Days Short Recap Monday, October 5, 2026

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Recap written by Suzanne

Johnny finally hits his breaking point regarding the medical cover-up and makes a massive move by turning over incriminating evidence against his own father to Belle and Jada at the police station. Meanwhile, Chanel provides steady support for her husband during this incredibly tense family betrayal. Over at the hospital, Kate catches Joy hiding muscle relaxers as she schemes to weave a web of lies about her condition, ultimately manipulation Alex into asking Stephanie if Joy can move into their place.

In other parts of town, Kate uncovers something highly suspicious buried within the legal paperwork for the final sale of the estate property. Sensing a deceptive plot, she immediately approaches Maggie with a strategic idea to help her regain leverage. At the same time, Chad checks in with Shawn to express his deepest sympathies regarding the painful loss of the family mansion.

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Days Update Monday, September 28, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

At the Pub, Brady tries to encourage Sarah that everyone knows she’s one of the best doctors while Sarah worries that this is bigger than Salem as Melinda is going to go on national television to accuse her of wrongful death of a patient and lying about it. Brady assures they are going to prove her innocence while Sarah wonders if it will even matter by then, questioning what will happen to her reputation if Destiny’s parents accuse her of wrongful death of a patient. Sarah panics that people will just think she’s an incompetent doctor who killed one of her patients. Xander arrives and says he got Sarah’s text, asking what’s going on. Sarah informs him that she just got some really bad news.

Theo runs in to Paulina in the town square. Paulina says they need to talk. Theo asks if it’s about what happened at Small Bar. Paulina says it’s not about the very thirsty look he gave a very married woman, but about him quitting his job.

Stephanie goes home to Jada’s apartment and hears Kelsey crying inside of her and Alex’s apartment across the hall. Stephanie pulls out her phone and texts Alex to ask if everything is okay. Alex says not exactly as he opens the door to see her.

Joy remains in her hospital bed and uses her phone to search what muscle relaxer would interfere with a nerve conduction study or how many anti spasmatics it would take to mess up a nerve test. Joy complains that it doesn’t understand the question and calls it useless as she tosses her phone aside to the ground. Joy then looks around and quickly gets up to retrieve her phone and gets back in the bed before anyone sees her and that she was able to use her legs.

Steve goes to see Marlena, who tells him that he just missed Roman as he stopped by with an update on Dominic and Dante. Steve reveals he has an update too. Marlena asks if Sami is in trouble. Steve says it’s nothing like that, so Marlena asks what it is. Steve informs her that with Bo and Hope’s help, they were able to find Dominic Marino’s birth certificate. Steve then hands his phone to Marlena. Marlena sits down with it to read the birth certificate, revealing the birth certificate shows his full birth name as Dominic Nero Marino DiMera and lists Dominic’s parents as Stefano and Marlena, leaving Marlena in shock.

Alex tells Stephanie that he’s tried everything with Kelsey. Stephanie tries to offer to help but Alex says he doesn’t think that would be a good idea. Stephanie questions if he really thinks someone would report him for violating his custody agreement because she was around Kelsey for two minutes. Alex says she has no idea how badly he wants her help but he just can’t risk it.

Theo tells Paulina that Abe was right that DiMera was never the place for him as he can’t trust anyone in that snake pit. Paulina asks if that includes Johnny. Theo says not anymore. Paulina exclaims that she knew EJ was corrupting Johnny and that this is exactly what Chanel doesn’t need with a new baby and chemo. Theo doesn’t think she needs to worry about Chanel while Paulina argues that he just told her that her husband is turning to the dark side. Theo doesn’t know if he would take it that far. Paulina points out that whatever it is was serious enough for Theo to quit his job. Theo responds that Johnny made some bad business decisions, but he knows that Johnny will do anything to protect Chanel and their family.

Sarah informs Xander about Destiny’s family suing her for wrongful death. Xander argues that she did nothing wrong and that EJ is abusing his power while he still can. Xander declares that he told Sarah filing that complaint would put a target on her back and he was right.

Marlena questions how Steve found the birth certificate. Steve responds that Bo and Hope found it. Steve explains that when he heard Marlena was having memories of her time on the island, he sent them there to see what they could find and they found that. Marlena declares that she doesn’t and won’t believe that she and Stefano are Dominic’s parents.

Stephanie questions Alex not letting her try to help with the baby just for a minute. Alex wishes he could and knows the no contact for a year is going to be rough, but if there’s a violation of that, it would give Joy legal grounds to keep her away from Kelsey even longer. Alex asks Stephanie not to be upset. Stephanie argues that it’s hard not to be when she’s treated like she’s a dangerous threat to her husband’s child. Alex says he’s just trying not to make the situation worse. Alex knows she’s not a threat and looks forward to the day that Kelsey gets to know Stephanie and loves her. Stephanie worries that Joy could tell Kelsey that she’s not a good person, unstable, or trigger happy. Alex states that Joy has been through a lot and she’s been hard on Stephanie, but she would never poison Kelsey like that and he wouldn’t allow it. Stephanie questions how he will stop her. Alex asks if they can stop worrying about a year from now, pointing out they don’t know what the future holds and suggests maybe Stephanie and Joy could find a way to get along or have some kind of friendship which would be the best thing for Kelsey and maybe Joy will realize that. Stephanie says she wouldn’t count on it. Alex declares that the only thing he’s counting on is for them to find a way to spend some time together because he misses her a lot. Stephanie says she misses him too. Alex says he promised to get Kelsey to the hospital before visitation is over. Stephanie asks when she will see him again. Alex admits he doesn’t know and he’s sorry but he can’t make any promises. Alex then heads back inside to Kelsey and shuts the door.

Sarah questions why Xander is looking at Brady when it was her decision to file the complaint and he had nothing to do with it. Xander argues that Brady didn’t try to stop her. Brady says he respects Sarah’s right to make her own decision. Kayla gets a text from Stephanie that she needs to see her. Sarah tells her to go and they can talk later. Kayla promises to do everything she can to help her. Kayla tells them to tell Steve where she went if he comes back. Kayla tells Xander and Brady to put their issues aside and focus their energy on helping Sarah. Kayla promises they will make this go away as she exits.

Paulina hopes Theo is right that whatever Johnny’s bad business decisions won’t end up hurting Chanel. Theo repeats that Johnny will do anything to protect his family and says he better get going. Paulina stops Theo to ask if he will be at the baby shower tomorrow. Paulina knows it might be a bit awkward with Johnny there, but she knows Chanel would love having him there. Theo agrees to think about it as he walks away.

Kayla meets Stephanie at Small Bar and asks how she’s doing. Stephanie admits she’s not great as it’s really wearing her down being apart from Alex. Stephanie says they get five minutes together every other day and that time is stressful and miserable. Stephanie talks about wanting to help Alex with Kelsey but he wouldn’t let her because he was afraid of violating the custody agreement. Stephanie argues that no one was around to report back to Joy. Stephanie understands Alex wanting to keep her apart from Kelsey when someone might see them but not when it’s only the two of them. Kayla understands Alex is being overly cautious while Stephanie calls it totally paranoid with no consideration of how it affects her. Kayla says she’s sorry that it’s so difficult for her. Stephanie complains that it boggles her mind that a child they had no idea existed until recently has turned their whole life upside down.

Marlena tells Steve that she’s been working so hard since losing John to find some peace of mind and now it’s being taken away from her. Steve knows John would want him to remind her that she has the strength and resilience to handle anything. Marlena remarks that John always had more faith in her than she ever had in herself. Steve knows it’s a lot to take in. Marlena asks if Steve thinks the birth certificate is authentic. Steve confirms that it seems to be, but the only way to know for sure is to find Dominic Marino and run a DNA test. Marlena admits that as much as she doesn’t want to believe it, she thinks it might be possible that she is Dominic’s mother. Marlena says ever since they learned of Dominic’s existence, she was afraid this might happen. Marlena adds that she never said anything out loud, but she realized because of his approximate age that he would’ve been born while they were on the island where Stefano controlled everything and that would confirm it. Steve says he will again invoke John by telling her that if John was here, he would move Heaven and Earth to find the truth. Steve knows he’s no substitute, but promises to do everything that John would’ve done to get her the answers and peace of mind she needs.

Alex brings Kelsey to Joy at the hospital and says he thinks Kelsey misses her mom. Kelsey then stops crying. Joy says she can’t wait to come home to her. Alex wants to get Kelsey in Joy’s arms but Joy says no and that she can’t. Joy says her arms are affected too and feeling really weak right now. Joy tells Kelsey that she misses her so much and hates being apart from her, but she really hopes it won’t be much longer.

Kayla tells Stephanie that she knows it feels like the universe is conspiring against her. Stephanie says at least Joy does. Stephanie knows she should have empathy for Joy being unable to walk and care for her child. Stephanie remarks that she’s not one to judge as it’s not like she’s all that virtuous. Kayla asks what she’s being so hard on herself for this time. Stephanie admits she wasn’t going to tell her because she’s so ashamed and it’s making her feel like she can’t trust herself or she’s not who she thought she was.

Xander tells Sarah that he will do everything he can to prove this was a setup. Sarah appreciates that but asks if he really has time to play detective with Titan. Xander says he will make time. Brady points out that Xander is not single handedly going to clear Sarah’s name. Brady reminds him that he’s the private investigator with a partner to help while he questions what skills Xander brings to the situation. Xander argues that his skill is his determination to do whatever he can to help Sarah. Xander assures that nothing means more than clearing the mother of his child and it’s even better if they can take down EJ in the process. Brady says he gets it but remarks that he actually knows how to do it, unlike Xander. Xander then mocks that Brady has been a private investigator for over 15 minutes. Brady argues that he has personal experience in taking someone down and that if Xander wants to work with them, there has to be a couple of ground rules. Xander stops himself and concedes that Brady is the expert. Xander tells Brady to make the ground rules and promises not to break them. Brady says he just wants to make sure Xander doesn’t go rogue. Xander repeats that he won’t break his rules and that he does want them to work together on this for Sarah’s sake.

Joy tells Alex that she really appreciates him being there for Kelsey and thanks him for stepping up as he has. They talk about Kelsey looking like the both of them. Joy hopes Kelsey grows up to be as kind as he is. Joy says in spite of all the awful things that have happened since she came back to Salem, she sees him and Kelsey together and knows that she had to for her sake because Kelsey needed a father in her life and she’s so grateful that she gets the one she deserves.

Stephanie informs Kayla that she was at Small Bar last night with Theo, having a few drinks and sharing what they’ve been going through lately. Stephanie admits there was a moment where they stopped talking and almost kissed. Stephanie says the way she was feeling in the moment and the way he was looking at her, she would’ve kissed him if Paulina didn’t walk in and interrupt them. Kayla asks if she’s saying she wishes Paulina hadn’t interrupted.

Marlena tells Steve that she appreciates him but wants to make sure he keeps it just between them. Steve assures that he will and that she can trust Bo and Hope. Steve wants to ask to include Brady since he knew Bo and Hope were looking in to this and he wants to bring him up to speed so they can work on the case together. Marlena says she understands. Steve asks if there’s anything else he can do for her. Marlena tells him to go back to work and find Dominic. Steve promises they will, adding that Paul is bringing in ISA resources while he and Brady will keep working the case from every angle. Marlena tells Steve to let her know if there’s anything she can do to help. Marlena declares that she doesn’t need protection, she needs the truth.

Sarah says that Brady and Xander working together and not competing means a lot to her. Xander repeats that he will follow Brady’s rules. Brady gets a text from Steve and says he has to get to the office. Brady kisses Sarah goodbye and promises that they’ve got this as he exits.

Alex asks Joy if there’s any updates from the doctors. Joy says there’s no changes except her insurance won’t pay for her to stay much longer. Alex points out that she would go to rehab but Joy says she can’t with Kelsey. Joy says she has to go somewhere together to get the help they need. Alex is sure they’ll find her a place. Alex says he should get going since visitation hours are almost over and they’ll be back tomorrow. Alex thanks Joy for getting Kelsey to sleep. Joy thanks him for bringing Kelsey, saying it really was the best part of her day and that having them both there always is. They say goodnight as Alex then exits with Kelsey.

Stephanie admits to Kayla that at the time, she did wish Paulina didn’t interrupt them and she hates herself for it. Kayla wishes she wouldn’t be so hard on herself, pointing out that she’s understandably been so lonely since she and Alex have hardly spent any time together at all lately. Stephanie questions that excusing her being attracted to another man. Kayla asks if she is attracted to Theo. Stephanie responds that in that moment, she was, but maybe it’s just a case of if she can’t be with the man she loves, she’ll love the man she was with. Stephanie insists that she and Theo are just friends but it was being with someone who was solely focused on her and not running off for his kid or his kid’s mother that felt so nice. Kayla questions if Stephanie is worried that being around Theo again might go further than almost kissing. Stephanie responds that she worries that being apart from Alex this much shows her marriage isn’t as strong as Kayla and Steve’s. Stephanie talks about them being apart for years and being tempted to give up on each other but they didn’t. Kayla states that she always felt she could never love anyone the way she loves Steve. Stephanie knows he feels the same about her. Kayla asks if Stephanie feels that way about Alex and if she thinks their marriage is strong enough to withstand everything they are going through now.

Xander and Sarah exit the Pub together and run in to Alex with Kelsey. Xander assumes Alex heard about Philip’s great news. Alex confirms that Justin told him and he meant to call to congratulate them, but he’s been a little distracted with Kelsey and Joy. Sarah asks how Joy is doing. Alex says they just came from the hospital and it’s so sad seeing her unable to move her legs and says he feels so helpless. Xander relates to how he felt after Sarah’s accident. Xander tells Alex that his daughter got him through as he knew she needed him to be strong and positive, so he was for her. Xander calls Victoria his heart and his greatest blessing. Alex says Kelsey is his. Xander encourages that Kelsey will give him the courage to face anything. Alex thanks him for saying that and hugs him, saying he needed to hear that.

Joy gets a text from her dad that she should get the muscle relaxers he sent tomorrow morning. Kayla comes in to let Joy know that they rescheduled her nerve conduction study and moved it from 2 PM to 10 AM tomorrow morning, so hopefully they will get answers even sooner. Kayla tells Joy that she will see her tomorrow and to have a great sleep as she then exits.

Stephanie runs in to Theo in the town square. They agree that they think last night may have been a mistake. Theo understands they were both in a bad place emotionally while Stephanie says they just got carried away. They claim to both be glad that Paulina showed up before they did something they’d both regret.

Brady meets Steve at Black Patch and asks if he heard from Bo and Hope. Steve confirms that they found Dominic’s birth certificate and says he was shocked, so he’s sure Brady will be too. Brady asks him to just tell him. Steve reveals to Brady that Stefano is named as Dominic’s father and Marlena as his mother. Brady can’t believe it and asks if Marlena knows. Steve confirms that he just told her and she told him he could let Brady know, but no one else. Brady asks how she took it. Steve says she’s questioning whether it’s true and is praying it’s not, but Dominic’s age lines up with having been born during her time on the island. Brady says even after everything Stefano has done to all those people. Steve wishes he could tear him limb from limb, but all they can do now is find Marlena the answers she needs, by any means necessary.

Marlena looks at a photo of John on the mantle and says she’s trying to be strong and she knows she has people around her like Roman, Steve, and Brady who are helping but they just aren’t John. Marlena cries that she’s not sure she can get through this without him.

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Days Update Friday, September 25, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Sarah and Kayla go to the hospital. Sarah talks about trying not to be nervous about the wrongful death lawsuit in hopes they won’t find anything. Kayla says they will go over the files to make sure. Sarah talks about not blaming Destiny’s parents for filing the lawsuit. Sarah calls it so obvious that EJ put the idea in their head because of the timing. Kayla encourages that she’s not in this alone and that she’s made it clear to EJ and his minions that going after her won’t make their problems go away because she’s not the only one who knows what they have done.

Philip meets Gabi in the town square. Gabi has champagne, saying she figured they should commemorate their engagement before it’s officially over. Philip toasts to that and says it was fun while it lasted. Gabi jokes that it was also profitable. Philip notes that now that it’s over, he is going to need Maggie’s ring back, so he removes it from Gabi’s finger.

Chad goes to the Spectator office and welcomes Kate to the team, saying he’s super excited that Jack decided to bring her on board. Chad says he’s sorry he hasn’t been there since she started and that he was late today because of a lunch date. Kate jokes that his lunch date left some lipstick on his collar and guesses their trip to Italy went well which Chad confirms. Chad says he and Belle were hoping to find some answers, but unfortunately came home with more questions. Chad adds that they aren’t giving up just yet and Kate might just be able to help them.

At the Black Patch office, Steve finishes a call as Brady arrives with coffee. Steve informs Brady that he just finished a call with Bo, who said he and Hope made it to the island where Marlena was held by Stefano and are heading straight for the lion’s den. Brady remarks that it’s a good thing the lion is dead.

Marlena is asleep on her couch at home and has dreams about Stefano’s island until she’s woken by a knock at the door. Marlena gets up and answers the door to see Roman.

Philip tells Gabi that even though it was only a prop for appearances, it felt funny asking for the ring back. Gabi understands he had to since it was Maggie. Philip admits it still looked really great on her finger and he has fond memories of proposing. Philip jokes that if it was a real proposal, they would’ve taken thousands of photos and videos to post on social media. Gabi thinks it’s kind of nice to cherish the moment in their minds instead of on a screen. Philip agrees and says he’ll remember that next time he proposes to someone for real. Gabi is glad to know the ring is going back to it’s rightful owner. Philip hopes Maggie isn’t too annoyed with him for borrowing it without asking. Gabi encourages that she won’t notice it’s been missing. Gabi asks how it went telling his family that he’s a hell of a poker player and their savior, joking that they could erect a statue in the Kiriakis Mansion. Philip says not exactly as it turned out Xander and Maggie sold the mansion before they got the money, so Titan is saved but the house is gone. Gabi says she’s so sorry. Philip talks about it being sold to a faceless billionaire who will paint over the marks on the wall or knowing about where Victor grew up. Philip declares that everything meaningful about the Kiriakis Mansion will soon be just a memory.

Sarah asks Kayla if she told EJ that she knows about the Coriseal scandal. Kayla clarifies that she told Rita and she’s sure she reported back to EJ immediately, so now he knows if he wants to hurt Sarah, he’s going to have to go through her first. Sarah calls that really generous of her but says when she filed the complaint, she didn’t intend for anyone else to become a target and worries about what if EJ and his minions come after her. Kayla says to let him try. Kayla declares that she and Steve have learned if you want to take on the DiMeras, you have to prove that you are not afraid of them.

Steve tells Brady that the island may be a dead end, but since the clues were intended for John and Marlena, it’s possible that Stefano thought it would make Marlena think of the island. Brady asks if he really thinks Bo and Hope might find Dominic Marino there. Steve calls it possible or they might find a clue that leads them to him. Brady wonders if Dominic is the solution to this puzzle rather than just another piece of it. Steve says to imagine Dominic hands them another clue. Brady hopes it doesn’t turn in to another 39 clues. Steve states that he wouldn’t put anything past Stefano, but he hopes they find some real answers soon for Marlena’s sake.

Roman asks Marlena if it’s not a bad time. Marlena says she was just reading and fell asleep. Roman says he spoke to Sami about the Dominic and Dante business. Roman adds that apparently Dante never talked about Dominic, so Sami called to ask him and Dante says that he only sporadically kept in touch with him and has no idea where to find him now. Roman notes that Sami insists that Dante had nothing to do with whatever Dominic is up to. Marlena hopes she’s right.

Chad tells Kate about Marlena not being happy about their trip, but it was important to he and Belle, so they need answers. Kate respects that Marlena didn’t want to play Stefano’s games, but assures she would’ve gone full Nancy Drew if Stefano left her the chess set. Chad says that’s why he’s trying. Kate asks how she can help. Chad then shows Kate the photo of Stefano holding a little boy dated 1992 and asks if she’s ever seen the boy before.

Kayla tells Sarah that she sees nothing in the files to support a wrongful death lawsuit, so she thinks Sarah is in the clear. Sarah calls it a relief as she couldn’t shake the feeling. Sarah then finds an asterisk next to a test result and questions what that means.

Brady asks Steve if Marlena knows where Bo and Hope are headed. Steve thought it would be best to keep Marlena in the dark until they have something concrete to share. Brady says that’s definitely the right call as Marlena was very stressed out just knowing that Chad and Belle were in Italy looking in to this. Steve adds that the time on the island was very unsettling for Marlena for a lot of reasons.

Roman tells Marlena that he knows it’s hard to take Dante’s word when they haven’t even met him. Marlena points out that he’s engaged to their daughter and worries that Sami could be in danger. Roman tells her not to go there. Marlena asks how they can’t when they know Dante is connected to Dominic. Roman suggests not making assumptions. Marlena says it bothers her and terrifies her that there’s so many unanswered questions and so much they don’t know. Marlena brings up having fragments of memories and says they came to her again just before Roman knocked on the door. Roman asks if they are memories about the island and the blanket with the Celtic knot. Marlena confirms it was but says this time there was a voice, saying the name Dominic. Marlena reveals that the voice sounded like Roman.

Kate tells Chad that she doesn’t recognize the little boy and asks if he has any theories about who it might be. Chad says they think it’s Dominic Marino and asks if that name rings a bell. Kate confirms that it does.

