Veronica flees to Barbados, where she's intercepted; Reese strikes a final blow against her foes as she, Tom, Peyton and Nick plan a lavish double wedding. Meanwhile, Sam's past puts Cassie in jeopardy; Edward works to clear his name; and as one couple find their honeymoon plans altered, another wind up at the altar.
Sam's sobriety is put to the test after he recalls his tortured past; Reese makes Tom a miserable married man; Veronica and the Burtons have a showdown that results in a dog of a deal; and Nick's inheritance sends one woman packing as another settles into his apartment. Meanwhile, Lane helps out a friend in need.
Sonny Lee declares her tie to Nick's family - which Tom and Peyton instantly try to sever; Lane and Cassie set out to unite their feuding beaus; and Rita tells Edward the ""truth"" about who was behind the photos. Meanwhile, Reese gets a nasty piece of mail; Peyton's latest scam backfires; and the Burton marriage crumbles-again.
Reese gets more than she expected during a romantic getaway with Tom-thanks to excessive drinking and Peyton's quick thinking; Lane seeks help in kicking her drug habit and gets a sponsor who turns out to be problematic for Dean. Meanwhile, Veronica and Nick set into motion their plan to destroy the new Burton regime.
On the day of Lane and Dean's wedding, Peyton steals away for a close encounter with Nick; Edward and Veronica almost get caught in a steamy engagement of their own; and the bride tries to numb her cold feet by mixing drugs and alcohol.
Reeling from Nick and Reese's reunion, Peyton turns to Tom to make the new lovers pine for former flames; Lane continues to investigate Burton Industries while on a steady diet of painkillers. Meanwhile, Reese makes herself the company's new partner; and Cassie's sting at the River Run factory collapses, endangering her father.
Reese recovers her mother's lost will-giving her half of Burton Industries. But she may lose Nick, who spends a steamy night alone with Peyton. Meanwhile, Lane's story on Edward places her and Dean in harm's way; Cassie begins to exploit her roommates for information on the Burton family; and Reese has a run-in with Veronica.
Peyton schemes to keep Reese from Nick-and his fortune; Wheeler is reunited with his daughter, whose homecoming is shrouded in mystery; Reese learns her mother's dying wish. Meanwhile, Lane clashes with her publisher on a story about the closing of a Burton factory.
The newly elected Edward campaigns to persuade Reese that Nick is a gold digger; Lane's work with Terry unsettles Dean; and Peyton is snagged in her own trap when she tries to land a loan from Charles. Meanwhile, Tom recognizes Veronica's assassination ruse; and the riverboat's new owner and Reese get caught in a deadly revenge plot gone awry.
Peyton becomes a pawn when some racy photos of her with Nick land in the wrong hands; Jason's reaction to Lane and Dean's engagement causes concern for all; and Nick gets a new job - plus a role in his employer's fantasies. Meanwhile, Reese learns of the part Tom played in getting her drug charges dropped; and Peyton has it out with both of her blackmailers.
A tragedy ruins the captive Lane's hopes for escape; and Eleanor sets out to tarnish Peyton's image, although Brian's father takes a shine to her. Meanwhile, Tom makes a deal to implicate Veronica in Reese's drug bust; Nick and Peyton learn of the emerald's whereabouts; Dean and Reese grieve together after a friend's ""death.""