Even before he was born, the guardianship of Douglas was a major topic of discussion.
Nobody expected Caroline to die.
Hope pushes Liam away at the time anyway because she can’t process the death of baby Beth.

Thankfully, Thomas slips up, and Douglas becomes the key to unraveling the horrendous scheme.
That isn’t good enough for Thomas.
Once that blows up, the decision becomes clear for Hope.

Douglas needs to be removed from Thomas' care immediately and live with her full-time.
When confronted or pressed by Ridge on multiple occasions, Brooke doesn’t understand what Ridge is hinting at.
Things initially work exactly according to plan for Thomas.

It doesn’t last long, though.


