Lucas to smuggle drugs for him. Denise reluctantly agrees to help Chelsea plant drugs on Lucas, believing that he owes Chelsea. Lucas discovers the truth and agrees to help, although he is later caught and sent back to prison. Denise and Jack become engaged. Kim revives her interest in finding Vincent and Phil convinces Denise to stop Kim, wary that his nemesis Aidan Maguire (Patrick Bergin) will return to Walford to hurt Kim and possibly Raymond. He agrees to repurchase Fox & Hair for Denise and Kim, in exchange for her silence. Denise struggles to hide Vincent's death from Kim and secretly pays for Pearl to attend private school. Kim discovers the truth, disowns Denise, and decides to leave for Scotland. Denise stops her and decides to aid her in reporting Vincent's disappearance and Phil's involvement with the police. On Christmas Day 2021, Denise marries Jack. Her happiness is short-lived when Phil discovers that the Foxes have reported him to the police and he decides to flee with Raymond. Denise decides to call the police but his ex-wife Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) reminds her that she could lose Raymond as his legal adoption has not been completed. After contemplating, Denise eventually calls the police; Phil is arrested, and Raymond is returned back to her. Denise supports Chelsea when it is discovered that her husband, Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) had murdered his wife Chantelle, alongside Kush and Tina. When Chelsea decides to have her son Jordan Atkins adopted, Denise is devastated but manages to convince her to keep him. Denise later enters into a feud with Jack’s former fling Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), when she returns and causes trouble by threatening to take her and Jack’s son Ricky (Frankie Day) back with her to Spain, if Jack does not help her to scare away her adversary Jonah Tyler (Mark Mooney). Jack reluctantly lets Sam move in with him and Denise when she has nowhere to go. However, Sam continuously winds up Denise, and also conspires with Phil to blackmail Denise into giving her £50,000 to buy Ruby’s club from Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) - threatening to tell the police that Denise knew the truth about Vincent's death if she does not give her back the money Phil paid, to open her salon, Fox & Hair. Denise reluctantly agrees, but proceeds to throw Sam out. In early 2023 Denise starts struggling with