2003
Jessica (Bree Williamson) returned to Llanview, where Mitch (Roscoe Born) was waiting to get to know his daughter. Unfortunately, his idea of "bonding" involved kidnapping her (over and over again) and drugging her. When Mitch's body was found, Jess confessed to killing him, but the case was closed and has yet to be addressed again. Meanwhile, Jessica hooked up with Antonio, Cristian's older brother.

2003
Mitch may have been out of the picture, but Jessica now had to deal with Keri, Antonio's ex with whom he shared a baby daughter, Jamie. Keri was determined to win Antonio back and drove the pair crazy; when she was found dead, it looked as if Antonio were responsible. However, Jessica proved that Keri had actually killed herself.

2003
Natalie wed Cristian, and Jessica did her best to be there for Nat when Cris was presumed dead. Meanwhile, Jessica enjoyed her budding relationship with Antonio and pursued a journalism career. She befriended her criminal psychology professor, Dr. Stephen Haver (Matthew Ashford), and when a series of murders began plaguing Llanview, took it upon herself to solve the mystery. It turned out that Haver was the culprit. Jess didn't listen to Antonio's warnings and continued to forge a relationship with Haver. Eventually, Antonio had to rescue his girl after she was kidnapped and hypnotized by Haver.

2004
Antonio proposed to Jessica, but she was reluctant to set a wedding date. Her relationship with Antonio became strained when he learned that he was the son of deceased mobster Manuel Santi, and refused to let Jess help him learn the secrets of his past. Antonio slept with Sonia, the fed who was also investigating the Santis. A devastated Jessica retaliated by marrying Tico Santi (Javier Morga) — Antonio's biological brother, though she couldn't go through with consummating the marriage.

2005
Tico was revealed to be an evil killer. After attacking and stabbing Jessica, he fought with Antonio and a back-from-the-dead Cristian, ending up in a coma. While in the hospital, a woozy Jess witnessed someone pull Tico's life-support plug. She fingered Antonio as the culprit, but it turned out to be Cristian who committed the crime. Meantime, Jess feared for her life when she found her room trashed and began receiving ominous notes ... and she began acting out of character, dressing up in skimpy outfits and going out to clubs. However, she, herself, is the culprit — Jessica has an alternate personality, Tess. Like mother, like daughter.