At the Horton Town Square, Allie and Chanel exchanged looks of surprise as Alex continued gushing about Stephanie. "The crazy part is...my kid brother called it this morning," Alex mused with a shake of the head before telling Chanel and Allie about how Sonny had warned that even players could fall head over heels in love -- and then Stephanie had quite literally made a player fall head over heels in love.
Alex declared that even Stephanie's full name was beautiful. "She's my cousin," Allie responded. "It seems like everybody in this town is!" Chanel sputtered. "We are a complicated family..." Allie conceded.
Alex admitted that Stephanie was not yet convinced that they were "soul mates" and was not even willing to explore the possibility over a date, prompting Chanel and Allie to take turns teasing that players weren't supposed to strike out so often. Alex dismissed the digs with a scoff then insisted that striking out with Allie, Chanel, Gabi, and other women had been different because those rejections had all been "B.S."
"Before Stephanie," Alex elaborated when Chanel and Allie each jumped to the wrong conclusion about the abbreviation.
Alex soon rushed off to Titan, purchasing a bouquet of flowers on the way -- and arrived just as Sonny managed to convince Stephanie to take on the company as a client.
Stephanie rejected the bouquet then rushed off, leaving Alex alone with Sonny, who warned that Titan had a strict policy that prohibited employees from dating each other. "I had to find out the hard way," Sonny grumbled. "Leo Stark was your assistant," Alex argued, but Sonny stressed that the policy applied to everyone.
Alex threatened to quit, but Sonny advised that it would be pointless to do that. "I know you fell head over heels for this girl, but she doesn't feel the same way," Sonny advised, prompting Alex to rush off in search of Stephanie while arguing that there was still plenty of time for the situation to change. Sonny sighed then predicted that Alex would soon be focused on another woman, as usual. "I hope..." Sonny added with a shake of the head.
Steve and John split up to search for Kayla and Marlena then met up at the park hours later. "I interviewed everyone within a ten-block radius of my house -- apparently, no one saw or heard anything last night," Steve grumbled. "I checked out every one of Orpheus' old hideouts -- he hasn't used any of them," John fretted. Steve wanted to ask Shane for help, but John thought that would be just as risky as getting the police involved, since Orpheus had once worked for the ISA and probably still knew people within the organization.
Hours after Orpheus' goons knocked out Marlena and Kayla, the women regained consciousness within seconds of each other then took turns observing that they were tied to separate chairs in an unfamiliar place and were not experiencing symptoms of concussion. "Steve and John have to know that we're missing by now, so...they're gonna find us," Kayla reasoned. "They will...but until they do, we've gotta take care of ourselves," Marlena countered.
Kayla and Marlena took turns recalling that Orpheus and the goons had blindfolded them the previous night and had then driven them around for hours. Marlena had gotten disoriented during the trip, but Kayla had "a very keen sense of direction" and was therefore confident that Orpheus and the goons had only kept them on the road that long to make them think that they were being taken far away from Salem. Marlena had heard church bells at one point, and Kayla had heard power tools at one point, so they concluded that they were in a warehouse near the docks, since St. Luke's wasn't far from there and was under repair due to what had happened there a few months earlier.
Marlena and Kayla rearranged their chairs so they were back to back, allowing Kayla to start working on untying Marlena's wrists.
Orpheus lurked near one of the Brady Pub's windows and watched as Kate, Abe, and Paulina began Roman's birthday celebration with a series of toasts. "Looks like I'm just in time!" Orpheus called out to the group after stepping inside the pub -- and as Roman, Kate, and Abe took turns reacting to the interruption, Paulina realized that their uninvited guest was the person Steve had expected to find at Stephanie's meeting the previous night.
"After all these years, you'd think he'd know that my interests have always lain elsewhere..." Orpheus teased -- and Roman, having misinterpreted the comment, countered that Steve had many good reasons to be suspicious. "My old ISA partner here needs to come down off his high horse, 'cause if anybody has a right to be angry about what was done to his loved ones, it'd be me -- but you're new in town, so you probably don't know," Orpheus began to explain to Paulina. "Birthday Boy shot and killed my wife, the mother of our two small children," Orpheus concluded while scowling at Roman.
Orpheus strolled out of the pub with a shrug after Roman, Kate, Abe, and Paulina each made it clear that the birthday celebration was a private event. Kate soon headed over to Sweet Bits in search of a birthday cake -- and Allie coldly insisted that the bakery didn't have any such desserts available at that time, but Chanel helpfully added that it wouldn't take long to whip up something. Chanel rushed into the bakery so Kate could have some time alone with Allie, who softened after hearing about everything that had happened since their previous conversation. Allie forgave Kate with a hug then headed into the bakery to see if Chanel needed any help.
Kayla managed to undo Marlena's bindings, but Orpheus returned just then and handcuffed them to their chairs so they wouldn't get a second chance to escape. Orpheus soon rushed off again, prompting Marlena and Kayla to start trying to wriggle out of their handcuffs. Allie and Chanel eventually emerged from Sweet Bits with a cake and discovered that Kate was gone. Abe contacted John and revealed that a birthday celebration was underway at the Brady Pub. John declined the invitation at first then backpedaled after learning that Orpheus had crashed the party earlier. Meanwhile, Steve ran into Stephanie at the Brady-Johnson townhouse and claimed that Kayla and Marlena were at a medical conference.
When John arrived at the pub, Abe and Paulina started to share more details about what had happened earlier. Meanwhile, Roman answered a call from Kate's cell phone. "I just realized I didn't wish you a happy birthday, Roman -- oh, and I'm afraid some of your guests aren't gonna be able to make it; Kayla, Marlena, and Kate all send their regrets," Orpheus declared before hanging up on Roman.
