Nicole was stunned to realize, while trying to clear the air with Eric on the second floor of the Brady Pub, that there wasn't much that needed to be said. Nicole grew annoyed after finding out why Eric knew so much already. Eric protested that Jada didn't deserve to be criticized for having stumbled upon Nicole and Rafe during their argument the previous night. Nicole provided a detailed account of Rafe's concerns after Eric revealed that Jada didn't know how the argument had started. Nicole stressed that Rafe felt bad about the argument and didn't want it to have lasting consequences. Eric accepted Nicole's offer to rejoin Basic Black as a photographer.
Nicole and Eric headed over to Basic Black together and soon learned that a model had flown back to New York under the assumption that the company wouldn't be proceeding with its scheduled photoshoot after the sudden firing of its photographer. "I have to get these photos done for Bella magazine today!" Nicole fretted. "You're the best model I've ever worked with," Eric suggested.
Nicole reluctantly agreed to go along with Eric's idea. "After all these years, we still make a great team," Nicole admitted to Eric later, while they were looking at the results of their photoshoot.
Marlena was at the hospital, wrapping up a phone conversation with someone, when John returned from running errands. "I will call you as soon as I get home," Marlena promised the person before hanging up then greeting John. "They're springing you out of here in an hour, so..." John announced as a way of narrowing down the timeline for Marlena's next phone conversation with the person.
Marlena released a gasp of excitement then identified the person as Sami before starting to list the rest of the people who were going to want that update right away -- including Brady, whose mention prompted John to share the other big news story of the day. "Kristen's handiwork?" Marlena guessed at the end of the tale, sharing John's concern about Brady's declaration that breaking up with Chloe hadn't been a choice.
John fretted that Kristen would stop at nothing to get back in Rachel's life, and Marlena added that Brady was also a target. "That's not gonna happen, Doc -- I think Brady has finally seen the light about Kristen," John argued. "I wouldn't be so sure -- he does seem to have a weakness for her," Marlena countered. "Not anymore -- she no longer holds any sway over him," John maintained.
Chloe laughed off Kristen's claim about moving into the Evans-Black townhouse then prodded Brady to set the record straight. "And then throw her the hell out of here," Chloe suggested before stepping aside to enjoy watching Brady deal with Kristen.
Chloe released a scoff of disbelief after Brady admitted that Kristen really was moving in. "Men -- they will forget to tell you the house is on fire!" Kristen whispered to Chloe with a shake of the head. "I was gonna tell you, but I had no idea she was showing up here today," Brady explained to Chloe with an apologetic shrug. "But I don't understand -- this is Marlena's house; she almost just died, and you're gonna let the woman who spent a lifetime tormenting her move in here? And what about John -- what is John gonna think when sitting across from her at the breakfast table every day?" Chloe challenged Brady while fighting back tears of disappointment.
Kristen delighted in making Chloe believe that Brady was the one who had thought of the idea in the first place. "This is my only option," Brady declared in an effort to clarify the situation for Chloe without blatantly contradicting Kristen's claim. "Put an end to this," Kristen pointedly ordered Brady, prompting Chloe to drop the matter. "I hated it, but I understood why you had to break up with me. But caving to her? I don't think I know you anymore!" Chloe snapped at Brady before glaring at Kristen then storming out of the townhouse in tears and slamming the door shut.
Kristen started to gloat, but Brady interrupted and warned that Rachel hated Chloe but loved John and Marlena. "If you try to pull the crap with them that you pulled with Chloe, it's gonna register in time with Rachel, and she's gonna realize that you only give a damn about yourself," Brady stressed before also advising that things would change forever once Rachel started to view Kristen as an actual parent who could dish out orders and punishments. "A lot of her adoration that she has for you is based upon the fact that you haven't even been around -- you convinced her that you were taken from her by this fairytale villainess, so you're just a romantic figure," Brady explained before concluding that staying away would actually be the best way for Kristen to maintain a good relationship with Rachel.
Kristen yawned during Brady's speech then scowled after it ended. "Don't you ever, ever question my relationship with my daughter again -- and don't you ever forget that I have the upper hand...permanently!" Kristen snapped at Brady before sauntering off to the kitchen to start cooking dinner.
John and Marlena entered the townhouse a short time later and found Brady standing in the living room, holding a cell phone. "I was gonna call you..." Brady stammered before starting to tell Marlena and John about what was going on -- but Kristen returned to the living room during the speech and blurted out the news with a smirk then rushed back to the kitchen to finish cooking dinner. "Son, I think you have some serious explaining to do," John declared once the coast was clear.
Stefan was walking away from Chloe's room at the Salem Inn when Li approached from behind and declared that it would be a mistake to give up so easily. "I'm not giving up on Chloe...but, seeing as she's not here, I'm going to give up on knocking on her door," Stefan dryly clarified before sarcastically thanking Li for the concern, raving that it was always nice to get unsolicited advice from a virtual stranger.
Stefan revealed that Chloe was single again then guessed that Li had an ulterior motive for wanting them to reunite. "Given what I heard about you and Gabi, I was a bit...thrown...when you came back on the scene --" Li began to admit. "Yeah -- the least a dead husband could do is stay dead, right?" Stefan interjected. "I can safely assume you no longer have feelings for her?" Li concluded with a hopeful smile. "When I...'died'...my feelings for Gabi died with me -- although I'm not entirely sure why..." Stefan responded. "Does it matter?" Li argued before wishing Stefan luck with Chloe then rushing off.
Stefan was writing a note when Chloe approached a short time later. "I heard you and Brady broke up," Stefan explained. "And...what, you're here to zero in on me when I'm down?" Chloe guessed. "To check on you and make sure you're okay," Stefan clarified. "People break up every day -- it's not a big deal," Chloe declared with a dismissive shrug before breaking down in Stefan's arms.
Chloe admitted that it would be nice to just disappear for a while, prompting Stefan to rush off then return a short time later. "You said you wanted to get away...but we are both tied to our jobs, so I thought I would recreate Miami -- like we did that time in Doug's Place," Stefan explained to Chloe while holding up several bags that contained various supplies, including margaritas, tropical shirts, sunglasses, and beach chairs. "This is the nicest thing anyone's done for me in a while," Chloe raved before thanking Stefan for the gesture.
Rolf filled a box with lab equipment while stewing about being exiled to Jakarta. "Although...a change of scenery can be good for the mind...and a new lab means new work, new ideas...and, after all, Salem is nothing without Stefano, anyway..." Rolf eventually conceded before serenely starting to exit the lab with the box.
Gabi arrived just then and wondered if Rolf was trying to flee the scene of a crime. Rolf scoffed and assured Gabi that no crimes had been committed at the lab. "If you must know, I'm leaving town -- and I have a plane to catch, so if you'll excuse me..." Rolf added before trying to shove past Gabi, who refused to budge.
Gabi seized Rolf's box of lab equipment then started removing random breakables from it and throwing them to the floor while demanding to know if Stefan had been brainwashed. Rolf tried to stop Gabi while claiming that Stefan had only undergone heart-related procedures. "I wasn't sure if I could ever revive him, but then Jake's heart became available -- and since they were twins, it was a perfect match --" Rolf elaborated, stunning Gabi. "Stefan has Jake's heart?" Gabi sputtered after setting aside Rolf's box of lab equipment. "Duh! Jake dies and, sacré bleu, his twin comes back from the dead -- didn't you find that timing just a tad coincidental?" Rolf teased before telling Gabi the rest of that particular story.