Philip tells Gabi that he’s sorry as he doesn’t mean to sound ungrateful since he is still thrilled they got the company back and he’ll never forget what Gabi did to make that happen. Gabi says Philip has thanked her enough but Philip feels it’s never enough. Philip adds that once they build Titan back to the powerhouse it once was, the stock she bought will give her a big return on her investment, but it might take awhile. Gabi responds that she’s a patient woman and she’s in this for the long haul.

Sarah tells Kayla there’s a footnote on the back, saying the test results were edited by Sarah Horton the day after Destiny died. Sarah argues that she did not edit the results and would not do something like that. Sarah asks if Kayla believes her. Kayla assures that she does. Sarah swears that she has never edited a test result in her life, adding that Destiny’s tests never came back abnormal. Sarah complains that someone is trying to make it look like she did and that this could end her career. Sarah asks how she fights this.

Gabi asks where Philip plans on staying now that the Kiriakis Mansion has been sold. Philip informs her that he had his stuff sent over to the Salem Inn and was planning to head there after meeting her. Gabi asks if he’d like some help unpacking.

Kate tells Chad that Dominic Marino is buying the Kiriakis Mansion and he’s another reclusive billionaire. Kate asks why Chad thinks he’s connected to Stefano. Chad explains that they found the picture in Dominic’s home in Rome while following Stefano’s clues, but that’s not all they found.

Steve asks Brady how much Marlena has told him about her time on the island. Brady says that she doesn’t talk about it much but John gave him an overview and he knows it’s where Stefano forced Marlena to be the surrogate for Cassie and Rex. Brady can’t believe what Stefano put Marlena through. Steve says that because of his sick games, Marlena is forced to relive that over and over again.

Roman questions Marlena about him saying Dominic’s name in her dream. Marlena says she doesn’t know anything for sure and maybe her mind is playing tricks on her. Marlena talks about thinking about Dominic and her time on the island and she knows Roman was there around that same time, so maybe her mind is making connections that don’t really exist. Marlena then tells Roman to forget everything she said.

Chad tells Kate about Dominic even having a collection of Stefano’s Cuban cigars that he had specially made. Kate calls it incredible because Stefano must have had this all set up years ago. Chad acknowledges that Stefano loved his games and manipulating people. Kate says that Stefano lost his quest for immortality but his game of chess continues on. Chad guesses they are all just pieces on the board. Kate declares that if this really is another game, the only way it ends is when Stefano wins.

Marlena complains to Roman that she thought this was all behind them. Roman insists that it is because the island changed their lives but Stefano is gone and can’t hurt them anymore. Marlena wishes she could believe that. Marlena wishes she never went to the reading of the will and that Belle never pursued this. Roman doesn’t think that would make a difference. Roman declares that there was clearly something or someone that Stefano wanted Marlena to know about. Marlena responds that not knowing is what terrifies her.

Sarah and Kayla meet Brady and Steve at the Pub. Sarah thanks Steve for meeting on such short notice. Steve asks if they should wait for Xander. Sarah says she texted him but he’s probably busy so they should get started. Brady notes that she’s obviously shaken and asks what this is all about. Kayla explains that they were just reviewing Destiny’s files to prepare for the wrongful death suit and it was made to look like Sarah edited the test results after Destiny’s death. Sarah argues that they know she would never do that. Sarah complains that she was the one looking for answers. Brady knows she would never do that and it has EJ written all over it. Steve gets a call from Bo and says he has to take it, so he steps away to answer. Sarah knew EJ would come after her after she filed the FDA complaint, but worries that she could lose her license. Brady encourages that she won’t and that EJ will go down for this, not her.

Gabi helps Philip unpack in his hotel room. Gabi jokes about Philip wearing his lucky boxers to a high stakes poker game. Philip points out that they worked. Gabi thought she was his good luck charm. Philip jokes about it being a 70/30 split between her and the boxers. Gabi tells Philip that before they start unpacking, she thinks they need to unpack what happened last night between them. Gabi needs to know if what happened in Monte Carlo was just adrenaline-fueled celebration sex or if he thinks there might be a chance for them after what happened. Philip responds that he was on one of the greatest highs of his life and he didn’t plan for what happened next, but now that they are back in Salem, he thinks it’s safe to say that winner’s high is over. Philip adds that he’s still thankful they saved the company, but bummed about losing the house, so he guesses he’s pretty much at his baseline then. Gabi tells him to forget she said anything and that what happened in Monte Carlo stays in Monte Carlo then. Philip guesses he was being his usual incoherent self because the point he was trying to make was that even now as baseline Philip, he looks at her and still feels the same way he did in the hotel room in Monte Carlo. Gabi asks what he’s saying. Philip responds that he’s willing to give this another shot if she is, as they then kiss.

Chad tells Kate that it’s hard to imagine what Stefano winning would look like in this situation, but they have to keep going as they are so close. Kate says she completely understands and asks Chad to keep her updated which he agrees to do. Kate gets a text from Leo and says he’s driving her Stark raving mad with suggestions about the launch of the podcast tomorrow. Chad calls the podcast a great idea and loves that Kate is already shaking things up around here. Kate remarks that shaking things up is what she does best, for better or worse.

Roman tells Marlena that he knows it’s hard to relive painful memories, especially without John, but says he’s still there and she can lean on him whenever she needs to. Marlena admits that helps and thanks him.

Brady says even though they know EJ is behind this, he doubts that EJ actually changed the files himself. Sarah agrees while Kayla says EJ could’ve given somebody else access to the hospital computer system. Brady suggests doing a forensics search of the system to find out who did this and hopefully clear Sarah’s name. Kayla adds that connecting that person to EJ would be criminal conspiracy. Brady agrees it would be a lot more trouble than just with the FDA. Steve comes back so Brady asks if he got an update from Bo. Steve responds that he has to go. Sarah asks if Brady needs to go with him. Steve tells Brady to stay and deal with the EJ thing as there’s someone he has to see and it’s probably best that he goes alone.

Gabi and Philip have sex in Philip’s room.

Chad gets a call from Leo, who tells him about the FDA investigating DiMera Pharmaceuticals. Chad questions if there’s nothing EJ won’t do.

Sarah asks if Brady and Kayla really think cyber forensics can trace this back to whoever did it. Brady says he does but Sarah guesses he’s still worried that the altered test results are just the start of EJ’s revenge plan which Brady admits. Sarah doesn’t want to sit around and wait for the other shoe to drop, asking how to get ahead of EJ. Sarah then gets a call from Justin that upsets her. Sarah thanks him for letting her know and hangs up. Sarah then declares to Kayla and Brady that the other shoe just dropped as Melinda Trask is representing Destiny’s parents and tomorrow they are going to make a televised statement to accuse her of wrongful death.

Kate runs in to Roman in the town square and says she was just thinking about him, hoping they could have dinner together tonight. Kate asks if Roman is okay. Roman responds that he was just with Marlena as she’s been having memories of her time on Stefano’s island. Kate says she told her about that and Chad told her about the quest for the missing pawn and the mysterious Dominic Marino. Kate knows there’s certainly things that would trigger Marlena. Roman asks if any of it means anything to her. Kate says no, but she knows they have to be there for Marlena. Roman knows she will appreciate that. Kate declares that what happened on that island to the three of them ties them together forever, so no matter what happens with the mysterious chess game, Marlena has to know they are there for her and she doesn’t have to face it alone.

Steve goes to see Marlena, who tells him that he just missed Roman as he stopped by with an update on Dominic and Dante. Steve reveals he has an update too. Marlena asks if Sami is in trouble. Steve says it’s nothing like that, so Marlena asks what it is. Steve informs her that with Bo and Hope’s help, they were able to find Dominic Marino’s birth certificate. Steve then hands his phone to Marlena. Marlena sits down with it to read the birth certificate, revealing the birth certificate shows his full birth name as Dominic Nero Marino DiMera and lists Dominic’s parents as Stefano and Marlena, leaving Marlena in shock.

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Days Update Thursday, September 24, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Lani and Paulina are at Chanel and Johnny’s apartment. Lani talks about the full moon last night but notes Paulina being distracted. Paulina says she’s just looking up plans for Chanel’s baby shower. Chanel then comes in from taking a nap and asks Paulina not to throw her a baby shower.

Leo runs in to Chad outside of the Pub and is excited to see him as he asks about his trip to Italy. Chad says it was wonderful and questions Leo being dressed up in a suit. Leo excitedly talks about his new podcast and informs Chad that he sort of has a date with Javi. Chad is excited for him while Leo talks about being nervous. Chad encourages Leo that he’s got this as Leo walks on and then Chad heads in to the Pub to meet Belle. Chad greets her with kisses and asks what’s on her mind. Belle responds that she’s really worried about Sami.

In the town square, Sydney tells Johnny that she’s been thinking about staying in Salem longer and asking Dante if she can work remotely for a little while. Sydney asks Johnny if she should stick around. Johnny responds that he wouldn’t if he were her. Sydney questions why not since he’s always talking about how happy he is there with Chanel. Johnny responds that if he could snap his fingers and move his family back to Italy, he’d do it in a heartbeat. Sydney doesn’t understand what changed. Johnny guesses everything has ever since he became CEO of DiMera, which he calls the biggest mistake of his life.

EJ goes to his office in the hospital and finds Cat packing things up, so he questions what is going on. Cat tells him that the hospital is going to the state board so Kayla said she should start packing him up, so she is. EJ says it’s the first he’s heard of it and questions why she didn’t tell him. Cat tells him that he knows damn well the hospital is an afterthought, just like she is. Cat declares that ever since she told EJ that she used to be ISA, he’s been cold and distant, which EJ admits.

Chanel reminds Paulina that they talked about this and she wants no baby shower, arguing that Olivia already has everything she need. Lani points out that it’s not just about gifts, but the celebration. Chanel gets that their hearts are in the right place, but she’s not up for a big party right now, and asks them to stop whatever they are planning. Paulina says the last thing she wants is to go against her wishes. Chanel thanks her for understanding. Olivia wakes up crying, so Chanel goes back to the bedroom to check on her. Lani guesses they will just cancel the baby shower then, but Paulina declares that she will not let the cake and party favors go to waste. Paulina adds that as Chanel’s mom, she knows what’s best for her and now the shower will be even more of a surprise.

Belle informs Chad that Dante and Dominic were roommates in boarding school and now Dante is engaged to Sami while connected to the guy they’ve been looking for. Belle adds that the whole thing has been weighing heavily on Marlena. Belle feels there are too many coincidences and that it’s adding up to something that could affect all of them.

Leo meets Javi for coffee in the town square. Leo insists on being chill and not trying too hard as they toast to being in this moment.

Sydney questions Johnny about why Theo quit and talks about Tony raving about how brilliant Theo was going to be at DiMera. Johnny responds that Theo is a brilliant guy, who is good and honest, which is why he kept him in the dark about everything going on at DiMera. Sydney asks if he means the kind of culture that Stefano spearheaded which Johnny is now up to his eyeballs in. Johnny calls it a nightmare and says he keeps telling EJ that there’s a line that he’s not comfortable crossing, but he just keeps moving it. Sydney tells Johnny that he can either quit or hold the line, reminding him that he’s the CEO of DiMera, not EJ.

Cat tells EJ that she spoke to Chad, who confronted her about being in the ISA which was shocking since she thought that was a private conversation between them. Cat adds that Chad mentioned Paul verified that she was in the ISA and severed ties years ago. Cat guesses that even with Paul’s confirmation, EJ doesn’t believe her.

Javi admits to Leo that he was little nervous about getting together. They talk about international fashion week and having to catch up on a lot of Desperate Housewives. Leo talks about having an old photo of Javi from when they had Trey that he looks at a hundred times a day, then apologizes for not being chill. Javi says it’s okay and asks how they can be chill when talking about something so amazing. Leo agrees that it’s impossible.

Belle talks about how she and Sami are usually fighting and not getting along, but she still doesn’t want her to get hurt. Chad relates to usually disapproving of everything EJ does, but he’s still his brother. Chad calls it pretty obvious that Cat and EJ have feelings for each other, so he’s sure it shocked EJ to find out that Cat was in the ISA. Belle guesses he wasn’t the only one.

Johnny assures Sydney that he’s reminded EJ who the CEO is and she can guess how that went. Sydney advises Johnny that if EJ thinks he’s just an actor in his play, he should tear up the script. Johnny responds that she’s always been more successful at doing that. Sydney says that EJ always felt bad for what she’s been through and them living on separate continents, so he’s always danced to her tune while it’s not the same with Sami, who thinks Johnny can do no wrong. Johnny says that may be true, but he’s glad she’s not paying too close attention right now because he’s done plenty wrong. Sydney asks if it’s really that bad. Johnny calls it complicated but he’s determined to turn it around and make it right. Sydney asks him to tell her. Johnny responds that he will be taking a huge risk that could blow up his entire life and cost him everything.

EJ tells Cat that there’s no such thing as former ISA as it’s not a code, but a life sentence. Cat reminds him that she was just an analyst. EJ questions if it really matters. EJ points out that she was still on the team and for his whole life, his family has been in their crosshairs. EJ adds that the ISA would take an unassuming desk worker to get access to him. Cat complains that she thought he knew her better and that she was loyal to him. Cat adds that she only told EJ that she was with the ISA because she found herself growing closer to him and didn’t want any secrets between them, yet there are secrets between them and they are his.

Leo apologizes to Javi as he promised no flirting and that he would turn off the charm. Javi laughs off that he’s charming no matter how hard he tries not to be and he can’t turn it off as it’s just who he is. Javi says that’s the Leo he knows and then gets interrupted by a work call. Javi suggests they try dinner on his day off next time. Leo tells him to just let him know when as Javi then exits. Sydney tells Johnny that she knows he’s in a tough spot but reminds him that the best way out is always through. Sydney quotes their great Grandma Caroline in telling Johnny to always look to his better angels. Johnny gets a text and says he has to get back to Chanel and the kids. Johnny thanks Sydney as they hug.

Chanel tells Paulina and Lani that she got Olivia back to sleep and then gets a text from Johnny that he’s on his way home. Lani asks if they’ve heard the big news and announces that Theo quit DiMera which shocks Paulina. Chanel notes that Johnny had not mentioned that to her. Lani says maybe he doesn’t know yet, but she ran in to Theo, who told him that he left his resignation letter on Johnny’s desk so maybe he’s reading it as they speak. Chanel doesn’t understand since Theo was doing so well, so it doesn’t make sense. Lani says that Theo didn’t say and guesses she’ll have to ask Johnny.

Chad tells Belle that he shouldn’t be surprised that Cat was in the ISA since she’s obviously a skilled liar. Belle brings up what she put Chad through by impersonating Abigail. Chad talks about being so embarrassed by that while Belle understands he wanted to believe it. Chad declares that Cat is nothing like Abigail in any way, but he can’t help but wonder what Abigail would think of all this. Chad thinks Abigail would be pissed at him for being so gullible while Belle encourages that she would understand he wanted so badly for Abigail to be alive. Belle knows Chad still misses Abigail. Chad says he probably always will. Belle asks if the kids talk about her much. Chad says not to him, but he hopes they do to each other. Chad talks about Charlotte looking like Abigail and telling her that her mother always lives on in her heart. Belle tells Chad that she’s so sorry everything with Cat is bringing back such painful memories for him. Belle asks if Cat ever explained why she didn’t tell Chad that she was in the ISA. Chad says that she told him she didn’t think it was important and she didn’t go to the ISA about Clyde in order to protect her family. Chad adds that instead, Cat put his family through Hell.

EJ questions Cat saying he has secrets and claims he’s an open book. Cat asks why he didn’t open up to her then about the Coriseal FDA complaint, his secret lab, Kristen’s disappearance, or his mysterious trip off to Italy. EJ remarks that he had no idea she was keeping tabs on his every move. Cat argues that everything she’s asking him about is public knowledge and she’s also his personal assistant, so her job is to be aware of the happenings in his life and take care of his needs. Cat adds that she didn’t look at it as a job because for some reason, she cared about him. Cat remarks that EJ has a lot going on in his life so it’s convenient for him to take it out on her. EJ argues that maybe it’s convenient that she got to be his assistant and confidant by talking her way in to that job at the right time.

Paulina and Lani walk through the town square. Paulina insists that Chanel will love the surprise baby shower. Lani says she was pretty certain that she didn’t want it but Paulina argues that mom knows best when it comes to both of her girls. Lani questions what she’s done and if she should be worried. Paulina assures it’s a good thing as she believes it’s time to right an egregious wrong that was done to her. Paulina explains that the Governor is reaching the end of his term in his office, so she intends to reach out to him about pardoning her, but Lani says absolutely not.

Johnny goes home and tells Chanel that he got there as soon as he could and says he brought her a surprise. Chanel doesn’t think she can handle any more surprises and starts to explain how Paulina tried to throw her a baby shower. Johnny stops her and says he thinks she’s going to like this one. Johnny then opens the door to reveal Sydney came with him which thrills Chanel as they excitedly embrace.

Belle tells Chad that she’s sorry he’s going through all of that as she knows he cared about Cat. Chad says in some weird way he still does, but he thinks his family was right that it never would’ve worked between them. Chad adds that he’s glad he’s with Belle and praises her qualities as they kiss. Belle talks about wanting to go back to Italy, so Chad says he has an idea.

Chanel tells Sydney that she’s been meaning to video chat forever. Sydney understands they all have busy lives and she knows she’s been going through it, but says she looks great. Sydney asks if she’s feeling okay. Chanel says she’s doing okay minus some nausea but she took a little something to help with that. Sydney is glad she’s doing so well and says she’s so excited about her new baby. Sydney asks if she can peek in on her niece and nephew. Sydney promises to be very quiet so she doesn’t wake them up, but Olivia then wakes up. Chanel is sure she’s hungry and asks if Sydney wants to give Olivia her bottle. Sydney says she would love that, so Chanel takes her to the bedroom.

Paulina doesn’t understand while Lani explains that the last thing she wants is for her past to be dredged up again. Paulina argues that an injustice was done to her and it will follow her or the rest of her life but Lani doesn’t want the Mayor calling in a favor. Paulina asks who will hire Lani when she has to check off that she was convicted of a felony. Paulina argues that Lani has wonderful gifts to share and this is holding her back. Paulina adds that she saw how much she loves law enforcement when she jumped in to save Holly and knows she would jump back in to that life if she could. Leo comes over and interrupts to ask if Lani has given any more thought to his podcast. Lani says she already told him while Leo pleads with her to do it.

Cat says she doesn’t even know what EJ is talking about, arguing that she didn’t talk herself in to a job with him. EJ remarks that the timing was a little too perfect, just like the timing of them being in the same Italian clinic. Cat says she didn’t know who he was back then and calls it a traumatic time in her life that she barely remembered until she started reading Wuthering Heights. EJ mocks that her reading to him was working her way in to his life like a good little ISA agent. Cat insists that isn’t how it was and that they were drawn together by being victims of Clyde Weston. EJ laughs off the idea that her coming back in to his life was fate. EJ remarks that it would’ve been romantic and magical if it hadn’t been for that pesky little secret she was keeping from him. Cat cries that she wanted to tell him so many times and felt incredibly guilty every time they talked about the Italian clinic, which is why she told him the one thing about her that no one on the planet knew, but says that was clearly a mistake.

Chad and Belle go to a hotel room at the Salem Inn with champagne set up in the room as they kiss onto the bed.

Paulina questions the podcast and why Lani didn’t tell her about this. Lani repeats that she’s not doing it. Leo argues that she should and asks Paulina to help convince her. Leo talks about wanting to talk in detail about how Lani saved Holly from the mugger which Paulina thinks is a fantastic idea. Lani insists that she’s not interested and that she was just helping a friend. Leo urges that she could help others as well. Leo calls it her chance to make a difference and asks if she will be his honored first guest on his podcast Stark Raving Mad.

Chanel tells Johnny that Sydney was a natural with Olivia and she’s feeding her now, which gives them a little time to talk. Chanel brings up that Lani told her that Theo quit which Johnny confirms. Chanel then questions why Theo quit and why Johnny didn’t tell her. Johnny responds that he only found out this morning when he got to work and was going to tell her when he got home. Chanel questions him not thinking it was worth a call or a text. Chanel suggests they talk about it now and asks why Theo resigned.

Cat questions EJ not saying anything. Cat brings up that Chad blames her for not going to the ISA when Clyde told her to impersonate Abigail while EJ blames her because he still thinks she’s with the ISA, so either way she can’t win. Cat tells EJ that he won’t have to worry about whether or not she’s lying to him because she quits.

Chad and Belle drink champagne in bed, toasting to an afternoon delight. Belle says this is the life. Chad tells her that whatever happens next with Dominic Marino, they will face together and it will make a hell of an adventure as they kiss.

Lani reluctantly gives in to doing the podcast which thrills Leo and Paulina. Paulina can’t wait to tell the world about her daughter saving the day as she hugs Lani. Lani insists that she was just helping out a friend while Paulina feels she was being brave and badass. Paulina says she has to get to work, so she will let them iron out the details. Paulina then steps away and calls the Governor to ask for a favor.

Johnny tells Chanel that Theo quit because of something EJ did that was wrong. Johnny admits he didn’t handle it very well, but promises to fix it and make amends. Trey wakes up crying, so Chanel goes to check on him while Sydney comes back in to the room. Sydney tells Johnny that he did the right thing. Johnny responds that he hopes so.

Cat tells EJ that she can’t work with someone who doesn’t trust her. Cat says goodbye to EJ and wishes him luck as she exits the office.

