At the Kiriakis mansion, John and Marlena joined Maggie at her request. "Konstantin and I are engaged," Maggie announced. "Best wishes," Marlena said curtly. Maggie assured John and Marlena that the marriage was in name only. "I wanted my circle of family and friends to know the truth," Maggie said. "Which is?" Marlena asked. Maggie explained why she had proposed and that Konstantin had signed the prenup agreement without objection.

"I feel like I owe him because he was so kind to me after I lost Victor. And also --" Maggie said. "Because of what I did to his daughter?" John interjected. Maggie argued that John had acted on Victor's orders, and the Victor she had known would have wanted her to help Konstantin. "They had had their differences in the past, but eventually, they became friends," Maggie said. "That's because it was more convenient than being at war," John muttered. John reminded Maggie that Konstantin had held a grudge for years.

"But he forgave you," Maggie countered. Maggie suggested that they move on from the past. "I think I can be generous while still protecting my interests and the interests of the Kiriakis family," Maggie said. Marlena told Maggie that she supported Maggie's decisions. Konstantin walked in and greeted Marlena and John. "I do hope you will both attend [the wedding]" Konstantin said. Maggie chimed in that there was no date set yet, but it would be before Konstantin's visa expired.

"But first there are some items of interest that must be taken care of," Konstantin said as he glanced over at the wall safe. When Marlena and Maggie had to leave for meetings, Konstantin asked John to stay for a drink. John looked at Marlena and shrugged. "Why not?" John said. John told Marlena he would see her at home. Reluctantly, Marlena left with Maggie.

"Maggie is the real deal, is she not?" Konstantin said. "You're a lucky man to have a woman like that in your corner. She really cares about you," John agreed. Konstantin said he was not sure. "If you really care for someone, then you want to take care of them in all ways," Konstantin said. John raised an eyebrow, and he asked what Konstantin meant. Konstantin mentioned the prenup and that he had a plan to deal with it.

"Now that we are both alone, I think now is as good a time as any to put that plan into motion," Konstantin said. Confused, John asked what Konstantin meant. Konstantin held up the red card, and John closed his eyes and quivered. When the Pawn opened his eyes, Konstantin asked him to break into the safe and steal the prenuptial agreement.

While the Pawn got to work on the safe, Konstantin went into the foyer to check on a noise he heard. Maggie had returned to pick up a sobriety chip she had needed for the meeting. Konstantin eagerly offered to retrieve the chip from the study for her. "I can find it myself," Maggie said. "No, you can't," Konstantin said as he grabbed Maggie's arm. Maggie scowled at Konstantin.

"I can't go into my own study?" Maggie asked. Konstantin said he had spilled tea that he had not yet cleaned up. "Who cares," Maggie said as she marched past Konstantin. When Maggie entered the study, she noted that John was gone. Konstantin lied and said John had stepped outside to call Marlena. Maggie grabbed the chip off the desk, and she walked out. Konstantin called out to the Pawn, and he appeared with the prenup in his hand.

In the square, Nicole helped Eric calm down Jude. As Eric and Nicole's hands brushed together, a scowling Sloan stomped over. "Actually, you know what, I was just leaving," Nicole said. Nicole quickly exited the square. "You want to tell me what that was about? Because I would just love to know," Sloan said. Eric asked if they could talk about it on the way home. Sloan reluctantly nodded yes.

After Eric tucked Jude into bed at home, he joined Sloan in the living room to talk. "So, do you swear you had no idea that you and Nicole were both going to be working at the Spectator?" Sloan asked. "None. I know what it looked like, but Nicole was just trying to be friendly," Eric stressed. Sloan scoffed, and she mocked Eric's coziness with Nicole. Eric reminded Sloan that she had walked out on him after their fight.

"I wasn't even sure when or if you were coming back or when we were going to talk," Eric argued. "You didn't think I was coming back? Jude is my son! What do you think I'm going to do, abandon him?" Sloan yelled. Eric said no. "I was just thinking you were fed up with me," Eric explained. Sloan told Eric that she had been hurt when Eric had accused her of wasting money on a friend.

