It’s becoming painfully clear that Taylor Hayes is playing with fire—and the closer she grows to Deacon Sharp, the more dangerous the fallout threatens to become. What may look like an emotional affair fueled by vulnerability and unresolved feelings is, in reality, a ticking time bomb with one name written all over it: Sheila Carter. Because when Sheila finds out about Deacon and Taylor—and she always finds out—this story stops being messy and starts being deadly.

For longtime fans of The Bold and the Beautiful, the question isn’t if Sheila will spiral. It’s who will pay the price when she does.

Taylor seems to believe she can manage the situation. That Sheila will process the betrayal, reflect, and somehow move on. That belief alone shows just how dangerous denial can be. This isn’t an ordinary love triangle. This is Sheila Carter territory, where obsession replaces logic and revenge becomes a compulsion. Once Sheila feels threatened or replaced, history shows she doesn’t step back—she strikes.

And what many characters are dangerously underestimating is that this isn’t just about Taylor.

Yes, Taylor is the obvious target. She’s the woman Sheila will see as stealing what’s “hers.” She represents rejection, humiliation, and replacement—all triggers that have sent Sheila into violent territory before. But focusing only on Taylor misses a much bigger and more unsettling reality: Deacon himself may be in the greatest danger of all.

Hope Logan and Douglas are quietly relieved—perhaps even hopeful—that Deacon has feelings for someone who isn’t Sheila. In their minds, Taylor represents stability and redemption, a chance for Deacon to finally escape Sheila’s orbit. But they’re forgetting one crucial truth. Deacon isn’t just Sheila’s husband. He’s her fixation. And Sheila has always lived by one chilling rule: If I can’t have you, no one can.

That makes Deacon just as vulnerable as Taylor—if not more so.

Once Sheila realizes Deacon has emotionally moved on, the betrayal won’t just wound her pride. It will shatter her illusion of control. And when that happens, Sheila doesn’t lash out randomly. She calculates. She decides who needs to be removed from the board to restore power. That’s how people end up in hospital beds—or worse.

And collateral damage is inevitable.

If Sheila targets Deacon, there is no universe in which Hope or Douglas would stand back and do nothing. Hope would intervene. Douglas would intervene. And that’s where tragedy often escalates. Protectors become victims. Heroes become casualties. In Sheila’s world, good intentions don’t shield anyone from harm.

The danger doesn’t stop there.

Steffy Forrester Finnegan and Finn Finnegan are already knee-deep in this nightmare. Steffy clocked the emotional shift between Taylor and Deacon early, and Finn knows better than anyone exactly what Sheila is capable of. Protecting Taylor—yes, the world-renowned psychologist herself—is already high on their internal alert list. They know that once Sheila feels cornered, no amount of professional expertise or emotional intelligence can reason her back from the edge.

And if Taylor is threatened, Ridge Forrester will get involved. That’s not optional. Ridge has always been drawn into crisis when Taylor is at risk, and his involvement would instantly raise the stakes. In Sheila’s eyes, Ridge isn’t just an obstacle—he’s a rival. Which means he, too, becomes a potential target.

Even Lee Finnegan may not be safe.

The fragile détente between Lee and Sheila is hanging by a thread thinner than Sheila’s grip on reality. This is the same Lee Sheila once tried to kill. If Lee attempts to talk Sheila down, reason with her, or—worst of all—stop her, that fragile alliance will evaporate instantly. Sheila’s loyalty has always been conditional. As history proves, the moment someone becomes inconvenient, they become expendable.

Just ask Mike Guthrie how long being Sheila’s “friend” lasts once you stop being useful.

This is no longer about sneaking around or emotional confusion. This is about escalation. About obsession turning lethal. About who Sheila decides needs to be eliminated once she snaps.

And fans are already bracing for the worst.

In a recent fan poll, viewers were asked the chilling question: If Sheila snaps, who will she target? The majority voted for Taylor Hayes. It’s the most obvious answer, and for good reason. Taylor embodies everything Sheila fears losing—love, respect, and Deacon’s emotional loyalty.

But a significant number of fans believe the real danger lies with Deacon himself.

That theory cuts deep—and makes terrifying sense. Killing or seriously harming Deacon would be the ultimate act of possession and punishment. A message that no one escapes Sheila on their own terms. In that scenario, Taylor wouldn’t just be the rival—she’d be forced to live with the consequences.

And then there’s the darkest possibility of all.

Soap history tells us that death is rarely permanent. But attempted murder? Kidnapping? A coma? Those are classic Bold and the Beautiful weapons—and Sheila has used every one of them before. A violent storyline doesn’t require a body to leave devastation in its wake. Disappearance can be just as powerful. Silence can be just as horrifying.

What makes this storyline especially explosive is that every character involved believes they’re acting out of love, protection, or growth. Taylor believes she’s choosing honesty. Deacon believes he’s choosing redemption. Hope believes she’s supporting her father’s happiness. Steffy believes she’s protecting her mother. And Sheila—when she finally explodes—will believe she’s reclaiming what was stolen from her.

That convergence of motives is exactly how disasters are born.

As The Bold and the Beautiful barrels toward this inevitable reckoning, the tension is no longer simmering. It’s boiling. Fans are watching closely, analyzing every glance, every warning, every moment Sheila remains eerily calm. Because calm, with Sheila Carter, has never meant peace. It has always meant planning.

So the question remains: when Sheila finally discovers the truth about Deacon and Taylor, who will she decide needs to be removed from the board?

Taylor?
Deacon?
Or someone who never saw it coming?

One thing is certain—this storyline has catastrophe written all over it. And once Sheila snaps, there may be no turning back.