Salem is rocked when EJ DiMera returns and the air instantly turns toxic.

This isn’t a homecoming — it’s a storm arriving with a name, and everyone who’s been moving in the shadows can feel the walls closing in.

One man walking back into town doesn’t just shift power… it threatens to expose every secret deal that was made while he was gone.

The emotional collapse hits Leo hardest, because the mask starts slipping.

He’s been playing survival chess — juggling loyalty, love, and fear — but EJ’s return turns every move into a potential confession. Leo isn’t just terrified of losing Dimitri or facing Gwen’s chaos… he’s terrified the truth will finally stick to him. The kind of devastation that doesn’t just break your plans — it breaks your identity.

And the lies are everywhere. Who stayed silent? Who helped? Who manipulated the narrative while EJ was out of the picture? This wasn’t just a secret alliance… it detonated into shockwaves of betrayal that rewrote everything they thought they knew, changing lives in ways that can’t be undone. Because once EJ suspects he’s been played, he doesn’t forgive — he retaliates.