Y&R's Zuleyka Silver Knows Which Genoa City Power-Player Audra Really Fears (& We Don't Blame Her)

After decades of succeeding against everything life has thrown at her, Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) has become a power player in Genoa City on "The Young and the Restless." With her ruthless husband Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) by her side, and as COO of Newman Media, Nikki is certainly a force to be reckoned with. When Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver) first came to town with a mysterious agenda in September 2022, it was only a matter of time before she ended up in Nikki's crosshairs. In an interview posted on August 18, Silver told Soaps she was thrilled to work with icons Scott and Braeden, stating, "I have such immense respect for them and their work ethic. It always feels like they're both in my corner, and I so appreciate that, what with being the new person."

With the state of their businesses currently in flux, Nikki took time on the August 10 episode to size up Audra and see what she's really planning. Silver stated, "I'm not sure if maybe Nikki recognizes a part of herself in Audra. Or maybe Nikki admires Audra's brazenness!" She added that there are more exciting stories coming because "Nikki's not done trying to put Audra in her place!" After Audra had no choice but to explain to Nikki and Victor that Adam Newman was blackmailing her over a hidden scandal from her past at McCall, Silver noted, "This is the first time we've seen [Audra] rattled."

Audra Charles should be rattled on "The Young and the Restless." Her affair with Kyle Newman (Michael Mealor) has added some much-needed steamy scenes to the soap opera, but it has caused chaos and has destroyed Kyle's marriage to Summer Newman (Allison Lanier). Nikki was clearly scrutinizing Audra, not just in her words, but in how she looked at the newcomer. Feeling that pressure, Silver explained to Soaps that Audra, "Has inner conflict about her role in [the prior scandal], and that's clouding her judgment somewhat." The scandal in question occurred when Audra and Tucker McCall (Trevor St. John) covered up the fact that one of the recording artists they used to manage had allegedly been having sex with underage girls.

Audra, therefore, has great reason to fear that Nikki could destroy her career. Silver expounded on Nikki's mistrust, stating, "I think she's the only person on the canvas who has really been able to see through Audra and her tactics," adding the fascinating aspect that Nikki could fire her, but has yet to do so. However, Audra is extremely sharp, and if she's as clever and intelligent as they've been writing her, she'll see that having come clean with Nikki and Victor was the best thing she could have done to get them in her corner. In the long run, it would be advantageous for her to work with them, and it will be interesting to see how the story unfolds.