When Young & Restless’ executive producer and headwriter Josh Griffith sat down to chat with Nathan Owens, the handsome actor was more than a little trepidatious. “I thought it was me being fired,” he admits. Instead, he learned that alter ego Holden was about to get not only a father, but one who is iconic both on and off screen: Shemar Moore’s Malcolm.

“I was taken aback,” Owens tells us. “It was them showing, ‘Hey, we’re invested in you and your character.’” For the first time since joining the show nearly 18 months ago, Holden is connected to the Genoa City landscape. “It’s official! I’m part of the bloodline!”

Unfortunately, no sooner did Holden reconnect with his dad than he had to face the harsh reality that he might soon lose him! Having spent the majority of his life having imagined what it was like to have a father, Holden can’t help feeling as if “he fumbled it” upon learning he’s not a bone-marrow match. Worse, he has to watch new sis Lily, who’s had a much longer and stronger bond with their dad, deal with the situation.

“At Holden’s core, I think he’s a good-natured person,” reflects Owens. “Seeing Lily go through this is a lot for him to take in. He jumps right in to being a protector.”

Of course, Lily might be a little wary of her newfound relative and that is, Owens concedes, “with good reason. Holden came in as someone else!” Letting people believe him to be Damian was definitely, as they say, a choice… and one he knew might not be popular! “That’s not really going to rub people the right way when they find out oh, you’ve been lying to me the whole time!” he laughs.

“But there have been moments when Lily has gotten to see that maybe he’s not that bad a guy,” he continues. Yet as far as Holden’s ultimate place in Genoa City, there’s still much to be determined. “There’s a lot going on right now. I don’t think he’s necessarily figured out [how he fits in].” The actor’s ultimate wish for the man in whose shoes he walks “I want him to have some sort of legitimate love life,” Owens shares, adding that Holden should “show some of his business savvy, too.”