Alex Kiriakis is a typical Salem man: when he’s in love, he makes a big fuss; when he apologizes, he creates a scene that shakes the other person’s life.

This time, the focus is on the “surprise” he prepared for Stephanie Johnson, an appearance so unexpected that she didn’t know whether to be moved or angry.

After a busy work schedule, constantly traveling back and forth between Salem and Chicago, Stephanie finally had a day she thought she could relax, arriving home exhausted.

She didn’t expect the scene that greeted her upon opening the door: warm yellow lights, flowers filling the room, wine and food on the table, and right in the center was Alex – impeccably dressed, smiling as if to say, “I knew you’d be surprised.”

For an ordinary person, it would be a romantic moment. But for Stephanie, who had already had enough of Alex’s overly romantic gestures, her brain immediately flashed a red light: was he doing this because he truly understood her, or because he wanted to assert his presence once again? Alex said he was worried about her safety, mentioning obsessive fans, stalkers, and people who might stalk her as she became more famous in her career. He saw himself as a protective barrier, the only one “free and firm” enough to stand in front of her if anything happened.

On the surface, it sounded like concern, but deep down, it reeked of control: he appeared on his own accord, decided to stay, and concocted a scenario of “protecting her from danger.” Stephanie was easily moved by someone thinking of her so much, but at the same time, she choked up when she realized that almost no one asked if she wanted that.