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Days Update Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Sydney, Marlena, and Belle eat together at the Brady Pub. Sydney tells them about a date she had in Italy. Marlena can’t believe she was just talking to her while she was in Europe and now she’s here. Sydney says she told her she’d see her soon while Belle mentions trying to call to let her know but promised to make it a surprise. Marlena comments on possibly getting Sami to come visit too.

Maggie goes to see Julie at the Horton house. Julie knows Xander and Philip were there, so she’s hoping they didn’t bring bad news. Maggie says it was just the opposite as they got the money for EJ, so they lost the house but they saved the company. Julie calls that wonderful and says that’s what she was praying for. Maggie says it’s how the money was gotten that worries her.

Theo meets Abe in the town square. Abe asks about his day off. Theo says he went for a run and then took a long walk in the park as he had some thinking to do. Abe asks what about. Theo then tells Abe that he was right that he never should’ve taken the job at DiMera.

Johnny goes to the DiMera Enterprises office and is shocked to find Theo’s letter of resignation. EJ then walks in and questions everything going to Hell while he left for two days. Johnny tries to ask about his trip. EJ brings up the complaint against them filed with the FDA. EJ tells him that the complaint came from Sarah. Johnny says they don’t know that for sure but EJ insists. EJ worries that the complaint could bring down DiMera while Johnny says he’s heard the same speech from George last night. EJ calls it an emergency while Johnny argues that he was trying to get his daughter to sleep, so she wouldn’t wake his wife who is going through cancer treatment and complains that he had to ask Lani to watch his kids. EJ asks Johnny how he is going to handle this. Johnny argues that Sarah has no proof while EJ argues that it doesn’t matter and that the complaint being out there could ruin them. Johnny calls it funny because George said the exact same thing and questions if they are putting their heads together without him. Johnny tells EJ that George insisted the only way through was to take a page out of EJ’s playbook and prove that DiMera could never be responsible because someone else was. EJ asks what Johnny’s plan is. Johnny responds his plan was to work with Theo as he thought he convinced him they needed to work together to protect DiMera from false and unfounded allegations, then he came in and found Theo’s letter of resignation. Johnny declares that he’s going to convince Theo to un-resign, but EJ says he will do no such thing.

Abe asks Theo what happened. Theo reminds him that he told him he couldn’t trust Johnny and he wondered if Johnny was keeping any other secrets. Theo says he was right in that there’s a lot more that Johnny is hiding, so he resigned from DiMera.

Sydney tells Marlena and Belle that Sami has such a busy life in Italy, so a trip back here might not be in the cards right now. Marlena says she understands but it would be nice to see her. Sydney knows she misses her, but visiting Salem can be tricky for Sami since she has many complicated relationships. Belle believes she’s right up there on the list with EJ as far as complicated relationships for Sami. Belle talks about it being hard for Sami that she and EJ were together, but assures they are not anymore and have both moved on. Belle tells Sydney she’s sorry but Sydney says it’s fine as she’s heard Sami’s version with way more curse words. Belle wishes she was closer to her sister, especially because she knows it makes Marlena sad that her daughters haven’t made peace and she’s sorry for that. Marlena says she doesn’t have to apologize as she tried so many times to patch it up with Sami to no avail but admits she hoped she would try to see her while in Italy. Sydney points out that she found it interesting that EJ, Belle, and Chad were all in Italy at the same time. Sydney says she heard a little bit of hush hush conversation on the flight back, so she questions if they care to share what’s going on as Belle and Marlena look at one another. Belle explains that she and Chad were following the clues to Rome, EJ tagged along, and they found themselves in Dominic Marino’s home. Sydney says they went on a real life treasure hunt and realizes that’s why EJ asked if she knew Dominic Marino before they left. Marlena asks if she does. Sydney says she’s heard of him as everyone in Europe has but she doesn’t know him personally. Belle mentions hearing that he’s a bit of a recluse with almost no public profile. Sydney says that EJ had questions about a business deal which Dominic is involved in and guesses that was a lie. Belle encourages that EJ was just trying to keep her safe. Sydney argues that she’s not a child and can handle whatever it is. Belle then gets a phone call and steps away to answer it.

Julie tells Maggie that she can’t believe one person could win that much money in a casino and wonders if Victor reached down to help Philip from the great beyond. Maggie thinks Victor would’ve hated all of the damage that Philip’s gambling brought on him and the family in the past. Julie recalls Philip getting in debt to the Vitali family and having to launder money to pay it off. Maggie says in the end, Victor cleaned it up but not before Ava put a hit on Philip and Brady ended up getting shot. They agree that doing business with criminals is not the wisest choice. Julie understands Maggie might be worried that Philip would get caught up again. Maggie says that Philip swore it was a one time last ditch effort to save the company, but notes that he also led her to believe he wouldn’t resort to gambling in the first place to get the money. Julie guesses Maggie must have tried to talk him out of it which she confirms. Maggie worries that if Philip lied that easily then, how does she know he’s not lying to her now.

Theo tells Abe that Johnny is involved with shady dealings at DiMera, but he lied right to his face when he confronted him, so he couldn’t stay any longer. Abe says he’s sorry as he knows Theo wanted to turn the company in to a force for good. Theo says he did to honor Lexie since she told him that he could make DiMera something better, so that was his intention. Abe assures that she would be very proud of him as he is, for making up his own mind about accepting the job and leaving it, and staying true to who he is.

EJ tells Johnny that he doesn’t need Theo. Johnny remarks that Theo’s integrity would get in the way of his coverup while EJ argues that his incompetence would get in the way of the company thriving while they need a CEO with a spine and a leader who will do whatever it takes to protect the family. Johnny declares that he’s sure as hell not that person. EJ tells him to relax. Johnny complains that Theo just resigned because he’s disgusted with him and says he’s disgusted with himself for lying to his wife, his Grandmother, his sister-in-law, and that he’s constantly trying to justify and make excuses for the things he does for EJ. Johnny says he told himself it’s for the greater good when nothing about it is good. EJ complains that Johnny has been listening to the naysayers about the DiMera name and they are poisoning his mind. Johnny calls that an interesting choice of words. Johnny argues that he’s already done so many things that he’s not proud of and every time he tries to draw a hard line, EJ just pushes it further. EJ calls that another part of the DiMera playbook. Johnny says screw the playbook and screw you as he declares this is all stopping right now. Johnny tells EJ that he’s the CEO of DiMera, so EJ can’t tell him what to do, and if he doesn’t like how he’s running things, that’s too damn bad. EJ applauds him for showing the spine he’s looking for. Johnny complains that he doesn’t want to be like EJ as trying to listen to him got them under investigation by the FDA. Johnny calls it EJ’s mess but says he’s going to clean it up for him the right way. EJ admires his passion but says he’s not experienced enough to handle this on his own and he needs his help. Johnny responds that he doesn’t need anything from him and they are done. EJ gets a text from George that he’s waiting for him at the house. EJ warns Johnny not to do anything until they speak again as he exits the office. Johnny tosses Theo’s letter of resignation in frustration.

Maggie tells Julie that as an addict herself, she knows the lies they tell and feels Philip should’ve known better after what happened in Chicago. Julie asks if she can tell her what happened in Chicago. Maggie explains that’s where the trouble with the Vitalis began because Mimi Lockhart asked Philip to a poker party and before he knew it, he was millions in debt to the mob. Maggie worries that if a business venture fails, Philip could do the same thing over again. Maggie talks about caring about Philip like her own son, as she knows Victor would want. Julie encourages that if Maggie stays on at Titan, she can keep Philip reined in and also relaunch the business that Victor created so she thinks it would be a win-win.

Belle finishes a call with Paul and informs Marlena and Sydney that Paul did a deeper dive in to Dominic Marino and it turns out, he went to a very exclusive boarding school and reveals that Dominic’s roommate was none other than Sami’s fiancée, Dante Vitali, which shocks Sydney. Sydney says that Dante never even mentioned going to boarding school. Belle questions what she does know about Dante. Sydney assures that he doesn’t give mafia vibes and has no connection to the Vitali family. Sydney mentions that when she met Dante, she liked him right away. Marlena points out that Sami has made some pretty bad choices in men. Sydney insists that Dante is a good guy, who treats Sami like a queen and treats her well too. Sydney adds that working for him has been great so far. Belle questions Dante never mentioning Dominic Marino. Sydney asks why he would and says she never said anything about her roommate in boarding school either. Belle points out that her roommate wasn’t a billionaire. Sydney doesn’t know why they are making such a big deal of this and remarks that Dante being Dominic’s roommate hardly makes thim the devil.

Julie tells Maggie that she does not condone gambling but it seems that Philip wasn’t doing it for a cheap thrill, but to step up for his family. Maggie admits that he did, because he blamed himself for what they were going through with Titan. Maggie assumes that’s because of Philip’s relationship with Victor as he always felt he was letting him down. Maggie says she tried to assure him that it wasn’t solely his fault and urged him to forgive himself. Maggie adds that most people involved in Titan exhibited bad judgment at some point. Maggie says she certainly has regrets as she’s made some terrible mistakes. Julie responds that she has too. Julie thinks the one advantage of growing old is time to stop dwelling on old mistakes and get on with your life. Julie says Maggie shows so much compassion and wisdom about Philip, so she asks if there’s a chance she can show some of that grace and forgiveness to herself because she really deserves it.

Abe asks Theo what his career plans are. Theo responds that Gabi offered him a job at Gabi Chic and he told her he’d think about it, but he just doesn’t know if that’s the right path for him right now. Theo says that’s why he wanted to meet because he regrets not taking Abe’s advice about not taking Tony’s offer at DiMera, so he hoped to get Abe’s advice now, which Abe calls a father’s dream.

EJ goes home to the DiMera Mansion to meet George. EJ tells him that he just saw Johnny and he doesn’t think that he’s on board with what he needs to be done. George agrees that he got the same feeling. EJ says that Johnny wants to handle it on his own, but he reminded him of what’s at stake and instructed him not to do anything until they speak again. George says he spoke with Rita and it appears Sarah filed the FDA complaint to deflect blaming herself, but in the end, Sarah is the only one who will be found culpable.

Sydney tells Marlena and Belle that she can ask Dante about Dominic Marino if they want to know more but Belle says that’s okay. Sydney says she’s going to meet Johnny after work and she wants go get gifts for Trey and Olivia, joking that she’s going to spoil both kids. Sydney hugs Marlena and says goodbye as she exits the Pub. Belle then tells Marlena that she does not like this Dominic and Dante connection one bit. As Sydney exits the Pub, she runs in to Johnny and they joke about their childhood as they hug. Sydney questions him not being at work. Johnny says he needed a break, so Sydney she guesses she gets more time with her big brother. Johnny suggests they get ice cream.

Theo tells Abe that there are many reasons to accept Gabi’s offer since Gabi Chic is a great company, profitable, and expanding around the world so there would be many new opportunities, but things have not been that good between he and Gabi since he’s been back in town. Theo states there’s some prior history that could come in to play if he accepts her offer. Abe responds that everybody has some complicated history with Gabi. Theo explains that he thought they were friends until she thought the worst of him. Theo says he told Abe about this but didn’t tell him who he was talking about. Abe asks how Gabi thought the worst of him. Theo explains that she thought he went behind her back and betrayed her. Abe guesses she doesn’t know him very well if she thought that. Theo acknowledges that Gabi came to him and apologized for it. Abe asks if he thinks her apology was genuine. Theo confirms that he does and that Gabi said she needs help with a project at Gabi Chic that aligns with his interests, but he doesn’t know how to decide. Abe encourages that Theo is smart as hell with a very strong moral compass. Abe points out Theo choosing to leave DiMera after seeing things going wrong, so he advises Theo to trust himself.

EJ warns George that he better hope this works. George assures that it will and the heat will be off DiMera and EJ won’t take the fall. EJ worries that he’s putting an awful lot of trust in George, so he hopes it’s not misplaced. George insists that he can count on him. EJ says that George says that, but he counted on him to make sure the contaminated pills were disposed of correctly and they ended up in someone’s drinking water and people died because of it. EJ points out that George is still head of DiMera Pharmaceuticals and it’s his job to make sure this goes away as it never should’ve come back to haunt them. George promises to make it go away once and for all. EJ says he’s glad to hear that. EJ warns that if for any reason it does not go away, George will be the one taking the fall.

Julie and Maggie talk about cooking for Chanel’s baby shower. Julie mentions canceling a dinner date with Foster and ordering gifts for the baby shower. Maggie argues that Julie didn’t need to cancel her dinner date with Foster. Julie says she already did it and it’s fine as she wants to spend the evening with Maggie, adding that it’s been years since they’ve been together in the kitchen. Maggie agrees it’s been too long. Julie tells Maggie that she’s so sorry the money didn’t come through in time to save her home, but the silver lining is they get to spend time together. Julie says she’s so grateful that Maggie is there with her now. Maggie responds that she’s grateful to be there and to have Julie in her life as they hug.

Belle asks Marlena about her saying that Sami hasn’t made the wisest choices in men. Marlena talks about Sydney only having glowing things to say about Dante, but it’s hard to believe that Dominic’s former roommate would meet Sami and suddenly propose marriage. Belle agrees that it would be one hell of a coincidence.

Theo thanks Abe for the coffee and says next time it’s on him. Abe tells Theo to make decisions that make him happy. Johnny and Sydney walk in to the town square for ice cream, so Theo tells Abe they should go and leave the square. Johnny and Sydney talk about video chatting their sister Allie later. Sydney says she can’t wait to meet Johnny’s kids and didn’t realize how much she missed her family. Johnny says they miss her too and congratulates her on becoming a lawyer. Johnny asks how much time she has off. Sydney responds that it was going to be a quick visit, but there’s so many people she wants to see and catch up with, so she’s been thinking about staying longer and asking Dante if she can work remotely for a little while. Sydney asks Johnny if she should stick around. Johnny responds that he wouldn’t if he were her. Sydney questions why not since he’s always talking about how happy he is there with Chanel. Johnny responds that if he could snap his fingers and move his family back to Italy, he’d do it in a heartbeat.

George gives EJ his word that this will be handled. EJ says to keep him posted as George then exits the mansion. EJ pours a drink and looks up at the portrait of Stefano as he thinks back to the findings at Dominic Marino’s home, wondering what Stefano has done.

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Days Short Recap Friday, October 2, 2026

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Recap written by Suzanne

The legal tension shifts to corporate exposure as Johnny DiMera takes the brave step to meet with Rafe, fully confessing that EJ was entirely aware of the tainted batch of Coriseal and deliberately tried to cover it up. Knowing his own freedom is on the line, Johnny stands firm in his choice to expose the truth, leaving a cornered EJ to desperately panic to Rita about how quickly the walls are closing in. At the same time, EJ’s troubles multiply when he inadvertently overhears a heavily guarded secret that Marlena has been trying to bury. Marlena, meanwhile, directly confronts Rita, demanding to know the truth about who has been pulling the strings to guide Belle right to Dominic.

Away from the high-stakes conspiracies, Salem manages a rare moment of levity during a surprise baby shower thrown by Paulina for Chanel. The event takes a hilariously chaotic turn when a silly mix-up leaves all the guests laughing, giving the expectant mother a brief break from the brewing family storms. However, the peaceful moment remains fleeting as Sydney commits a highly critical and costly error that threatens to completely upend her own elaborate plans.

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Days Short Recap Thursday, October 1, 2026

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Recap written by Suzanne

Salem is hit with major legal and corporate chaos as Melinda Trask takes to national television to publicly accuse Sarah Horton of medical malpractice, alleging her negligence led to a wrongful death. While Sarah reels from this public humiliation, Brady Black offers his support to a distressed Marlena Evans. Marlena is struggling deeply with the mind-bending discovery that she is listed as Dominic Marino’s mother on a birth certificate, leading to dark suspicions that Stefano DiMera or Orpheus may be orchestrating a sinister plot against her family. Meanwhile, Steve Johnson and Belle Black team up to investigate the validity of the mystery surrounding the document.

The corporate warfare escalates dramatically when Philip Kiriakis and Xander Cook completely derail EJ DiMera’s plans. Just as EJ thinks he has the upper hand, Philip and Xander surprise him by presenting a check that fully pays off the Titan loan, effectively saving the family business and handing EJ a massive defeat. Amidst the corporate takedowns, Philip also confesses his risky underworld alliances to Maggie. Elsewhere, Joy Wesley plays a high-stakes, dangerous game as she targets hospital drugs to secure muscle relaxers, desperate to keep Alex Kiriakis trapped in her intricate web of manipulation.

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Days Update Tuesday, September 22, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Philip and Xander excitedly go to see Maggie at the Horton house. Maggie questions why they are grinning from ear to ear. Xander says they have the best news that they just had to come share in person. Philip then announces that Titan is saved.

Holly confronts Mason in the town square. Mason tries to say he’s busy but Holly says he’s going to have to tolerate her. Holly then shows Mason the “are you having fun” text message and asks if he sent it.

At the Black Patch office, Brady tells Steve about Sarah filing the FDA complaint against EJ. Brady explains how they think EJ is already retaliating since Sarah was sued out of nowhere by Destiny’s parents with a wrongful death suit and says the whole thing reeks of EJ. Brady bets EJ got a hold of Destiny’s parents and maybe even bribed them to be complicit in this. Brady feels this is EJ’s way of warning Sarah to get off the Coriseal investigation, but says there’s no chance in Hell that she will.

At the hospital, Sarah tells Kayla that EJ must have been behind this. Kayla says they don’t know that but Sarah feels it’s obvious since the wrongful death suit was filed right after her complaint. Kayla talks about planning to fight it and if EJ is behind it, he will have nothing to hold against her. Rita arrives and says they are just who she was looking for.

Maggie questions how it’s possible that Titan is saved. Philip responds that they have the money needed to pay off the loan, so EJ cannot foreclose on them. Maggie can’t believe it. Philip just wishes they could’ve stopped the sale of the house but it was too late. Maggie then questions how he got the money. Philip admits that he won it, which Maggie questions further and demands an answer as to how he won the money. Philip thinks she knows the answer and asks her not to be upset. Maggie argues that he told her he was not going to gamble again. Philip doesn’t think he told her that. Maggie complains that he certainly led her to believe it. Philip apologizes for that.

Mason asks Holly why the hell he would text someone he hardly even knows. Holly asks why he hates someone he hardly knows. Mason insists he didn’t send the text. Holly asks who did then. Mason questions how he should know and suggests it could be a wrong number. Holly remarks that it could be someone stalking her which has happened before. Mason questions her thinking he’s stalking her, so Holly asks if he is.

Steve tells Brady that if EJ is bribing people to harass Sarah, that means he’s desperate and they are onto something. Brady says he’d love nothing more than to take EJ down, but he hates that Sarah is being dragged in to this. Steve says they both know the lawsuit is bogus and Kayla has Sarah’s back, so they need to focus on nailing EJ for the Coriseal contamination and prove that he’s responsible for what happened to Holly and Destiny. Steve adds that once they do that, Sarah won’t have anything to worry about.

Kayla asks Rita what they can do for her. Rita assumes they’ve been notified about the pending legal action concerning Destiny’s death which Kayla confirms. Rita informs them that the hospital is launching an independent investigation. Kayla assures they will cooperate and insists the findings will see the hospital was not at fault and everything was done by the book. Rita responds that EJ agrees the hospital is not at fault, but that Sarah is another matter..

Mason tells Holly that he wants nothing to do with her, so he questions why he would stalk her. Holly suggests to scare her or punish her. Holly says that Ari told her that he thinks she’s responsible for the death of someone he cares about. Mason then confirms that he was talking about Sophia Choi.

Philip knows Maggie thinks that him gambling was him falling off the wagon, but swears that it was a one off and the only way to win enough. Philip explains that the poker game went really well but didn’t quite cut it, so he had to put some money down on 18 red at the roulette table and that’s why Titan is saved. Xander encourages Maggie to give Philip a break as he only did it because they were so desperate and out of time and options. Maggie asks if Xander knew about this. Xander says only after the fact and suggests they just rejoice that Philip saved the company. Maggie complains that Philip risked relapsing in to an addiction that nearly destroyed him and the family. Maggie brings up how many times she told herself it was one sip before she fell off the wagon. Philip insists that he has no desire to gamble anymore. Maggie tells him that’s enough as he made her believe he was listening to her and respecting her when she warned him not to go down that road again. Philip argues that he always listens to her because she is the wisest person he knows. Maggie says she virtually begged him not to do anything stupid, but he ran off to Monte Carlo and did just the same thing. Philip knows he didn’t heed her advice, but it’s not because he didn’t hear it or think she was right. Philip admits he did consider taking her advice, but he was conflicted and had to make a choice between taking a risk that could rescue their family from a miserable fate, or he could be more selfish and not take a chance on succumbing to his addiction again. Maggie questions him saying what he did was selfless. Philip guesses that he is. Maggie calls that self delusion to spin something self destructive in to something virtuous. Maggie argues that as a fellow addict, she was appealing to him, thinking he had turned his life around, but he was probably wishing she’d shut up. Maggie declares that Philip defied her and that’s classic addict behavior, so she wants nothing to do with this money.

Brady tells Steve that he feels like he’s fighting a two part war with DiMera by going after EJ to protect Sarah while also going after the mysterious billionaire taking his grandfather’s home. Steve mentions that Paul still hasn’t learned anything more about Dominic Marino. Brady notes that Belle did speak to Marlena, who pointed out that the word Marino means “of the sea” and so does DiMera. Steve bets that’s not a coincidence. Brady wonders what the connection could be and if Dominic could really be another DiMera. Steve suggests maybe someone just wants them to think he is.

