Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) is enduring a nightmare in EastEnders as she copes with the aftermath of her son Jordan's (Izaiah Hagan-Brown) tragic accident. Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), consumed by guilt, struck Jordan with his car after Chelsea had snapped at him to leave her alone while she pursued Zack Hudson (James Farrar).
As Chelsea faces the possibility that Jordan may be paralyzed for life, she also learns that her mother, Denise (Diane Parish), has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a fast-growing and aggressive blood cancer. This news brings Chelsea's estranged sister, Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu), back to Walford. After initial friction, the sisters reconnect, and Chelsea confides that Jordan's great-grandmother, Sheila (Sheila Ruskin), the grandmother of Jordan's father, crazed serial killer Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith), has been sending endless cheques to support Jordan, none of which Chelsea has cashed.
Desperate to fund Jordan's rehabilitation with private physiotherapy, Libby contacts Sheila without Chelsea's knowledge, infuriating Chelsea. However, after sage advice from Eve Panesar-Unwin (Heather Peace), Chelsea reconsiders and arranges a meeting with Sheila. In today's episode, Chelsea is fraught with stress as she heads to Knight Fusion with Libby, anxious about being in the orbit of anyone connected to Gray. When Sheila arrives, Chelsea bluntly asks if she is still in contact with Gray. Sheila claims she hasn't seen Gray in person since his arrest and struggles with the fact that her grandson is a cold-blooded serial killer who destroyed her career in law.
Chelsea then asks if Sheila has helped Gray's other children, Mackenzie (Isaac Lemonius) and Mia (Mahalia Malcolm), who live with their maternal grandmother Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley). Sheila reveals Karen rejected her help, and she doesn't blame her. As Sheila grows excited about meeting Jordan, Chelsea recoils and declines a £3,000 cheque, telling Sheila she cannot see Jordan. Sheila leaves, wounded but accepting.
At the hospital, Chelsea learns from aunt Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) that Ian has hired an expensive, intimidating lawyer. Overwhelmed by Jordan's pleas to come home, Chelsea calls Sheila back. They meet again, and Chelsea accepts the cheque while giving Sheila a photo of Jordan. As Chelsea leaves, Sheila slides the picture next to one of Gray, staring lovingly at her monstrous grandson's image.
Clearly, Sheila and Gray are much closer than she wants anyone to believe. With Gray's return looming, could Sheila be the conduit that brings the beast back to his old hunting ground?