Gabi picked up a scalpel and pressed its blade against Rolf's neck, not yet convinced that everything was out in the open. "Start talking, doctor, or you're gonna be reunited with Stefano in hell," Gabi warned. "You wouldn't dare --" Rolf argued. "Oh? That's what Nick Fallon thought, and I put a bullet in his chest -- but, for you, I'm thinking of...cutting you up into tiny pieces and feeding you to the rats!" Gabi countered before moving the blade of the scalpel to Rolf's carotid artery. "All right, you're right -- I brainwashed him!" Rolf blurted out before telling Gabi everything. "Take it back -- the brainwashing!" Gabi demanded afterward, trying not to get distracted with thoughts about Li's involvement as the mastermind of the whole plot.
Rolf teased that an antidote could be found in the box of lab equipment -- unless, of course, in a cruel twist of irony, it was one of the items that Gabi had already destroyed. "One dose of this, and Stefan will be back to normal," Rolf promised after removing a syringe from the box while still under threat of attack from Gabi.
Gabi reached for the syringe, and Rolf seized the opportunity to pounce. Rolf got the upper hand then plunged the needle of the syringe into Gabi's neck. Gabi demanded to know what had been in the syringe then passed out in Rolf's arms.
Li ran into Rafe while passing through the town square and seized the opportunity to ask for a favor. "I was wondering if you'd be my best man," Li explained before reasoning that it would probably mean a lot to Gabi.
Rafe wondered if there was even a wedding date yet, forcing Li to admit that a few things were still up in the air. "But now that Gabi and Stefan have signed their divorce papers, there's nothing stopping us," Li stressed. "Unless, of course, Stefan isn't acting of his own free will," Rafe argued. "Sounds like Gabi told you about her...'theory'...that Rolf somehow brainwashed Stefan," Li translated.
Li dismissed Gabi's theory as either a case of wishful thinking or a case of wounded ego. "I guess we'll be finding out soon enough," Rafe countered before explaining to Li that Gabi had gone to Rolf's lab earlier in search of answers. "I can't believe you let her go there!" Li snapped. "She didn't ask my permission," Rafe explained.
Li said a quick goodbye to Rafe then started to rush off to the lab. "Don't you need the address?" Rafe wondered. "Right... Text it to me!" Li responded.
Gabi approached just then and started to say something to Li, somewhat angrily, before stopping abruptly. "Sorry -- I lost my train of thought there for a second..." Gabi eventually continued before reporting that Rolf had denied brainwashing Stefan. "And, for some weird reason, I honestly believe him," Gabi concluded with a shrug. "No one -- especially you -- ever believes Rolf," Rafe protested. "Well, I held a scalpel to his throat, and he still said he didn't do anything," Gabi explained. "If you have to hold a scalpel to someone's throat, you shouldn't tell a cop about it," Rafe advised.
Gabi just shrugged again. Li breathed a sigh of relief then reminded Rafe of their original topic of conversation. Rafe agreed to be Li's best man. Gabi thanked Li for the gesture then hoped that their marriage would be just as solid as Rafe and Nicole's marriage. Li and Rafe each forced a smile and nodded. Meanwhile, Rolf finished examining the damage that Gabi had done to the lab equipment. "Thank God I had that vial of CRS-17 -- she won't remember a thing," Rolf mused with a smirk.
In the town square, a man danced in a donkey head mask and Uncle Sam top hat as he handed out cookies for Paulina's campaign. Sloan walked around the corner. From inside the mask, the muffled voice of Leo muttered, "Oh, crap. It's her." As Leo attempted to dance away, Sloan stepped in front of him.
"Not so fast, you big jackass. Take off that mask," Sloan said. Reluctantly, Leo took off the mask. "You are so busted," Sloan said with a grin. Sloan noted that her private investigator had tracked Leo down. Leo explained that he was working for Paulina's election campaign. Frustrated, Sloan demanded that Leo pay her the money that he owed her. Leo argued that Sloan had agreed to take his case for the free publicity.
"I wouldn't say that if I was dead drunk!" Sloan objected. Sloan threatened to send Leo to a collection agency. "And the one that I use doesn't take no for an answer," Sloan growled. "You cannot get blood from a turnip, honey!" Leo complained. "You owe me, and one way or another, I always get my man," Sloan said. Sloan added that Leo had chosen to back the wrong candidate for the governorship.
"And how do you know that? I saw in the paper that she was pulling ahead in the polls," Leo said. "All it takes is one dirty scandal, and Ms. Price's political career will be over faster than your little romance with that zaddy doctor," Sloan said.
As Stephanie arrived at the Horton house to meet with Chad, she wrapped up her phone conversation with Paulina. "Try not to worry Ms. Price," Stephanie said. "Try not to worry? This is my daughter's life we're talking about, not to mention my bid for governor," Paulina said. Stephanie assured Paulina that she had the situation under control with a foolproof plan.
After Stephanie ended her call, Chad asked Stephanie about her "foolproof plan." "Beats the hell out of me," Stephanie confessed. Stephanie told Chad that she had spent the night thinking about the problem, and she had been unable to formulate a plan to neutralize Sloan. "Why not just hire a P.I. to dig up some dirt on her?" Chad suggested. Stephanie argued that an investigation would take too long.
"There's always the option of just paying off Sloan's client," Chad said. "Paulina's touting herself as the ethical candidate. She's not about to be a party to extortion," Stephanie stressed. Stephanie added that Sloan's client would keep demanding more money.
"I never said that Paulina had to be the one to pay it," Chad said. Stephanie said no. "I have a trust fund, and you're the one who told Paulina you'd have this thing handled by tomorrow morning," Chad said. "I will not allow you to use your personal funds to get me out of a jam with a client," Stephanie stressed. "Our client," Chad corrected.
"What if the wrong person finds out? People will say that I used my company to help a DiMera get a governor in his pocket," Stephanie argued. "I didn't think of that. I always thought throwing money at the problem helps," Chad said. Stephanie's eyes lit up with an idea. "We're going to give greedy Sloan Petersen the payday she's been looking for," Stephanie said. Stephanie said she would ask her father.
"I did not know Steve Johnson had that kind of money laying around," Chad said. Stephanie explained that Steve and John had helped bust a drug ring and that the counterfeit money used was still at the Black Patch offices. "You can't be serious," Chad said.
"If that money fooled a drug lord, it will fool Sloan. And I'm sure my father and John won't mind," Stephanie said. Stephanie asked Chad to pay Sloan while she broke into Sloan's apartment. "We have to get our hands on the documents that she is holding over Paulina's head, right?" Stephanie said. "What if they're not there?" Chad asked. "We have to start somewhere," Stephanie countered. Stephanie told Chad that she would do whatever it took to find what Sloan was hiding.
At Price Headquarters, Paulina texted Chanel to tell her that there was a plan to deal with the blackmail situation. Abe walked in. "What are you so happy about?" Abe asked. "You said my polling numbers would go up, and they did," Paulina said. Abe warned Paulina that her opponent would release attack ads.
"Those ads get personal. They're gonna come after the fact that Lani is in prison," Abe said. Paulina threatened to strangle her opponent if he went after Lani. "It's one thing to go after me, but nobody messes with my daughters," Paulina said.
"They both say I really get on their nerves, but I just love them so much," Paulina said with a chuckle. "And they love you back. Just like I do," Abe said. Abe told Paulina that he was proud of her. "Which is why I have made an important decision," Abe said. Curious, Paulina asked Abe what he had decided.
