Bachelor in Paradise featured Michael Allio crushing Sierra Jackson's heart after receiving an intimate gift, Genevieve Parisi choosing Aaron Clancy over Justin Glaze, and Serene Russell and Brandon Jones falling in love during the Season 8 episode that aired Monday night on ABC.

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The Bachelor in Paradise broadcast began with everyone still reeling from Teddi Wright's shocking and unexpected exit. New arrival Rodney Mathews, who had entered Paradise with a Date Card, was hoping to take Teddi out on a date, and so he was disappointed to find out she had left, and he hoped she was okay.

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The cast felt bad for Rodney because they thought he has a heart of gold, but Brandon shared with Rodney how he had other "dope" options -- including the beautiful Brittany Galvin and Jill Chin. But Rodney didn't want any woman to feel like his second choice, and so he decided to skip out on the date and just get to know all of the women instead.

Jill called Rodney a beacon of light and loved his sense of humor; she seemed to laugh at everything he said. Lace also said Rodney lit up the beach with his pearly white smile, and so she was interested in the "catch" as well.

After sparking up a conversation at the bar, Rodney admitted to Lace that she was his type. And Rodney also fit Lace's credentials. Lace said she was looking for her best friend and someone to laugh with, and the pair really hit it off.

"Rodney lights up my fire. He is such a gentleman, it's crazy. I feel it's time that I get a healthy relationship and a really good man I haven't had in a long time. And I feel like this could be it with him," Lace gushed.

A little later on, Lace and Rodney were spotted making out on the beach down by the water. Everyone seemed shocked by this pairing considering Rodney is "America's hero," according to Justin Glaze.

Justin said this may be "the most shocking couple in Paradise history," and bartender Wells Adams agreed he never saw this couple coming and never would've predicted them getting together.

Meanwhile, Genevieve said there was "a lot of potential" with Aaron because she had seen a more sweet and sensitive side of him. She had assumed he was just a buff bro, but the bachelorette learned he has substance on their one-on-one date.

Genevieve was in a love triangle and had to choose between Aaron and Justin. Given it was Justin's birthday, she sat down for a conversation and attempted to explain herself.

"I felt wanted and special, and I haven't felt special or wanted from you," Genevieve told Justin. "I've said multiple times affection is big for me."

Justin accused Genevieve of "counting kisses" and asked her to listen to herself, which didn't go over well with her.

Genevieve told Justin that she needed time and was going to sleep on her decision, but then Justin said, "You're not going to kiss me on my birthday?" The couple therefore made out as Aaron watched from a distance, and Aaron was having a Tammy Ly and Thomas Jacobs flashback.

"What the f-ck is going on?!" Aaron lamented in a confessional.

"It definitely betrays my trust. I wouldn't do that to anyone... So I am pretty disturbed by the behavior. I feel it's all unnecessary. I feel like throwing up a little bit... and I just want to curl over and die. Why does this always happen to me?"

After the kiss, Genevieve felt really guilty and started to cry. She therefore sought Aaron out to apologize to him, venting to the cameras, "What the f-ck is wrong with me?!"

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Genevieve said she had an amazing date with Aaron and genuinely enjoyed hanging out with him, and so she didn't want to lose him.

Genevieve said "sorry" to Aaron and recapped her conversation with Justin, and Aaron explained how it bothered him how Genevieve seemed okay with hurting him. Aaron said the kiss caught him off-guard, and Genevieve insisted that she felt "terrible" and the kiss caught her off-guard as well.

Aaron shared how they had great chemistry and his feelings were hurt, and he thought it was a little "manipulative" and "weird" for Justin to use his birthday as a way to get a kiss.

As Genevieve cried, Aaron comforted her and promised that tomorrow was going to be a better day. Aaron verified how he really liked Genevieve and wanted her to go to bed worry free, and Genevieve couldn't believe how well Aaron had handled the situation.

The pair shared a sweet, short little kiss before bed, and Genevieve realized Aaron was "all in" with her. She looked forward to spending more time with Aaron and said there could even be an engagement at the end of this for them.

The next morning, Aaron was very affectionate with Genevieve at breakfast right in front of Justin. Aaron was kissing her neck and holding her close, but Justin felt this was just a test for his relationship with the brunette beauty.

Justin and Genevieve then had a conversation, and Justin accused Genevieve of throwing her romance with Aaron right in front of his face. Justin claimed he felt bad to even kiss Victoria Fuller on their prior date, in fear of upsetting Genevieve.

Genevieve said Aaron made her feel wanted and pursued and Justin didn't start acting like that until after her date with another man. Genevieve was also worried about Salley Carson in the back of her mind, but Justin insisted he wasn't thinking about Salley in the tiniest bit.

Justin realized he and Genevieve had different expectations, and Genevieve apologized for having a level of expectation that Justin was "not able to meet."

The pair bickered back and forth, with Justin calling Genevieve "disrespectful." He concluded, "I'm good," and determined that their connection was over and done with. Justin said he was okay with the fact Genevieve is simply not the person for him.

Genevieve also ran back to Aaron, confirming that she and Justin were done.

Genevieve was then shown talking about the situation with Shanae Ankney, who could totally relate in her love triangle with James Bonsall and Logan Palmer.

Shanae explained how James made her feel special and pursued, which was a sexy turnon. Shanae said she liked a lot of things about Logan but it didn't seem like he knew what he wanted -- while James claimed he was "all in after one afternoon."

"I need reassurance, and I have that from James, but not from Logan," Shanae pointed out. "If [Logan] had a little more assertiveness or he was a little more confident in [himself] and us, God, it could be perfect! I think he needs a little fire under his ass."

