There was a stretch not too long ago when Willow proved she could play the darker corners of Port Charles with more finesse than anyone expected. She wasn’t loud about it; she simply slipped into the Quartermaine mansion, shifted Baby Daisy’s position, swapped out her onesie, and let Sasha’s nerves unravel until the woman packed up her child and left town. It was a quiet little psychological hit job, and Drew later figured it out. He clocked that glint in her eye, as if he’d just recognized a fellow operator. But he never acted on it, and now he may be walking straight into the kind of plot he thinks he’s orchestrating.
Key Takeaways
- Willow once manipulated Baby Daisy, and Drew figured it out.
- He clocked her scheming streak but never acted on it.
- Willow now backs Drew’s custody plan with icy precision.
- She admitted she doesn’t love him — she just needs her kids back.
- Drew thinks he’s in control, but Willow may be playing him.
- If he keeps forgetting who she is, he’s the one who’ll get burned.
The Schemer He Once Saw
Back in July, Drew (Cameron Mathison) put the pieces together in the most Drew Cain way possible — calm face, calculating silence, and that moment where he just stared at Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) a beat too long. He figured it out in that quiet, unsettling way he does — realizing Willow was the one who’d slipped into the mansion and toyed with Daisy while he was out of town. Nina (Cynthia Watros) had already laid the groundwork for him anyway, walking him through the obvious: whoever did it had free run of the house, a score to settle, and no hesitation about poking at someone’s deepest fear. Drew denied, deflected, and blamed Sonny (Maurice Benard), but the truth sat right there in front of him.
And Willow? She didn’t flinch. She defended Drew’s latest scheme with the kind of steel people only grow from being pushed too far. She told Portia (Brook Kerr) she wouldn’t fight fair because Michael (Rory Gibson) didn’t — a line that should’ve reminded Drew exactly who he’s dealing with. Her entire demeanor that day was a callback to Daisy, only colder.
Later, when Drew quietly asked her where she’d been over the holiday — that small test, that tiny probe — Willow breezed past it with a sleepy alibi. He looked rattled. Then he dropped it. That might’ve been his biggest mistake.
The Woman Standing Across From Him Now
Now, Willow’s running a long con for custody, and she’s using every inch of Drew’s ego to prop it up. She doesn’t love him, and she said that outright to Nina. She loves her kids. She wants her life back. And Drew, so convinced he’s the mastermind of this operation, can’t see that he’s the mark.
There’s something almost eerie about how completely he’s forgotten that first flash of recognition — that “I see what you are” spark. He saw a woman capable of subtle, ruthless payback. He saw someone who could pull off a psychological misdirection without breaking a sweat. And instead of keeping that in his back pocket, he fell for the performance.
The truth is simple: Willow’s already proven she can outmaneuver people who underestimate her. Drew did once. He’s doing it again. And if he keeps walking into this wedding with blinders on, he may wake up to the same realization Sasha (Sofia Mattsson) had — Willow doesn’t bluff. She plays to win.