"If you're elected governor, I will resign as mayor and move to the capitol with you," Abe said. Paulina argued that Salem was Abe's home and that he should not move away. Abe explained that he had dedicated his life to the people of Salem, but he wanted to support Paulina in her effort to support the people of the state.
"Are you really going to give up your career to be my First Gentleman?" Paulina asked. "There's nothing I want more," Abe said. With a gasp, Paulina exclaimed, "What did I do to deserve you?" Abe told Paulina that he loved her. With a sigh, Paulina said that she needed to tell Abe something. Before Paulina could tell Abe about the blackmail, Leo stumbled into the office with the donkey head mask on. Leo explained that he was there about his paycheck.
After Abe left to pick up dinner, Paulina looked through the checks on the desk. As Leo took off his mask, Paulina knitted her eyebrows together. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" Paulina asked. "I don't think so," Leo said. Suspicious, Paulina noted, "I really feel like I've seen you before."
"Leo Stark. Sounds familiar," Paulina said. After a moment, Leo gasped. "Those shoes. Are those from Theresa Donovan's new Jeannie collection?" Leo asked. Paulina smiled. "Yes, they are! I like a man who knows his couture footwear," Paulina said. Paulina handed Leo his check. Disappointed, Leo noted that he would have to hand out a lot more cookies to make money.
"Hard times?" Paulina asked. Leo explained that he had a greedy lawyer after him. "Sloan Petersen," Leo said. "How'd you get mixed up with her?" Paulina asked. Leo explained that Sloan had been his defense attorney. "And now she thinks she owns me. If I pay her off, I'll be sleeping on a bench in the Horton town square," Leo grumbled. After a moment, Paulina told Leo that she might be able to help him.
"You need money to pay her off, right?" Paulina asked. With a gasp, Leo said he was thankful for a loan. "Do I look like a credit union to you?" Paulina countered. Paulina explained that she needed another assistant. "I'll take it!" Leo said. Paulina warned Leo that she was a tough boss. Leo promised to make sure all of Paulina's needs were met.
Abe walked through the town square, and he ran into Maggie. After a quick hug and some chit-chat, Abe asked Maggie if Victor planned to vote for Paulina. "As far as I know, the whole Kiriakis family is behind her. I've already mailed in my ballot. And Victor's," Maggie said. "Mail-in voting is the way to go," Abe said. When Maggie noted that she had voted for Abe, too, he thanked her.
"What if you and Paulina both win? Won't you two hate being apart?" Maggie asked. "Now you're the first of my friends to hear this news, but if Paulina is elected governor, I'll be leaving Salem," Abe said.
After Abe's conversation with Maggie, he picked up dinner and returned to the campaign office. "What are you doing here, Stark?" Abe asked. Paulina announced that Leo was her new assistant.
Allie returned home from dropping Henry off with Nicole, and she told Chanel how excited Henry had been. "I think it's really great that Nicole decided to make the sleepovers a weekly thing," Chanel said. With a grin, Allie noted that it also meant that she and Chanel would have one night a week to themselves. When Chanel asked Allie what she wanted to do, Allie suggested that they should call Alex.
"I thought we agreed that the threesome was not gonna be a regular thing," Chanel countered. Allie said that she just wanted to get drinks. When Chanel nodded hesitantly, Allie assured her that they were on the same page about Alex.
"It was a one-time thing. I just figured that the sooner that the three of us go back to hanging out, the less awkward it will be," Allie explained. Chanel agreed. "But can we do it another night? I just, I'm not really in the mood to go out tonight," Chanel said. Allie asked if everything was okay. "No, it's not," Chanel admitted. Allie urged Chanel to open up. Before Chanel could say a word, there was a knock at the door.
Johnny stopped by the apartment to ask a favor. When Allie asked about Ava, Johnny explained that Ava had left town because E.J. had forced her to leave. Johnny told Allie and Chanel about Ava's forgery. "My dad figured her out. Like he hasn't done just way worse things," Johnny muttered. Chanel asked about the favor.
"I was wondering if your couch is still available," Johnny said. "Oh, hell no! Absolutely not," Allie said. Johnny clarified that the request was for his friend Wendy. "You guys are going to love her," Johnny added. Allie said she did not want a random stranger living in her apartment with Henry. Johnny explained that Wendy was Li's sister.
"If she is that rich guy's sister, then why doesn't she just buy herself a condo?" Chanel asked. "Or she could move into the mansion," Allie added. Johnny explained that he could not live in the same house as Wendy, because they were working on a project together. "What are you up to now?" Allie asked. "Wendy and I just don't want my dad to catch on to the fact that we are working together," Johnny said.
When Johnny mentioned that Wendy needed a place to stay that night, Allie noted that Wendy would be their second houseguest in a short span of time. "She's not going to be staying for that long," Johnny said. Johnny explained that Wendy needed to save money to get her own place, and she did not want to borrow the money from Li. "I'm okay with it if you are," Chanel told Allie. When Allie said yes, Johnny grabbed his sister and hugged her.
While Johnny went to find Wendy, Allie grabbed sheets and towels from the closet. Chanel checked her phone, and she saw that Paulina had texted her. "We never finished that conversation that we were having when Johnny came by. You said you had something to tell me," Allie said.
In the Kiriakis living room, Sonny talked to Will on the phone about Will's canceled trip home. "Well, what about next weekend?" Sonny asked. As Alex walked in the room, a dejected Sonny asked Will to try to find time to visit. When Sonny ended the call, Alex asked what Will had done. Sonny explained that Will had been forced to cancel his visit to Salem. Sonny asked Alex if he wanted to hang out.
"That sounds great, but I actually have plans," Alex said. Alex explained that he intended to get over Stephanie because she was interested in Chad. "It hasn't even been that long since Abigail died. And [Chad] was madly in love with her," Sonny said. Alex complained that when he had seen Stephanie and Chad together, they "only had eyes for each other."
"And they denied it when I asked them if they were hooking up," Alex added. "I'm sorry, you asked them?" Sonny countered. Alex shrugged. "Even if Stephanie isn't with Chad, it's clear that she doesn't want any part of me," Alex said. Alex told Sonny that his new plan was to have as much meaningless sex as possible.
"I don't think you should give up on finding the one," Sonny said. "I have met the one, Sonny. Her name is Stephanie," Alex countered. Sonny argued that if Stephanie was the right person, Alex would not need to convince Stephanie that she should be with Alex. "Yeah, I don't like to let things just happen," Alex said. Alex told Sonny that he had already returned to his old ways with a threesome. Sonny laughed in disbelief.
"Do I know any of the parties involved?" Sonny asked. "Both of them. Allie Horton and Chanel DuPree," Alex said. Sonny choked on his drink. As Alex started to talk about the details, Sonny yelled at him to stop. "Allie is Will's younger sister," Sonny noted. "I know. The Kiriakis brothers have great taste in Horton," Alex said. Sonny asked Alex not to tell anyone about the threesome. Alex's phone beeped with a text from Sloan about a meet-up. As Alex walked out, Sonny begged Alex to admit that the threesome had been a joke, but Alex said nothing.
Sonny ordered a pizza and sat down to watch a sad movie. Maggie returned home, and she heard someone on the TV crying. "Mind some company?" Maggie asked. "Not if it's you," Sonny said as he turned off the TV. Maggie told Sonny not to turn off his movie, but Sonny said he was fine. Sonny offered pizza to Maggie as he wiped tears from his eyes.