Ava caressed Jake's name plaque in the DiMera crypt, and she thought about when she had seen "Jake" at the front door. A noise startled Ava. "Jake?" Ava said. A sweaty, shirtless Johnny walked into the crypt.
"I've never seen that much disappointment on a woman's face," Johnny joked. Ava apologized. "I wasn't expecting you," Ava admitted. Johnny explained that he had been out for a run when he had seen the door to the crypt ajar. "Last time I was in here, Satan was hanging out right over there by that sarcophagus," Johnny said. Johnny asked Ava why she was there.
"Your family just put up a plaque for Jake, and so even though we are waiting on the medical examiner for his ashes, and he hasn't been interred yet, I feel close to him in here," Ava said. Johnny asked Ava why she had said Jake's name when he had entered. Ava told Johnny about how she had believed that Jake had visited the house the night before, but Li had claimed she had been mistaken.
"I know very well who Jake looks like. He is who I saw. I would swear to it," Ava said. Johnny asked Ava if she believed that Jake was alive. With a shake of her head, Ava reminded Johnny that she had been with Jake when he had died.
"But then I started having these waking dreams where Jake would come to me and we would talk," Ava admitted. When Johnny asked Ava if the incident with the fainting had been a waking dream, Ava said no. "It felt too real. Like I told you, I touched him. I felt his breath," Ava said. After a moment, Ava shook her head and admitted that the vision might have been a form of PTSD.
"Maybe I'm just crazy," Ava said with a chuckle. "You're talking to a guy who was possessed by the devil, so nothing to me sounds crazy anymore," Johnny countered. Ava thanked Johnny for his continued support.
"You're my friend. And you're part of the family now, so nobody gives you crap and gets away with it," Johnny said. Ava laughed. "That sounded very Vitali-esque," Ava said. Ava admitted that she had been anxious to forget her past.
"And then I ran into Jake here in Salem. And all of a sudden, it was a comfort to have that shared past. To have that understanding between the two of us," Ava said. Johnny apologized for having interrupted Ava's private moment. After Johnny left, Ava caressed Jake's plaque again.
"I know you're not going to walk through that door. I guess I just wanted it so badly that my brain made it happen. And I know that our marriage wasn't real, but my love for you was. And always will be," Ava whispered. Ava told Jake that she hoped he was not angry at her for her scheme. "I am gonna do all the things that you never had the chance to. This is for you, Jake," Ava said.
In the DiMera living room, Tony informed E.J. that the caretaker had placed a plaque for Jake in the family crypt. "Didn't you hear? Our dearly departed brother is still alive," E.J. said. E.J. told Tony that Ava had insisted that Jake had been at the front door.
"What do you think actually happened?" Tony asked. "Apparently, it was Li at the door. Ava was obviously hallucinating," E.J. said. When E.J. said he was worried about Ava, Tony smirked. "You're saying all the right things, but I can see that look in your eye. What are you up to?" Tony asked.
When E.J. asked Tony why he was suspicious, Tony laughed. "First of all, you're you," Tony said. Tony noted that E.J. had been working nonstop to pursue Ava's stock shares. With a raised eyebrow, Tony asked E.J. if he intended to seduce Ava.
"I have no desire to build a relationship with a lunatic," E.J. said. "That hasn't stopped you before," Tony said with a grin. E.J. argued that Ava's delusion bothered him, and he did not believe they could trust Ava. E.J. told Tony that he wanted to oust Ava from the company.
"So, you relieve Ava of her shares, and then you call in another vote to the board to install you in Gabi's stead?" Tony asked. E.J. nodded yes. "Without Ava's vote, it's 6 to 5 in my favor," E.J. said. Tony asked E.J. how he intended to disqualify Ava's vote.
"Li's not likely to disturb the current power structure," Tony said. "Which is why I had to go over Li's head," E.J. said. E.J. explained that he had called Wei Shin and that he was on his way to call a shareholders meeting.
"Soon, the company will be restored to the DiMera family as it rightfully should have been all along," E.J. said. Johnny entered from the garden. "What's going on?" Johnny asked. E.J. lied and said that he intended to restore Stefano's portrait. Johnny and Tony argued that the portrait was a perfect likeness and did not need any work.
"All right, we'll leave it then," E.J. grumbled. With a smirk, E.J. noted that Ava was not there, so Johnny did not need to "parade around half-naked." Johnny told E.J. that he had run into Ava at the crypt while he had been out on a run.
"I saw the door open. I wanted to make sure everything was okay," Johnny explained. "Did she tell you that she saw your Uncle Jake's ghost or whatever he was?" E.J. asked. Johnny said that Ava had touched Jake's face, and she had been sure it had been Jake.
"She said you were comforting. And I know you two have had your issues, so I'm glad you were kind to her when she needed a friend," Johnny said. As Johnny poured a drink, E.J. suppressed a smile at Tony.
When Ava entered from the garden, E.J. suggested that they plan a memorial service for Jake. "That would be nice. Thank you," Ava said. E.J.'s phone beeped. "It appears Wei Shin is in town," E.J. said. E.J. explained that Wei had called a shareholders meeting. "A sudden shareholders meeting? Is this a common occurrence?" Ava asked. E.J. and Tony pretended that they did not know why Wei had called the meeting.
In Rolf's lab, Stefan lay unconscious as Rolf took a call from Li. "Stefan is currently blissfully unconscious, but it has been very difficult to keep it that way," Rolf explained. Kristen walked into the lab.