"I owe you an apology. I'm sorry," Eric said. Sloan sniffled back tears, and she asked Eric why he was sorry. "For not being more trusting. More forgiving. Sloan, I just want to be a better husband for you," Eric said. With a nod, Sloan told Eric that he could start by believing her explanation and motivations for why she had helped Leo. "Because, Eric, it's really hurtful, you know, to have your husband think you're a liar," Sloan said. Eric told Sloan that he did not think she was a liar.

"But paying for Leo's hotel room just to be nice? I'm not buying it," Eric said. Sloan acted indignant, and she complained about her headache. "There you go again!" Eric yelled in frustration. "What am I doing?" Sloan asked. Eric argued that Sloan was attempting to avoid the conversation because she had something to hide. Eric thought about when he had overheard Leo talking about blackmail, and he asked Sloan if Leo had been blackmailing her.

After a moment, Sloan admitted that Leo had been blackmailing her. "With what?" Eric asked. Sloan explained that Leo had uncovered humiliating things from her past. "I don't want to talk about it. It's just going to be more painful for me," Sloan pleaded. Sloan explained that she had wanted to save her practice and her marriage. "I would never leave you over something like that," Eric said. Sloan asked Eric to hold her, and he pulled her close. Sloan cried crocodile tears on Eric's shoulder as he apologized for having let Leo into their home.

"There's no way I'm going to let him get away with this. I promise you," Eric said. Sloan begged Eric not to do anything. "[Leo] didn't mean to hurt me, that's the thing. You know, he's had a terrible childhood," Sloan argued. "I'm gonna kill him," Eric yelled. Sloan's mouth fell open, and she told Eric to let it go. Eric refused, and he walked out. Sloan called Leo.

Holly was studying in her room at the DiMera mansion when she took a break to text Tate that she missed him. Tate texted back, "Miss you more." With a smile, Holly returned to her math homework, but she struggled to focus. Nicole poked her head in to check on Holly. "There's so much to catch up on," Holly said. Holly mentioned that she had guzzled an energy drink, but it had made her shaky.

"When is the last time you spoke to your therapist?" Nicole asked. Holly noted that her therapist was on vacation, and she was feeling anxious. "I hate being like this," Holly complained. Nicole hugged her daughter, and she called Marlena. When Marlena arrived, she said, "Your mom tells me that you're feeling overwhelmed." Holly nodded yes. Holly explained that the more she attempted to catch up on her schoolwork, the less she was able to complete. "I don't know what to do," Holly said. Marlena told Holly to take a deep breath when she felt overwhelmed.

"It just sort of relaxes the nervous system. It tells your body that you're safe," Marlena said. Marlena encouraged Holly to take a deep breath, and she did. "I guess I feel a little more chilled out now," Holly said. Marlena advised Holly to take breaks for walks or to listen to music. As Holly nodded yes, Marlena told Holly to go to sleep early so that she could study when she was more rested.

"I'm going to send a note to your teachers, just to remind them of what you've been through. I'm sure they'll understand. But only if that is okay with you," Marlena said. Holly agreed, and she thanked Marlena for her help. "Don't worry about catching up with everything. Just go at your own pace," Marlena advised. Holly hugged Nicole goodnight, and she went upstairs. "I can't thank you enough, Marlena. You said exactly what she needed to hear," Nicole noted. Marlena said she was happy to help. As Marlena started to leave, Nicole asked if Marlena could help her, as well.

"How can I help you?" Marlena asked. Nicole confessed that she had been unable to stop blaming herself for Holly's problems. "I feel like it's because I wasn't there for her when she needed me," Nicole said. "You did the very best you could in the moment. That's all any of us can do," Marlena said. Marlena reminded Nicole that they could not protect their children from all of life's problems. "All we can do is love them and be there for them," Marlena said. "I know you're right. That is all we can do," Nicole said.