"That movie looked sad," Maggie said. "It's pretty fitting for my mood," Sonny said. Sonny admitted that he missed Will. "I know a little bit about being married to men who are also married to their careers," Maggie said. Sonny laughed. Sonny noted that Victor should have retired years earlier. Maggie countered that Victor was not the retiree type.
"But neither was Mickey," Maggie added. "Do you ever wish that they would put you first more?" Sonny asked. With a nod yes, Maggie said that she wished that sometimes. "Same with you?" Maggie asked. Sonny shrugged. "Something has to change. I can't let this break us up again," Sonny said. Maggie recommended that Will talk to Abe. When Sonny asked why, Maggie told Sonny about her conversation with Abe about the election.
"So, Abe is going to give up his whole career just for Paulina?" Sonny said. "Well, that's what he said. And he didn't seem to have any doubts about it," Maggie confirmed. Sonny stared at his hands, and Maggie asked him what he was thinking about. "I'm thinking maybe getting stabbed in the back with a knife was a sign from the universe," Sonny said. Sonny told Maggie that Alex could continue as CEO, and he could move to L.A. to be with Will.
"If that's what you really want," Maggie said. With a groan, Sonny stressed that he loved acting as the CEO of Titan. "It feels like what I was born to do," Sonny said. "And Will loves making movies," Maggie countered. Sonny nodded in agreement. Maggie advised Sonny to meet Will halfway. After Maggie went to bed, Sonny called Will.
At Sloan's apartment, a lingerie-clad Sloan greeted Alex at her front door. "Just get in here and shut your mouth," Sloan said. Sloan grabbed Alex and pulled him inside her apartment. While Alex and Sloan kissed on the bed, her phone rang. "Ignore it," Alex whispered. With a sigh, Sloan answered her phone.
"I was wondering when I was going to hear from you," Sloan said. "You're getting what you want, Sloan. My associate will be at the Brady Pub in one hour," Stephanie said. Sloan agreed to meet at the pub. After Sloan ended the call, she told Alex that she needed to attend an important meeting.
"More important than the best sex of your life?" Alex asked. "Someone thinks quite highly of himself," Sloan whispered. Sloan crawled onto the bed, and she asked Alex to wait for her until she returned from her meeting. Alex kissed Sloan, and he told her to forget it. With a grin, Sloan reached into her bedside table and pulled out handcuffs. Sloan handcuffed Alex to the headboard. "That is what I'm talking about," Alex said.
At the Horton house, Stephanie told Chad that she would retrieve the fake money and deliver it to him on her way to Sloan's apartment. "You really think this is gonna work?" Chad asked. "It better," Stephanie said.
After Sloan left her apartment, Stephanie stepped out of the shadows in the hallway, and she called Chad at the pub to warn him. Chad told Stephanie to be careful. "Okay, girl. Let's see if you can remember what Papa taught you," Stephanie said as she pulled a lockpicking set out of her purse. When Stephanie opened the door, she saw Alex handcuffed to the bed in his underwear. "What the hell are you doing here?" Alex and Stephanie yelled simultaneously.
At the Brady Pub, Chad opened the suitcase to examine the counterfeit money. "Looks real to me," Chad whispered. Sloan walked in. "For the sake of your client and your boss, I better like what I see in that briefcase," Sloan said. Chad grinned.
Johnny tracked down Wendy at the town square and offered up the Horton apartment as a temporary shelter, explaining that Allie lived there with a young boy and often had a girlfriend over but still had room on the couch for a sibling's new friend. "Maybe, as a thank-you, you could use your hacking magic and double their Wi-Fi speed," Johnny suggested, exciting Wendy. "That was a joke, you know -- there's no cybercrime necessary," Johnny tried to backpedal, but Wendy never agreed.
Wendy probed for more details about Allie's girlfriend, prompting Johnny to confirm that Chanel wasn't just a girl who was a friend. "So, your sister's gay," Wendy translated, unfazed. "Actually, she's bi -- they both are," Johnny clarified before casually adding that there was more that Wendy probably needed to know. "Now you're just messing with me," Wendy guessed after hearing the rest, no longer unfazed. "No, I swear -- I'm telling you the truth," Johnny responded, maintaining that Chanel was an ex-wife and that Allie was a twin sister who had a different father -- and that the actual devil could be blamed for the way their love triangle had ended.
Wendy struggled to process the information then gave up and wondered if Johnny had been in any other relationships since then. "I did come close -- with someone who I really cared about -- but then my dad forced her to leave town," Johnny grumbled. "Is that something your dad does a lot?" Wendy sputtered. "Act like a total jerk? Yeah -- all the time," Johnny answered. "Make people leave Salem," Wendy clarified before telling Johnny about what E.J. had done to Tripp's mother.
Johnny started squirming then wondered how Wendy and Tripp knew each other. Wendy answered the question then realized that Johnny's love interest and Tripp's mother were the same person. Wendy protested that Tripp's mother was old enough to be Johnny's mother. Johnny insisted that didn't matter, and Wendy conceded the point then offered a few words of comfort. Johnny joked that, on the bright side, losing Ava to E.J.'s blackmail hadn't been quite as humiliating as losing Chanel to Allie's charms. "I just want to move through it -- all of it -- and move on to something...or someone...less complicated," Johnny admitted before locking eyes with Wendy.
Chanel started to rush out of the Horton apartment, giving Allie an excuse about needing to run an errand. Allie reminded Chanel that they still needed to finish their earlier conversation. Chanel claimed to have forgotten what the conversation had been about then assured Allie that it had therefore probably not been about anything important. "But you seemed really upset -- how could you just not remember?" Allie argued. "What makes you think that I was upset?" Chanel countered.
Chanel continued exiting the apartment, leaving Allie confused about what had just happened. Sonny arrived a short time later and handed over a gift bag while explaining that Will had just provided a reminder that Arianna had made something for Allie's birthday. "I know it's a couple days late, but..." Sonny added with a shrug while Allie was removing a picture frame from the gift bag.
Allie admired the picture frame then set it aside and changed the subject, guessing that Sonny missed having Will around. "Yeah -- a lot," Sonny whispered. "Well, you know, if you're ever lonely or bored, you can always come over...although it's pretty dull around here most nights," Allie declared, and Sonny seized the opportunity to try to find out if Alex had been telling the truth earlier.
Sonny struggled to find a tactful way to ask Allie about Alex's claim then gave up and just went with a more direct approach instead. "Since you asked, I will tell you -- yes, Chanel and I had a threesome with your brother," Allie confirmed for Sonny. "Didn't realize we were walking in on a game of Truth or Dare," Johnny called out from the apartment doorway before introducing Wendy.
Sonny soon rushed off. "I guess it's just the three of us now," Johnny observed. "My back's been hurting a little bit lately... Is there a place around here I could get a good ménage -- oops, massage, sorry!" Johnny continued. "Don't let him bust your chops -- for what it's worth, I'm totally cool with it," Wendy assured Allie before noting that Johnny was in no position to judge.
Abe advised Paulina to throw Leo out of Team Price's gubernatorial election campaign headquarters right away then hire someone who wasn't a gold-digger. "I knew you looked familiar!" Paulina snapped at Leo after Abe elaborated.
Leo admitted to having once been a gold-digger but insisted that taking a job as Paulina's assistant was a way of trying to turn over a new leaf. Abe expressed skepticism, prompting Leo to point out that Paulina and Lani had each made mistakes in the past. "I say, 'He who is without sin...' You know -- however the rest of that line goes," Leo argued, and Paulina agreed, dismissing Abe's concern.