Kayla tells Rita that it’s ridiculous and questions what gives EJ the right to weigh in on proper protocol for treating a patient unless he went to medical school during his prolonged absence from the hospital. Kayla argues that Destiny’s case was already reviewed by the board and they determined that Sarah gave her the best possible care. Rita argues that Destiny dropping dead indicates to her and EJ that Sarah failed her and that Destiny would still be alive if she gave her the proper care. Sarah tells Rita that she is wrong and that she obviously came here at the behest of a spoiled, vindictive son of a bitch. Sarah adds that Rita is just as morally bankrupt as EJ is. Sarah shouts that Rita is just as oblivious to what’s going on at the hospital and how dedicated every doctor is to healing every patient. Sarah tells Rita to take her accusations and shove it because she will not sit here and be slandered.

Steve and Brady talk about how just when they think they are done with Stefano’s games, another one pops up. Steve adds that the DiMera family seems to be at as much of a loss as they are when it comes to who Dominic Marino is. Brady says Chad certainly has no idea and that he said Tony doesn’t either. Brady adds that nobody has any idea what’s behind the chess set that Stefano left for John and Marlena. Steve says there are two paths they can go down, either assume Dominic Marino is an impostor with his own twisted reasons for stringing Marlena and Belle along or they assume Dominic is a DiMera or somehow connected with Stefano. Steve questions how the hell no one in the family has ever heard of him.

Sarah demands an answer as to if Rita understands her. Rita responds that Sarah is causing a scene and not helping the situation. Kayla isn’t sure what Rita and EJ are trying to accomplish here. Kayla repeats that Destiny’s care was exactly what it should’ve been. Rita questions Destiny being sent home without medication or referrals. Rita adds that they are launching an investigation and suggests Sarah was distracted that night by her divorce or Xander being involved with an ex lover. Sarah insists she was not distracted and followed standard protocol. Rita remarks that they will see what the experts say.

Holly questions Mason about Sophia being a friend of his. Mason says not exactly. Holly asks what that means. Mason says he doesn’t owe her an explanation. Holly argues that he does if he’s going to blame her for Sophia’s death. Holly says what happened to Sophia was tragic and she knows her mom is telling everyone that it was her fault, but declares that Mason needs to hear it from her because she knows he didn’t get the full story.

Xander argues that Maggie can’t be serious as they are saving Titan and beating EJ at his own game even if she doesn’t approve of how Philip did it. Maggie complains that she’s appalled and saddened and Victor would be too. Xander says maybe so, but there’s no way Victor would turn down the money. Philip agrees that Victor may have been mad at first, but if that money kept Titan out of DiMera’s hands, he wouldn’t have cared if they robbed a bank for it. Philip states that as much as they all love Victor, he was no saint. Xander tells Maggie that she doesn’t really have a say in this matter as he and Philip have controlling interest in Titan and they have decided to use the money to pay off the loan and reclaim Titan. Maggie tells them to knock themselves out, but they will be doing it without her. Xander questions what that means. Maggie declares that she’s stepping away from Titan. Philip pleads with her not to do this. Philip appreciates that she worries and cares about him but he doesn’t have a gambling problem. Philip says his Vitali mob days are over and in the past. Maggie argues that Philip deceived her by telling her he wasn’t going to gamble, but he flew off to Monte Carlo to play in a high stakes game. Maggie questions how she can work for someone she can’t trust. Philip argues that he only did it for one game and it wasn’t just for the hell of it, it was for the love of their family and love for her. Philip asks what he can do to re-assure her that he will not gamble again and offers to go to meetings, insisting he gambled this one time to save the company. Philip adds that in spite of defying her, he has enormous respect for her and thinks the world of her. Xander says they don’t want to do this without Maggie and that Titan needs her guidance as he asks her to reconsider.

Holly asks Mason to let her tell him her side of the story, so he agrees to listen. Holly informs Mason that she and Sophia were best friends since they were little until high school when they fell for the same guy. Holly says she didn’t know it at the time that Sophia was crushing on Tate when they got together and then when they broke up the first time, Sophia hooked up with him and got pregnant. Holly says that’s when she got really cruel and talks about Sophia taking half-naked photos of her to send to her professor while she was too drunk to notice. Holly says what was even more hateful is that she tried to amends with her but Sophia switched her skin supplements with anti psych meds. Mason stops her and says he’s heard all of that from Sophia. Holly questions him still thinking she’s to blame for Sophia’s death. Mason responds that Sophia suffered a lot, talking about her mother being controlling and giving birth to her baby all alone, then having to give him up which he thinks is what sent her over the edge. Holly says he’s probably right, but continues to question him thinking she’s to blame for Sophia’s death. Mason states that he thinks she played a big part in it.

Rita warns Sarah that she may want to take a leave until the investigation in to Destiny’s death concludes. Kayla responds that Sarah will do no such thing. Rita remarks that she may not have a choice and says she’ll be in touch as she walks away. Sarah complains to Kayla that Rita is just as evil and corrupt as EJ is. Kayla encourages that Sarah did great and says she was so proud of how she handled Rita. Sarah says she’s outraged by the accusations but questions what if Rita was right that she could’ve done more for Destiny. Kayla insists she did everything she possibly could with the information she had and now they are pretty certain she died of arsenic poisoning. Sarah complains that they can’t prove it and that Rita is insinuating that their investigation will find whatever EJ wants it to find to take her down.

Brady tells Steve that it wouldn’t be the first time a long lost DiMera crawled out of the woodwork. Steve talks about Stefano not knowing about Chad and Lexie, but when he found them, he brought them in to the fold as nothing was more important to him than family. They question the Dominic Marino connection. Steve has no doubt Stefano’s endgame was to lead them to Dominic and questions if Dominic will show up on their doorstep or if they are going to show up on his. Brady says that Dominic has the advantage of knowing where they are. Brady asks Steve if Roman gave him any insight. Steve says that Roman’s never heard the name either, but he did say that Marlena has been having disturbing memories. Steve tells Brady about the Celtic knot and how Marlena started having a memory of that symbol on a blanket during her time on Stefano’s island.

Sarah tells Kayla that she knew EJ would figure out that she was the doctor that filed a complaint about DiMera Pharmaceuticals and that he would want to fight back, but she was not prepared for this. Kayla says leave it to EJ to exploit a young woman’s death like this. Sarah worries that she could lose her license. Kayla encourages that the truth is on her side. Sarah feels that’s never stopped EJ. Sarah worries that Xander was right that it was a mistake to go on the offense against EJ. Kayla tells her not to think that way and praises her as a doctor. Kayla vows that she will not let them lose her.

Xander urges Maggie that they’ve been given a second chance to make Titan the company it used to be and that they are unstoppable. Philip declares that the three of them working together to rebuild the company is what Victor would’ve wanted. Maggie then gives in and agrees to stay because Titan is important to the thousands of employees who depend on them. Philip thanks her and hugs her, assuring she won’t regret this. Philip exclaims that they are back in business. Maggie says she should tell the rest of the family. Xander asks her to keep it to just family for now as they want to let EJ keep thinking they are defaulting on the loan. Philip declares they are going to snatch victory from EJ at the best possible moment. Maggie admits she thinks that’s an excellent idea because of what EJ has put them through.

Mason tells Holly that Sophia had mental health issues and reveals that after getting out of Bayview, she would call the mental health hotline he works at and they would talk regularly. Mason adds that she would talk about how much it hurt when Holly lied to her and betrayed her. Mason says that Sophia was fragile when she ended up in Bayview and Holly knew that, but still posted nasty things about her online and ganged up on her with a bunch of others. Holly says that isn’t true as she hardly said anything and what she did say was the truth. Mason argues that Holly isn’t taking responsibility. Mason explains that he was talking to Sophia right afterwards and he thought he got through to her and thought she would keep fighting, but now she’s gone and they all have to live with that. Mason then gets up and walks away. Mason walks past the Brady Pub and stops, looking down at the dog tags on his necklace. Mason says that he failed them and he failed Sophia.

Maggie goes to the town square and finds Holly, asking what’s going on. Holly responds that somebody blames her for something awful that happened and she tried to explain her side of the story, but they didn’t want to hear it so it made her sad. Maggie asks if she wants to talk about it, but Holly decides that she doesn’t want to think about it and asks how Maggie is doing. Maggie admits saying goodbye to the Kiriakis Mansion won’t be easy since it’s where she and Victor built their life together. Maggie informs Holly that she does have some good news but they have to keep it in the family as she reveals the mansion was sold, but Titan was saved, so they won’t be losing Victor’s company or his legacy after all. Holly calls that amazing and asks what happened. Maggie responds that Philip took a chance and raised the money to pay off the entire loan.

Philip sits alone in the park and pulls out a poker chip from his jacket pocket which he holds onto.

Brady recalls Marlena being stuck on Stefano’s island and says he is now convinced this is all connected and there has to be a reason behind Dominic Marino. Steve says maybe they can’t find Dominic, but they can still find who was leaving clues for Belle and Chad. They talk about how it has to be someone who was close to Stefano. Brady says Dr. Rolf comes to mind but he’s been missing. Steve says Dr. Rolf was more the mad scientist while leaving bread crumbs for Stefano’s victims is not his style. Brady agrees and wonders who it could be. Steve responds that one name comes to mind, who has been doing Stefano’s bidding long before doing EJ’s.

Kayla confronts Rita at the hospital and warns that she will not stand back while she targets anyone on her staff for personal reasons on behalf of EJ. Rita asks what reason EJ would have to target Sarah. Kayla responds that EJ thinks Sarah filed the anonymous complaint with the FDA, but anyone could have filed that including herself, because Sarah isn’t the only one who knows what EJ is done. Kayla declares that she will make sure no intimidation tactics will make what EJ has done go away.

Xander finds Sarah in the town square and excitedly tells her that he was going to call her but it’s so much better to tell her the news in person. Xander informs her that Titan is saved as they have the money to pay off EJ’s loan. Sarah calls that wonderful. Xander says they don’t want it out there just yet but he couldn’t wait to tell her as he wanted to share it with her most of all. Sarah says she’s glad and happy for him. Xander says he’s happy for them as it’s part of Victoria’s legacy too. Xander excitedly declares that they won as he hugs Sarah and says so much for EJ getting the best of them, as Sarah remains looking worried.

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Days Short Recap Wednesday, September 30, 2026

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Recap written by Suzanne

Tate runs into Mason, who continues to blame Holly for Sophia’s death, leaving Holly struggling with guilt. Eli encourages Lani to think about what she wants for her future, while Lani and Holly appear on Leo’s podcast.

Kate questions Philip about his gambling after his recent success, and Leo, Gwen and Cat grow closer as they spend time together.

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Days Short Recap Tuesday, September 29, 2026

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Recap written by Suzanne

Johnny decides he needs to tell Rafe what he knows about EJ’s wrongdoing, despite Sydney’s fears that they could both end up in trouble. Xander confronts EJ over Sarah’s legal problems and accuses him of being responsible for the lawsuit.

Cat tells Rafe that she has broken away from EJ, while Rafe worries about the consequences. Philip agrees to help Leo investigate the counterfeit Gabi Chic operation, and Chanel approaches Gabi with an unexpected proposal.

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Days Short Recap Monday, September 28, 2026

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Recap written by Suzanne

Marlena is stunned by the possibility that she could be Dominic’s mother and asks Steve to keep the news private while they arrange a DNA test. Steve later confides in Brady, while Marlena struggles with memories of her time on Stefano’s island.

Xander promises to support Sarah as she deals with her troubles involving EJ. Joy’s nerve testing is moved up, adding to her worries. Theo explains to Paulina why he left DiMera, while Stephanie and Theo agree that their almost-kiss was a mistake.

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Days Update Monday, September 21, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Gabi and Philip return to Salem and walk through the town square, talking about last night being amazing. Philip says he couldn’t have done it without his good luck charm as they kiss. Philip asks if she wants to come with him to the house to join the celebration. Gabi says that should be a family thing while she has to get to her office. Philip says he will send her a picture of Xander and Maggie when they find out he actually has the money to save Titan. Gabi isn’t sure she wants to see their faces when he tells them how he got the money and asks how he will spin that. Philip says he will tell the truth that he’s a hell of a poker player and roulette, asking how he could lose with Gabi by his side.

Alex exits the Brady Pub with Kelsey as Theo comes jogging by. Theo tells Alex that he heard about Joy and he’s so sorry. Alex questions how Theo knows about that.

Xander and Brady sit together in the Brady Pub, talking about EJ being back from Italy. Xander declares that all hell is about to break loose for EJ.

Sarah checks on Joy at the hospital and says there’s no changes in her reflexes yet. Sarah wants to schedule her for another nerve test to measure the electrical activity, but Joy refuses, saying she wants no more tests.

Philip goes to the Kiriakis Mansion to find the living room completely empty. Philip calls out to Xander and Maggie but no one is home.

Sarah tells Joy that the test is really important. Joy wants to try physical therapy first as she’s so tired of being poked and prodded with the same results. Sarah says they have to rely on testing to pinpoint where the blockage is. Joy cries that it all just scares her so much. Sarah responds that she can relate, which Joy questions. Sarah explains that when she was a new mom like her, she was hit by a car and paralyzed from the waist down. Joy asks how long it took her to recover. Sarah says it was a few months and that the healing process is different for every patient, so it might not be that long for her. Sarah encourages her to stay positive and talks about the hardest part of the healing process was not being there for her daughter how she felt she needed to be. Joy asks how she got through it. Sarah says she had a really great support system and wants Joy to know she can count on her for whatever she needs. Sarah knows Joy’s family is not in Salem right now, but assures that she’s not alone. Joy thanks her as she doesn’t know how she would get through any of this without her or Alex.

Theo informs Alex that he heard about Joy from Stephanie as he ran in to her last night and she was pretty upset. Alex responds that they all are. Alex tells Theo that he and his wife are in a tough spot right now, but they love each other a lot and are committed to getting through this. Theo says he hopes they do as he then resumes going on his run.

Xander asks Brady if they think EJ has heard about the FDA complaint that Sarah filed against DiMera. Brady feels they would know if he had and talks about EJ being dangerous when he feels cornered. Brady thinks EJ is going to erupt while Xander says they are going to be ready for the fallout and the fight, so EJ finally gets what he deserves.

Justin arrives at the Kiriakis Mansion and finds Philip, saying he thought everyone was gone as he was just doing a final walkthrough and closing up the place. Philip questions what he means. Justin then informs Philip that all of the paperwork has been signed and the house has been sold, shocking Philip.

Sarah encourages Joy to do the nerve test but Joy refuses. Alex comes in with Kelsey and asks what it can help with her treatment. Alex thinks Joy should do the test if it’s what Sarah suggests. Joy complains that she just needs a break as it’s just too much and overwhelming. Alex says they are just trying to figure out what’s wrong with her so they can help her. Alex urges her to do it for Kelsey because she needs her mom.

Gabi remains in the town square and calls Theo, saying she has a problem and thinks he might be the perfect person to help her solve it. Gabi explains that she’s dealing with a major IP theft issue and she believes someone at DiMera is behind it, so she’s hoping he might be able to use his inside knowledge. Theo then reveals that he can’t help her because he quit which Gabi questions.

Xander still wishes Sarah consulted with him before filing the complaint. Brady reminds him that they’ve been over that they needed to shake EJ up. Xander worries that makes EJ dangerous and that he could take out his anger on Sarah. Brady declares that he and Xander are going to work together to make sure Sarah is safe. Xander calls that progressive. Brady admits he’s still surprised they found a way to work together. Xander says the fight to save Victor’s company and legacy has taught him the importance of family. Xander declares that he and Brady are connected now not just because of Victor, but because of Sarah and Victoria.

Philip questions Xander and Maggie just giving up and signing over the house. Justin reminds him that there’s no money to pay off the debts. Philip then reveals that there is now more than enough and declares he has enough cash to pay off EJ and make the debt away. Justin asks if he’s serious and calls that incredible, asking how he pulled that off. Philip doesn’t want to get in to that and complains that he told Xander and Maggie to wait on finalizing the deal. Justin says they didn’t mention it to him so maybe it was too late or they didn’t get the message. Philip then checks his phone and sees the text that he sent Xander and Maggie not to sell the house was not delivered.

Sarah thanks Alex for helping convince Joy to take the test. Alex says anything to help with Joy’s recovery. Sarah says the goal now is to get her out of here and in to physical therapy. Alex asks then what since she can’t go back to her room above the Pub in a wheelchair. Sarah admits Joy will need a lot of help figuring out how to handle things. Alex agrees to do whatever he can to make it easier on her. Sarah states that Joy is very lucky to have Alex. Alex says she’s lucky to have Sarah and everybody at the hospital too. Alex acknowledges that Joy is still very upset and frustrated, especially being separated from Kelsey. Sarah calls that the toughest part and encourages being positive, understanding, and patient.

Joy grabs her phone to research the Nerve Connection Study.

Philip laughs off his text not going through and says he should’ve called but the connection was lousy and he thought they had more time. Philip asks if they can back out of the sale but Justin says it’s officially sold. Philip offers to buy it back for a higher price. Justin points out that Dominic Marino is worth billions and was very determined to buy the property. Philip asks if they just walk out, lock the doors, and it’s gone. Justin says he’s afraid so. Philip says he can still Victor’s eyes, disappointed as hell that they let him down because he loved this place. Justin says it’s hard for all of them, but they have each other and that’s all that matters. Justin reminds Philip that the house may be gone, but it’s not too late to save Titan and he’d say that’s a damn big accomplishment. Philip supposes that counts for something.

Brady asks Xander if the house is really gone. Xander confirms that he and Maggie signed the papers late last night as she couldn’t bear to drag it out much longer. Brady asks if there’s any more details on the connection between Stefano and Dominic. Xander says as far as he can tell, Dominic seems like a pretty upstanding guy. Brady remarks that best of all, he’s not EJ which Xander agrees is his most appealing attribute. Xander gets a text that Philip wants to meet at the house. Brady thought it was gone. Xander says Justin was closing it up, so he supposes Philip just wants to give it a proper farewell. Brady tells Xander that he’s sorry as Xander exits the Pub.

Gabi tells Theo on the phone that she’s so sorry that it happened but thinks she called at the perfect time, since Theo needs a job and she’s looking to add someone with his skillset to her team. Gabi adds that she just got an unexpected influx of cash and offers him a generous signing bonus.

Justin goes to the hospital and runs in to Alex and Kelsey. Justin tells Alex that he just finished up closing the Kiriakis Mansion which is terribly sad, but the good news is that Philip claims he has the money to save Titan. Alex questions how the hell he’d get money like that. Justin says he doesn’t know or want to know, but it’s a godsend. Alex asks if that means they can save the house. Justin says they already committed to the sale, but at least they kept it from EJ, and apparently Titan can be saved. Alex declares that at least one thing in his life is turning out right.

Sarah goes home to Brady. Brady mentions bringing food from the Pub but Sarah says she’s very tired and wants to go to bed. Brady offers her company in bed which Sarah accepts as they kiss.

Philip sits on the floor, drinking from the bottle of champagne he brought. Xander arrives and questions what he’s doing. Philip responds that he’s celebrating as he got the money. Xander questions what he’s talking about. Philip reveals that he raised enough money to save Titan and the house, only it was too late for the house since he didn’t get his text. Xander questions how much he’s had to drink. Xander brings up Maggie telling him that he had some wild longshot plan to save the house, but siad she talked him out of it. Philip clarifies that she thought she did, but she didn’t because he was bound and determined to save the day, the company, and the house and surprise them. Xander thinks Philip is just drunk and concocting a story to make himself feel better. Philip says he’s just a bit buzzed but repeats that he got the money and shows him his phone with his bank account. Philip adds that the casino gave him a portion of the winnings and it will take a couple days for the rest to come through, but they will have the money to pay off the loan. Xander questions how Philip got the money. Philip admits it was a little bit of poker, a little bit of roulette, and a lot of luck.

Justin asks Alex how Joy is holding up. Alex responds that she’s not great and really scared. Justin asks if the doctors have given any kind of timeline for her recovery. Alex explains that Sarah wants to run more tests and is hopeful that Joy can be released soon to start physical therapy. Justin asks how Alex is doing. Alex says he feels terrible for Joy as it’s been one thing after another since she got back to Salem. Justin asks how Stephanie is handling this. Alex says she took it pretty hard. Alex worries that Stephanie is slipping away from him and there’s nothing he can do about it, because he has to be there for his daughter. Justin says at least they made progress on the custody issue. Alex points out that Stephanie has to stay away from Kelsey for an entire year while he has to be the primary caregiver until Joy can do it on her own. Alex questions how they handle that. Justin encourages that the year will go by fast and advises them to be careful so they don’t give Joy any reason to refuse Stephanie visitation when the year is over.

Brady and Sarah start to head to the bedroom but Sarah gets a call from Kayla. Sarah answers and says she can’t be serious.

Xander questions Philip gambling millions on one spin of the wheel. Philip responds that one spin is all it takes and assures it was his gambling swan song. Xander questions this being real. Philip confirms he won it fair and square, adding that he let it ride on 18, Victor’s birthday, so he came through for them. Xander can’t believe he won the money, they can pay off the loan, and keep Titan. Xander calls it incredible and says they did it as he picks up Philip in a celebratory hug. Xander cannot wait to tell Sarah and Maggie, but says they should probably keep it to family for the time being. Philip agrees to keep it from EJ until they can drop the bomb on him person. Xander declares they will blindside him like he did to them.

