Maura West

(AVA, GH)

■ When a marital tiff between

Ava and Nikolas turned ugly, Maura West was equally captivating in Ava’s moments of tory and her moments of despair

Martini in hand, pout on face, Ava was dismissive as Nik lectured her about overstepping her boundaries at Wyndmere. She shed the snark when she spotted a letter from Spencer, genuinely happy for her hubby when he reported that his son was willing to give him another chance. But when he explained that in return, Spencer expected Nik to get rid of his “turncoat wife”, guilt and remorse clouded her eyes. turning her back to Nik, west showed the camera just how quickly Ava pushed away these unpleasant emotions, pinning Spencer’s ire not on the severity of her betrayal, but on his need for “somebody to blame”, nodding to herself affirmatively as though she liked the sound of her own rationale.

Ava’s armor was fully back in place when Nik confirmed that he intended to honor Spencer’s request, and wanted a divorce. with a breezy casualness designed to infuriate her prey (Nikolas), she slinked around the room and purred about her consolation prize (the 90 percent of the Cassadine estate their post-nup entitled her to). When he challenged her, she turned deadly serious, unflinching as she met his livid gaze. “A deal’s a deal,” she snapped, her lips curling into a snarl. Ava’s poise evaporated when Nikolas lobbed a low blow about the late daughter who despised her and the living one who should surely come to. Shaking with outrage, she slapped him across the face, her eyes wild as she bellowed,“don’t you dare talk about my children!” The gloves off, she relished taunting him about the choice he had to make: “Your money ... or your son.”

Running the gamut from vulnerable to vitriolic, West’s vibrant work elevated this spat to a full-on declaration of war.