At DiMera Enterprises, Li talked on the phone to Rolf about Stefan's escape. "Thank God it was Ava who answered the door and not someone else," Li muttered. Li warned that Rolf needed to ensure that Stefan would forget his feelings for Gabi. "What about me?" Gabi asked. Li spun around. Gabi was standing in the doorway. Li ended his call.
Li explained that he had called his father to update him on the company and about his relationship with Gabi. "I hope he approves," Gabi said. Li admitted that his father had been worried that the relationship would interfere with the company, but he had been pleased at how well the company had performed since Li and Gabi had started dating.
"If you don't count Basic Black. Nobody there is happy since Kristen forced me to put her in charge," Gabi grumbled. "Is she still making Chloe's life a living hell?" Li asked. Gabi nodded yes, and she admitted that she could not help Chloe because Kristen had helped Gabi with the shareholders.
Gabi turned the conversation to Ava's job request and the incident at the mansion. Li shuddered as he recounted his lie about when Ava had fainted in front of him. "I just hope [Ava] takes the title, takes the salary, gets out of the way, and just rests," Gabi said. "I hope so, too," Li agreed. Li asked Gabi if she was okay.
"Blackmail, secrets, lies, it's a lot," Gabi whispered. With a sigh, Gabi apologized to Li for having dragged him into her plot with Ava. "We're in this together," Li assured Gabi. "And we do make a hell of a team, don't we?" Gabi said. Li noted that stock prices and profits were up, and Gabi playfully fanned herself. While Li whispered about business things, he nibbled at Gabi's neck. Gabi shoved the items off her desk, and Li pulled off her dress. Li's father walked into the office.
"What is the meaning of this?" Wei bellowed. "Father! What are you doing here?" Li yelped. "I wanted to discuss some important matters. Such as this workplace relationship," Wei said. Confused, Li reminded Wei that he had given the relationship his blessing.
"That was before I found you fornicating on company property!" Wei said. Wei argued that Li should have locked the door. "We'll definitely do that next time," Gabi said. "Next time?" Wei yelled. Li assured his father that Gabi had been joking. Gabi apologized, but Li stressed that he was the one that had gotten carried away.
"It won't happen again," Li promised. "It certainly won't," Wei said. After Wei left to freshen up, Li apologized to Gabi. "You told me you just got off the phone with your dad. Why didn't you tell me he was in Salem?" Gabi asked. Li said that Wei had not told him that he was in Salem when they had talked.
"Why would he keep that from you?" Gabi asked. "This is how he operates. He's been doing it since I was a kid," Li said. Li explained that Wei had a history of surprise check-ups on Li. "Sounds like he has got major trust issues," Gabi said. "Big ones, and he likes to catch me off guard," Li said. Wei returned to the office, and Li apologized again.
"Well, it certainly could have been worse," Wei grumbled. Wei demanded that the cleaning staff scrub the table clean. "I will handle that," Gabi said. "Well, you better hurry. I just summoned a meeting of the DiMera shareholders," Wei announced. "For what purpose?" Gabi asked. "You'll see," Wei said.
At the lab, Kristen asked Rolf, "Did I just hear you say my brother escaped your custody?" Kristen demanded an explanation and a progress report. Rolf explained that Stefan's feelings for Gabi were more powerful than he had expected.
"[Stefan] leaped out of bed, desperate to get to Gabi. I couldn't stop him!" Rolf said. "Did Gabi see him?" Kristen asked. Rolf told Kristen that he and Li had wrangled Stefan back to the lab before Stefan could see Gabi. "So, nobody saw him," Kristen said with a sigh of relief.
"Unfortunately, Ava Vitali did see him," Rolf admitted. Kristen groaned. Rolf assured Kristen that everything was fine because Li had convinced everyone that Ava had hallucinated Jake. "Okay, so we dodged a bullet. Unlike Jake," Kristen said. Kristen asked Rolf if he could get their plan back on track.
"The man has been dead for four years and woke up with one singular thought: getting back to his wife," Rolf said. When Kristen scowled, Rolf confessed that he had underestimated the power of Stefan's love for Gabi. "To be honest, I don't know whether it can be overcome," Rolf admitted. "You promised you could get Stefan to fall out of love with Gabi and in love with Chloe," Kristen said. Rolf promised to do his best.
"I need this to happen!" Kristen pleaded. "You seem agitated. More than usual," Rolf noted. Kristen told Rolf that she had visited her daughter, and Brady had cut the visit short. "I need to be with Rachel. I need us to be a family again," Kristen said. "I want that, too. What happens if I can't come through?" Rolf countered. Kristen told Rolf that she believed he could make everyone happy. "Everyone except for Gabi Hernandez," Rolf said.
In the park, Brady and Chloe talked about Kristen's interest in custody of Rachel. "Since [Kristen's] pardon, she is feeling invincible. Maybe she is," Brady said. "Even if her record has been wiped clean, every person in this town could testify that she is a dangerous criminal," Chloe said. Brady argued that Kristen had an edge in the custody case because she was the biological mother.
"What if [Kristen] has committed a crime since she's been pardoned?" Chloe asked. Brady raised an eyebrow. Chloe told Brady that Kristen had threatened to kill her. Brady was alarmed, and he asked for details. "To be honest, I'm not even sure how serious she was about stabbing me," Chloe said. Brady's eyes went wide.