Gabi tells Theo that he took the CEO job at DiMera to make it a better, more honorable company but couldn’t clean it up from the inside, so maybe this is the way to do it by coming to work for Gabi Chic, so he gets paid to expose the shady side of DiMera and they can face the consequences of their actions. Gabi asks Theo to at least think about it which he agrees to do, so Gabi says she’ll follow up soon and hangs up.

Sarah thanks Kayla for letting her know and hangs up. Sarah then informs Brady that Destiny’s parents are filing a wrongful death suit against the hospital and her.

Justin asks Alex if Joy has spoken to her parents. Alex explains that she didn’t want to because she thinks if they came rushing to town, it might make things harder. Justin gets why she might think that. Alex agrees they wouldn’t be the most calming presence. Justin assures that he and Bonnie are there for whatever they need. Alex asks how his life got so complicated. Justin says that’s kind of what life is. Alex says he’s just sick of feeling guilty, like he’s trying his best to be a good father but failing to be a good husband and when he tries to be a good husband, he fails as a father. Justin encourages that he’s not failing at anything as he’s doing the best he can. Justin advises Alex to give himself some grace. Alex responds that he’s trying, but he hates what this is doing to Stephanie and to them, but Joy is going through Hell right now, so he has to be there for her and doesn’t have a choice.

Joy calls her father Craig Wesley. Joy says everything is great and Kelsey is good, but asks if he can send her some muscle relaxers that he sent her a long time ago. Joy says they were really helpful and claims she just thinks she pulled something in her back while putting Kelsey’s stroller in the car. Joy thanks him and says that would be very helpful as she hangs up.

Xander tells Philip that it’s strange seeing the Kiriakis Mansion stripped down. Philip comments on all the memories there. Xander says many were painful while Philip notes there were a lot of good ones too. Xander acknowledges that it’s where he finally started to feel like part of the family. Philip tells him that they will always be family, no matter where they end up as they hug. Xander guesses this is it. Philip says he can’t say goodbye. Xander admits he can’t either, so maybe they’ll just say thank you. Philip shuts out the lights as Philip and Xander then walk out of the Kiriakis Mansion together one last time.

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Days Update Friday, September 18, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Roman brings Marlena coffee at the Brady Pub but questions her needing more caffeine. Marlena explains that she’s anxious about Belle and Chad returning from Italy today. Roman thought she’d be relieved. Marlena responds that she is, but notes that Belle wouldn’t tell her what they found there as she wanted to do so in person, which has her heart beating out of her chest.

Belle and Chad walk through the town square back in Salem. Belle talks about being jet lagged while Chad mentions being excited to see his kids when they get out of school. Belle says she’s excited to see Marlena, but not to tell her what they found or rather what they didn’t find. They agree that they came home with more questions than answers as Cat then approaches.

Mason meets Marlena at the Brady Pub as he wanted to talk about something that happened during his last shift on the mental health hotline. Mason says he had a tough case and he can’t seem to shake it.

Rita runs in to the living room of the DiMera Mansion as she sees smoke but she’s surprised to find Sydney vaping inside. Rita says this is a surprise as EJ didn’t tell her Sydney was coming to visit. Sydney explains it was last minute as she had some time off work. Sydney adds that her vaping is not a sign of her morals going down despite what EJ might think. Rita responds that EJ only worries about her because he sees so much of himself in her. Sydney asks if EJ said he worries about her. Rita responds that EJ is also very proud of her. Sydney says except when she drives him crazy. Rita welcomes Sydney home. Sydney thanks her and jokes that her room here is bigger than her entire apartment in Italy. Rita tells Sydney that EJ only worries because he cares about her, so she asks her to take it easy on him. Sydney asks where the fun is in that and adds that she’s on holiday, so she can partake in some vices. Sydney offers Rita her vape, but Rita says her vice is coffee. EJ then walks in and questions what that smell is. Sydney calls it the scent of ambition and ego as she greets him. EJ questions her making it a hookah bar while Sydney says he told her to make herself at home. EJ assures that this is her home. Sydney decides she’s going to go see Roman at the Brady Pub. EJ is sure he’d love to see her, but mentions that the Bradys have a strict no smoking policy. Sydney says she’ll just leave her vape there then and jokes that Rita might want a hit. Sydney tells EJ that she loves him as she then exits the mansion. EJ turns to Rita and questions if she got the answers to what he asked for.

Mason tells Marlena that he had a caller on the mental health line who reminded him of his buddy Joaquin that saved his life in Afghanistan. Mason says when he needed help, he didn’t know what to do and it wasn’t enough, so when the caller said he wanted to end it all, it was like he was hearing Joaquin’s voice. Mason says he let the caller know he was really hearing him and booked an appointment with a therapist. Marlena tells him that he did exactly the right thing. Marlena talks about feeling as much concern for the volunteers as she does the callers. Marlena declares that trauma changes them but they can’t let it define them, so they must do the best they can and move forward. Mason responds that it’s not as easy as it sounds. Marlena tells him that they cannot control what other people do, only how they react to it.

Belle decides to let Chad and Cat talk so she steps away. Chad thanks Cat for meeting him. Cat asks about his trip to Italy. Chad says it was lovely and fine, then comments that Cat must know Italy well from her time in the hospital there. Cat says she didn’t really see much outside of the hospital. Chad asks her to remind him why she was in the hospital, then stops and says he knows why because EJ told him that she was in the ISA. Chad asks if he’s got that right. Cat doesn’t know what to say as that was a private conversation. Chad states that EJ felt the need to share it with him and he also called Paul to have him do some research on her. Cat questions why he would do that. Chad responds that he wanted to get to the truth, which is hard to come by with her. Chad reveals that Paul did confirm she was in fact an ISA agent. Chad asks if she has no comment or isn’t going to deny it. Cat admits it’s the truth, but insists that she left the agency years ago after her accident. Chad assumes she still had contacts in the agency which she confirms. Chad tells Cat that she’s going to have to really clear something up for him.

Arianna enters the Brady Pub and greets Mason. Sydney then enters the Pub and surprises Roman, saying he’s just the man she wanted to see as they hug. Roman tells her that she just missed Marlena. Arianna comes over and can’t believe Sydney is there as they hug. Sydney informs Ari that she just saw her mom last night.

EJ asks Rita if the sale of the Kiriakis Mansion went through. Rita responds that she’s sorry to say that it did. EJ complains that he trusted her to deal with it while he was overseas. Rita argues that she did her best to stop it, but EJ is not so sure about that.

Belle goes home to Marlena, who says she’s so glad she is home. Belle says she definitely wants to go back as Italy was just magical. Belle calls the most magical part being to be in the same places that Marlena and John were. Marlena mentions planning on going back for an anniversary. Belle says she felt such a connection to both of them, like they were experiencing it together as a family. Belle adds that it was amazing learning about Chad’s family history, so she’s really glad they went. Marlena asks if they found any answers to Stefano’s mystery. Belle talks about it being a slow start and then Paul helped them lead to a building where they found the photo of Stefano holding a child in 1992. Belle shows it to Marlena and asks if that means something to her.

Arianna says that Gabi was in Europe taking care of some Gabi Chic distribution deals and questions the chances that she’d randomly run in to Sydney. Sydney calls it a small world and claims they mostly just talked about Ari. Sydney talks about being happy to visit Salem as she’s missed it. Sydney jokes about how the DiMera Mansion is going to spoil her from her humble life in Italy. Holly comes over, so Ari introduces her to Sydney. Holly sees Mason and asks Ari if they can just go. Ari points out that they haven’t even eaten yet. Holly says they can get something at the book store while they study. Mason then stands up and says they can have his table as he exits the Pub, leaving Holly confused.

Cat tells Chad that she doesn’t know what this is about but asks what he wants her to clear up. Chad says that Cat told him that Clyde Weston forced her to impersonate Abigail and she had no other choice but to do what he said, which Cat confirms. Chad questions Cat telling him that there wasn’t anyone in the ISA that she could’ve gone to for help and spared him from reliving the agony of losing his wife again. Chad argues that Cat absolutely had a choice.

EJ reminds Rita that he instructed her to find out everything she could about Dominic Moreno and how important that was to him, but she couldn’t secure any information that wasn’t publicly available. Rita says that was the truth. EJ questions it is, arguing that they both know Rita has a way of finding things that cannot be found. EJ asks how she could not uncover what he found in Italy. Rita asks what he found. EJ reveals that the clues that Belle and Chad were following led directly to Dominic’s doorstep where they found an identical chess set to the one Stefano left John and Marlena. EJ adds that they found a bunch of Stefano’s favorite things and then reveals the photo of Stefano holding a child, questioning who that is.

Marlena asks who the boy is that Stefano is holding. Belle responds that they think it’s Dominic Moreno. Marlena says that doesn’t mean anything to her and questions who he is. Belle says it was his house but he wasn’t there. Belle says whoever was sending the clues knew they were in Italy and definitely wanted them to find it. Marlena guesses he definitely knew Stefano. Belle says it was more than that, telling Marlena about the identical chess set and having Stefano’s favorite things which she calls really eerie, declaring to be almost like Stefano was in the room.

Holly complains that she can’t believe Mason while Arianna says he just gave them his table and seemed totally chill. Holly questions Ari defending him after she told her how rude he was to her. Holly calls him a total jerk and says they keep running in to him for some reason. Ari points out that they go to the same school and hang out in the same places, so she’s going to run in to him. Holly pulls out her phone and shows Ari the text that she got while she and Tate were at the beach and she thinks it was a threat. Ari feels it doesn’t sound like much of a threat while Holly feels they are clearly trying to mess with her. Holly then reveals that she thinks the text came from Mason. Roman sits with Sydney and asks what brings her to Salem. Sydney explains that EJ came to spend time with her so she came back with him. Roman guesses he’s supposed to thank EJ for her visit. Sydney jokes that she won’t hold him to that. Roman asks about Sami and Dante. Sydney says Sami doesn’t confide in her much but they are still engaged. Sydney adds that she likes working for Dante. Roman says he’s lucky to have her. Sydney asks how Roman is and how Salem is since she’s missed him. Roman says things are good. Sydney mentions being sorry to hear that Roman and Kate were separated. Roman says they are trying to work things out and asks if she’s seen Marlena yet. Sydney plans to surprise her too. Roman notes that Marlena has been through some rough times lately, so he’s kind of worried about her. Sydney admits she’s been worried too. Sydney brings up how John used to e-mail her all the time to check in and says she really misses that. Sydney adds that she’s always grateful to hear from Roman. Roman encourages her to get in touch with Marlena soon because she needs people who love her around her now more than ever.

Marlena asks if there weren’t any other clues connecting to Dominic to Stefano. Belle says there was nothing concrete, but they wondered if Dominic was the missing pawn. Marlena talks about her, John, and Roman being pawns so it’s possible. Marlena asks what EJ thinks. Belle says he doesn’t know as it doesn’t seem like Dominic has any known connection to the DiMeras, but he does have a connection to Salem as he’s the one buying the Kiriakis Estate. Marlena calls that so strange and asks what she makes of it. Belle says there’s no way to know unless they track down Dominic Marino.

EJ asks Rita who the child in the photo is with Stefano. Rita guesses it’s Dominic Marino. EJ questions what his connection is to Stefano. Rita responds that she has no idea, which EJ doubts. EJ argues that Rita was Stefano’s right hand, always in the room, so she knows all the secrets. Rita states that she knew what Stefano wanted her to know and nothing more. EJ asks if Dr. Rolf could know something and if Rita found out if he’s the one feeding Belle and Chad clues. Rita says she hasn’t been able to reach him. EJ questions if Rita thinks Dr. Rolf has been carrying out Stefano’s orders. Rita says it would be a good reason for him to avoid them.

Chad tells Cat that he was this close to getting past what Cat did to his family and forgiving her, but now he finds out that she was an ISA agent the entire time. Cat argues that he has to understand her mission was to bring Clyde down, which cost her literally everything. Cat says after she recovered from her accident, she cut all ties with the ISA, so when Clyde came threatening her family, she was absolutely terrified and he told her that he would kill her mother if she reached out to any of her contacts. Cat assumes the ISA had a leak or Clyde had a mole so she couldn’t risk her mother’s life. Cat talks about knowing what Clyde was capable of and tearfully argues that Chad has to understand that, but Chad says he doesn’t.

Belle thanks Marlena for lending her John’s coin since it made her feel safer like she hoped and served as a reminder of John. Belle talks about being in awe of the love John and Marlena shared. Belle gives Marlena the coin back and says now it’s back where it belongs.

EJ admits that it’s unnerving that Dr. Rolf has failed to get back to him, so he’s beginning to lose faith in some of the people he thought he could trust the most. Rita assumes that he’s talking about Cat. EJ mentions Belle having Paul confirm that Cat left the ISA after her accident, while Chad strongly believes the ISA never would’ve sanctioned Cat impersonating Abigail. Rita asks what EJ believes. EJ responds that he doesn’t know what or whom to believe anymore.

Chad tells Cat that he doesn’t understand at all because she had everything she needed to handle Clyde but instead of using her training or resources, she chose to torture him and his family. Chad argues that what really twists the knife is that he thought Cat was done lying to him and it was all over with, but she lied to him the entire time they were together.

Holly asks Arianna how the text could not be from Mason. Ari questions how he would even have her number. Holly points out they have a class group chat, so Ari points out that she would have his number too then. Holly mentions having no idea why Mason hates her for no reason. Ari responds that she’s not sure it’s for no reason. Arianna reveals that she asked Mason yesterday what his problem was with Holly and he told her that Holly is responsible for the death of someone he knew. Holly is shocked and asks how that’s even possible, arguing that she doesn’t even know him. Ari says she’s just telling her what he told her. Holly says now she’s really freaked out. Ari says she didn’t get a chance to ask further questions as Mason ran after telling her. Holly then asks if she thinks he was talking about Sophia.

Mason sits alone in the town square with his dog tags from the military. Sydney approaches and asks if he can show her where Sweet Bits Bakery is, so he points her in the direction of it. Sydney says she’s heard it’s amazing and asks if he’s tried it. Mason responds that he doesn’t really go to bakeries as he gets up and walks away, leaving Sydney confused. Cat apologizes to Chad for coming clean to EJ and not him, arguing that her time in the ISA was just a job, not who she was. Chad questions why she came clean to EJ. Cat says she didn’t want any secrets between them, so Chad guesses she was okay with secrets between them. Chad tells Cat that she’s out of her mind and delusional if she doesn’t think EJ is hiding anything from her. Chad can’t believe that he once saw a future with Cat and remarks that his son Thomas pegged from the start that Cat is not a good person. Chad guesses that makes sense sinec Cat’s with EJ now and says they deserve each other as he storms off.

Rita tells EJ that she’s well aware that many people in his orbit can be fickle and how distressing that can be, but he has her unflinching support which he will need now more than ever before. EJ questions why that is. Rita reports that a complaint has been filed with the FDA against Coriseal and an investigation has been opened. EJ questions why the hell she didn’t say so sooner. Rita says they had a lot of ground to cover and that George and Johnny had been trying to reach him about it. EJ storms out in frustration. Rita then looks up to the portrait of Stefano and says it’s playing out as he planned, so she trusts that she’s done him proud.

Marlena sits at home with the photo of Stefano holding the child and tells Belle that she just realized Marino means “of the sea” and so does DiMera.

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Days Short Recap Friday, September 25, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Sarah and Kayla went over Destiny’s file to get ready for the lawsuit. Kayla assured her that she was on her side. She told Rita that Sarah wasn’t the only one who knew what EJ did. Sarah was nervous for a bit until Kayla said that she wasn’t afraid to take on the DiMeras. They continued to look through the files, and they looked normal. Sarah noticed an asterix next to one of the test results. The test was edited the day after Destiny died. Sarah never touched the results. She realized that someone was framing her. Sarah didn’t know how to fight it. Chad talked to Kate about his trip. Kate didn’t recognize of Stefano and the boy in the pictures. She just knew that Dominic was the one who bought the Kiriakis mansion. Kate thought it was one more way for Stefano to win against the Kiriakis family.

Brady arrived at the office when Steve got off the phone with Bo. Steve told him that Bo and Hope made it to San Cristobel. They were going to the place where Marlena was kidnapped. Brady and Steve talked about Marlena’s history on the island where Stefano forced her to be a surrogate for Rex and Cassie. They had other problems on their hands. Sarah and Kayla rushed to the pub to meet with Brady and Steve. They told them about what they found in Destiny’s file. Everyone knew that EJ was behind the update in the files. Brady thought they should examine the computer system to find out when the files were changed and from where. Bo called Steve with information. After the call, Steve had to leave. Marlena was dreaming about everything concerning Dominic when Roman showed up at her place. Roman told her that he talked to Sami, and she didn’t know anything about Dominic and Dante working together. Sami said that Dante claimed that he wasn’t really in touch with Dominic. Marlena didn’t feel any better about it. She told him about the dreams she was having. Roman assured her that Stefano couldn’t hurt her anymore. Justin called Sarah and let her know that her troubles were beginning. Melinda was representing Destiny’s parents. They planned on going on TV and accusing her of wrongful death.

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Days Short Recap Thursday, September 24, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Johnny warned Sydney that it wouldn’t be a good idea to stay in Salem. He was happy until he took the position at the company. Johnny was upset because he lost Theo as his co-CEO. He told her some details about what happened to the company. Sydney advised him to hold the line because he’s the one in charge and not their father. Johnny told her that he was in serious trouble. His life would blow up in his face. Belle and Chad met at the pub. She talked to him about Dominic and Dante’s connection. Belle thought their connection would cause something life-changing to happen. She said that she loved Sami even thought they didn’t always get along. Chad understood what she meant because of his complicated relationship with EJ, the situation with Cat, and how much he missed Abby.

EJ went to his office and saw Cat packing her things up. Cat felt like an afterthought and reminded him that he’s been cold to her since she told him that she was ISA. She told him about Chad confronting her about being in the ISA. Cat knew that EJ didn’t believe that she was out of the ISA. He thought it would be brilliant for the ISA to recruit her. She became offended by his comments. Cat switched things up and accused him of keeping secrets. She listed his issues, but he refused to let her distract him from thinking that it was a coincidence that she came to work for him.

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Days Update Thursday, September 17, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Leo runs in to Lani in the town square and says he heard about her taking down the mugger. Lani says her instincts kicked in when she saw Holly in trouble. Leo tells Lani that he has an opportunity for her.

EJ is packing his bag in Italy when he gets a call from Cat. EJ answers, so Cat says she’s glad she finally caught him. EJ responds that he’s in a bit of a hurry getting ready to catch his flight, so whatever it is can wait, but Cat tells him no, it can’t.

Chad and Belle lay in bed together in Italy. Belle wonders what Stefano would think of them together. Chad thinks he would approve and asks what if the whole scavenger hunt was his way of getting them together. Belle points out that it was originally meant for her parents, but admits she’s glad for whatever got them away to Italy together. Belle tells Chad it was wonderful getting to spend all this time with him. Chad suggests they schedule a lot more of it. Belle agrees as they kiss.

At Small Bar, Stephanie complains to Theo that she really wanted her marriage to work out so badly and she tried over and over again, but asks what the point is if fate keeps pushing her and Alex apart. Theo responds that somehow, he’s always the one here to catch her. Theo then apologizes for saying that while Stephanie says it’s true. Stephanie says since she can’t be within ten feet of her husband when he’s with his daughter, she might as well lean on her friends since Alex certainly is leaning on his. Theo responds that he’s glad he could be there for her. Theo remarks that he knows what it’s like to want to hold someone and kiss them, but have to stay away. Stephanie points out that Theo is not one to break the rules. Theo says only on rare occasions as he and Stephanie get close.

Belle and Chad get up to start packing their bags. Chad thinks they’ve uncovered everything they are going to find in Italy. Belle declares that the next move is to find the elusive Mr. Marino.

Leo sits with Lani and informs her that he’s launching a podcast for the Spectator and he wants her to be his very first guest. Leo talks about looking for a first topic and decided on Unsung Heroes of Salem. Leo feels she fits that bill and she deserves to be recognized for her bravery in stopping the mugger. Lani responds that she doesn’t want to be recognized and prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Leo gets that the spotlight is not for everyone, but says there is no spotlight with podcasts. Lani wishes him the best but says the answer is no.

Stephanie and Theo are interrupted by Paulina arriving at Small Bar. Paulina says she didn’t expect to run in to the two of them together.

EJ asks Cat what is so urgent. Cat informs him that Johnny and George have been trying to reach him. EJ says he’s aware but he’s had his hands full here, so he will talk to them when he gets back. EJ tells Cat that if Johnny contacts her again, she is to remind him that he has full faith in him. There’s a knock at the door so EJ tells Cat he has to go and hangs up. EJ then answers the door and is surprised by his daughter Sydney as they embrace.

Chad looks over at the photo of Stefano holding a child from 1992 and talks to Belle about how young Stefano looks there. Chad says it stirs up a lot as he did love Stefano in spite of everything. Belle says it looks that little boy did too. Chad questions Stefano never mentioning Dominic if they were so close. Chad adds that Stefano told him they had extended family in Italy so maybe Dominic is his long lost cousin. Belle wonders if Dominic could be the missing pawn while Chad questions what that would even mean since Stefano treated most of them like his pawns. Belle thinks the bigger question is why Stefano would want her parents to know about Dominic’s existence. Chad questions why Dominic would buy property in Salem. Belle doesn’t know what to tell Marlena since she hated that they did any of this and it won’t reassure her that they are coming back with more questions than they started with.