Leo thanked Paulina for the support then gave Abe a triumphant smirk before doing a victory dance while exiting the building, promising to return bright and early the following morning for work. Chanel arrived a short time later and asked for some time alone with Paulina, prompting Abe to rush off. Chanel fretted to Paulina about having almost told Allie everything earlier. Paulina assured Chanel that there was no reason to confess to Allie because everything was going to be settled before the end of the night. Chanel and Paulina agreed that they would prefer to avoid having to burden their significant others with their secret.
Johnny was still with Allie and Wendy at the Horton apartment when Chanel returned with a birthday cake. "Ugh, it didn't come true -- he's still here," Allie joked after blowing out the candles with Johnny.
Sloan claimed the empty chair at Chad's table then looked around the Brady Pub and wondered where Stephanie was hiding. "My boss isn't here because...it allows her a certain plausible deniability," Chad explained before opening then closing the briefcase that contained the counterfeit money, giving Sloan no time to scrutinize the props.
Chad started flirting with Sloan. "Now I'm starting to understand why they sent you to meet me," Sloan eventually declared before responding favorably to Chad's advances.
Sloan started to rush back home to fetch the blackmail material so the trade could be finalized, prompting Chad to go off script with a suggestion that they could team up to get extra money out of the deal then split the profits. Chad removed one stack of counterfeit money from the briefcase and told Sloan that they could spend it while getting to know each other better and working out the details of their new partnership.
Leo entered the pub just then and started bragging to Sloan about having just secured a great job. Leo couldn't afford to hand over a whole paycheck, so Sloan offered one of the counterfeit bills as a trade. "Listen, lady -- I don't know what you're doing with these fake bills, but I could have gotten in real trouble if I tried to use this somewhere!" Leo snapped before tossing the counterfeit bill back at Sloan then storming off.
Chad tried to laugh off the accusation, but Sloan argued that Leo was obsessed with money and could therefore probably pass as an expert on the subject of counterfeit bills. Chad offered to just write Sloan a check instead. "After what you just pulled, I don't trust you or your check!" Sloan spat before warning Chad that Chanel's secret would be leaked to the public unless the payoff was completed the following day.
Leo ran into Sonny while passing through the town square. "It's almost as if you weren't stabbed by someone who turned out not to be me!" Leo observed. "I'm definitely on the mend," Sonny confirmed.
Leo bragged that Sonny wasn't the only one who had something to celebrate. "I am newly employed, so you can tell that smoking hot brother of yours I don't need a job from him anymore -- well, not that kind of job, anyway..." Leo elaborated. "Pick a night -- I'll take you and Wilhelmina out to dinner. It's time we put our differences aside," Leo suggested. "Will's not here -- he's in L.A. for work," Sonny revealed. "Then it will just be the two of us!" Leo insisted before rushing off.
Alex and Stephanie waited in awkward silence, each wanting the other to be the first to provide a reason for being in Sloan's apartment. Alex instinctively began to turn away from Stephanie during the standoff, feeling a bit too exposed, but quickly decided to instead stay shamelessly sprawled out on the bed. "Isn't it obvious what I'm doing here?" Alex bragged to Stephanie while rattling the handcuffs, adding that Sloan had just been called to a meeting but would be back soon.
Stephanie couldn't believe that Alex was okay with being left alone in restraints and having no way of knowing when Sloan would return. "What if you have to use the bathroom? Seems pretty inhumane!" Stephanie argued with a look of disgust, prompting Alex to point out that it wasn't nice to judge people. "What's happening here is between two consenting adults, which means it's not a crime," Alex assured Stephanie with a shrug.
Alex reminded Stephanie that breaking and entering, on the other hand, was a felony. Alex demanded an explanation, prompting Stephanie to share the whole story. "You're sleeping with a snake," Stephanie summarized, adding that Alex had horrible taste in women. "I used to be attracted to you," Alex countered while Stephanie was providing a blanket. "Aren't you embarrassed?" Stephanie wondered after Alex kicked the blanket back off. "Nope," Alex assured Stephanie, sprawling out again.
Stephanie started to pick the lock on a file cabinet but received a text message from Chad just then. Stephanie didn't want to leave without first swearing Alex to secrecy. Alex was still making Stephanie sweat when Sloan returned to the apartment. Stephanie managed to find a hiding place then sneaked out of the apartment while Alex was distracting Sloan with sex. Stephanie and Chad met up at the Brady Pub and took turns updating each other. Stephanie wondered why Alex had decided to cooperate. "Maybe he's on our side in this now," Stephanie suggested to Chad.
Meanwhile, Alex complained about numbness, prompting Sloan to remove the handcuffs then toss aside the key, which was attached to a keychain that also held many other keys. Alex distracted Sloan with another round of sex while eyeing the keys, as if trying to determine if one of them could fit the lock on a file cabinet.
Rachel carried a plate of pancakes into the living room of the Evans-Black townhouse and presented them to Marlena. "They're pumpkin -- I made them from scratch," Rachel proudly explained before grudgingly admitting that Kristen had helped.
Kristen entered the living room while Marlena was raving to Rachel that the pancakes looked and smelled spectacular. "Can Grandma be a part of the royal family?" Rachel, who was dressed as a princess, asked Kristen, who was dressed as a queen. "Oh... Heh... Well, that's up to her, isn't it?" Kristen responded with a forced smile before chasing Rachel off to the kitchen to fetch jelly for the pancakes.
Kristen waited until the coast was clear then started lashing out at Marlena. "Don't you think your granddaughter can see you sneering at me?" Kristen snapped before starting to rant about Marlena's obvious desire for Brady to be with Chloe. "Are you two having a fight?" Rachel wondered while carrying a bowl of jelly into the living room. "No, honey -- we were just waiting for Daddy," Kristen claimed through gritted teeth.
John caught Brady snooping in Kristen's bedroom. "What are you doing?" John wondered. "I...was...looking for this," Brady responded before retrieving a stuffed dog from Kristen's suitcase. "Cut the crap," John advised.
John begged Brady to explain what was really going on with Kristen. "Will you just believe me when I say that I'm doing what I think is best for the people that I love?" Brady snapped. "I never doubted that for a moment," John answered.
Kristen soon entered the bedroom and demanded an explanation for the invasion of privacy. "It's my house," John reasoned with a shrug before storming off with the stuffed dog. "This is only day one -- I hope he doesn't crack under pressure," Kristen teased once the coast was clear. "He won't -- and neither will Marlena," Brady predicted. "Well, don't expect me to -- I can take whatever they dish out," Kristen bragged.
Brady wondered if Kristen had given any thought to just how much Rachel would be able to handle. "You know, there is a petulant streak in your family that I find very annoying," Kristen grumbled. "Then just move out," Brady countered.
Kristen scoffed then returned to the topic of Brady's invasion of privacy. "I am not angry with you," Kristen stressed. "What a relief..." Brady sarcastically muttered. "I expected you to go searching for the serum -- you are a take-action kind of man -- but you're not gonna find it," Kristen continued with a smirk. "I may be many things, but stupid? Stupid is not one of them. My hold over you is that I alone have the serum so that I can help your beloved stepmother so that she doesn't...well, croak...and if you had a hold of that serum, then I would not have hold of you. So, no, Brady, it is not in my underwear drawer, and it is not under the floorboards -- it is someplace where you will never find it," Kristen concluded.
Kristen reiterated that Brady was a man of action. "You resent my taking the reins," Kristen guessed. "What I resent is you using three human beings to blackmail me into submission -- that's not a family, Kristen; that's tyranny," Brady responded.