"She tried to stab you?" Brady yelled. Chloe told Brady what had happened at the office. "I told you that she was not going to be satisfied just torturing me with passive-aggressive PowerPoint critiques," Chloe said. Furious, Brady yelled, "This woman is unhinged. I'm not going to let her around my daughter. She is not going to get full custody. She's not going to get any custody!"
At Rolf's laboratory, Kristen's phone rang with a call from Brady. "I assume you're calling because you got served," Kristen said. "Full custody? Really, Kristen?" Brady countered. Kristen argued that if Brady had let her say goodbye to Rachel, she would have settled for joint custody.
"Obviously, Brady, you don't want to play fair," Kristen said. "What is fair? This emotional blackmail you're trying with Rachel? Telling her that we're going to be a family again?" Brady countered. Kristen noted that it was clear that Brady did not want to co-parent with her.
"I think you have had full custody for long enough. Now it's my turn," Kristen said. "It will never be your turn. Chloe told me how you nearly stabbed her at the office yesterday," Brady said. Kristen argued that Chloe was being overly dramatic.
"Her words against mine. And if you put her on the witness stand, we will make her look like the desperate homewrecker she is," Kristen growled. "I didn't want to go to war with you, but you've gone too far. I tried to work it out with you, so here is the deal. You are never getting Rachel back. Ever," Brady said. Emotional, Kristen ended the call.
Kristen told Rolf that Brady wanted to keep her from Rachel. "He can't. He won't. You need to speed this up," Kristen said. Rolf argued that his work would take time to build new neural pathways. "He will not step foot out of this room until his heart and mind are fully reprogrammed," Rolf promised. Kristen's phone beeped. "I have been summoned by Wei Shin for a meeting at DiMera," Kristen explained.
After Kristen left, Rolf connected electrodes to Stefan's head. "Life as you know it will never be the same," Rolf whispered.
In the park, Chloe asked Brady if Rachel was okay. "I think she'll be fine," Brady said. Chloe apologized. "My daughter adores you. I think Kristen has just gotten into her head. It's too much for her to take," Brady said. Chloe promised to give Rachel space.
"I'll follow your lead," Chloe said. "It's only until we get this Kristen thing sorted out," Brady promised. Chloe admitted that she was unhappy that Brady had confronted Kristen, because Kristen would blame her if Kristen lost custody over the letter opener incident. Brady asked Chloe if he could count on her testimony. Chloe worried aloud about her credibility.
"Believe me, you are much more credible than [Kristen] is," Brady said. "Okay. I will tell the judge what Kristen did to me and say that I don't think she should have any custody of Rachel," Chloe said. "Why don't you want me to be with my mommy?" Rachel asked as she walked over.
At DiMera Enterprises, Gabi cleaned her desk in anticipation of the shareholder meeting. Gabi explained that she did not want to give Li's father an excuse to oust her from power.
"He can't. Even if he wanted to, I have a vote; he doesn't," Li said. Gabi argued that Wei had a lot of influence. "Not enough to change things. Especially when you are doing so well," Li said. Concerned, Gabi asked why Wei was in town to call a meeting. Li noted that Wei likely wanted to address the issues with Ava and Kristen.
"That's a lot of uncertainty!" Gabi said. "My father hates uncertainty," Li said. As Gabi finished cleaning her desk, Kristen walked in. Kristen assured Gabi that she was still on Gabi's side. "You never know which way the wind is blowing around here, do you?" Kristen said.
When E.J., Tony, Johnny, and Ava arrived, Kristen grinned. "Did you all carpool together?" Kristen joked. Wei walked in and started the meeting. "I'd like to move that Ava Vitali be disqualified as a shareholder and removed from this meeting," E.J. said.
In Rolf's lab, Rolf made plans to erase Stefan's love for Gabi. Rolf said that Stefan would loathe Gabi once Rolf's work was finished. "What God has joined together, let Rolf zap asunder!" Rolf exclaimed wildly after he'd had Stefan recall his wedding to Gabi.
After Rolf expunged Stefan's happy memories of Gabi, he forced Stefan to recall Stefan's fondness for Chloe. Rolf instructed Stefan to think of Chloe, and a smile crossed Stefan's face. Later, Kristen joined Rolf in the lab. Rolf shared that his treatment had worked and that Stefan would only have eyes for Chloe when Stefan regained consciousness.
In the park, Rachel accused Chloe of having tried to keep Rachel away from Kristen. "I hate you!" Rachel screamed loudly at Chloe.
Brady tried to reassure Rachel that everyone, especially Chloe, only wanted what was best for Rachel. Rachel went to say goodbye to a friend, and Brady apologized to Chloe for Rachel's outburst. Brady told Chloe that he needed to talk to Belle, and he left.
At Shawn and Belle's place, Belle walked in on a shirtless Shawn, who had been in the middle of a workout. Shawn was upset, and he told Belle that E.J. had called to ask Belle to help with business at DiMera.
Belle surmised that Shawn was still upset about her affair with E.J, and she expressed that she wanted Shawn to open up to her about his anger. Shawn said he needed more time to think. "No, I don't think that's true," Belle said, and she pulled Shawn in close for a kiss.
Shawn resisted Belle's advances, and the two argued about Belle's affair with E.J. Just then, Brady appeared, without having knocked first. A frustrated Shawn left the house to go for a run.
After Shawn left, Brady told Belle that Kristen had filed for full custody of Rachel. Belle remarked that none of Kristen's past crimes could be used against her, since Kristen had been pardoned. Belle encouraged Brady not to give up, and she thought the worst-case scenario was that Brady would share joint custody of Rachel with Kristen. Belle and Brady assured each other that all their problems would work out well.
