1988 (#12) - Donna's photo shoot and the story with Nick

After her troubled and exhausting affair with Mark, Donna is ready to start a new chapter in her life, dedicating herself body and soul to her greatest desire, that of becoming a model. Urgently in need of money, strengthened by the words of their last meeting, Donna decides to turn to Tommy, who immediately finds her an easy money opportunity by finding her an assignment and sending her to one of his wealthy clients. However, a naïve Donna soon realizes that what was supposed to be a photo shoot actually turns out to be an appointment with a man who thinks he is dealing with a prostitute; and it is only the intervention of Rocco, who had agreed to accompany her, that prevents the man from taking advantage of her. In spite of this more or less obvious misunderstanding and Rocco's constant warnings to stay away from people like Tommy, Donna continues to frequent Tommy's agency, which tries to regain her trust by sending her to less demanding clients. Donna, in fact, finally begins to really work as a model for important clothing houses and glossy magazines, starting to get her first earnings. And when the woman begins to find more confidence with the lens of a camera, Tommy returns again to push the accelerator prospecting easy and much more substantial gains if only he had agreed to pose naked. This time, against all expectations and surprising the man himself, Donna accepts, and thus meets Nick Preston, a young photographer at the head of one of the most important magazines in the industry, Temptation. Nick, after viewing some photos of Donna's audition in provocative clothes, is strongly impressed and immediately refers the girl to his boss and owner of the magazine, Bill Spencer. Before signing the contract, Donna would like to make the acquaintance and talk in person with the same Bill, who however is always too busy to receive the many models that pass around him. And so, with no intention of letting Donna go, convinced that she could have improved the magazine's fortunes by bringing it back to great sales, Nick reassures her that her photos would not have appeared in America, but only overseas on his European version of Temptation, moreover under the false name and pseudonym of "Savannah". Convinced by the man's words, and excited to embark on this adventure which was to be very successful and rewarding, Donna signed the contract with great enthusiasm. This was the beginning of a period full of commitments and satisfactions for Donna, always travelling between ateliers and breathtaking sets and always together with Nick, with whom she worked closely. Rocco, however, is not at all happy about Donna's work, and he doesn't hide his jealousy and doesn't fail to warn her about this world. In spite of this, however, Donna seems to have found her ideal working dimension, moreover, side by side with a Nick to whom Donna feels more and more attracted. Between the two, soon, a relationship made of love and, above all, passion is born.

1988 (#9) - Donna's modeling ambitions and the breakup with Mark

The already complicated story between Mark and Donna, tested by Mark's childish and selfish attitudes, experiences a period of strong tensions when the girl, due to a delay, feels she might be pregnant. The idea of a pregnancy is certainly not among the most recurrent thoughts of the young woman, but the absolutely furious reaction of the boy, who harshly scolds Donna for forgetting to take her birth control pills, perhaps marks a definitive breaking point between the two. And not even Mark's heartfelt apologies, who vents and opens up to the girl admitting to being too often abrupt and nervous because of his difficult childhood and the difficulties in finding a job, seem to be able to heal a rift that has become irremediable. Tired of a relationship that has been dragging on for too long, Donna tries to distract herself and take control of her life by deciding to devote herself to what makes her feel good, and in particular to her dream of becoming a model. The spark, of course, comes from Rocco, who repeatedly urges her to try out for Forrester, with the prospect of being able to try to put in a good word with Ridge. The girl, however, no longer wanting to interfere with the story between Rocco and his sister Katie, decides to try to take a more independent and autonomous path, responding to an advertisement in a newspaper by an agency run by Tommy Bayland. Donna's decision to throw herself into this adventure in the fashion world does not excite Mark at all, and this only increases the already strong tensions between the two. In the meantime, Donna feels more and more fulfilled by this new job, especially when Tommy, commenting on some of the girl's shots, comes to promise and guarantee her success. Rocco warns Donna to move with caution in this world too often frequented by unscrupulous people who promise easy earnings, but Donna, convinced that Rocco's is only a warning aimed at bringing her closer to him and to Forrester, does not listen to him, minimizing the boy's fears and showing her confidence in Tommy's goodness, who has seen and will take care of her talent. Donna's convictions remain firm even when the man invites the girl to pose for some more intense shots and with more provocative clothes, revealing that only in this way she could earn real money. Donna promises Tommy that she will think about it, and in the meantime she continues to ignore both Rocco's advice and, above all, Mark's outbursts of anger and rage. Eventually, Donna finally becomes aware that Mark is not the guy for her, and decides to end their relationship. Ironically, when she returned home to break up with him, Donna found Mark in bed with another woman. Mark immediately tries to explain what happened and justify himself, but Donna won't hear of it and informs him that their relationship is officially over; after which, finally free from this burden and from a love affair that was weighing her down, she returns home, where she is welcomed back by two happy Beth and Storm, relieved that the girl has put an unreliable man like Mark behind her.

