2001
When Kelly's cousin Blair got pregnant, her husband Todd was convinced that the baby was Max's, so he schemed to get rid of him. David saw Todd pawning the baby off on some nuns and told them that he was Todd's "partner" in order to get the baby. David then blackmailed Todd. He gave the baby to a rich couple, but when Todd later found out the baby was actually his son, Todd got him back. David once again blackmailed Todd and threatened to tell Blair the sordid truth. Todd had David arrested and he was thrown in a Moroccan jail.

2003
David showed up in Llanview once again on the trail of the Badhra diamond. He held Dorian hostage in order to get his hands on it, but Dorian convinced him that they should steal the diamond together and share the insurance money. David and Dorian fell in love. Dorian's Aunt Betsy arrived in town and announced that she was leaving $30 million to one of the Cramers, with the stipulation that the heir had to be unmarried. When Aunt Betsy decided on Kelly's half brother Paul, David and Dorian plotted to find someone to marry Paul so that he couldn't inherit the money. Dorian revealed that Adriana is her daughter, and Aunt Betsy willed her the fortune.

2004
David wanted to marry Dorian, but Dorian said she'd only marry him after he got a job. Blair warned David that Dorian might back out, which was exactly what happened. David was shocked when he found out the reason why — Dorian was still legally married to Adriana's father. (He was also shocked to find out Adriana really is her daughter.) Meanwhile, David became suspicious of Kelly's shady dealings with Paul. David panicked when he thought he had killed Paul during an argument. But Kelly also believed that she had killed Paul, and she called on Todd to help her hide the body. David, Kelly and Todd formed a pact to protect their secret. All three were shocked when Paul later turned up, alive and well.