During his run, Shawn encountered Chloe in the park. Shawn told Chloe that he and Belle still hadn't resolved anything. Chloe thought that Belle had done everything she could to reconnect with Shawn, and she added that Shawn needed to make a decision.
Later, Brady rejoined Chloe in the park. Brady shared Belle's belief that sharing custody of Rachel with Kristen would be a worst-case scenario. "There is nothing that Kristen can do to come between us," Brady said.
Shawn rejoined Belle in the living room of their home. Belle tried to apologize, but Shawn cut her off. Belle encouraged Shawn to shower while she made dinner for the two of them, and she said she would leave the following morning. Shawn said he didn't want Belle to leave, but he also didn't want things to stay the same between them. Shawn asked Belle to join him in the shower. Belle asked if Shawn was sure, and Shawn confirmed his wish when he leaned in to kiss her.
At DiMera Enterprises, E.J. tried to have Ava disqualified from the boardroom. E.J. said that Ava had claimed to have seen Jake's ghost, and he questioned Ava's mental faculties. A furious Ava claimed that E.J. had made up the story, but E.J. stunned everyone at the meeting when he played an audio recording from his phone.
The recording had been a private conversation between E.J. and Johnny in which Johnny had confirmed that Ava had said she'd seen Jake's ghost. Johnny was outraged that E.J. had recorded their conversation. Wei announced that he would prohibit Ava from voting her shares until a determination could be made about Ava's mental state.
E.J. then made a motion that the board remove Gabi as CEO and restore E.J. in her place, and he was confident that Gabi no longer had enough votes to keep her job as CEO. Johnny surprised E.J. when he crossed the room to join Gabi, Li, and Kristen. "You might not want to do that, Dad. The vote might not go the way you'd planned it," Johnny said.
Johnny announced that he would switch his vote in favor of Gabi. Johnny said his decision had been made because E.J. had treated Ava unfairly, and he added that E.J. had tried to capitalize on Ava's grief. Gabi asked that the record show that she'd received a six to five majority vote to remain in power. E.J. stared intensely at Johnny. "I won't forget this," an angry E.J. said on his way out the door.
After the shareholders meeting, Wei warned Gabi to never forget that she'd only gotten her DiMera shares because Stefan had died. Wei left, and Gabi stayed behind with Li. Gabi thanked Li for having backed her at the meeting. Li put his arms around Gabi, and he said he would do anything for her.
Later, at the DiMera mansion, Tony tried to console a furious and seething E.J. when Ava walked in. E.J. ordered Ava to leave the mansion at once. Just then, Johnny appeared and stood up for Ava again. "Just so you know, Pops, if she goes, I go," Johnny declared.
E.J. reluctantly agreed to let Ava stay. Ava and Johnny left the room together, and Tony said that E.J. had done the right thing. "You don't want to lose your son over this. Let it go," Tony cautioned as he handed E.J. a drink.
E.J. shattered the glass in the fireplace, and he let out a loud scream.
Upstairs, Johnny escorted Ava to her room. Johnny said that his motives in having stood up for Ava hadn't been entirely unselfish, and he admitted that he liked having Ava around the mansion.
While passing through the town square, Stephanie received a text message from Alex, who was hoping that they could meet up later that night to celebrate their "new partnership" -- preferably at the Kiriakis mansion, where they would have access to a hot tub. "Really? What is this, the '70s?" Sonny, who had been trying to talk to Alex about changes to the Toscano Foundation, protested after sneaking a peek at the text message.
Sonny reminded Alex that Stephanie was off-limits. "You were serious about that?" Alex sputtered, drawing a sigh from Sonny, who added that Titan's policy against workplace fraternization didn't even matter at the end of the day because Stephanie wasn't interested. "When you first met Will, he wanted nothing to do with you, and look at how that turned out," Alex argued, but Sonny insisted that it wasn't fair to compare the two situations -- except, perhaps, as proof that the best way to respond to rejection from a potential love interest was to back off and hope that the person would eventually reconsider. "That's too risky for me," Alex objected, further annoying Sonny.
Alex observed that Stephanie had read the text message but had not yet responded to it, prompting Sonny to tease that buying a bathing suit for the hot tub might be a higher priority at that moment. Alex released a groan of frustration, clearly picturing Stephanie in a bathing suit, then decided to see if Chanel and Allie wanted to hang out that night instead. "Sonny Boy, I know we don't always see eye to eye, but I'm really glad we're working together -- [and] I do love you...you big dummy," Alex stressed while exiting Titan -- and Sonny, who still had a lot of work to get done that night and was therefore unwilling to tag along, laughed in response then returned the sentiment with a similar insult.
Stephanie -- who was actually quite interested in celebrating the acquisition of Titan as a client but didn't want to do so with Alex -- researched Salem's nightlife online then headed off in search of Small Bar, the bar at the town square that people rarely referred to by name. Leo was also at that bar, reading the Intruder's latest online article about Abigail's murder investigation. Leo cringed at the headline of the article -- "LEO FINGERS GWEN" -- then closed the browser with a shake of the head. "I would never!" Leo insisted with a groan. "Except...I did..." Leo added with a sigh.
Leo soon struck up a conversation with Stephanie -- then Alex entered the bar, having failed to convince Chanel and Allie to hang out, and interrupted the conversation. Stephanie again rejected Alex, drawing a scoff of confusion from Leo, who advised that it might be best to reconsider. Alex eventually recognized Leo and started lashing out on Sonny's behalf, but Stephanie quickly intervened so there wouldn't be any bloodshed. Leo rushed off, leaving Alex alone with Stephanie, who started fretting about having been bonding with a man who had done horrible things to Sonny. Stephanie decided to reward Alex with a drink for having defended Sonny but maintained that nothing more would ever happen between them.