Leo pleads with Lani, feeling he needs a big story to launch his podcast. Lani isn’t sure her stopping the mugger even qualifies as a big story as she was just in the right place at the right time. Leo continues praising her for what happened. Lani stops him and says she’s not flattered or interested. Lani then says goodnight and walks away.

Theo tells Paulina it’s such a small world and it’s good to see her. Theo then claims he has to go and tells Stephanie that he’s sorry he couldn’t stay and chat. Theo wishes her luck with Joy as he quickly exits. Paulina asks Stephanie what Joy is up to now. Stephanie informs Paulina that Joy is paralyzed.

EJ thought Sydney was going to be out of town for much longer. Sydney says she was going to be but Dante knew how much it would mean for her to see EJ, so he generously let her come home early while he continues the business trip without her. EJ admits that’s certainly nice of him, though he wonders if Dante’s extended business trips are a way to procrastinate getting Sami down the aisle. Sydney assures that Sami is Dante’s first priority and the long engagement was a mutual decision as Sami has a long history of rushing down the aisle and Dante wants to make sure she has no regrets. EJ questions why she would have regrets. Sydney thinks he knows why and says that Sami used to call EJ the love of her life as she loved him for a long time. EJ says that’s loved as in the past tense. Sydney suggests maybe the present tense too. EJ questions why she would say that and argues that she can’t think Sami still has feelings for him. Sydney says she doesn’t know what goes on in Sami’s head but admits she doesn’t think that Sami will ever be fully over him. Sydney adds that she does think Dante is good for Sami and they seem really happy together. EJ responds that he’s happy for them. Sydney hopes that EJ will find that kind of happiness soon too.

Cat texts EJ to call her back when he’s free because they need to talk.

Paulina questions Stephanie saying Joy is paralyzed and says that sounds awful. Stephanie admits she’s not Joy’s biggest fan since she and Alex share a child that she’s not allowed to be near, which means Joy gets to spend much more time with Alex than she does. Paulina notes that sounds complicated and says that’s coming from someone whose husband left her for his dead wife. Stephanie invites her to join her since a pity party for one is no fun. Paulina says she’s done with pity parties but she would enjoy her company. Paulina adds that she’s been wanting to pick her brain for some PR advice about Lani.

Theo runs in to Lani in the town square. Theo guesses Johnny made it home to Chanel and the kids. Lani confirms he did and asks if Theo knows what was going on at the office that was such an emergency. Theo thinks DiMera is doing some illegal stuff and he refuses to be apart of it, so when Johnny shows up to work tomorrow, he will see his letter of resignation sitting right on his desk. Cat walks through the town square where Leo stops her. Cat says she has to go but Leo tells her to take a seat as it will only take a second.

Chad thinks they made decent progress on the case and now they have Paul, Steve, and Brady. Belle says she wouldn’t throw Paul in there since he’s busy with his actual job. Belle then brings up that if EJ was right about Cat being an analyst for the ISA in her past life, then maybe she could help them out but Chad says absolutely not. Belle apologizes for suggesting that. Chad admits he was a little harsh but says he wouldn’t feel comfortable asking Cat for help. Belle asks if that’s because he still has feelings for her. Chad assures that’s not the case and asks who even knows if Cat is telling the truth about the ISA since she’s lied to them before. Belle reveals that she asked Paul to look in to it and confirmed that Cat was working for the ISA, but severed all ties after her accident. Chad is sure that will give EJ some peace of mind. Belle asks what about him. Chad repeats that he doesn’t think they should get Cat involved.

Leo tells Cat that he received a text that is relevant to their EJ investigation. Cat says that she is not part of his EJ investigation, so Leo says he won’t tell her about the salacious tidbit he got about EJ. Cat then decides she wants to hear it. Leo informs Cat that a source of his told him that the FDA is looking in to a complaint against DiMera Pharmaceuticals failing to properly dispose of a contaminated drug leading to some sort of biohazard. Cat notes that sounds serious. Leo asks if she means ISA serious.

EJ tells Sydney that he is happy for Sami and talks about being so proud of Sydney getting her MBA and becoming a business lawyer right out of graduation. Sydney tells EJ that it’s so good to see him as she’s missed hanging out with him. EJ agrees it’s been far too long. Sydney asks how his trip is going and if he found what he was looking for. EJ says not exactly. Sydney asks if there’s anything she can do to help. EJ responds that there actually is and asks if she happens to know a man named Dominic Marino.

Paulina tells Stephanie that she’s sure Jada has mentioned the cop shortage in Salem. Paulina talks about Lani taking down the mugger and how it brought that light in her eyes. Paulina says it’s killing her that she’s the reason that sense of purpose was taken from Lani in being a cop. Stephanie argues that what happened with Lani’s father wasn’t Paulina’s fault. Paulina complains that it certainly wasn’t Lani’s fault and she doesn’t think Lani should have to pay the consequences for ending his life and saving her life. Stephanie agrees and asks how she can help. Paulina responds that the Governor is coming to the end of his term and he owes her big time since he’s only Governor since she stepped aside. Stephanie asks if she wants to ask him to pardon Lani. Paulina knows it’s stepping in to a political minefield and that’s where Stephanie comes in. Paulina asks if she has any advice on how to proceed.

Lani questions Theo saying that DiMera is doing illegal stuff. Theo responds that he doesn’t know anything specific and mocks the title of co-CEO, feeling Johnny tried to keep him out of it to cover himself and EJ. Lani calls that a huge accusation and asks if he’s sure. Theo declares that he knows for a fact that Johnny’s been lying to him, so he has to walk away. Lani is proud of Theo for taking a stand and doing the right thing. Theo states that he’s not proud of himself. Lani argues that most people in his shoes would’ve looked the other way or got involved in something else shady to keep their CEO title, but he stood up to his cousin and held his morals. Theo says he thought that for a minute, but then he realized he’s no better than Johnny or EJ. Lani argues that whatever he’s beating himself up about, she’s sure it’s not that bad. Theo then reveals that he almost kissed a married woman.

Stephanie tells Paulina that the optics are a concern but if she has a good relationship with the Governor, he might be willing to pardon Lani as a favor to her, but if he perceives it as a threat to his position, he could run straight to the press and tell them that Paulina used her pull for family members. Stephanie admits that the Governor could refuse the pardon and cost Paulina her career.

Cat tells Leo that she’s not in the ISA and she would not dream of investigating EJ after all he’s done for her and her family. Leo says he just thought he’d pass along the intel in case she wanted to work her magic on it. Cat thinks he’s going to want to hear what she’s about to say, so Leo tells her the floor is hers. Cat says she’s told him repeatedly that she’s not in the ISA and he’s soon going to learn most likely that she used to be.

Belle tells Chad that they don’t have to get Cat involved if he’s opposed to it, especially since they already have an ISA agent on the case. Chad appreciates her understanding that. Chad admits he’s kind of sad to be leaving Italy. Belle is sure he’s excited to get back to his kids. Chad says he does miss them. Chad tells Belle that they will make a promise to go back to Italy for a proper vacation. Belle says she would love that as they kiss.

Sydney tells EJ that everyone around here knows of Dominic Marino, but she doesn’t know him personally, and asks if he does. EJ says he just has a few questions about a business deal he’s involved in. Sydney jokes about EJ leveraging his personal connections. Sydney asks how long EJ is staying. EJ responds that he’s afraid his trip to Italy is coming to an end. Sydney can’t believe he’s leaving already. EJ is sorry she took time off work to come see him, but says pressing matters are calling him back home so they are leaving this morning. Sydney questions him saying they as there’s a knock at the door and Chad asks if EJ is about ready. Sydney then excitedly opens the door and has a group hug with Belle and Chad.

Stephanie tells Paulina that she can give her some PR tips for talking to the Governor but thinks she should first talk to Lani to see if she’s on board with this. Paulina thanks Stephanie for giving her a lot to think about. Paulina adds that she’s sorry if she interrupted her and Theo earlier. Stephanie insists that she didn’t, claiming they just ran in to each other as Theo was on his way home.

Lani points out that the key is he didn’t kiss the married woman. Theo responds that it’s only because they got interrupted, but admits that he wanted to. Theo states that she’s miserable in her marriage and deserves better. Lani asks if she’s unsafe in her marriage. Theo responds that it’s nothing like that, but she’s neglected. Lani thinks it’s good that he didn’t.

Leo excitedly talks about knowing Dimitri wasn’t lying and that he recognized Cat’s voice. Cat calls it years ago and says she was only an analyst. Leo doesn’t believe that and jokes about how dangerous she must be as an agent. Leo assures that he’ll keep her secret if no one else knows. Cat reveals that she actually told EJ which shocks Leo, who asks if she has a death wish. Leo asks how EJ took the news. Cat responds that she’s not sure.

Sydney says that Marlena mentioned they were there but she didn’t think they would all be together. Belle clarifies that EJ is just riding home with them. Sydney is sad that they are also leaving. Belle hates that they don’t get to spend more time together and says she would stay, but she’s already re-arranged her case load. Chad adds that he has to get back to his kids and his paper. Chad decides he can tell the pilot to hold off for an hour or two so they can have breakfast, which Sydney says she would love. EJ then points out that Sydney said she took time off work to spend time with him, so he invites her to come back to Salem with them. Sydney is surprised and says she just hadn’t thought about going home. Belle insists that everyone would love to see her and tells her to come back with them. Chad adds that they have the jet. Sydney then decides to go with them and declares “Salem, here I come”

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Days Update Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Kayla brings Kelsey to Steve outside of the Brady Pub. Steve asks if they are babysitting again. Kayla confirms they are so that Alex could have a talk with Stephanie. Steve asks if something happened. Kayla reveals that Joy can’t feel her legs.

Stephanie meets Alex at home and asks what’s going on. Alex informs her that Kelsey is with Kayla because he needed to talk to her as he got some bad news.

Chanel gets up at home where Lani asks if she had a good nap. Chanel confirms that she did but questions what Lani is doing there and where Johnny is.

Theo goes to the DiMera Enterprises office and asks Johnny what the hell is going on, demanding that he be straight with him.

At the Brady Pub, Xander wonders when EJ will be home from Italy. Brady thinks he will be catching the first flight home when hears about their complaint. Brady then gets a call from Belle and asks how it’s going. Brady mentions on the phone that the name Dominic Marino vaguely rings a bell. Xander tells Sarah that Dominic Marino is the investor that’s buying the Kiriakis Estate. Brady hangs up as Xander asks what Belle had to say. Brady explains that she and Chad followed some clues that Stefano left to John and Marlena to a compound in Rome owned by a guy named Dominic Marino, who is buying the Kiriakis Estate. Xander asks if they met him. Brady says that they went to his home but he wasn’t there. Sarah questions how this ties to Stefano since he couldn’t have known Dominic would buy the estate or that it would even be for sale. Brady suggests maybe Stefano is the reason that Dominic put in a bid in the first place. Xander and Sarah add that there’s clearly a connection between Dominic and Stefano and their family. Brady says now they just have to figure out what it is.

Johnny questions how Theo even knew he was there. Theo reveals he heard him on the phone with Lani, asking her to watch the kids so he could get to the office. Johnny tries to tell Theo that he was taking care of some documents that needed to be sent but Theo argues that he knows he’s here for DiMera Pharmaceuticals because he just saw George walk out of the office. Theo accuses Johnny of having a meeting behind his back and asks when the hell he’s going to stop lying to him.

Chanel can’t believe Johnny called Lani over instead of just waking her up. Chanel knows she needs her rest but says the side effects of the chemo are easing up. Chanel talks about being able to eat a big breakfast, then says so much for the side effects easing up as talking about food made her feel queasy just now. Lani says she might have something that can help and she’ll be right back.

Steve questions if Kayla is saying Joy is paralyzed. Kayla confirms that’s what she is saying but they are hoping it’s temporary since permanent results from this kind of procedure are rare, but notes that it could be weeks or months before Joy can move her legs. Steve says it’s going to be tough on her. Kayla adds that it will be on Alex and Stephanie too as she doesn’t know how much more they can take.

Stephanie asks Alex what the bad news is. Alex says it’s about Joy. Stephanie notes that Kayla said the surgery went well. Alex says that’s what everyone believed but she ran in to some unexpected complications in her recovery. Stephanie asks what kind of complications. Alex responds that Joy can’t feel her legs and they hope it’s temporary. Stephanie is shocked and questions if Joy is paralyzed and if the prognosis is that she’s never going to walk again. Alex repeats that it’s probably temporary, but her recovery is going to take a little bit longer than they thought. Stephanie asks how much longer. Alex says it’s hard to say, but he knows they were hoping things would be better after Joy’s surgery and now here they are, so he’s sorry. Alex offers to cook Stephanie dinner but Stephanie argues that they can’t pretend everything is fine. Stephanie doesn’t think they ever can be fine again and declares that Alex has a lot of responsibilities now while she’s at the bottom of that list, calling herself an afterthought. Alex argues that she’s his wife but Stephanie remarks that it doesn’t really matter right now. Stephanie says goodbye to Alex and walks out of the apartment.

Lani brings Chanel “special” brownies. Chanel brings up Paulina telling her what Lani did to save Holly. Lani admits it made her miss being a cop. Chanel is sorry she had to give that part of her life up. Lani says she has no regrets. Chanel talks about not feeling the effects of the brownies yet and decides to go take a walk while Lani agrees to stay and watch the kids until Johnny gets home. Chanel thanks Lani and exits.

Johnny shuts the office door and declares that Theo was going to find out eventually, so he might as well tell him now. Johnny then informs Theo that at a doctor at the hospital has filed a complaint to the FDA about DiMera Pharmaceuticals. Theo questions what doctor and what complaint. Johnny responds that it was anonymous but the complaint alleges that DiMera manufactured a contaminated batch of Coriseal that could have been fatal. Theo asks if he’s saying people died because of them.

Kayla tells Steve that on top of all that, Gwen’s bid to buy the hospital was rejected by the board and they don’t have any other buyers or bidders, so they are now officially in receivership by the state. Steve says he’s so sorry. Kayla says thinking about what Joy, Alex, and Stephanie are going through puts in to perspective what’s really important.

Xander tells Brady and Sarah that he and Maggie were so sure that whoever was buying the estate had no connection to the DiMeras and that Dominic Marino wasn’t acting on behalf of EJ. Brady and Sarah say they don’t know that he is for sure. Brady adds that according to Belle, there is very little information on Dominic and they have Paul investigating. Brady sees Steve outside through the window and decides he’s going to loop him in on this, so maybe with his help, they can figure out who this guy is while Xander wonders what the hell Dominic wants. Sarah tells Xander that thank God he and Maggie didn’t sign the contract that Dominic’s broker sent over. Xander points out they’ll have to by tomorrow. Kayla comes in with Kelsey and greets them. Sarah asks about Joy but Kayla says there’s no change. Stephanie then arrives, so Kayla tells her that she’d like to talk to her. Stephanie points out that she has Kelsey so she can’t. Sarah says they can watch Kelsey, so Kayla and Stephanie step outside to talk.

Theo realizes this is why Johnny didn’t want him involved in DiMera Pharmaceuticals and questions what they have done. Johnny says they have not done anything and that everything the complaint alleges happened years before either of them were CEO. Theo argues that Johnny is still covering it up because his father was in charge. Johnny calls it an unproven allegation and says that he and George only met to go over all the records from that time and insists that nothing from the allegation is going to stand. Theo disagrees and argues that Johnny wouldn’t have put all this energy in to hiding it from him if there wasn’t something to hide. Theo says Johnny can’t tell him he’s wrong and says “damn you, Johnny.”

Chanel goes on her walk through the town square and comes across Alex. Chanel asks why he looks sad. Alex responds that maybe because it seems like no matter what he does or doesn’t do, he can’t seem to get anything right. Steve and Brady sit together in the town square. Steve calls this an interesting twist as Marlena was so worried about who was sending Belle those clues and now they are closer to an answer. Brady questions if they are when all they have is a name. Brady asks if Dominic Marino means anything to him. Steve responds that he’s been dealing with Stefano and his associates for decades but has never heard that name. Brady says he’s only heard the name in passing in business, so Steve wonders why now all roads are leading to him.

Theo tells Johnny that they are going to cooperate with the FDA’s investigation fully. Johnny insists they will not find anything. Theo hopes not. Johnny argues that he’s tried to do what is best for everyone and asks if Theo understands that. Theo responds that he does. Johnny says he has to get back to Chanel and the kids, so they will regroup in the morning. Theo tells him to have a good night. Johnny says he’s glad they had this conversation as he then exits the office. Theo then sits down at the desk to begin writing his Letter of Resignation.

Chanel tells Alex that Joy isn’t her favorite person but she feels terrible that she’s going through this. Alex questions how his life got so damn complicated. Alex says he and Joy worked together on the soap opera and liked each other but it was never serious and now they have a kid. Chanel asks how Stephanie took the news about Joy. Alex says she took it badly, knowing they can’t live together for weeks or months. Alex admits he’s worried that now it’s going to break their marriage.

Stephanie complains to Kayla that she’s so angry at Alex for having a baby with Joy and angry at herself for the reckless thing she did to cause Joy to think she’s a danger to the baby and she’s also angry that she’s making it about herself when Joy is in the hospital and may never walk again. Kayla encourages that Stephanie just misses her husband and that doesn’t mean she’s not sympathetic to what Joy is going through. Stephanie questions why Joy is going through it when the surgery was successful and it’s very rare for this complication. Kayla calls it just bad luck while Stephanie questions if she’s sure Joy is really paralyzed.

Xander and Sarah watch over Kelsey. Sarah says she feels for Joy since she knows what it’s like and remembers very well how difficult it was to try and take care of Victoria after her accident and being so limited. Sarah adds that she’s very grateful that Xander was there to take care of them as he was so caring and strong which gave her strength. Sarah admits she doesn’t know what she would’ve done without him.

Steve finishes a call with Paul and tells Brady that Dominic Marino has been on the ISA’s radar, so Paul is going to send them everything he’s found. Brady feels Dominic has to have connections to Salem. Steve says that’s what they are going to figure out, but for now, Dominic Marino is as close to a ghost as one can be since he has no criminal record, no social media, and apparently he hardly ever leaves his private island unless it’s to go to his compound in Rome. Brady questions how he could do that with all of his businesses. Steve guesses he has lieutenants as faces of all those companies which is why they can’t get a picture of him. Brady questions him having no driver’s license or passport. Steve points out that he’s not a US citizen, so Paul is calling in favors to try and get a look at that, but there’s no guarantee he can. Brady feels it sounds like a dead end. Steve says not necessarily since most of Dominic’s big purchase were through a shell company, but not on the Kiriakis Mansion. Steve thinks Dominic wants them to know his name. Brady agrees that it sounds intentional but only Dominic Marino himself can answer why.

Xander talks about going out of his mind after Sarah’s accident and falling in love with her deeper then. Xander says he has so many decisions he regrets, but what he’s most proud of was loving her and making their child.

Kayla questions Stephanie thinking Joy is faking being paralyzed. Stephanie goes over how soon after Joy came back, she got a flat tire that Alex came to fix and then the tire had a blowout on the road and she had whiplash. Stephanie says they all thought she recovery, but then she needed surgery and it was successful but now she’s paralyzed. Stephanie argues that she has to see why she’d find it suspicious and questions what her scans said. Kayla reminds her that she can’t discuss Joy’s medical condition with her but she can tell her that spinal swelling can’t be detected by any scans, so the absence of spinal reflexes would be impossible for a patient to consistently fake because they are involuntary reflexes. Stephanie guesses that shoots her theory then and apologizes for asking. Stephanie says she has just been spiraling ever since Alex told her that Joy is paralyzed. Stephanie asks how her marriage is going to survive if her and her husband can’t ever be together. Stephanie cries that she misses him so much as Kayla hugs her.

Chanel tells Alex that she’s so sorry he’s going through this but offers to cheer him up with a song. Chanel sings “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” but forgets the rest of the words. They laugh together as Alex says she definitely cheered him up. Chanel then confesses she’s a little high right now which Alex jokes explains everything. Chanel explains that pot brownies were prescribed to her for her chemo, so she guesses that’s why she just burst in to song even though she’s a terrible singer. Alex tells her it was great as they laugh together. Alex hugs Chanel as Stephanie walks in to the town square and sees them, then turns and walks away. Chanel tells Alex that he’s such a gentleman and that she really hopes he and Stephanie can make it work.

Johnny goes home and asks Lani how it’s going, noting it’s quiet and assumes everyone stayed asleep for her. Lani responds that the kids did, but Chanel woke up. Johnny asks where she went. Lani explains that she was feeling a little nauseous, so she thought some fresh air might help. Lani guesses that Johnny was hoping Chanel wouldn’t find out that he left. Lani remarks that she was once a detective, always a detective, so she knows he is keeping something from her sister.

Stephanie goes to Small Bar and finds Theo, commenting that he looks like he can use a friend. Theo says she does too and orders two drinks. Stephanie tells Theo to go first. Theo reveals that he just quit his job. Stephanie is surprised but says she knows he was worried that Johnny was hiding something from him. Theo confirms that he was. Stephanie says she’s so sorry because she knows how important the job was to him and selfishly, she will miss working together. Theo says he knew in his gut for awhile but he didn’t want to admit it to himself.