Kristen laughed off Brady's denial then sprawled out on the bed while suggestively offering to take a knee in certain aspects of their relationship. "No, Kristen -- not here, not now, not anywhere, not ever," Brady insisted before starting to storm off.
Kristen reminded Brady that there was a thin line between love and hate. "The Kristen that I loved would never humiliate herself by trying to blackmail someone into sleeping with her," Brady argued with a look of disgust. "I'll concede that you have all the power at present. I'll concede that you have me under your thumb at present. You can make me do whatever you want me to do. But you know what you can't do? You can't change how I feel. And what I feel for you is...contempt," Brady added before continuing to storm off. "You are not gonna win this one," Kristen declared once the coast was clear.
Kristen soon returned to the living room and forced a smile then wondered if Rachel would like to have John and Marlena at the Halloween festivities. "Yes, please!" Rachel responded. "I'm afraid we don't have any costumes," Marlena objected. "Oh? Well, what about that old devil's costume from last year? And John, I'm sure you can find a Roman collar around here someplace!" Kristen suggested. "What? Too soon?" Kristen added with a smirk after getting glares from Marlena and John.
Brady entered the living room just then, dressed as a king, and wondered if Rachel and Kristen were ready to leave. "I'm baffled -- I can't figure out why he brought that awful woman here to stay with us," Marlena admitted once the coast was clear, prompting John to reveal what had happened earlier. "He didn't say 'for Rachel' -- he said 'for the people that I love'..." John stressed before guessing that Brady had been searching for the serum. "That doesn't make any sense -- if Kristen had blackmailed Brady with the serum, then the moment he knew that we'd all recovered, he would have left her," Marlena pointed out, and John conceded the point but maintained that Brady was somehow under Kristen's control and was looking for a solution to the problem.
Stefan was at the DiMera mansion when Chloe stopped by to return some of the props from their make-believe getaway. "Honestly, Stefan, I was just gonna drop this off with Harold and keep going," Chloe protested while being dragged into the living room. "Well, then, it's a good thing I opened the door," Stefan countered before insisting that the timing was perfect because breakfast was almost ready.
Stefan told Chloe to keep the props. Chloe appreciated the gifts but still had reservations about sticking around, especially since Stefan seemed to have a lot of work on the schedule. "It's nothing important..." Stefan began to explain while collecting work documents that were strewn around the living room. "Nothing at all," Stefan maintained after recovering from the shock of having found the signed Hernandez-DiMera divorce documents mixed in with the work documents. "We will pretend that we're at the breakfast buffet at the Villa Casa Casuarina at Miami Beach -- and we will also pretend that neither of us has ever heard of Salem," Stefan suggested in an effort to stop Chloe from leaving.
Chloe expressed concerns about Stefan's expectations. "What you want is a girlfriend -- and what I want is pretend trips to pretend beaches," Chloe warned. "I enjoy spending time with you, and I know you're not gonna get over Brady in a day," Stefan responded. "What I don't understand is letting that evil woman move into John and Marlena's!" Chloe grumbled before remembering that Kristen was Stefan's sister. "Maybe it's because they have a shrink on call 24/7," Stefan joked to make Chloe feel better about having badmouthed Kristen.
Li phoned Rolf from the Salem Inn while Gabi was taking a shower. "Everything okay in Jakarta?" Li began. "Sorry to hear that," Li dismissively continued before changing the subject, demanding to know what had happened during Gabi's visit to the old lab the previous day. "You wouldn't have had to erase her memory if you hadn't told her what she was never supposed to know!" Li pointed out after getting the whole story. "I know Gabi was in attack mode, but still, you spineless little..." Li spat before stopping abruptly, realizing that Gabi had just emerged from the bathroom.
Li ended the call then tried to distract Gabi with sex. "Who were you talking to?" Gabi demanded to know. "Curiosity killed the cat," Li responded as a nod to Gabi's costume. "Yeah, I am curious -- I mean, you said I was 'in attack mode'...and, well, that doesn't sound particularly complimentary, so I'd like to know who you said it to," Gabi stressed, tapping a foot impatiently. "To...a...venture capitalist -- and they think 'attack mode' is the sexiest thing going," Li claimed before explaining to Gabi that a hostile takeover of DiMera Enterprises would require a lot of money. "You really think we can do it?" Gabi wondered. "All you have to do is trust me," Li answered.
Li went back to trying to distract Gabi with sex. "I like your outfit a lot," Li purred while trying to undress Gabi. "It's not for you -- I'm taking Ari to the Horton Town Scare," Gabi clarified while swatting Li's hands away. "They decorate the square, and the shops all give out candy, and the kids get dressed up," Gabi continued after Li probed for more details. "Ari wanted us to be cats, and I've just missed so many Halloweens with her -- I mean, either I was working, or she was in Phoenix -- so now that I'm out of work, I just feel like I'm making up for lost time," Gabi continued after Li made a snide comment about adults wearing Halloween costumes. "She's almost a teenager now -- pretty soon, she'll want nothing to do with me," Gabi concluded.
Li laughed off Gabi's concern. "I can't imagine anyone wanting nothing to do with you," Li declared. "What about Stefan?" Gabi countered. "A damn fool," Li spat before finally managing to distract Gabi with sex.
Nicole lagged behind as Holly raced into the CEO's office at Basic Black and greeted Eric with a hug. "You look terrific!" Eric raved while admiring Holly's outfit. "And so do you," Eric added when Nicole caught up.
Holly asked Nicole if they could take Eric with them to the Halloween festivities. "Eric's working, honey..." Nicole began to respond before pausing to read a text message. "Actually, I now have to work today, too," Nicole fretted.
Nicole arranged for Chloe to take Holly to the Halloween festivities instead. Eric argued that it was good that the Bella photoshoot had gone so well that another one had been ordered already, but Nicole wasn't happy about having to serve as the model again. Eric agreed that it was bad timing then promised to get the photoshoot finished quickly so Nicole could at least attend some of the Halloween festivities. Nicole and Eric each got a bit flustered after realizing that their second photoshoot was going to feature lingerie instead of formal wear.
Li decided to accompany Gabi and Arianna to the Halloween festivities and even agreed to wear a spare set of cat ears. Holly, who was dressed as a shark, supported Arianna's decision to be an earless cat, agreeing that the headband would have messed up a cute hairdo. Gabi and Li greeted Chloe and Stefan, who were using their tropical shirts and sunglasses as costumes. Li soon rushed off to take a phone call, and Chloe soon rushed off to help someone who was having a costume malfunction, leaving Stefan and Gabi alone together. "We don't need to make small talk," Stefan insisted. "We have absolutely nothing to say to each other," Gabi agreed.
Brady and Kristen soon arrived with Rachel. "Would you mind just meeting me halfway -- for Rachel's sake?" Kristen snapped at Brady once Rachel rushed off to get treats. "None of what you're doing is for Rachel's sake," Brady argued. "You're wrong -- I have never seen her so happy!" Kristen countered.
Kristen complained that living with John and Marlena wasn't exactly a walk in the park. "I am making a huge sacrifice!" Kristen insisted before noticing that a kid had just stepped in front of Rachel in the line for treats. "He is gonna regret this!" Kristen snapped before storming off. "Not as much as I regret the day I laid eyes on you..." Brady muttered with a sigh.
Kristen returned a short time later and caught Brady talking to Chloe about Rachel's costume. Kristen chased off Chloe with some taunts about having reunited with Brady in every way.