At the police station, Gwen paced around a holding cell while fuming about Leo's betrayal. "I swear, when I get my hands on that lying little prat, I'm gonna --" Gwen spat. "What, kill him? Like you did my wife?" Chad called out from the entrance to the holding cells. Gwen denied the accusation then told Chad about what had happened on the night of Abigail's murder. Gwen insisted that Leo had to be the real killer, but Chad wasn't convinced. Gwen reminded Chad that Leo had made a hit list months earlier and that Abigail's name had been on the list. Gwen predicted that more names would be checked off that list sooner or later.
Leo went to Titan to try to arrange a truce with Sonny so Alex would back off. Sonny told Leo that they were never going to be friends -- then conceded that they could at least try to peacefully coexist in the future. Leo accepted that compromise then rushed off -- but returned a short time later to ask if Sonny could validate parking. Leo was stunned to find Sonny's motionless body lying on the floor in the CEO's office. Sonny had been stabbed in the back with what appeared to be a steak knife -- and Leo's hit list was lying on the desk, with a drop of blood drying on it.
After chasing off Abe and Paulina with a claim that Kate was ill, John and Roman summoned Steve over to the Brady Pub so they could discuss Orpheus' latest move -- and a package was eventually delivered to the trio, although they never saw the messenger. The package contained several items, including a tablet computer that served as Orpheus' way of relaying instructions to John, Roman, and Steve -- and the trio soon learned that they were being given one hour to save Kayla, Marlena, and Kate from a bomb.
Marlena and Kayla had both been surprised when Kate had gotten dragged into Orpheus' latest revenge scheme, so the women started discussing the matter as soon as they were alone together again. After getting the whole story, Kayla mused that Roman had picked a bad time to forgive Kate, and Marlena compared the situation to Sami's kidnapping. Kate conceded the point, and Marlena eventually softened and decided to let bygones be bygones, even though Kayla questioned the wisdom of that decision.
John, Roman, and Steve eventually solved Orpheus' puzzles -- a lockbox that opened when they entered the year of Orpheus' first encounter with Roman; a riddle inside the lockbox that gave them a street number when they converted the letters in the names of Orpheus' loved ones to numbers then determined the sum of those numbers; another riddle inside the lockbox that gave them a street name when they remembered that Orpheus had spent time in Stockholm -- then rushed off to that address and found Marlena, Kate, and Kayla.
Marlena, Kate, and Kayla told John, Roman, and Steve that the bomb was hidden inside an electrical panel. Together, the group figured out which wires to cut, recalling that Orpheus had casually dropped several clues that pertained to colors -- calling Kayla "blue eyes"; calling the men "white knights"; emphasizing John's surname -- and they deactivated the bomb with one second to spare. As the group celebrated, Orpheus watched them from another location. "The games have just begun," Orpheus teased, but the group was unable to hear the warning.
Rafe was surprised to see Jada at the police precinct. "I thought your shift ended hours ago," Rafe said. Jada explained that she wanted to review the suspects in Abigail's murder. "I don't trust [Leo]," Jada admitted.
Rafe said that Leo's accusation against Gwen felt convenient. "So, you agree that you think Leo is making up this confession?" Jada asked. "It is certainly possible," Rafe said. Rafe admitted that his gut told him that Gwen had told him the truth.
"Gwen said she threatened her sister with a syringe, not a knife," Jada noted. Rafe nodded yes. "Then what happened to this knife?" Jada wondered aloud. "Forensics thinks it was a steak knife. The one that went missing from the DiMera place the night that Abigail was murdered," Rafe said. Rafe argued that there was no justice in convicting the wrong person. Jada suggested that they keep digging for evidence.
"We need Trask to believe that we are gathering evidence to convict Gwen," Rafe stressed. "Meanwhile, Leo Stark is out running around free, doing God knows what," Jada complained. With a nod, Rafe encouraged Jada not to burn herself out. "Well, I did have tentative dinner plans with Eric," Jada admitted. "Oh, yeah! My wife said you two were dating," Rafe said. After a moment, Jada asked if the situation felt incestuous.
"In this town, you kind of get used to it," Rafe said. "Like underground tunnels and secret rooms. In Salem, it's all normal," Jada said. With a chuckle, Rafe said yes. "In fact, my wife was once married to a guy twice who was married to a gal twice who I was married to once," Rafe said. Jada shook her head and laughed. "So, you don't see any potential problems here?" Jada asked. Jada thought about her conversation with Nicole.
"Nicole is not interested in Eric's love life. Why would she be?" Rafe asked. When Jada hesitated, Rafe asked Jada what was wrong. "Did Eric say something to you?" Rafe asked. "It's all good, boss," Jada assured Rafe. With a smile, Jada walked out.
In the bar off the square, Stephanie gathered her belongings to leave. Alex asked Stephanie to stay. "I'm not just going to fall into your arms because you're handsome," Stephanie said. As Stephanie walked away, Alex whispered, "She thinks I'm handsome. Yes! Still in the game, baby."
Stephanie walked over to the Brady Pub. Eric started to say that the kitchen was closed, but then he recognized Stephanie. Eric hugged Stephanie hello. "I was really sorry to hear that you and Nicole split up," Stephanie said. Eric poured Stephanie a beer, and they sat down at a table to talk. Eric told Stephanie that he was dating.
