Jake McKinnon met Paulina (Cantrell) Cory (then Cali Timmins) in the summer of 1990. Jake was trying to win back his ex-wife – Marley. Paulina was trying to earn her place in the Cory household as the long-lost daughter of Mac Cory.Jake hired Paulina as his assistant at Visions (his video production company) and she immediately took a shine to him. Jake was desperate for cash and was hired by Iris Wheeler (Paulina’s half-sister) to find proof that Paulina was a fake and that she wasn’t Mac’s daughter. Jake began seeing Paulina (behind Marley’s back) and tried to find out what he could. He decided to bug her bedroom at the Cory mansion but had to figure out a way to get in there.
He eventually realised that the only way he could do it was to sleep with her. Although he regretted what he had done he continued to plot with Iris. Jake & Paulina continued seeing each other even after Marley warned her off. When Jake was seen buying an engagement ring, Paulina assumed it was for her. Jake, meanwhile had overheard a conversation (via the bug) between Ken Jordan & Paulina and he found that Ken had arranged for Paulina to go to Bay City even though he wasn’t sure if she was Mac’s daughter.
Jake got engaged to Marley and also told Paulina in no uncertain terms that he had never had any feelings for her and had never intended on proposing to her and that he had proof that she wasn’t Mac’s daughter (he discovered Ken Jordan had randomly selected her from an adoption agency to pose as Mac's long lost daughter). He began blackmailing her with this information – thinking that the money she paid him would help him hang on to Marley. Marley was unimpressed and also had feelings for Jamie (Paulina’s step-brother). After a few weeks of Jake’s threats Paulina decided to confront Jake.
Meanwhile, Jamie told Marley that Jake & Paulina were having an affair. Marley postponed the wedding but Jake was getting impatient. Marley eventually became fed up with Jake’s lies and added to her growing feelings for Jamie decided to call off the engagement. Jake was unaware of her intentions and had bought tickets for them to elope.
Marley went to the loft and told Jake that she was ending it. He refused to listen and tried to change her mind and he was also becoming angrier. When she told him that Jamie loved her more than he could, Jake snapped and he raped her.
Paulina showed up sometime later and Jake was extremely agitated and angry. 
Paulina demanded that he give her the proof he had that she wasn’t a Cory. He refused and taunted her. She was desperate and grabbed Jake’s gun from the drawer and tried to force him to hand over the documents he had. As Jake tried to take the gun away from her and they struggled, the gun went off. Paulina realised that Jake had been shot and panicked. She fled the scene leaving him lying in a pool of blood…
Jake was found eventually and spent the next 6 months in a coma whilst the police tried to figure out who shot him. Marley was arrested and Donna was charged.
During this time Paulina met and started dating Congressman Grant Harrison.
1991
When Jake awoke from his coma, Donna was in jail, Marley was engaged to Jamie and Paulina was with Grant. He couldn’t remember who the shooter was at first but let Donna off the hook. When he remembered that it was Paulina they had a huge confrontation at the scene of the crime and Jake insinuated he wouldn’t let her off the hook.
When Paulina tried to flee Bay City she was stopped by Grant who proposed to her on a crowded plane. She reluctantly accepted…
Jake decided it was time for payback and began blackmailing Paulina again. She was forced to break off her engagement but told Jake she had no money to give him. She also got Marley out of town by finding her a fertility clinic in Switzerland.
Jake then discovered that Paulina would get her inheritance if she married and suggested they tie the knot. She eventually agreed on the proviso that she got a signed document saying he was shot by a burglar and that he never touches her… ENTER JUDI EVANS LUCIANO...
After convincing her family that she and Jake were in love the wedding preparations got underway. On their wedding day, Paulina received a locket which had belonged to her mother. In it were two strands of hair belonging to her parents. Iris decided to prove that Paulina was not Mac’s daughter by having the hair tested along with a lock of Paulina’s.
Paulina & Jake were married. At the reception, Iris showed Paulina the results of the tests she had done. Paulina was Mac’s daughter. She realised that she had shot Jake for nothing and had broken her engagement with Grant for no reason.
The marriage was a complete disaster but as the time passed Jake & Paulina became drawn to one another – although neither would admit it. The fighting between them made the attraction between them stronger. Paulina was determined to still get Grant back once her marriage to Jake ended and she tried to tell Grant the truth on several occasions. Jake on the other hand realised he was falling for her and was determined not to let her go.
In 1991 when Kathleen was about to leave Bay City Jake finally admitted that he loved Paulina and Kathleen convinced him to fight fo her...
TO BE CONTINUED...