Gabi got upset after realizing that Chloe and Brady were no longer a couple. "I saw them, like, two minutes ago, and it looked like there was still a connection," Gabi fretted to Li before rushing off in search of Arianna. "Just like there's still a connection between you and Stefan," Li muttered once the coast was clear, knowing that Gabi's real concern was that Chloe was suddenly competition again.
Chloe was surprised to learn that Stefan and Gabi had recently signed divorce documents. Chloe comforted Stefan with a hug, and Brady and Gabi watched from afar. "Looks like we both got what we wanted," Kristen whispered to Li with a smirk.
At Price election headquarters, Paulina left a voicemail for Stephanie, asking for the blackmail documents. As Paulina ended her call, Sloan walked in. "Our business is concluded," Paulina said. "And who gave you that idea?" Sloan countered. Sloan told Paulina that her client was impatient.
"If you knew anything about me at all, you'd know I don't play games," Paulina said. Sloan demanded payment. Confused, Paulina said, "Stephanie Johnson assured me that everything was resolved." Sloan said that Stephanie had lied. Sloan explained that Stephanie's plan had failed.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised she didn't have the nerve to tell you," Sloan said. "Tell me what," Paulina said. Sloan told Paulina about Chad's attempt to pay Sloan off with counterfeit money. "My client could be arrested for passing fake bills," Sloan added. Paulina refused to believe Sloan's story.
"I've got no reason to lie. Has Stephanie called you today?" Sloan asked. Sloan advised Paulina not to risk her campaign with the release of Chanel's secrets to the press. "This is pure, unadulterated blackmail," Paulina said. "It's business," Sloan countered. Paulina promised to report Sloan to the state bar. Sloan promised that Paulina would never be governor if she did not pay Sloan the requested money.
"In fact, the price just went up dramatically," Sloan added. Paulina demanded to speak to Sloan's client directly. "I'm paid to protect my client's anonymity. So, you're going to deal with me and only me," Sloan said. Sloan handed Paulina a card with the new amount and the banking info. "If the money is not in there first thing tomorrow morning, your political career is over. And so is your daughter's life as you know it," Sloan said.
While Alex worked in his Titan office, Sloan texted him about a meet-up. Stephanie walked in. "What up?" Alex asked. As Stephanie sat down, Alex handed Stephanie a file on a closed deal. "I'm gonna need you to put out a press release for that ASAP," Alex said.
"I will get right on that, but first, I was hoping that I could ask you to do something for me," Stephanie said. "Are you asking me for a favor? Another one?" Alex asked. Stephanie acknowledged that she already owed Alex for his help in covering up her break-in at Sloan's apartment.
"You can't do it again," Alex said. Stephanie agreed. "But I told Paulina Price that I would deliver the compromising materials that Sloan's been threatening her with today. And I don't know how I'm going to do that without your help," Stephanie said. Stephanie argued that she believed the material she needed was locked in the filing cabinet at Sloan's apartment.
"Are you asking me to pick a lock?" Alex asked. Stephanie suggested that Alex could look for the key. "I think I know where the key is, but I also think that stealing from Sloan is crossing the line," Alex said. Stephanie asked Alex to think about the ethical lines that Sloan had crossed.
"I've never dealt with anything like this before. It's blackmail. I guess it just threw me. I mean, the stakes have never been higher. I thought I could do my usual clever spin until I could fix this situation. I've always been able to do it before," Stephanie said. "And now, you're asking me to fix things for you," Alex countered. Stephanie argued that the situation was not just about her.
"This is about Paulina and her family," Stephanie said. As Alex nodded, Stephanie groaned with frustration. "No, this is about the future of our community and state," Stephanie stressed. Stephanie said she believed that Paulina would be good for the state. "Are you going to help me or not?" Stephanie said. Alex asked Stephanie to clarify what she wanted.
"There are no real feelings between me and Sloan. But sex or no sex, I don't feel comfortable going over to her apartment with a secret agenda of stealing from her," Alex said. Stephanie sighed. "I shouldn't have asked you to do this. This is my problem. I will solve it myself," Stephanie said.
When Alex arrived at Sloan's apartment for their tryst, he was dressed as a police officer. Sloan pulled Alex into her apartment, and she admitted that she needed stress relief. When Alex asked about her day, Sloan explained that she could not disclose the details of her cases. After a moment, Sloan advised Alex to fire Stephanie as Titan's PR firm.
"I can't go into details. Suffice to say, she is an incompetent, lying bitch," Sloan complained. "That's too bad. But I didn't come here to talk about business," Alex countered. Alex pulled handcuffs out of his pocket. After Alex handcuffed Sloan to the bed, he grabbed a scarf, and he covered Sloan's eyes.
"Well, now I can't see your handsome face," Sloan complained. "The point of that is for you not to see what is coming," Alex said. While Sloan writhed in anticipation, Alex fished her keys out of her purse. "Do I have a surprise for you," Alex said. As Alex attempted to unlock the filing cabinet, he announced that he was undressing.
"How many buttons does that outfit have?" Sloan asked impatiently. Suspicious, Sloan asked about the noise. "It's a surprise," Alex said as he opened the filing cabinet. In order to buy time, Alex told Sloan that his cousin had once handcuffed a man to the bed in order to steal a jewel. After a moment, Alex located a file labeled "Price." The doorbell rang, and Alex closed the cabinet drawers. "Talk about lousy timing," Sloan complained. "You're telling me," Alex said.
At Price headquarters, Paulina was working at her computer when Stephanie walked in. "May I presume that you have the materials that you promised to get from Sloan?" Paulina asked. "I don't have them in my hands right this minute, but don't worry about it -- I am working on it as we speak," Stephanie said. Paulina told Stephanie about her conversation with Sloan, and she fired Stephanie.
Stephanie offered to explain what had happened, but Paulina refused to listen. "You lied to me over and over again. You assured me that you had control of the situation when all you've done is make it even worse," Paulina yelled. Paulina argued that Stephanie should have asked Paulina for input on the plan.
"Now, because of your foolishness, Ms. Petersen's client is demanding even more money, and I have no choice but to pay it," Paulina said. "I know where the documents are. Just give me a chance to get my hand on them, and I can make this right," Stephanie countered. Paulina rolled her eyes in frustration. Stephanie reminded Paulina that the blackmailer would make repeated requests for money in the future.
"Well, thanks to you, I really have no other options now, do I?" Paulina said. Stephanie apologized again. "I can't risk this secret coming out and ruining not only my chances of becoming governor, but more importantly, my daughter's life," Paulina said. Paulina promised to call all of Stephanie's PR clients. "By the time I'm done with you, SJPR will be DOA with a DNR," Paulina growled.
In the DiMera living room, E.J. talked on the phone. E.J. told Belle that he did not intend to announce Ava's crimes as long as Ava stuck to their agreement. "I'm sure I'm not the only one celebrating her banishment from Salem," E.J. said with a grin. Outside the living room window, Ava peeked in at E.J.
"I am well aware that Ava and Gabi are out for my blood. But if they come for me, they will live to regret it," E.J. said. Outside the patio door, Ava pulled on a clown mask to cover her face. When E.J. ended his call, he turned around and saw a knife-wielding clown standing outside the glass doors. Alarmed, E.J. started to walk over to the window, when a cackle behind him made him jump. Another clown was standing in the doorway. When the clown removed its mask, it was Chad.
"Damn it, Chad! You scared the hell out of me. There's someone sneaking around outside with the same damn costume," E.J. said. E.J. pointed at the window, but the other clown was gone. Chad assured E.J. that the clown in the window was likely a prank by a kid.