"What about you? Anyone special?" Eric asked. Stephanie told Eric that her last boyfriend had ghosted her the previous year. When Eric suggested that Stephanie start dating again, Stephanie said that she was focused on work. "Besides, the only guy who has shown any real interest in me lately is a total jackass," Stephanie said. Stephanie told Eric about Alex's behavior, then she changed the subject back to Eric.
As Eric started to talk about Jada, she walked into the pub. Eric introduced Jada to Stephanie. "I was at your eighth birthday party," Stephanie said. With a look of recognition, Jada hugged Stephanie hello. "I didn't know you lived in Salem," Jada said. Stephanie explained that she had recently returned to town.
After Stephanie left to go home, Eric told Jada that he had fixed her AC. Jada turned to leave, and Eric asked her if she was okay. Jada reminded Eric that they had not spoken since she had left Eric to talk privately with Nicole. "I'm sorry about this morning. I mean, I had no idea that Nicole was going to stop by," Eric said. Jada asked why Nicole had visited. With a shrug, Eric noted that Nicole had wanted to check on him.
"You sure about that?" Jada asked. "Obviously, you're not," Eric said. Jada stammered, then she said that the situation was none of her business. Worried, Eric insisted that Jada talk to him. "You know I told Nicole that you and I slept together, right? Well, she just seemed a little too interested in that fact. Especially since she is married to someone else," Jada said. When Eric asked for specifics, Jada said, "It was just a little awkward."
Justin set up a picnic for Bonnie on the floor of the Kiriakis living room. "To my beautiful wife," Justin toasted. "To my thoughtful husband," Bonnie countered. Justin admitted that the picnic had been suggested by Alex. "Maybe we should take this little party out to the hot tub," Justin said. "No one is here. Seems like the perfect opportunity to skinny-dip with your wife," Bonnie said. With a grin, Justin reached over to unfasten Bonnie's blouse.
Alex walked in and sat down between the two lovebirds, Justin and Bonnie. Oblivious to the romantic scene, Alex talked about Stephanie while Justin poured two glasses of wine. "[Stephanie] is everything I've ever looked for in a woman. I'm telling you, she is the one. I know it," Alex said. "I'm surprised to hear you say that. I don't think I've ever heard you talk that way about anyone," Justin said. With a sigh, Alex lamented that Sonny would not let him near Stephanie because she worked for Titan.
"Sonny is being a smart CEO. It's his job to protect Titan," Justin said. "And to support his big bro. Shouldn't he want to see me with the woman of my dreams?" Alex said. Justin reminded Alex that he had not been in town when Leo had wreaked havoc with his sexual harassment lawsuit. "You really think Stephanie would sue me?" Alex asked. Justin advised Alex not to tempt fate.
"The wisest course of action is to not get involved with her," Justin said. Alex grabbed the bottle of wine and took a gulp from it. Justin warned Alex to stay clear of Stephanie. "I think that's a load of crap," Bonnie said. Bonnie argued that one could not live in fear of what could happen.
"It's not fear. It's common sense," Justin said. "People these days are so afraid to take a chance, that they are losing that one chance at real love. Who cares if someone sues you for sexual harassment?" Bonnie said. Justin reminded Bonnie of Harrison, but she said Alex's situation was different than Harrison or Leo.
"Alex is not a creep. He's not a con. He is a good man with a good heart," Bonnie argued. Alex insisted that Stephanie was the one. "If you are lucky enough to find that one person in this world that you belong with, well you can't just let that person go," Bonnie said. Bonnie asked Justin if he was glad she had taken the chance and kissed him.
"But you and I don't work together. Plus, there's a difference between taking a chance and ignoring what Stephanie wants," Justin countered. Bonnie noted that Alex would back off if Stephanie spurned his advances. "All I'm saying is, I laid it all on the line, and my reward is, I got the best thing that ever happened to me. Who are we to say that your son shouldn't do the same?" Bonnie said. Alex grabbed Bonnie and hugged her.
At the Salem Inn, Nicole told Chloe about her conversation with Jada in Eric's room. "Telling a woman that you're worried that she and Eric had slept together? What are you, her mother?" Chloe asked. Chloe stressed that Jada's sexual partners were not Nicole's business.
"Well, it is my concern who she sleeps with if I care about that person. A person who has been a good friend and I have a history with," Nicole argued. Chloe reiterated that it was a private matter between Jada and Eric. When Nicole explained that Jada had confessed that she had slept with Eric, Chloe shrugged. "Probably because you put her on the spot," Chloe said. Chloe told Nicole that she was concerned that Nicole was so obsessed with Eric's love life.
"Frankly, I don't know how you're not embarrassed that you interrogated that woman about her sex life," Chloe said. Annoyed, Nicole announced that she would leave. Chloe stopped Nicole. "You should care less because, like I keep reminding you, you are a married woman," Chloe said. "But does that mean that I can't be concerned about Eric?" Nicole countered. Chloe reminded Nicole that Nicole's history with Eric was the problem.
"This is dangerous territory, honey. You are wondering about your ex-husband's sex life," Chloe said. Nicole argued that Eric was not ready for a serious relationship. "What if it is just sex?" Chloe asked. "It's never just sex with someone like Eric," Nicole countered. Chloe rolled her eyes. "Eric is a grown man," Chloe said. Nicole argued that her concern was that Eric was vulnerable because he had left the priesthood and taken up with a stranger.
