked Lily Winters to keep the Phoenix Street Free Clinic investor occupied and out of the way.

Eva Thomas and her mother had a small disagreement when the free clinic manager said she was meeting with Shanice Johnson to do wedding planning. Leslie Thomas warned Eva Thomas that she would not allow Johnson to take her place in her daughter’s life.

Meanwhile, at the coffee shop, Izaiah Hawthorne approached Kat Richardson and asked why she wasn’t at the country club helping Johnson and Eva Thomas. The Banneker University advisor sensed his friend was avoiding the meeting because of her longstanding issues with Eva Thomas.

Izaiah Hawthorne acknowledged that Kat Richardson wasn’t wrong for how she felt, but he hoped she could still find a way to forgive her half-sister. After leaving, Izaiah Hawthorne stopped by the Lakeview Casino to visit Joey Armstrong.

When Izaiah Hawthorne filled the casino owner in on the tension between Eva Thomas and Kat Richardson, Joey Armstrong advised him to stay out of it. The academic advisor also shared that people had accused him and Kat Richardson of developing feelings for each other, which he denied.

Back at the country club, Johnson and Eva Thomas waited for Kat Richardson, who was late to the meeting. Moments later, as Eva Thomas walked to the restroom, she found her half-sister in the lobby on her phone and lashed out.

After the heated exchange, Kat Richardson joined Johnson in the dining room. While discussing wedding ideas, the half-sisters started to trade insults, but Johnson quickly shut it down. After their future stepmother made up an excuse to leave, Kat Richardson and Eva Thomas eventually agreed on the wedding menu and even decided to have mocktails together.

Joey Armstrong advised Izaiah Hawthorne to pull back on his friendship with Kat Richardson to avoid further issues. The academic advisor argued that he shouldn’t have to end a friendship over a feud that started before he came back to town. This left the Lakeview Casino owner skeptical of Izaiah Hawthorne’s true feelings for Kat Richardson.

Finally, at the recording studio, Lily Winters was left speechless and starstruck when she met Anita Dupree. As the Articulettes’ session began, the Chancellor Industries owner, Leslie Thomas and Vernon Dupree watched Devon Winters work the soundboard.

Lily Winters comforted Leslie Thomas when she noticed her becoming emotional as her mother, Barbara Mitchell’s voice played over the track. The Articulettes ended their time in the studio on a high note, successfully recording their first song, honoring their late friend and groupmate.

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Dr. Dupree and Dr. Richardson discussed how to break the news to their son that Lawson was using the country road incident to blackmail Bill Hamilton into dropping her attempted murder charges. The psychiatrist was adamant that they tell Martin Richardson immediately so Lawson wouldn’t blindside him, but Dr. Richardson wanted their son to enjoy the election win a little longer.

Bill Hamilton got honest with his eldest daughter about his loneliness. After the divorce from Lawson, this would be the criminal defense attorney’s first time being single in over 30 years. Hamilton-Hawthorne told her father to embrace his freedom.

Lawson assumed Bill Hamilton would want full custody of the child once it’s born. She fantasized about happily exchanging her parental rights for a big payout from her ex-husband.

Meanwhile, Anita Dupree gave Leslie Thomas a picture of Barbara Mitchell and a scarf that belonged to her as a thank you for being on her best behavior during the studio session.

Eva Thomas worried her mother might have ruined the time at the studio and anxiously waited to hear the outcome. Later, Leslie Thomas dropped by her daughter’s condo and shared her experience. The free clinic owner reassured her daughter that everything went well, and she played a snippet of a song from the album.

Congressman Richardson was in the middle of having a romantic evening with his husband when his parents stopped by to deliver the news about Lawson. The politician put on a brave face, but when he thought he was alone, Smith saw him in distress.

Lawson dropped by Bill Hamilton’s office, confident her plan to take custody of their child would pay off big. Just as the paralegal tried to give him the custody agreement, Bill Hamilton blindsided her with the news that he would not play a role in the child’s life, even if he were the father, leaving Lawson completely stunned.

Friday, November 6, 2026

Hamilton-Hawthorne brought breakfast to Bill Hamilton’s office, and they discussed the possibility that he was the father of Lawson’s child. The civil attorney understood her father’s reasons for not wanting to be involved in the baby’s life and agreed to deliver the legal documentation for Lawson to terminate his parental rights.

At the Lakeview Casino, Vernon Dupree asked Joey Armstrong if he influenced the election results. The mob boss admitted he had dirt on Congressman Richardson’s opponent, but he didn’t have to use it because the Richardson campaign was successful.

At the country club, Heather Armstrong (Ashley Jones) joined Dani Dupree and Vanessa McBride (Lauren Buglioli) for breakfast. The Uptown owner told her friends she had heard about the situation with Bill Hamilton and asked Dani Dupree how she was handling it.

The supermodel admitted she was struggling to stay out of her ex-husband’s drama, but she did not want Andre Richardson to know her true feelings. Heather Armstrong asked why she was hiding her emotions, and Dani Dupree said her husband didn’t deserve to deal with her being constantly involved in Bill Hamilton’s life.

Nicole Dupree and Kat Richardson invited Chelsea Hamilton over to vent her frustrations about Lawson’s pregnancy. During the conversation, she received a text from Hamilton-Hawthorne saying their father had decided not to be involved in Lawson’s child’s life.

The ChelseaKat handbag designer said she was already mentally preparing to be a big sister and didn’t agree with her father’s choice. Chelsea Hamilton believed it could lead to a situation like Eva Thomas, who was raised to hate the Richardsons and Duprees.

Hamilton-Hawthorne and Lawson clashed when the civil attorney delivered the legal documents to her former friend’s hotel room. Lawson taunted Hamilton-Hawthorne about how easy she was to con and thanked her for giving her access to the Fairmont Crest community.

Giving the former paralegal a warning, Hamilton-Hawthorne said that she would get her karma. Before the civil attorney left, Lawson told her that, like Bill Hamilton, she didn’t plan to be part of the child’s life after she gave birth.

Later, Hamilton-Hawthorne stormed back into Bill Hamilton’s office, fuming after her tussle with her ex-best friend. While they theorized about Lawson’s next move, Bill Hamilton received a text about the paternity results.  

Viewers can watch “Beyond the Gates” on CBS at 2 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.