Salem had just begun a new week when Alex Kiriakis was hit with a shock no one wanted: a seemingly harmless envelope arrived at his house, only to have white powder fly everywhere when opened.

It wasn’t spam or a childish prank, but something that would instantly put adults on high alert.

Alex reacted quickly, pulling Stephanie back, making her stand at a distance, while trying to remain calm to avoid making things worse.

But the real danger lay in the fact that no one knew what the powder was, and even a small misstep could turn the apartment into a dangerous scene.

Stephanie was the one who sensed this wasn’t a coincidence. She had already felt she was being followed, watched, and “marked” by someone very persistent. And now, this envelope was like a message: I’ve entered your life, I’ve reached your safe space, I want you to panic. Stephanie called 911 almost immediately, and when Jada arrived, the way she handled it startled everyone. Jada wasn’t joking. She followed the proper procedure for a biological hazard situation: calling the fire department, contacting the hospital, locking down the area, checking for exposure. Just one decision from Jada was enough for all of Salem to understand that this could be very real, very serious.

Alex, usually so nonchalant, felt a chill down his spine this time. He wasn’t afraid of the white powder; he was afraid of the real target behind it. Who wanted to scare Stephanie to the point of self-isolation? Who wanted Alex to become a “shield” only to be pushed out of Stephanie’s life? Because these kinds of people don’t usually need to attack directly.