"Well, she is clearly not a stranger to Eric if he is having sex with her," Chloe said. Nicole suggested hiring an investigator to run a background check on Jada. "You have lost your mind," Chloe said. Chloe argued that Jada's father was one of Steve's oldest friends. "But what about her?" Nicole countered. Nicole reminded Chloe that there was a long list of people that had moved to Salem with a dark secret. Chloe argued that Rafe had likely done his due diligence when he had hired Jada on the police force.
"I just think that you are overreacting," Chloe said. "So you keep telling me," Nicole grumbled. Chloe recounted the number of times that Nicole had talked to her about her concerns for Eric, including Nicole's sex dream. Chloe asked Nicole if she had talked to Eric about the dream. Nicole told Chloe that she had lied to Eric about the content of the dream.
"But then he mentioned to me that he had a dream, also, and in the dream, I knocked on his door to deliver a singing telegram," Nicole said. Nicole gasped. "If I lied about my dream, what if Eric lied about his? What if he had a sex dream, too?" Nicole wondered aloud. Chloe noted that it would be a huge coincidence.
"A bigger coincidence than us dreaming about each other in the same morning?" Nicole countered. Chloe noted that she dreamed about people in her life constantly. When Nicole insisted she was right, Chloe told Nicole to call Eric and ask him for the truth. Nicole balked at the idea.
"Have you thought of what could happen if Jada goes to Rafe and tells him how overly interested you are in Eric?" Chloe asked. Nicole said it was unlikely. Chloe pointed out that Jada was a direct person. "You have to make a decision. You either end your marriage, or you work on it. But whatever choice you make, you have to decide. And you can't keep obsessing about Eric," Chloe advised.
Leo returned to Sonny's office at Titan to ask about parking validation. When Leo did not see Sonny, he looked at the desk and saw his list. "My hit list. How did this get here?" Leo said. Leo noticed blood on the paper. Leo looked over the desk and saw Sonny lying on the floor with a knife in his back.
"Oh, my God! Sonny!" Leo shouted as he rushed to Sonny's side. Sonny was unresponsive. "He's dead," Leo whispered. Leo touched Sonny's shoulder, and Sonny groaned. Relieved, Leo promised to help Sonny. Leo reached forward to remove the knife but stopped. "I can't because they're going to think I did it. But if I leave here, you're going to bleed to death. There's got to be something," Leo said. Leo decided to call an ambulance. As Leo dialed the number on his phone, Chad walked in and saw Sonny on the floor.
"What the hell did you do? Did you kill him?" Chad yelled. "He's still alive!" Leo shouted. Chad checked Sonny's pulse, while Leo insisted that he had found Sonny on the floor. "Stay with me," Chad said to Sonny. Chad ordered Leo to call an ambulance. "Is he going to be okay?" Leo asked. "You better hope so, because if he dies, you die," Chad said.
Frustrated, Chad asked Leo if he had actually called the paramedics. "This is what you wanted, right? Sonny bleeding out on the floor?" Chad said. "No!" Leo yelled. Leo swore that he had found Sonny like that. "I came to apologize," Leo said. Chad called Leo a liar.
"Gwen told us you were going to pick us off one by one. Well, you've done it. You killed Abby, you've stabbed Sonny. You are going to spend the rest of your life in a cage. Or better yet? You'll get the needle," Chad said. Leo left to check for the ambulance while Chad continued to stanch the bleeding from Sonny's wound.
When the paramedics arrived and tended to Sonny, Chad called Justin. "I have bad news," Chad said. In the Kiriakis living room, Justin told Bonnie and Alex that someone had stabbed Sonny. "Is he okay?" Alex asked. Justin explained that Sonny was on the way to the hospital.
As Rafe walked through the town square, he saw Stephanie and called out to her. Rafe and Stephanie made small talk until Rafe's phone rang with a call from the station. "Your cousin Sonny has been stabbed," Rafe told Stephanie.
In Sonny's office, Chad squatted by the spot where Sonny had been. Rafe walked in. "How's Sonny?" Rafe asked. Chad noted that Sonny was on the way to the hospital. Rafe asked Chad what had happened. "When I walked in, he was lying there with a knife in his back," Chad said. "Anyone else here?" Rafe asked. Chad told Rafe that Leo had been standing over Sonny.
Leo returned to his hotel room. "How could this have happened again?" Leo wondered aloud. As Leo thought about the scene in Sonny's office, he gasped. "The knife! It was the same knife!" Leo said. Leo thought about when he had held the knife in the DiMera wine cellar. "And how did my list get there?" Leo said. Leo thought about the list he had found in Sonny's office, and he realized that Sonny's name had been scratched out. "Oh, my God! I'm being framed!" Leo yelped.
When Chad arrived at the hospital, Stephanie was at the nurses' station. "I heard about Sonny. Are you okay?" Stephanie asked. Chad hugged Stephanie. Alex walked down the hallway, and he saw Stephanie and Chad together.
In Sonny's hospital room, the doctors treated his wound as Justin and Bonnie watched from the corner. "We're here for you, son! And we love you so much!" Justin yelled. Justin begged the doctors to tell him Sonny's status. "Sonny is going to be okay, do you hear me?" Bonnie said.
At Titan, Rafe examined the room while forensics gathered evidence. Jada arrived on the scene. "Looks like you were right," Rafe said. "About what?" Jada asked. "About Leo Stark. Chad DiMera found him standing here over Sonny Kiriakis who had a knife in his back," Rafe said. Rafe held up an evidence bag with the knife inside.
"It looks like we might have found the murder weapon in the Abigail DiMera case," Rafe said. Rafe showed Jada the hit list in another evidence bag. "Gwen said that Leo kept a list of all the people he wanted to get back at. Looks like he just checked off another one," Rafe said.