Lani tells Johnny that Chanel is going through a lot right now and she’s in love with him so she’s kind of blinded by what’s going on, but she’s not. Chanel then comes home and excitedly greets Johnny. Lani decides she should get going and tells Chanel that she loves her as she then exits. Chanel tells Johnny that she missed him and questions why he looks sad like Alex.

Stephanie complains to Theo that she really wanted her marriage to work out so badly and she tried over and over again, but asks what the point is if fate keeps pushing her and Alex apart. Theo responds that somehow, he’s always the one here to catch her.

Alex returns to the Pub and apologizes to Steve and Kayla for keeping them waiting. Alex watches over Kelsey and says she knows she misses her mom and that she loves her very much. Alex encourages that they are all going to be okay.

Chanel asks Johnny why she sees so much sadness in his eyes. Johnny insists that he’s fine. Chanel says she is too, especially after the brownies Lani made her. Johnny is glad she’s feeling better as they kiss. Chanel points out that the kids are asleep. Johnny reminds her that she just had a baby and the doctor said they should wait a few weeks. Chanel responds that she’ll take what she can get as they kiss onto the couch.

Brady returns to Xander and Sarah at the Pub, telling them there is no intel on Dominic Marino. Sarah questions what the plan is and if this changes Xander’s mind about selling the mansion to him. Xander says he’s not sure and he’ll have to talk to Maggie about it, but he’d love to know his connection to the DiMeras before selling to him. Xander adds that if they don’t make a sale before EJ forecloses on the loan, he will get the estate and the company, so the clock is ticking. Xander doesn’t know what the best option is between the devil they know or the one they don’t.

 

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Days Update Tuesday, September 15, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Tate and Holly remain together at the lake. Tate wants this day to never end while Holly remains worried about the random number that texted her, asking if she’s having fun. Tate blows it off as probably spam or a wrong number and assures they are alone out there as it’s just them as he hugs her.

In Monte Carlo, Gabi tells Philip how she was barely breathing while he was playing and it was like watching a Bond movie. Gabi talks about Philip keeping his cool and beating the odds and the house. She mentions the looks on Sydney and Dante’s faces when he won. Philip admits it was a thrill when he laid down the flush but not as thrilled to still not have enough to pay back EJ’s loan. Philip declares that he has a briefcase full of chips, but the company and the house are gone.

Brady, Sarah, and Xander sit together at the Brady Pub. Brady jokes with Sarah about always ordering the same thing. Xander thinks back to overhearing Sarah tell Brady that she loves him. Sarah tells Xander that Maggie told her the house is officially sold. Xander clarifies that the buyer signed, but he and Maggie still have to and they have until the end of tomorrow and they just haven’t been able to bring themselves to do it yet. Sarah understands it’s a very hard goodbye, like a chapter in all of their lives is ending. Brady points out that at least EJ didn’t get the house. Xander agrees that losing it is bad but losing it to EJ would be intolerable. Xander adds that foiling EJ’s plans wasn’t enough and that’s why he wanted them to get together. Brady notes that he said it was about the Coriseal investigation. Xander confirms that is and that he saw something last night that makes him think they should focus on Johnny.

Johnny takes care of baby Olivia at home, saying he hopes not to wake Chanel up as she needs her sleep. Johnny then gets a call from George. Johnny says it’s not a good time and asks what it is. George tells Johnny that he needs to get to the office now. Johnny argues that Chanel is asleep and he can’t just leave his family. George warns him to figure it out because his family’s future depends on it.

Gabi tells Philip that she’s sorry he didn’t win what he needed to, but it’s still more than most people will make in a thousand lifetimes, so she thinks that’s something to celebrate. Philip responds that it’s hard to celebrate knowing he let his family down but there just wasn’t enough money in the pot. Gabi asks if that’s because she got Otto kicked out of the game. Philip tells her that Otto was cheating, so he wouldn’t have won anything if not for her. Philip adds that he wouldn’t have been able to play the game without her. Philip declares that Gabi supported and believed in him when she had very little reason to do either. Gabi says she’s a big believer in second chances.

Xander explains that he went to see Johnny and Chanel to congratulate them on the new baby and deliver some flowers. Sarah thinks back to seeing Xander picking out flowers in the town square. Xander adds that Chanel was sleeping, so he was able to spend some time with Johnny and he was trying to figure out what he and EJ were talking about when Arianna overheard him. Xander says he didn’t find anything out specific but Johnny said there were things he wishes he could go back and undo. Xander adds that when he got to the apartment, a man was leaving in a hurry and he didn’t recognize him at the time but then thought he looked familiar, so he found him on the DiMera Enterprises website. Xander reveals it was George O’Halloran, who Brady recognizes as the head of DiMera Pharmaceuticals.

Philip asks Gabi what now. Gabi says they are in Monte Carlo with a boatload of money. Philip admits he doesn’t feel like partying or going on a shopping spree, so Gabi suggests a late dinner which he agrees to. Gabi asks what he’s in the mood for. Philip responds that whatever she wants is fine as he’s happy to spend time with her and take his mind off, but they get distracted by people celebrating winning at a table nearby in the casino.

Tate massages Holly to relax her while she worries that she’s ruining the vibes. Tate assures that he completely understands why she would be jumpy after everything she’s been through this year. Holly wishes she didn’t freak out when something happens. Tate mentions hating that Mason has her upset. Holly asks if he thinks she’s overreacting. Tate says not necessarily. Holly guesses he thinks she’s being paranoid. Tate calls it being cautious. Holly feels she can’t be blamed because every time things are going great in her life, something awful smacks her in the face. Tate says it makes perfect sense and wishes he could make it better. Holly assures that he is making it better by being there. Holly complains that awful things keep happening like Arianna overhearing Johnny and EJ talking about her and then some guy tries to steal her necklace, while now this Mason guy hates her for no reason. Tate encourages her not to let that get to her. Holly says it’s really hard when someone treats you like crap and you don’t know why. Holly wishes she knew what his problem with her was.

Sarah questions the head of DiMera Pharmaceuticals being at Johnny’s apartment. Xander notes the late hour and the way George stormed out of there meant it wasn’t a typical business meeting. Brady agrees that it sounds a little shady to him. Xander says adding that to what Arianna overheard makes it clear that Johnny is more involved in the Coriseal coverup than they thought. Sarah reveals that Brady and Steve came to the conclusion. Brady explains that last night, they went over the security footage from July 4th and it wasn’t easy to spot, but once they enhanced it, it was Johnny. Xander feels Johnny could be the weak link since he’s not a seasoned liar like EJ, so they should go after him. Sarah says they thought the same thing, but then realized how deep Johnny is in this, so he won’t just roll over, especially with everything going on at home and a whole family to protect. Xander says he sees their point and asks what they do. Sarah responds that she’s already done it.

Johnny goes to DiMera Enterprises to meet George, who says it’s about time. Johnny says he’s lucky he’s there at all as he had to ask Lani to stay with the kids. Johnny asks what the big emergency is. George hands Johnny a paper, revealing that a doctor at the hospital has filed an anonymous complaint against DiMera.

Gabi tells Philip that she can see what he’s brainstorming. Philip asks what if there was a way to get enough money to stop the sale of the house and save Titan. Gabi argues that he played great before but he had an incredible streak of luck that won’t happen again. Philip suggests maybe he’s still hot and asks why let the incredibly lucky streak go to waste. Philip declares it’s go big or go home as he approaches the casino table, leaving Gabi worried.

Tate tells Holly that Mason is obviously a complete loser if he can’t see how amazing she is. Holly tells him that he always makes her feel better, which he says is his goal in life. Holly knows he’s happy doing what he loves at the gym, but admits she really misses having him at school. Tate says he would be with her 24/7 if he could. Holly says that would be really nice. Holly brings up how badass it was to see Lani take down the mugger. Tate points out that is what she’s trained to do, so Holly wonders if Tate could train her.

Johnny questions just being notified of this. George explains that the complaint alleges that DiMera Pharmaceuticals had contaminated Coriseal and disposed of it on Smith Island. Johnny says that’s true, but argues that George said it was covered, so he questions how the hell they found out. George admits he’s not sure. Johnny tells George that he needs to call EJ. George says he tried and couldn’t get him, but somebody needs to handle this ASAP. Johnny questions how to handle it when none of this happened on his watch. George responds that as co-CEO, it’s all on his watch.

Xander questions Sarah filing a complaint with the FDA when he thought they agreed they didn’t want EJ to know they are onto him. Sarah clarifies that she filed it anonymously. Xander asks if she doesn’t think EJ will know it’s her. Brady feels if he does, he likely already knew there were onto him, so they need something to shake him up. Sarah adds that if DiMera are in panic mode, they may make a mistake. Brady states that they need them the feel the spotlight on them, especially with the resources of the FDA on their side. Xander questions what the FDA is going to do. Sarah says it can force DiMera to hand over records or demand inspections to put pressure on them that they can’t and maybe that publicity will bring forth witnesses that are afraid to speak. Xander turns to Brady and question how he could let Sarah do this, warning that he knows what EJ does to people who cross him and his family. Xander declares that they’ve lost everything, Titan, and the house, and now he’s put a target on Sarah’s back.

Gabi tries to stop Philip and talk him out of further gambling. Philip tries to bet everything on one spin at the roulette table which Gabi questions him doing. Philip calls it the only way to save Titan and the house. Gabi calls it a good way to lose everything and go broke again. Philip argues that what they have might as well be nothing because it’s not enough, so this is a risk he’s willing to take. Gabi asks if she doesn’t get a say here. Philip responds that he feels luck is on his side tonight and it means everything that she is too. Gabi then gives in, so Philip bets everything on #18, saying that was his father’s birthday and he’s doing it to save his legacy.

Tate thinks it’s a great idea for Holly to learn self defense and says he was actually going to suggest it. Holly jokes that he can turn her in to a certified badass like Lani. Tate says he can teach her the basics at least. Tate then suggests she get another teacher because when it comes to her, he’d rather be a lover than a fighter. Holly responds that they can be both.

Brady tells Xander that he loves Sarah and would never do anything to put her in harm’s way while Xander argues that’s exactly what he’s done. Sarah asks why Xander is blaming Brady when it was her idea. Sarah complains that Holly is her niece and Destiny is her patient who died while Holly almost did the same. Xander feels Sarah let her emotions take over. Sarah talks about thinking every day about what EJ did to them. Xander questions them just deciding to do this without letting him weigh in on it which Sarah admits they did. Sarah adds that she is truly sorry for that.

Johnny tells George that he has tried to stay out of this mess but questions what the FDA is going to find if they start digging. George responds that it depends on the evidence Sarah has. Johnny thought the complaint was filed anonymously. George says they both know Sarah has been poking around since everything with Holly. Johnny thought this was handled. George says he thought so too but Sarah continued to be a problem. Johnny asks if EJ covered his tracks or not. George says he tried his best but there’s no way of knowing. Johnny worries that being linked to the poisoning could bring down all of DiMera. George agrees and warns that it could send him, EJ, and Johnny to prison.

Philip prays to Victor as he bets it all on 18 and the ball lands on 18. Philip and Gabi can’t believe it as they hug and kiss in celebration. Philip is told that the casino will make arrangements for a wire transfer for the rest of his winnings. Philip hugs the dealer in excitement. Gabi can’t believe Philip did it again. Philip tells Gabi that they won because she is definitely his lucky charm. They both say they can’t believe it. Gabi calls Philip crazy while Philip declares he’s also freaking rich. Gabi tells Philip not to place another bet. Philip assures that he has everything he needs right here.

Holly tells Tate to show him some of his skills right here with no one around at the lake. Tate agrees to show her something but then jokes with her about not mixing romance with martial arts as they kiss.

Sarah agrees that they should’ve told Xander before filing the complaint as he deserved to be apart of that decision. Sarah says she just got so excited to get the ball rolling. Xander argues that they were supposed to be working together on this. Brady says none of that matters now since the complaint has been filed and they have to get ready for the fallout. Brady says if Xander feels betrayed and can’t get past this, he needs to let them know now if he wants to keep working with them or not.

Johnny repeats that it has to be okay. Johnny tells George that he and EJ are not responsible for any deaths regardless of any evidence Sarah thinks she has. Johnny gets a call from Lani about feeding Olivia. Johnny makes sure Chanel is still asleep and thanks Lani for doing this, adding that he’ll be home as soon as he can. George tells Johnny that this isn’t just about the legal implications but about the allegations going public. George adds that it would be awfully hard to prove they aren’t true, but there might be one way.

Tate and Holly lay together at the lake. Holly says she feels perfectly safe with him as they kiss. Holly assures that she does want to learn self defense for real, so Tate says they will get her something scheduled at the gym and take things very seriously as they continue kissing.

George tells Johnny that to get ahead of these allegations, they need to take a page out of EJ’s handbook and deny and deflect.

Xander questions asking him if he wants to be part of the team after they shut him out of the decision. Sarah says she’s not sorry about filing the complaint, but she does wish they talked to Xander first. Sarah adds that Brady’s right that what’s done is done so they just have to move forward. Brady says instead of waiting for EJ to retaliate against them, they need to be three steps ahead. Sarah notes that Xander knows better than anyone how EJ will react when he finds out about the complaint. Xander asks if they want him to be part of the team. Sarah says of course they do while Brady admits they need him. Xander agrees to be in then, saying he wants to make EJ pay for what he did to his family and jokes that someone needs to stop them from acting on their worst impulses which he calls ironic.

Philip and Gabi throw money all over their hotel room. Philip can’t believe he pulled this off while Gabi can’t believe he bet all his winnings. Philip reveals that when he placed the bet, he held back the $5 million that Gabi gave him because if he lost all his winnings, he wanted to give Gabi her money back because he owes her everything. Philip adds that Gabi said there’s no way he could get that lucky twice in one day, but says they’ll try for three times as they begin kissing in bed.

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Days Short Recap Wednesday, September 23, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Marlena, Belle, and Sydney caught up at the pub. They talked about Sami not coming back to Salem anytime soon. While they were talking, they talked about the treasure hunt and Dominic. Paul called Belle who told her he investigated Dominic. He said Dominic went to boarding school. His roommate was Sami’s fiance, Dante. Sydney said she didn’t know anything about it. She said Dante never gave mafia vibes. Sydney said she would ask Dante about Dominic. Belle told her not to do that. Sydney ended up leaving. Belle and Marlena found it hard to believe that it was a coincidence that Dante meeting and proposing to Sami was a coincidence. Maggie talked to Julie about Philip gambling. Julie talked about Philip’s debt to the Vitali family. Maggie said she didn’t know how she could trust Philip again. She told Julie that she loved Philip like a son and Victor would want her to watch out for him. Julie told her she could do that at Titan.

Theo told Abe that he shouldn’t have taken the job at DiMera. He told Abe that he couldn’t trust Johnny since he lied to him so he quit. Abe said Lexie would be proud of him. Theo told him about the job offer Gabi gave him. He told Abe that he wasn’t sure it would be a good idea. Abe said Theo should go with his gut. Johnny went to DiMera and saw Theo’s letter of resignation. EJ stormed in the office and was upset about what happened while he was gone. Johnny told him that George already ripped into him, but he had his hands full with his baby and sick wife. They argued over whether or not Theo was needed. Johnny said he was lying for everyone and he was disgusted by it. He let EJ know that he was the CEO and that EJ couldn’t tell him what to do. EJ got a text from George to meet at the house. When EJ got home, EJ said that Johnny didn’t have what it took to run the company. George agreed with him. EJ said Sarah would be found responsible for it. George said it would work. EJ said people died on George’s watch. He warned George that he would be taking the fall if it didn’t go away.

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Days Short Recap Tuesday, September 22, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Philip and Xander went to the Horton house to tell Maggie that Titan was saved. Maggie wanted to know how Philip got the money. She wasn’t happy to find out that he gambled to get the money. Philip tried to explain how he got the money, but Maggie wasn’t happy at all. Xander let her know that they were going to use the money to save Titan. She let them know that she was done with Titan. Philip assured her that he wasn’t backsliding. He would go to meetings to prove to her that he wasn’t slipping. Philip and Xander didn’t want to run Titan without her. Maggie changed her mind since Titan was important to her. Holly saw Mason at the town square.  She demanded to know if he was having fun texting her. Mason told her that he didn’t send the texts. He got upset when she accused him of stalking her. Holly asked him if Sophia was the person he cared about. Mason told her that Sophia was the person he cared about. Holly told him what Sophia did to her, but he didn’t want to hear it. He informed her that Sophia told him everything. Mason told her that she may not have killed Sophia, but she played a big part in her death. He told her that Sophia called the hotline a lot after she got out of Bayview and talked about the way Holly treated her.

Steve and Brady talked about the drama between Sarah and EJ. Brady thought that EJ had something to hide and that’s why he wanted to go after Sarah like that. They talked about Dominic Marino. Steve and Brady didn’t get any information on him. Paul didn’t have any luck either. The only tip they had was that Dominic’s name and DiMera’s names mean the same thing. Brady wondered if Dominic was a DiMera. Steve thought someone might be trying to make them think he’s related to the DiMeras. He also wondered how the family didn’t know about him. Steve wanted to know why Stefano would reveal it from the grave. He talked to Roman, and he told him about the things Marlena recovered. Rita arrived at the hospital while Sarah and Kayla were going over the lawsuit. She said that the hospital was launching an independent investigation. EJ thought the hospital wasn’t at fault, but Sarah was a different matter. Rita said that Sarah was responsible for Destiny’s death. Sarah was upset and yelled at Rita. Kayla helped Sarah in the argument until Rita left. Sarah was afraid that she would lose her license.

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Days Short Recap Monday, September 21, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Philip went to the Kiriakis mansion only to find it empty. Justin showed up and said the house was sold. Philip was shocked. He told Justin that he had the cash to pay off EJ. Philip wanted to know how they let that happen. When he took out his phone, Philip noticed that his text to not sell the house never went through. Justin told him that they had each other and had the money to save Titan. Alex and Theo ran into each other outside of the pub. Theo gave Alex his condolences about Joy. Alex wanted to know how he knew about it. Theo told him Stephanie told him. Alex told him that his marriage was in a bad spot right now, but they were going to get through it. Gabi called Theo to ask for his help with her IP theft. Theo let her know that he quit working for DiMera. Gabi thought it was good timing because she needed his services at Gabi Chic and offered him a job. Theo said he would think about it.

At the pub, EJ and Xander talked about EJ and how they were going to make him pay. They were concerned that EJ would make Sarah suffer. Brady thought Sarah would be okay because they were going to make sure she stays safe. While they were talking, they talked about the connection between Dominic and Stefano. Xander said he hadn’t found anything negative about the guy. Philip sent Xander a text to meet at the house. Xander left to meet Philip. Sarah did a reflex test on Joy, but there were no changes. She wanted to do another test, but Joy didn’t want to. Sarah opened up to Joy about her own paralysis. She let Joy know that she wasn’t alone. Alex showed up to talk Joy into doing the tests. Sarah and Alex went to the nurses’ station to talk about what to do next. Alex said he would do whatever he had to do. Justin showed up to tell Alex the good news about Titan being saved. Unfortunately the house was gone. Alex told Justin that he was afraid that Stephanie was slipping away and there was nothing he could do about it. Justin said the year in the stipulation would go by fast. He told Alex that they would get through it. Xander met with Philip at the mansion. Philip told him he had the money. He told Xander that he wasn’t going to be gambling again. It was a one-time thing. Xander was happy that they could save Titan. Kayla called Sarah to tell her that Destiny’s parents were filing a wrongful death suit against her and the hospital.n

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Days Update Monday, September 14, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

In Monte Carlo, Sydney is getting dressed when she gets a call from Marlena. Marlena says she’s glad she caught her and glad to hear her voice. Sydney notes that she sounds stressed and asks if everything is okay. Marlena says she’s fine, especially now that she’s hearing her. Marlena mentions Sydney texting her that she was on the Riviera. Sydney confirms that she is in Monte Carlo. Marlena asks what that’s all about. Sydney calls a little work and a little play. Marlena informs her that Belle and Chad are in Italy and she knows Belle would like to catch up with her. Sydney questions why nobody told her they were coming since EJ is there as well. Sydney guesses she’s missing out on all the fun.

Chad and Belle approach the building on the address. Belle starts to worry about no one answering the door and that they are trespassing. Chad then calls out, asking if anyone is there. Someone is watching them on a tablet while having a drink.

Sydney tells Marlena she loves her and promises to visit soon as they hang up.

Philip and Gabi arrive for the poker game. Gabi asks if he’s sure he’s okay. Philip thought he was as he’s been in places like this plenty of times, but he’s never gambled with stakes this high before for him and his family. Philip declares that everything is on the line. Gabi encourages that he’s got this. Philip responds that with her by his side, he’s never felt luckier. Philip and Gabi kiss until Dante Vitali arrives and introduces himself as Sami Brady’s fiancee. Dante recognizes Gabi as the founder of Gabi Chic and comments that her overseas expansion has been quite impressive. Sydney then enters and adds that Gabi is also the mother of her niece as they hug. Dante notes that Sami mentioned how many people in Salem are related. Sydney jokes that it’s low key incestuous and hard to find someone who is not your cousin. Philip mentions being related to Sami in more than one way. Dante brings up that Sydney mentioned Philip not wanting it to be told that he’s there. Philip hopes that won’t be a problem but Dante calls it a big problem because he never keeps secrets from Sami. Gabi says she wouldn’t keep secrets from Sami either and going into a marriage makes openness and honesty essential. Gabi adds that she doesn’t need to know everything Philip is up to, especially if it doesn’t concern her, and them being here doesn’t really concern Sami. Philip declares that when he wins tonight, they can shout it from the rooftops. Dante agrees but warns that Sydney is quite the card shark and won’t show any mercy at the table. Philip suggests they get this party started.

