In Eric's office, Hope stood in shock, and Douglas asked if he'd done anything wrong. Thomas assured Douglas he hadn't. Hope guessed that Thomas had returned because he was engaged. Thomas nodded, saying he'd proposed, and Paris had accepted. Paris remarked that they'd kept things private, and Thomas added, "To give it time."

Hope asked when and how. Paris explained that she'd already moved to International and had been working there when Thomas had relocated. Thomas and Paris had begun hanging out, and Paris had taken Douglas out. Douglas told Hope that she didn't have to worry; he knew his father, and his father really loved Paris. "This is for real," Douglas added. Paris decided to leave with Douglas and give Hope and Thomas time alone.

After Douglas and Paris had gone, all Hope could say was, "Wow." Thomas said he'd planned to tell her, but it hadn't seemed like news to reveal over the phone. Hope reeled, talking about how wrong she'd been about Thomas' return and how happy she'd been because she hadn't had to worry anymore. She'd really thought he'd returned to restart their life together.

Thomas noted that "this" was why he'd wanted to tell her in person. Upset, Hope said she hadn't even known he'd been dating. "He called Paris 'Mom'!" Hope accused. Thomas replied, "Well, we're gonna be married, so..." Hope asked why Thomas was doing it. He replied that Paris was an incredible woman, ambitious, creative, and loving. Hope asked if Paris cared that he'd been engaged to her sister and had proposed to Hope a short time back.

Thomas said Paris knew it and knew why he'd left Los Angeles. "Because of your feelings for me!" Hope seethed. He added that it had been his need to move past them. Hope seethed that getting married so quickly wasn't how it worked. "You know what doesn't work?" he asked. He said being in love and getting turned down over and over for marriage. He'd had to take that dream and throw it away. Hope claimed there were other ways to be committed.

Thomas agreed but said Paris wanted to be his wife. "Of course, she does!" Hope screamed. "Look at all you have to offer, Thomas. Any woman would be lucky enough to -- and I -- just wasn't ready..." she said, sulking. He replied that he knew it. While a part of him would always love her, he'd had to move on. She'd given him no choice.

Hope was sorry for hurting Thomas, but she hadn't meant for him to leave. Thomas said he'd had to leave. Hope screamed that he'd run, but he could have stayed to work it out. Thomas replied that she'd turned him down and hadn't wanted to marry him. Hope cried that he'd known that she'd needed time -- and he was already engaged.

Thomas explained that Paris wasn't a random person, and he'd known her for a while. Hope asked if he'd forgotten what she and Thomas had shared. Thomas hadn't forgotten anything, and he'd never forget what they'd had. She asked how he could move on so quickly with someone else as if they'd been nothing. "Paris and I have something special, too," he said. Hope claimed she really wanted to be happy for him. He said he wasn't asking for that. He'd just needed her to know.

In disbelief, Hope stated that Thomas had been her constant and north star. When her life had been upside down, she'd known she could look to him. He'd been steadfast in his commitment and devotion. "A one-woman man. You still are, aren't you? Only that woman isn't me anymore, is it?" she asked. Hope asked if he was sure he loved Paris.

Hope pressed Thomas, eager for him to say the words. Thomas replied that he'd asked Paris to marry him. Triumphantly, Hope said he hadn't answered her question. "Yes, I did, Hope," he replied. Hope scoffed when he said he hated to see her that upset. She asked what he'd expected. Thomas told her that she'd turned him down twice. She noted that he'd then asked someone else. He bit out that, sometimes, one had to ask a few times to get the answer one wanted. "From Paris," Hope replied.

Hope said what Thomas had with Paris wouldn't be close to what she and Thomas had shared. It had been unlike anything she'd ever known. Their sparks and connection in Rome hadn't been a temporary thing. It had been real, and they'd created something beautiful, deep, and true. Hope cried that a man had never moved her the way he did. She knew that he felt it, too.

Hope claimed they had potential, and she recalled that no one could break what they shared. She said they had a future together if Thomas wanted it, and he could choose a different path. "You don't have to marry Paris, Thomas. Please don't go through with this," Hope begged.

In the design office, Steffy decided not to fight Ridge on Hope's line, which had once been innovative and creative. She was sure their newest executive member would agree with Ridge to give it more time, "and so we will." Ridge said Hope and her line deserved it. Steffy replied that R.J. and Zende were doing their best, but it hadn't been the same without Thomas.

Ridge agreed but said it could be again. Zende's experience was key, in Ridge's view, but Steffy said Hope was in charge, not Zende. Steffy concluded that Hope hadn't had great judgment, and Hope had been off the rails ever since Thomas had left with Douglas.

Steffy and Ridge debated Hope's intentions about marrying Thomas. "Well, who was right? And now Hope resents me for it," Steffy concluded. Ridge noted that Hope and Steffy were at each other about all kinds of things. Steffy insisted that it hadn't been her fault Thomas had gone, and Thomas had said that she'd been right. Ridge asked if she'd talked to her brother. Steffy said she chatted him with a lot and had video calls, too. Ridge said Paris had been good to Thomas and Douglas. "You can say that again," Steffy quipped.

Just then, Douglas rushed in, and Steffy exclaimed that they'd just been talking about him. Ridge said he'd talked to Thomas the other day and hadn't heard Thomas and Douglas would be there. Douglas explained that it had been a surprise, and Thomas' fiancée was there, too. Ridge was instantly confused, but Steffy said, "What? They're engaged?"

Ridge asked who Thomas had been seeing. "Me," Paris said, striding in. Steffy cooed, hugging Paris, and Ridge ascertained that Steffy had known about it. Douglas was disappointed that he'd given it away again, but Paris said it was okay because they were all excited. Ridge stated that he hadn't even known Paris and Thomas had been dating. Douglas remarked that his father was happy, and he was, too. "Dad loves her a lot," he added. Paris replied that she loved them, too, and she reminded Douglas about his desire to see Charlie.

Douglas left, and Steffy told Ridge that it hadn't been her place to say anything. She'd known about Paris and Thomas, just not the engagement. Paris explained that she and Thomas had reconnected when he'd moved. Ridge replied that Thomas hadn't mentioned any of it when Ridge had visited, and Paris explained that Thomas had wanted to focus on being with Ridge and hadn't known how Ridge would react after how fast everything had been moving.

Paris said that she and Thomas had bonded over their desires to improve themselves and the world as much as they could. Thomas had been sad his first few weeks in Paris and without the spark she'd remembered of him. At first, she'd been just trying to cheer him up, and she'd refused to let Thomas go through another dark chapter in his life. She'd seen how strong Thomas was and how beautiful he could be. She said he could depend on her, and they'd formed a profound connection. She loved Thomas and knew that he loved her.

Ridge and Steffy were still stunned by the news. Steffy said Thomas had raved about Paris but had never mentioned marriage. Paris replied that he'd wanted them to announce it together. Paris explained that Thomas was with Hope, and Ridge asked if Hope knew. Paris replied that it was hard to ignore her generous engagement ring.

Steffy assumed it had been a shock to Hope. Paris replied that it was why she'd given Hope and Thomas time to talk. Steffy questioned if that had been wise, due to their history. Steffy wasn't sure Hope was ready to let go of Thomas. Paris stated that, in the past, she might have been concerned about it -- and maybe insecure -- but she'd come to believe in Thomas' love for her. It was why she'd agreed to marry him. Paris was certain that he was finally over Hope.

• Poppy tries to make peace with Li

• Hope tells Brooke she'll put a stop to her feelings for Finn

• Ridge tells Steffy that he wants Brooke on the executive team