There’s plenty of drama heading to Albert Square next week in EastEnders, and things take a worrying turn for Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) when she begins to suspect that her new business partner might not be as legitimate as he seems.

The week begins on a lighter note as the Square prepares to celebrate Mother’s Day. Lauren and Peter Beale get ready to join the rest of the Beale family for a meal at No.45, hoping for a relaxed family day.

But before the celebrations begin, Lauren is focused on work and attempts to close a car sale. When a potential customer asks to take the vehicle for a test drive, Lauren unexpectedly refuses, raising a few eyebrows. Watching the interaction nearby is Max Branning, who later offers Lauren his support.

Max soon manages to secure himself an invite to the Beales’ Mother’s Day lunch, but in typical Max fashion, the family gathering doesn’t stay peaceful for long. Tensions quickly flare, and before long, he finds himself clashing with relatives, eventually storming off and leaving the meal behind.

With Max gone, Lauren finds herself having an important conversation with Mark Fowler, who approaches her with what seems like a tempting business opportunity. Mark promises access to luxury vehicles and suggests the pair could make serious money together through car sales.

Feeling positive after the family gathering and encouraged by the potential success of her business, Lauren agrees to the deal. However, what she doesn’t realise is that Mark may have a hidden agenda, and his motives might be far from legitimate.

Mark tries to involve Lauren in his dirty work

At first, everything appears to be going well. Lauren successfully sells one of Mark’s cars, giving her confidence that the partnership could be a smart move. But not everyone is convinced.

Max soon begins questioning Lauren about the paperwork for the vehicles, suspicious about whether everything is above board. Lauren is quick to defend the business and insists that the cars are completely legitimate, brushing off his concerns.

Meanwhile, Lauren begins working closely with Priya Nandra-Hart, encouraging her as she learns the ropes of selling cars. The pair share a nice moment as they start to bond over work, and it briefly feels like things are finally falling into place for Lauren.

But the good mood doesn’t last long.

Callum Highway soon arrives with troubling news from the police. He informs Lauren that the classic car stolen during her recent mugging has been recovered. However, the situation is far bigger than just one stolen vehicle.

Callum reveals that a number of high-value cars in the local area have recently been reported missing, raising alarm bells for Lauren. The news immediately makes her uneasy, especially given her new business arrangement with Mark.

How will Lauren navigate this illegal territory shes landed in

Trusting her instincts, Lauren begins to fear that she may have unknowingly become involved in something shady. The more she thinks about it, the more things stop adding up.

Determined to get answers, Lauren decides to confront Mark directly.

As suspicions grow, Lauren heads home, where she and Peter meet another mum whose baby is also visually impaired. The conversation turns to a specialist nursery that could help their child thrive, but the couple are stunned when they discover just how expensive it is.

Faced with the daunting cost, Lauren and Peter begin turning to their families for financial help, adding even more pressure to an already stressful situation.

With money worries mounting and doubts about Mark growing stronger, Lauren could soon find herself caught up in something far more dangerous than she ever expected. And if her suspicions about Mark are right, she might already be deeper in the situation than she realises.