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Shanae confronted Logan about not showing her enough effort, and she gave him an out by saying he could end things with her if he just wasn't feeling it.

Shanae said her date with James was fun and great but she wanted Logan to show her his feelings more. She wanted to hear, "I like you," or, "I miss you."

Logan promised Shanae that his eyes weren't wandering and he was only interested in her, but she wanted the bachelor to fight for her -- and she was frustrated about his lack of action.

Logan told the cameras that he loved Shanae's passion and was "afraid" he had "ruined everything."

Before the second Rose Ceremony of the season in which the women were going to have the power, Michael said the couples were no longer clear and some people were feeling desperate to establish a connection, including Justin and Romeo Alexander.

Later on, Sierra gushed to the women about how she really liked James but didn't want to get engaged without his son James being a part of that.

"I would be a bombass stepmom," Sierra boasted.

Lace said Sierra had participated in Paradise to meet Michael and she wants kids, and so she thought Michael and Sierra made a great couple.

Sierra thought her connection with Michael was "awesome" and they could be "open and honest" with each other. Sierra could picture herself being a part of Michael's life and his family, and she thought what they had was "real."

A Date Card then arrived for Brandon, who asked Serene out on a date. They were clearly the strongest couple in Paradise, and everyone watched them embrace and kiss each other in the sand.

Michael then talked to Wells at the bar, saying he felt "conflicted about some stuff."

Michael gushed about how he respected Sierra and admired her life story, and he said he appreciated her willingness to be vulnerable and dive into deep conversation with him. But Michael admitted things were getting "really serious," especially for stepmother talk, and it was still early in the process, in his mind.

"I think [parenting] is something she would be great at and something she cares about, but I don't know what it's like to love someone again. That part really frightens me," Michael confessed, adding how he needed to figure things out soon.

But Wells advised Michael to keep his heart open because miracles can happen in Paradise.

That night, as the water washed over Salley's suitcase, Brandon and Serene got dressed up for their date. When Serene approached him in a tight, cutout dress, Brandon yelled, "Stop it, you're my date?! Oh my God!"

Brandon actually had tears in his eyes, and Serene said a man had never looked at her that way before. Brandon's reaction to Serene made Brittany want to cry, and it made everyone on the beach hopeful they could have that one day.

Serene knew she and Brandon had something "really special," and Brandon told her over dinner that night that she was the most beautiful blessing in his life.

"I don't know what I'd do without you. I'm crazy about you," Brandon told Serene.

Serene gushed about how their relationship had been so easy, and she thanked him for the little things, such as Brandon grabbing lunch for her whenever he was ready to eat lunch.

Serene said she felt a comfort with Brandon and he made her feel deserving of everything she's wanted in a relationship and from a partner, which she's never experienced before.

"You are deserving and so much more. When I saw you, I didn't want to be with anyone else but you -- this gorgeous girl who is just as dorky and weird as me. I'm falling in love with you, and I am so happy that I am. I'm so happy that my life led me to you," Brandon shared.

"Well, I am definitely falling in love with you, too," Serene replied. "And I've never felt like this special in my life. I've never felt someone go above and beyond."

Brandon felt like the luckiest guy and concluded, "I'm all yours," before kissing the bachelorette. He noted how he could envision spending the rest of his life with Serene.

That night, Michael explained to the cameras how Sierra was beautiful, mature and they had a blast together.

Michael said she has all the characteristics he's looking for in a partner, but every time he took a step forward, he started to take a few steps back due to being guarded. Michael was still dealing with the grief from losing his late wife Laura, and he felt bad about pushing people away.

Sierra then surprised Michael with a telescope that was perfectly lined up so that he could see a constellation of three bright stars. Sierra registered those three stars for Michael, Laura and James, telling Michael that he would never forget Laura and they'd always be together.

Michael thought the gift was extremely sweet and thoughtful, and he told Sierra that her energy was contagious.

However, Michael explained how some things take time and he felt there was something "missing" between them, although he couldn't put his finger on what that was. Michael admitted he had some walls up and didn't mean to do that to her.

The relationship was apparently moving too fast for Michael, who said he was scared to use people he cared about to help him get over his grief. Michael said he didn't want to hurt people on his journey of healing, and so he asked Sierra if they could just be friends and take all of the romantic pressure off.

Sierra handled the breakup gracefully and maturely, and she gave Michael a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Since Sierra didn't want to date anyone else or watch Michael date other people, she decided to leave the resort and go home.

"I don't want the pain I'm feeling to flow into somebody else's world. It's not their problem," Michael cried in a confessional as Sierra departed. "I don't want to hurt people in this process -- good people, like Sierra."

Sierra acknowledged how she was really upset and still wanted Michael; however, she was prepared to respect whatever he needed. Sierra sobbed when leaving the beach, and Michael wished her well.

The vibe in Paradise was apparently sullen and depressing after Sierra's departure, and the men hoped another woman or two would arrive since many men would be going home otherwise.

The episode also featured former Bachelor in Paradise couple Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon enjoying their vacation away from home, where there's business pressure and a crying baby boy named Dawson.

The couple received a Date Card and expressed how they're more in love with each other than ever before in a very emotional moment -- when BOTH Ashley and Jared cried.

"For the first time in seven years, this is truly Paradise," Jared told his wife, who gushed about how every woman needs a Jared in her life.

The spouses, however, struggled to have an intimate night in "The Boom Boom Room" due to Ashley's gas from the food she ate one night and Jared needing to catch up on his beauty rest after their date.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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