"Now, why did you want to see me?" Chad asked. E.J. asked Chad to return to work at DiMera Enterprises. E.J. told Chad he could name his terms. "You know the company inside and out, and I need you on my team," E.J. said. E.J. added that Chad's stock would be returned to him.
"That's unexpected," Chad whispered. "Having the company back in the family's hands means everything to me, but having everyone get along and, dare I say, working together, means even more," E.J. said. "That means a lot. And I am very grateful that we were able to make amends. I mean, I'm flattered, E.J., but as far as the offer, I have to say no," Chad said. E.J. noted that it was difficult to take rejection from a clown seriously.
"I realize you're not used to hearing the word no," Chad said. E.J. admitted that he had treated Chad poorly when they had last worked together, and he promised that things would be different. "Honestly, I probably would say yes to the offer, but I've already taken another job," Chad explained. E.J. said he knew about Chad's PR job.
"Surely there can't be much of a future in that for you," E.J. said. Chad explained that he needed a job without a lot of responsibility. "I get to choose how much I can handle there, and I appreciate that," Chad said. E.J. told Chad that he could work at DiMera at his own pace. Chad said he liked working with Stephanie. E.J. raised an eyebrow.
"Stop. I'm not ready to date yet, and honestly, I probably won't be for a very long time," Chad stressed. E.J. nodded. "If you're happy in your current job, then I'm happy for you. But if you ever change your mind, the door to DiMera will always be open," E.J. said. Chad thanked E.J. As E.J. hugged his brother goodbye, Chad asked if he still would get his shares in the company back. "Of course," E.J. said. "What about Kate? Did she get hers back?" Chad asked. "Never," E.J. said.
When Chad returned home, Stephanie met up with him there. Stephanie told Chad that Paulina had fired her.
Steve attended the hospital's children's Halloween party, dressed like a pirate. After the party, Tripp spotted Steve in the hallway. Steve mentioned that a child named Malachi had asked about Tripp. "Yeah, he's a really cool kid," Tripp said with a chuckle. Steve suggested that Tripp should stick around.
"I really love having you here," Steve admitted. "I really love being here, but my life is in Seattle now. And I just got a return ticket there tonight, so I just came to say goodbye," Tripp said. Steve told Tripp that Ava would be disappointed if Tripp did not say goodbye to her.
"I guess you haven't heard," Tripp said. Tripp explained that E.J. had run Ava out of town. "I have no idea where she is," Tripp said. Tripp admitted that his mother had made a bad choice when she had lied about her marriage, but he stressed that Ava had been engaged to Jake. "She was grieving," Tripp said. Steve argued that since E.J. could have sent Ava to prison, he had treated Ava fairly.
"Well, not out of any sense of compassion. I mean, he had his own ulterior motives," Tripp said. When Steve asked Tripp to explain, Tripp said he did not want to talk about it. "It's not like Ava to just give in and leave," Steve said. Tripp told Steve that he believed that Ava's loss of Jake had taken the fight out of her.
"I hope that's true, for your sake. Because I know how devoted you are to your mom, and I don't want to have to see you worrying about her all the time," Steve said. With a sigh, Steve asked Tripp if he wanted to join him in Kayla's room. Tripp nodded yes, and he said he would join Steve after he texted Ava. "I'm still hoping I might be able to find a way to see her before I leave," Tripp admitted. "I hope so, too," Steve said.
As Steve walked down the hallway, a clown stepped off the elevator and walked over to Tripp. "The holiday party is upstairs," Tripp told the clown. "It's me, Tripp. Your mother," Ava whispered. Tripp escorted Ava to the lounge so that they could talk in private.
"I knew you were leaving town, so I figured you'd be here, hanging with the Johnson clan," Ava explained. Tripp told Ava that he had been worried about her. "I'm really sorry that E.J. threatened you. And if it makes you feel any better, I really got into it with him. And I punched him in the face," Tripp said with a grin. "That's my boy!" Ava declared. Tripp asked Ava about her plans for the future. "Come back to Seattle with me," Tripp said. Tripp offered Stephanie's room at his and Joey's apartment.
"Joey's not gonna be too happy about that," Ava said. "What's the alternative? You going to go back to Philly to the life you left behind?" Tripp asked. Ava reminded Tripp that she could not return to the mob, even if she wanted to go back. "Joey is my brother. He'll understand. You've worked too hard to turn your life around, and you don't deserve to be treated like this, so just come with me," Tripp pleaded. After a moment of hesitation, Ava agreed. "There's just one thing I need to take care of first," Ava said.
In Kayla's hospital room, Kayla told Joey that Stephanie had decided to stay in Salem. Kayla said that she had overheard Tripp and Joey talking about Wendy. Joey admitted that he and Tripp both liked Wendy, but he stressed that Kayla did not want them to stay in Salem to fight over the same woman.
"So, that won't work for a reason to keep me or Tripp here. Sorry," Joey said. "You can't blame a girl for trying," Kayla said with a shrug. Joey told Kayla he loved her and that they would keep in touch. "But seriously, I do want you to be happy wherever you are," Kayla said. "I love you," Joey said.
As Kayla looked at the cards and gifts on the nearby table, Joey offered to help her open them. Kayla guessed that the wrapped present was from Julie, but when she opened the card, she frowned. "What's wrong?" Joey asked. "It's from Orpheus," Kayla said. Furious, Joey grabbed the present and threw it in the trash. Steve walked in the room.
"What's wrong?" Steve asked. "Orpheus sent her a gift," Joey said. Kayla handed the card to Steve. "Congratulations! You lived to tell the tale. I don't know how you managed to get your hands on that serum, but I am man enough to admit when I've been bested. I guess it's back to Statesville for me. I may have squandered my pardon, but you ladies will never be far from my thoughts," Steve read aloud.
Steve called John, and John confirmed that both Marlena and Kate had received the same card from Orpheus. "Orpheus knows that he failed in his mission, so he's doing whatever he can to make us think he is still a threat. But I think he sees the writing on the wall, and he knows he can't beat us," Steve said. Kayla told Steve that she believed him. Tripp walked in, and he noticed all the frowns in the room.
"What's going on?" Tripp asked. "Nothing you need to worry about," Steve said. Kayla forced a smile, and she told Tripp that she knew he and Joey were headed home. "Yes. And Joey, it looks like we might have a little company staying with us for a little while," Tripp said. Joey was annoyed that Tripp had invited Ava to live with them before Tripp had consulted him.
"And she actually agreed?" Steve asked. "She didn't have much choice. She doesn't have anywhere else to go," Tripp said. With a grin, Kayla asked Joey if he was sure that she could not talk him into staying in Salem.
At the DiMera mansion, a nervous E.J. glanced back at the window as he worked. "Get a grip. There is no knife-wielding killer back there," E.J. muttered. A clown walked through the living room doors. E.J. pulled out a gun and pointed it at the clown. "Who are you, and what do you want?" E.J. asked. "Elvis!" Susan yelped. Susan pulled off the clown mask. "You are in terrible danger," Susan said.
In the DiMera crypt, Ava caressed the plaque on Jake's grave, and she said goodbye. "Other than my grandson Henry, the only thing I am sad to leave is you. I want you to know what a big decision this was for me. I was determined to get revenge on that bastard of a brother for what he did to me and for what he did to both of us. But I talked to my son, and I decided to just let it go," Ava said. "Well, that was your first mistake. You've been listening to the wrong son," Charlie said. Ava turned and saw her undead son standing in the doorway to the crypt.