Marlena sits at home and gets emotional as she looks at a photo of her, John, and Belle on her laptop. Julie arrives, excitedly telling Marlena that the novel she ordered finally came in. Julie then sees Marlena is upset and asks if she’s alright.

Belle questions the big building having no staff or security and says they are obviously in Dominic Marino’s house but starts to worry if it could be a trap. Chad offers to go ahead if she wants to bail but Belle says not after coming this far and just feels weird that they are alone. Belle insists someone wanted them to be there while Mr. Marino wasn’t home but the question is why. Chad decides there’s only one way to find out.

The poker game begins as Dante talks about hosting quite a few games in Monte Carlo and his favorites are where he gets to welcome newcomers to the table and play with new people as it makes the game that much more exciting. Dante goes over the rules with himself, Sydney, a man named Otto, and Philip, four rounds of Texas Hold ‘Em and mentions the $5 million buy in.

Julie asks Marlena what’s wrong. Marlena thinks she’s feeling a little glum since the house is empty and quiet. Marlena points out that Belle isn’t home and John is gone, so it’s her first time alone in the night in a long time.

Dante remarks to Philip that it’s about time his family had some good luck. Philip asks how Sydney became such a card shark. Sydney explains that while Stefano was teaching Theo and Johnny chess, Roman taught her how to play cards. Sydney adds that by the time she got to boarding school, she was pretty good and thus not very popular. Gabi asks Dante if his cousin Ava taught him to play cards. Dante responds that he and Ava share the Vitali name, but they aren’t close. Gabi responds that she likes him already. Dante asks Philip about working with Ava. Philip says it’s not a fond memory. Sydney remarks that she’s heard stories. Gabi calls Ava bonkers while Dante warns that he and Ava might not be close, but he won’t allow her to be disparaged because they are family and his family looks out for one another. Sydney comments that this obviously isn’t boarding school as she fold another hand. Dante jokes that the card shark has become a goldfish. Philip remarks that he wouldn’t underestimate Sami’s daughter. Dante insists that she knows he’s just joking while Sydney says that she doesn’t joke about poker.

Chad and Belle enter the building where they find an exact copy of the chess set that Stefano left for John and Marlena. Belle notes that all the pawns are there. They then hear footsteps of someone coming and it turns out to be EJ. Belle questions what the hell he’s doing here. EJ responds that he could ask them the same thing.

Marlena envies Julie having her beautiful home and so much family in Salem. Julie tells Marlena that she’s part of the family too. Julie quotes Maya Angelou saying family isn’t only about blood, but the people who want you in their life and respect you for who you are. Julie assures Marlena that she is loved no matter what.

The poker game continues until Otto looks to win the game, but Gabi interjects and exposes that Otto was cheating by having the ace cards marked so he knew who had them. Dante tries to say that’s not how it works but Gabi insists and demands having the cards checked. Dante reluctantly agrees to have the cards checked and confirms Gabi was correct. He tells Otto he’s done and to get out, warning that he will deal with him later. Otto exits as Dante thanks Gabi.

Marlena tells Julie that she’s sure she will be a lot better when Belle gets home, but she’s worried about her in Italy. Julie questions why she’s worried since she’s on a vacation with Chad. Marlena reveals that it’s not just a vacation and it’s not just with Chad.

Belle questions if EJ is following them. EJ explains that he came to see Dominic Marino to ask him why he’s purchasing the Kiriakis Mansion as he wants to know what his intentions are before he plants roots in Salem. EJ then questions what they are doing there. Chad reveals this is where the clues in Stefano’s chess set led them.

Julie asks Marlena why Belle and Chad are really in Italy. Marlena explains that they are trying to uncover some answers to the mystery of Stefano’s chess set. Julie asks why EJ is there. Marlena informs her that EJ said he was going to see Sydney, but Sydney is in Monte Carlo as she had no idea EJ was coming. Julie says she can why she’s worried. Marlena says she spoke to Belle about the clues and it brought back some very unwelcome memories about being on Stefano’s island. Julie complains that even from the grave, Stefano wants them to pay attention to him. Marlena remarks that she thought they were rid of him and she’s tired of his games.

Dante decides that after the unfortunate incident with Otto, they will play two more additional hands of poker, winner take all which Sydney and Philip agree to. Sydney wins one hand but it comes down to Dante and Philip in the end as they go all in.

EJ tells Chad and Belle that he has a bad feeling about this and questions who this Dominic Marino is. Chad admits he has no idea. EJ argues that they hardly no anything about him despite trying. Belle calls it not unusual for a billionaire to have a low profile. EJ argues that it’s more than that as there’s not even a photo of him online. Chad agrees that it’s a little weird. EJ questions why a European hedge fund maker would be so determined to purchase the Kiriakis Estate. Chad suggests maybe it’s not their business. EJ agrees and suspects Stefano put all of this in motion because Dominic Marino has some connection to their family or to the Kiriakis family. Belle says it could be to her parents as well. EJ acknowledges the chess set being identical to the one Stefano left for Marlena and John. EJ points out a Wagner album in the room, who was Stefano’s favorite, as well as his favorite drink. EJ then opens a box of cigars. Someone is watching them on a tablet while sitting near a fireplace with a drink and a cigar. EJ tells Chad and Belle that he can’t believe it as Stefano had these cigars made in Cuba before he went under the radar, but notes that was years ago and no one makes them anymore. EJ questions what the hell is going on, what this place is and who this man is.

Dante shows his cards in the poker game, revealing four of a kind. Philip then shows his cards and wins the game with a straight flush. Dante steps away as Gabi exclaims that Philip did it and won it all. Philip thanks her as his good luck charm. Philip thanks Gabi as she kisses him.

EJ comments on Dominic Marino having the same taste as Stefano. Chad agrees that it can’t be a coincidence so EJ wonders what the hell is going on here. Belle brings up this all starting at Stefano’s will reading with the chess set. Belle then reminds them that their chess set had a hidden panel which is where they found the first clue. Chad then picks up the chess set in the house and opens the hidden panel.

Julie asks Marlena what she thinks is the meaning of her memories. Marlena says she doesn’t know and isn’t even sure they are from Stefano’s island. Marlena complains that Stefano stole so much from her that she can’t bear to give him another minute of her time. Julie urges Marlena not to let a dead man have any power over her. Marlena responds that what scares her the most is that there are still some memories that she doesn’t have and doesn’t really want to have.
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Chad, Belle, and EJ go over the hidden panel in the first chess set. Belle wants to do the honors but Chad suggests he do it because a lot has changed and he’s not taking any chances. Chad then opens it up and finds a photo of Stefano holding a child, dated 1992. EJ says he has no idea who the kid is, but then wonders if it could be Dominic Marino. The person watching them closes their tablet and raises their glass while wearing Stefano’s ring. Someone else walks in to the room and he informs them that everything went as planned.

Gabi tells Philip that she just knew he would win and asks how much he has. Philip opens the case and reveals it’s not enough.

Dante is with the man who was watching Chad, Belle, and EJ. Dante informs him that Philip won and he didn’t even have to bust Otto as Gabi beat him to it. Dante adds that without Otto, the pot was never going to be enough to pay the loan and he’d never be able to save Titan. Dante declares “well played, Dom.”

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Days Update Friday, September 11, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Leo sits in the town square as he starts to text Javi but decides against it as he doesn’t want to come off desperate and needy. Gwen then walks by and throws her phone in frustration.

Xander begins packing his things at the Titan office when he comes across a framed photo of Sarah and Victoria. Maggie walks in and calls it a beautiful picture. Maggie informs Xander that she just got off the phone with the realtor and says that Mr. Marino has signed the paperwork to take ownership of the Kiriakis Mansion. Maggie calls it the end of an era.

At their hotel in Italy, Belle tells Chad that she feels like she’s gone over the clues so many times. Belle brings up having a romantic dinner. Chad says he will look in to making them a reservation, but Belle reveals that she just got a notification on her phone that they already got one. Chad calls that weird as he didn’t make the reservation.

EJ is in his hotel room in Italy and video calls Rita, who is lounging in a robe in the living room of the DiMera Mansion. EJ hopes Rita’s self care hasn’t interfered with her work. Rita assures it hasn’t and says she was just about to call him. They are interrupted by EJ getting a cal from Cat, but EJ rejects her call. Rita tells EJ that she’s been sleuthing on Cat Greene as he requested and she’s afraid he’s not going to be happy.

Rafe finishes a call with Kayla at home as Cat arrives. Rafe tells her that Javi is at the gym and Gabi is overseas, so he asks what’s going on. Cat responds that she thinks the situation with EJ took a turn as her plan to get ahead of everything with him may have backfired.

Maggie tells Xander that they have until the end of tomorrow and then everything has to be signed and sent back. Xander wishes there was another choice, but Maggie says there isn’t. Maggie says Philip abandoned his hail mary, so their only objective is to sell the house before EJ gets his hands on it. Xander tells Maggie that he’s so sorry as he knows how painful this must be for her. Maggie says for him too.

Chad wonders if the reservation was a mistake. Belle decides to call the restaurant and find out who made the reservation and why she got a text about it. Belle calls, but the number is not in service.

Gwen asks if it’s too much to ask for one thing to go right in her life. Gwen remarks to Leo that she’s going to kill that backstabbing bloody swine Rafe Hernandez.

Cat tells Rafe that she thought EJ believed her when she told him that she left the ISA, but all of a sudden he went AWOL and traveled to Italy to see Sydney. Cat argues that it’s way too coincidental. Rafe asks when she last spoke to EJ. Cat says it was yesterday and he was distant, feeling something was off with him. Cat adds that she just tried to call EJ and it went straight to voicemail and he hasn’t texted her back which is unlike him. Cat worries that EJ is obviously avoiding her. Cat says she knew there was a risk in telling EJ, but she thought the bigger risk was telling him nothing, so she wonders if she made the wrong choice.

Rita tells EJ that everything she’s found shows Cat was a support employee at the ISA and resigned several years ago. EJ feels that could be what the ISA wanted them to find and orders Rita to dig deeper because he needs to know if trusting Cat was a mistake. Rita agrees to keep digging but she’s not optimistic that she will find anything to stop his suspicions. Rita adds that at the moment, there are more pressing issues. EJ guesses it’s more bad news, but Rita says it’s more like abysmal.

Xander agrees with Maggie that this is very painful for him and adds that he has enormous guilt over far too many mistakes he wishes he could take back. Maggie says they all make mistakes including herself and Victor. Xander is glad Victor’s not here to see all of this. Maggie thinks Victor would confront this head on, determined to rise above it for his family. Maggie tells Xander that he is Victor’s son and encourages him that he can rise above to build something even better.

Rafe tells Cat not to panic just yet and that EJ going to Italy doesn’t mean he’s suddenly suspicious of her. Cat is surprised Rafe isn’t saying he told her so since he was the one warning her from the beginning that this operation was risky as hell. Rafe says he would hate to see their mission fail but he would hate even more for something to happen to her. Rafe asks if she knows when EJ gets back from Italy. Cat says she has no idea as he was super vague about it. Rafe says if he’s acting suspicious when he gets back, they will cross that bridge then. Cat thanks Rafe for bringing her back from the ledge so she can see the bigger picture. Rafe reminds Cat that she’s done that for him too and tells her that he actually has some good news.

Leo tells Gwen that it wouldn’t be a good idea for her to kill an FBI agent and questions where all this vengeance is coming from and what Rafe did to piss her off so badly. Gwen reminds Leo of her letter confessing what she and EJ did to Dimitri to fund the drug experiments and reveals that Rafe gave it to the hospital board. Gwen argues that the letter wouldn’t hold up in court, but it was enough for the board to reject her bid for the hospital. Leo questions how Rafe even got that letter. Gwen says that’s what she is trying to figure out. Leo swears he had nothing to do with it and reminds her that it was deleted when he went to get it. Leo bets it was her lawyer but Gwen says that he swears he has no idea how it disappeared from the files. Gwen asks if Leo is sure he didn’t tell anyone. Leo asks who he would even tell, but then he thinks back to telling Cat. Leo tells Gwen this isn’t getting them anywhere and suggests Rafe did her a favor because getting in to business with EJ as her partner would end in disaster, so she dodged a bullet. Gwen disagrees and declares that Rafe ruined everything so she’s going to make sure he pays.

EJ is furious when Rita informs him that Gwen is no longer eligible to buy the hospital and questions what the hell happened. Rita reveals that the board found out that she was EJ’s silent partner in Dr. Rolf’s experiments. EJ argues that he was using that as leverage to become her silent partner and questions how in God’s name the board found that out. EJ asks how they are going to recoup all the proceeds they lost without the money from the hospital.

Belle searches the restaurant name and finds out it doesn’t exist, so she and Chad wonder if it must be a clue. Belle realizes the clue must be the street name as they couldn’t decide whether to go to Milan or Rome and it turns out the street is named Milan in Rome. Belle declares they must be onto something.

Xander tells Maggie that he appreciates her faith in him. Xander talks about losing the company, the house, and Sarah but says he’s not a victim as he brought it all on himself. Maggie encourages him not to look at it that way and says sometimes life throws curves and stuff happens. Maggie states that they’ve both made mistakes and applauds Xander for working so hard to better himself. Xander appreciates her kindness but doesn’t think he deserves it. Maggie insists that he does, pointing out how he interacts with Philip, has reacted better in situations that would’ve set him off, and he’s a wonderful father. Maggie says seeing him with Victoria warms her heart. Xander says that means so much coming from her. Maggie adds that he stayed calm when Sarah and Victoria moved in with Brady and she knows how hard it’s been for him to be away from his daughter. Xander admits he feels like a fool because he thought he and Sarah were getting close again, but he was just deluding himself.

Belle and Chad look up all the buildings on the street address. They connect dots to looking for a green staircase and find what could be it on the map.

Rita tells EJ that he might want a drink for the next bit she’s about to share with him. EJ tells her to just pile on more bad news. Rita knows he was hoping they could scuttle the sale of the Kiriakis Mansion, but apparently Mr. Marino has already signed the paperwork. EJ asks if they have any idea why he has such a keen interest in this property. Rita says she’s afraid not. EJ argues that he told her to look in to it which she says she’s tried to do. EJ calls it out of character for her to deliver all this bad news without any answers for him. Rita apologizes and wishes she had answers but it’s been one dead end after another. Rita asks if EJ has any idea when he’ll be returning to Salem and remarks that Sydney not being there makes it seem like he went all that way for nothing. EJ responds that he wouldn’t say it was for nothing.

Rafe explains to Cat that he used Gwen’s letter to prevent her from buying the hospital and given her history as EJ’s silent partner and the antics they were involved in, Kayla and the hospital board thought it was best not to proceed with the purchase. Gwen then arrives outside, pounding on the door. Cat goes to hide in the bedroom while Gwen demands Rafe open the door.

Maggie asks Xander if Sarah and Victoria moving in with Brady is what has him so upset or if there’s something else he isn’t telling her. Xander then informs Maggie that at the Daddy Daughter Dance, he heard Sarah tell Brady that she loves him. Xander knows he shouldn’t be surprised, but he just thought that what Sarah and Brady had was more superficial than love like his time with Gwen and Kristen, but clearly their relationship is deeper than that. Xander declares that he has to accept the reality that Sarah loves another man, but he will never love another woman.

Gwen continues pounding on Rafe’s door until Rafe answers. Gwen complains about Rafe first making her leave Leo in Alamainia, forcing her to come back to Salem against her will, and now this. Gwen declares that Rafe has now ruined her life and the entire world will know she was in cahoots with EJ and think that she was apart of that disastrous science project of his. Rafe points out that she was apart of it.

Cat runs in to Leo in the town square. Leo says he was just thinking about her and asks if she has a minute to chat, so she asks what’s up. Leo brings up Gwen’s letter that he told her about a couple months ago. Leo thinks Cat reached in to her ISA bag of tricks and gave the letter to Rafe, who screwed over Gwen.

Belle and Chad continue going over their clues. They match the street address to the first three numbers of the serial number on the Lire. Belle decides she will call Paul to tell him what they found.

Cat tells Leo that she’s not ISA and claims she barely knows Rafe which means his theory is not plausible. Cat says she has to run but Leo stops her and says he’s not trying to blow her cover, but they both know there is more going on at DiMera than counterfeit purses. Leo says he has a pitch for her to team up with him.

Rafe tells Gwen that if only she would’ve taken that sweetheart deal he offered. Gwen argues that she was instructed to give him all the evidence against EJ on a silver platter to only receive little protection. Gwen complains that she’d be in the same position she’s in now and insists EJ would’ve found out. Rafe suggests she should’ve thought about that before getting in bed with EJ. Gwen calls Rafe smug and hopes he and the hospital board are happy, because without a buyer, the state will have full ownership of the hospital and they know what an absolute disaster that will turn out to be. Rafe says that remains to be seen but remarks that it’s a hell of a lot better than Gwen or EJ running the place.

EJ tells Rita that he was right about Chad and Belle following clues from Stefano’s chess set, but there’s more to it as someone has been feeding them clues in real time. Rita calls that interesting and wonders who it could be. EJ responds that he thinks they both know.

Chad and Belle wait for the phone to ring. Chad offers to get room service while they wait but Belle says she’s not hungry. Belle talks about feeling like they are so close. Belle says not long ago, they were staring at the chess set not knowing what their next move would be and they’ve come a long way together. Belle tells Chad that she couldn’t have done this without him. Belle then gets a call back from Paul and asks what he found. Belle asks if he’s serious and tells Chad that he’s not going to believe this.

Cat reminds Leo that EJ is her boss. Leo asks Cat if she has any tricks to trying to trace the manufacturers of the counterfeit purses. Cat says she doesn’t and walks away.

Xander asks Maggie if it’s strange that he only has room in his heart for one woman and can’t even imagine loving someone else like he loves Sarah. Maggie doesn’t think it’s strange, calling it old fashioned and sweet. Maggie knows he wishes they were back together, but she’s just glad things are better between them now and on friendlier terms for Victoria’s sake. Xander agrees he has that to be thankful for. Maggie states that he and Sarah deserve happiness, so she hopes he finds it.

Gwen tells Rafe that the justice system has never been able to find EJ accountable for anything and they never will. Rafe assures that he’s not giving up since he’s so close. Gwen questions how close. Rafe responds that EJ’s comeuppance is coming soon and she can trust him on that.

EJ tells Rita that it must be Dr. Rolf giving Belle those clues. Rita agrees that it makes the most sense to her. EJ orders Rita to find Dr. Rolf no matter what it takes and find out what he knows. EJ says in the meantime, he’ll be looking for his own answers in Italy.

Belle thanks Paul and says this is a huge help as they hang up. Belle then informs Chad that the address used to be a convent of the Holy Trinity which is represented by the Celtic knot and it’s owned by billionaire Dominic Marino which is where “Dom” came from. Chad exclaims that they are getting somewhere. Belle then reveals that Dominic Marino is the one buying the Kiriakis Mansion.

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Days Short Recap Friday, September 18, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

EJ wanted answers from Rita. They talked about the Kiriakis mansion. He was mad that Dominic Marino bought the house before he could. EJ didn’t think Rita did everything she could to stop the sale. He told her what he found out about Dominic Marino in Italy. Rita was nervous about that. She looked at the picture of Dominic and Stefano. Rita said she didn’t know much about it. EJ thought Rolf was behind everything since he was missing. He was finding it hard to trust people. Mason met with Marlena at the pub to talk about his last shift at the mental health hotline. The caller reminded him of his friend who served with him in the war. He committed suicide when he came home. Marlena assured him that he did the right thing.

Belle and Chad were at the square when Cat showed up. Belle left them to talk. Chad called Cat out for being in the ISA. He thought she couldn’t be trusted because she wouldn’t have let Clyde control her if she still had connections with the ISA. Cat tried to explain that the ISA must have a mole working for Clyde. He didn’t care. Chad kept yelling at her and told her that she was delusional if she didn’t think that EJ was keeping secrets from her. Belle talked to Marlena about what she and Chad found out in Italy. She showed Marlena the picture of Stefano and a little boy. Belle told Marlena that the boy might be Dominic Marino. Marlena didn’t recognize the name. She told her mother that she and Chad thought that Dominic was the missing pawn and that he bought the estate. Marlena looked at the picture again and realized “Marino means of the sea just like DiMera.”

 

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Days Short Recap Thursday, September 17, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

EJ was getting ready to leave Rome when Cat called him. She let him know that Johnny and George were looking for him. EJ knew and hung up before she could tell him any more. Sydney arrived at his door. EJ was happy to see her. He made jabs at Dante when she mentioned that he flew her home. Sydney told EJ that she didn’t think her mother was over him. EJ changed the subject and asked her about following in his footsteps and becoming a lawyer when she graduated from college. Chad looked at the picture of Stefano and Dominic wondering why he never mentioned that he was close to the kid before. He and Belle had a lot of questions about who Dominic was and whether he was related to Stefano or not. Belle wanted to get Cat involved, but Chad didn’t want her to help them. Belle said that Paul confirmed Cat’s story, but Chad didn’t want her help. Stephanie and Theo got really close to each other, and Paulina saw them. Paulina didn’t expect to find them together. Theo left in embarrassment so Stephanie talked to Paulina about Joy. Stephanie talked to Paulina about her getting paralyzed.

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