It’s another intense day in Salem, and you won’t believe the emotional chaos and confrontations that unfold. As the Hernandez siblings struggle with troubled romances, an unexpected appearance from Jada stirs up even more drama—right as questions about EJ’s shooting still linger in the air.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Philip was clearly reaching his limit. He coldly cut off a call with a fired-up Melinda, who threatened to sue Titan over her recent dismissal. But his tough exterior melted quickly when Maggie returned from a trip to visit her daughter Melissa. Maggie brought with her some startling news about DiMera Enterprises—and mentioned how proud Victor would’ve been of Philip. Their touching moment didn’t last long, though. Philip was just about to reveal something important to Maggie when the ever-dramatic Vivian Alamain made a surprise entrance, loudly demanding breakfast.

Maggie was outraged to discover that Vivian had actually spent the night at the mansion. The two women immediately began trading scathing insults, with Maggie branding Vivian everything from a “vampire” to a “vile intruder.” She ordered Philip to have her gone by the time she came back from seeing her granddaughter. Left alone, Vivian ranted about Maggie and grew suspicious of Philip’s motives. Philip, equally agitated, warned her not to make his already messy life worse by exposing his secrets.

Vivian, always scheming, hinted at keeping quiet only if Kate succeeded in removing Xander from the picture. But Philip was firm—no one was killing Xander. He just needed more time to shift some funds and give Vivian her cut. Still, she wasn’t satisfied with only half and refused to listen to excuses. In a tense moment, Philip flipped the script and warned Vivian that if she betrayed him, she’d walk away with nothing—and could land back in prison.

Vivian wasn’t pleased. She accused Philip of being ungrateful, even after everything she’d done for him, including carrying him in her womb. Trying to placate her, Philip offered to buy her a mansion—anywhere but there. She saw through his attempt to kick her out, snapped back, and stormed out. Later, Maggie found a farewell letter from Vivian that ended with a petty jab about dust on the bookcase. Classic Vivian.

Elsewhere at DiMera Enterprises, Xander was riding high after seizing a business opportunity with Philip. But that confidence evaporated the moment Kristen pulled a gun on him. Still bitter over being ousted, she blamed Xander for sabotaging her future at DiMera. Xander tried to defuse the situation and offered to work something out—but Kristen wasn’t having it.

She demanded he call Wei Shin and lobby for her return as CEO. When Xander refused, she raised the weapon again, seething about everything she’d lost—Brady, her mother, and her status. But when Xander mentioned little Rachel, Kristen wavered. He reminded her that she loved her daughter too much to risk losing her again.

Xander used this to push Kristen toward the door. He even offered to call the police if she didn’t leave. Surprisingly, she cooled down and proposed they form a business alliance instead—she’d handle day-to-day operations while he and Philip focused on Titan. But Xander wasn’t buying it. He slammed her for using Rachel’s illness to manipulate people and told her to her face: “I will never be your partner.”

Kristen accepted his rejection but vowed to destroy him and Philip, taking both DiMera and Titan for herself. As she left, Xander handed her the CEO nameplate and told her to toss it in the trash. Once she was gone, he immediately called to beef up building security. But even before the new measures were in place, Vivian walked right into his office, grinning like the cat that got the cream.

At the Brady Pub, Kate reassured Lucas over the phone that EJ’s threat was no longer a concern—after all, someone had shot EJ. Lucas apparently asked if she did it, but Kate brushed him off. As the call ended, Sami arrived, and the mother-daughter pair shared coffee and sarcasm. When Sami brought up Rafe, Kate raised an eyebrow, especially upon learning Sami had spent time with him.

Sami admitted she’d gone to thank Rafe for defending her to Johnny. Kate was surprised by how close Sami and Rafe still were, especially with Rafe being engaged to Jada. But Sami had tea to spill—Rafe had just discovered Jada slept with Shawn. That revelation apparently ended any hope for reconciliation between Rafe and Jada.

Kate speculated aloud—what if EJ’s betrayal had pushed someone like Rafe to the edge? Sami dismissed the idea but agreed it was suspicious. Kristen remained the prime suspect in EJ’s shooting, which honestly gave Sami a bit of relief. She confessed to Kate that part of her had feared Johnny might’ve been involved.

Meanwhile, Philip showed up at the pub to update Kate on his run-in with Vivian. He was confident he had things under control, but Kate looked skeptical. In Horton Town Square, Sami wrapped up a call when she bumped into Kristen. Their exchange was predictably cold, especially after Kristen smugly informed her that she’d been cleared in EJ’s shooting.

And just as the tensions swirled and accusations flew across Salem, Jada reappeared—staggering onto the scene, unaware of what EJ and Rafe had just become wrapped up in. Her presence may just shake things up again, especially with suspicions mounting and secrets ready to blow sky-high.

Stay tuned—because in Days of Our Lives, the truth is always just one shock away.