1987 (#16) - Mark's financial problems and Donna's job at Griffey's

When Donna decides to make the painful decision to break away from her family to live with Mark, she is hopeful and convinced that the boy is ready to settle down and work hard to maintain their cohabitation. However, even this extreme injection of trust by Donna is betrayed and not even minimally repaid. Even at this juncture, in fact, Mark continues to show himself for what he is, that is, a real bum and a no-good. But in order not to give in to Storm and his mother, and to keep alive the expensive dream of independence, a proud Donna decides to go out of her way to pay Mark's rent, who has recently lost his job and is increasingly pressured by his grumpy landlord Harold Benson to pay his back payments. After stooping so low as to go so far as to steal from Storm and her mother Beth's savings, a repentant Donna sets out desperately to find a waitressing job. Unexpectedly, it is Rocco who helps Donna, promising the girl to put in a good word to her employer, Richard Griffey, to hire her. Rocco's attempt is successful, and so Donna soon finds herself working as a waitress at Griffey's, one of the most fashionable places for young people of the moment, in close contact with her sister's charming boyfriend. Rocco, obviously overjoyed by this news, soon manages to find a greater feeling with the girl, who thanks to Rocco and Katie re-establishes a relationship with the family, often going to dinner at their place. And so, when Mark, instead of showing gratitude to Donna, shows his jealousy of the fact that he works closely with Rocco, Donna begins to realize that her relationship is deteriorating to the point of having taken a road to no return; and at the same time, without being able to admit it to herself, she begins to have feelings for Rocco. When the guy manages to snatch a kiss from Donna at the end of a hard shift, she doesn't think the least about being watched by a distraught Katie. More than with Rocco, it is with Donna that Katie is particularly disappointed and bitter; however, seeing a real sense of guilt and repentance in her sister's eyes, Katie decides to forgive Donna and move on from this episode. This is all under the reassurance of Donna who, worried that she might destroy her sister's self-esteem, reiterates that it was just a simple episode that won't happen again.

1987 (#13) - The quarrels of Donna and Mark, the role of Storm, the flirtation with Alex

If on the one hand the insecure and fragile Katie sees in her sister Donna a model to imitate, and often to envy, given her apparently solid and happy love situation, the reality is actually very different. In fact, while Katie begins to enjoy Rocco's company and to fall in love with him, unaware that he feels a strong attraction towards Donna, the latter is increasingly struggling with the problems arising from her relationship with Mark. After a carefree, romantic and exciting first phase, the relationship between Donna and Mark has reached a stalemate, which creates tensions and continuous arguments. On the one hand Mark, who would like Donna to move in with her to start a life together, on the other hand there is a much more realistic Donna, who does not see how she could take this step without economic stability or an income, since Mark has no job. Of the same opinion as Donna is her older brother Storm, who doesn't like the boy and thinks with increasing conviction that he is just a slacker. Donna has often defended her boyfriend in front of Storm, but with the passing of the months she's beginning to change her mind, given Mark's aversion and unmotivated antipathy towards his family. Several times, in fact, Mark has deserted the family reunions and convinced Donna to do the same, provoking the irritation of Storm, who has always been very attached to this kind of thing. But the episode that literally infuriates the man is the one related to the theft in the house of grandmother Helen, robbed in her own home after opening the door to a couple of thugs who she thought were Donna and Mark. Helen, in fact, was waiting for the same granddaughter, but she never arrived because of an unexpected and suspicious engagement of Mark. A disappointed Storm accuses Donna of endangering her grandmother's safety, who after this scare gladly accepts the proposal to move in with the Logans; and Donna, in response, announces to the family that she has made the decision to move in with Mark, happy for the success of her plan to get Donna away from her family. For Beth, Katie, and Storm himself, it's a huge blow: it's the first time a member of their family has left their home since their father left. This situation is particularly hard on Storm, who since Stephen's departure has always carried the weight of the family and the difficult role of head of the family, always very protective of his women, a role that Donna clearly can no longer bear. And with her, Storm's new girlfriend, model Alex Simpson, begins to show signs of exasperation. She feels more and more neglected and sidelined by the man, who appears to be focused exclusively on the family business from which she is often excluded. And at the end of a tough but sincere and frank confrontation between the two, it is Alex who puts an end to their brief relationship.

1987 (#9) - Katie's insecurity, the story with Rocco and the attraction for Donna

While everyone seems concerned and busy with much more important matters, Katie Logan, the youngest of the Logan sisters, is barely more than a teenager; and for her, the most terrible and tragic thing that can happen to a person is to find herself dealing with acne. Concerned by the girl's introverted soul and shy character, Storm soon realizes that Katie is living a very delicate period of her life, the one in which she is about to become a woman. Eager to help her sweep away the insecurity that distinguishes her, he urges his older sister, Donna, to let her go out, have fun and enjoy herself. As awkward as she is, Donna soon realizes that Katie's real problem is the lack of a boyfriend next to her, and so she encourages her schoolmate Rocco Carner to date her sister, convinced that something might happen between them. When Rocco and Katie actually begin dating, however, Donna can't imagine that Rocco, who is secretly attracted to her, has only accepted because he hopes, in some way, to be able to impress her. And so, while an unsuspecting Katie begins to regain her smile and self-confidence thanks to this first real love story, Rocco never stops fantasizing about Donna, with whom he soon falls in love. Soon, when Donna begins to feel that Rocco seems to be able to have an attraction for her, it is already too late and he decides to work up the courage to declare himself to the girl. Donna, however, while appreciating the boy and finding him very sweet and kind, immediately makes it clear that there can never be anything between them, both because she is already engaged to a boy named Mark Mallory, and because she could never hurt her sister, who is now completely crazy about him, in this way. But even though Donna urges Rocco to concentrate on Katie and make her happy, he can't stop thinking about her.