Victor Newman may be preparing to hit Jabot with a weapon Jack Abbott never saw coming — because Victor learned how to use it more than two decades ago. With Vibrante’s big debut approaching and another Newman-Abbott corporate war exploding, Diane Jenkins Abbott could be the first person to realize that Victor isn’t simply trying to make Vibrante stronger. He may be preparing to weaken Jabot before Nikki Newman’s company ever enters the real fight.
That distinction changes everything. Jack has been surprisingly confident about Jabot’s chances against Vibrante, treating the younger cosmetics company as something that shouldn’t seriously threaten the Abbott empire. Diane has been far less comfortable. She understands that Vibrante doesn’t have to fight Jabot alone when the enormous power and resources of Newman Enterprises are sitting behind it.
Diane has also warned Jack about the biggest danger in this entire battle: Victor himself. Nikki may want to run Vibrante independently, but Diane knows Victor’s history too well to believe he will quietly watch while an Abbott company humiliates something connected to his family. Now Victor’s revenge against the Abbotts is moving forward, making Diane’s warning look increasingly important.
But Victor could be planning something far more vicious than a normal corporate attack.
More than 20 years ago, Victor discovered a devastating weakness in Jabot. He didn’t need to create a better cosmetic product to hurt the Abbotts. Instead, Victor went after the business machinery surrounding Jabot — including the retailers responsible for putting products in front of customers. The resulting battle contributed to a brutal financial period for the Abbott company.
Diane has a reason to remember that history better than almost anyone. She was around during that dangerous chapter and even put her own money into Jabot while the company was struggling. That means if Victor starts repeating pieces of his old strategy in 2026, Diane could recognize the warning signs long before Jack understands what is happening.
And Victor wouldn’t necessarily have to repeat his old scheme exactly. The cosmetics business has changed dramatically in 23 years. Retail shelves are no longer the only battlefield. Advertising platforms, digital exposure, distribution partnerships, influencers and exclusive promotional agreements can determine which beauty brand reaches customers first.
That is where Vibrante suddenly becomes much more dangerous.
Audra Charles has already made exclusivity part of the conversation surrounding Vibrante. Her patents have value, but her demands have also highlighted how valuable access and visibility can become when launching a cosmetics company. Victor could take that same principle and turn it into something much larger.
Instead of ordering Nikki to attack Jabot, Victor could quietly use Newman Enterprises’ enormous influence around Jabot.
Imagine Jack discovering that an important advertising opportunity has suddenly disappeared. Then another distribution partner becomes difficult. A major promotional opening goes somewhere else. None of those moves alone would prove Victor was responsible, but together they could begin squeezing Jabot exactly when Vibrante needs room to enter the market.
That would also give Victor the perfect defense against Nikki.
Nikki has made it clear that she wants to run Vibrante herself. Victor could technically honor that demand while still destroying her biggest competitor. He wouldn’t have to touch Vibrante’s management, products or launch strategy at all.
He would only have to touch Jabot.
That could be the loophole Diane sees before everyone else.
Jack may keep watching Nikki and Vibrante, waiting for their next corporate move, while Diane begins noticing something happening outside the company. She could realize that Jabot isn’t simply losing opportunities by coincidence. Someone may be quietly changing the battlefield before Vibrante even officially arrives.
And then the 23-year-old memory could hit her.
Victor has done this before.
The most frightening part is that Victor doesn’t need Vibrante to defeat Jabot. If he can damage Jabot’s access, visibility or business relationships first, Vibrante only has to debut while its biggest rival is already bleeding.
That realization could finally put Victor and Diane directly against each other.
Diane warned Jack that Victor wouldn’t stay out of this war. If she uncovers his strategy first, she may decide waiting for Jack’s permission is too dangerous. Diane could start fighting back on her own, potentially creating exactly the kind of secret retaliation Jack fears.
Victor may think he is reopening an old Newman-Abbott playbook.
What he may not expect is that Diane remembers the last time Jabot nearly paid the price.
And if Diane realizes what Victor is doing before Jack does, Vibrante’s upcoming debut may become something much bigger than another cosmetics launch.
It could become the opening shot in Victor and Diane’s nastiest war yet.
