While Salem is in chaos due to crypts and labs, the romantic relationship between Chanel Dupree and Johnny DiMera unfolds in a silent, painful way.

Chanel tries to comfort Johnny, but at the same time, she’s keeping a secret that she herself is afraid to reveal.

The pain of this situation is that Chanel isn’t hiding it to deceive, but because she’s afraid Johnny will break down.

But the more she hides, the greater the distance.

And Johnny, being the type who feels even more excluded from a relationship when he knows he’s being “protected by silence,” feels like, “Don’t you trust me enough to know the truth?”

The dramatic point is: one comforting moment isn’t enough. Chanel can hug Johnny, say a few soothing words, but the secret remains like a thorn in his side. Every time Johnny looks at Chanel, he senses something unspoken. And the more Chanel tries to act normal, the more abnormal Johnny feels. This is something DOOL does very well: they turn a relationship into a room filled with hushed whispers. No one says it directly, but everyone hears it.

Then the looming pregnancy rumors made the situation even more sensitive. If Chanel was really pregnant, it would be news that could both save the relationship with hope and destroy it with pressure. Because Salem isn’t a place where good news stays quiet. Pregnancy rumors always bring with them questions: Is it the right time? Who will take advantage? Who will use it to control? Who will turn it into a weapon? And if Johnny was already in a state of emotional instability, that news could make him both happy and panicked.