Nicole told Marlena about her new job, and Marlena asked how E.J. felt about having Nicole work with Eric. "I haven't told him yet," Nicole admitted. Nicole explained that she had been talking with Eric in the square, and Sloan had reacted badly to it. "It was just innocent.," Nicole said. Marlena was skeptical. Nicole argued that Marlena was likely thinking about when Nicole had confessed that she would have left E.J. if the baby had been Eric's son.

"What does it tell you that if the baby had been Eric's, you would have gone back to him?" Marlena asked. Nicole shrugged. "It tells me that I still have feelings for Eric. Feelings that I've been trying to suppress for a long time," Nicole admitted. Marlena asked Nicole if she still loved Eric. After a moment, Nicole said she was tired, and she thanked Marlena for the talk. With a nod, Marlena said that she hoped to see Nicole soon. Marlena's voice echoed in Nicole's head, "Do you still love Eric?" With tears in her eyes, Nicole whispered, "Always."

At the front door, a drunken Leo stood on the porch and offered E.J. information. "If you want to hear it, it's going to cost you," Leo said. "I'm not into games, Stark. So, why don't you tell me what you came here to tell me, and it better be bloody good," E.J. barked. Leo smirked. "Trust me. It is," Leo said. E.J. exited the house, and he escorted Leo away from the door. When E.J. asked about the information, Leo teased that it was about someone close to E.J.

"Nicole?" E.J. said. Leo was taken aback. "Yeah, that was an excellent guess," Leo said. Concerned, E.J. asked Leo if something was wrong at the paper. Leo changed tactics, and he mentioned the Beatles as a hint. "Paul wrote ["Hey Jude"] for John's son, Julian. And then at the last minute, he changed it to Jude because he thought it sounded better. Do you like that name, Jude?" Leo asked. "Get to the point," E.J. growled.

"What if I told you that you were a father," Leo said. E.J. reminded Leo that he had two children. Leo shook his head no. "Three children," Leo said. E.J.'s face paled, and he asked what Leo meant. After a moment. E.J. stammered, "Oh, my God." E.J. chuckled, and he noted in disbelief that Leo was a liar. "You're just an obnoxious drunk, and you're trying to provoke me," E.J. said. With a shake of his head, Leo reminded E.J. of when Nicole had insisted that Jude was her baby.

"Of course, I remember that. It was terribly painful for her and for me," E.J. said. "It must have been horrible. But the thing is, your son didn't die," Leo countered. E.J. demanded an explanation. "I tried to tell you and Nicole! I came here before Christmas, remember? And what did I get as a reward?" Leo said. Leo reminded E.J. that all Leo had gotten for his trouble had been a black eye.

"And now it is gonna cost you, big fella," Leo said. E.J. grabbed Leo by the lapels. "You listen to me, you lying dirtbag. If you don't get out of here right now, I'm going to give you much worse than a black eye," E.J. growled. Leo promised E.J. that he was telling the truth. "I swear on everything I hold dear that I had nothing to do with the baby switching," Leo said. E.J. released Leo.

"So, you've known this whole time that Nicole and mine's baby is alive, and yet you said nothing. You did nothing," E.J. muttered. Leo reminded E.J. that he had attempted to tell E.J. the truth. "And it's not like I did nothing. I blackmailed Sloan," Leo added. Leo noted that Sloan had cut him off.

"I just told you, so now you have to pay me," Leo said. E.J. smiled and put his hand on Leo's cheek. "You can see that payment in hell," E.J. said. As E.J. returned inside, Leo grumbled, "Damn it." Leo headed home.

Leo stumbled into his hotel room, and he chastised himself for having told his secret before he had secured payment from E.J. Leo's phone beeped with a message from Sloan, and he ignored it. As Leo flopped onto the bed, Eric banged on the door. "Maybe that's E.J. here to give me some money," Leo said as he stumbled to the door. When Leo opened the door, Eric shoved Leo, and he demanded to know why Leo had been blackmailing Sloan.

Eric yelled that Sloan had told him that Leo had threatened to publish stories about Sloan's past. "I don't remember that. I don't remember much of anything right now," Leo said. Leo sank to the floor, unable to stand. Eric helped Leo onto the bed. Leo slurred a thank you to Eric for his kindness. "How much have you had to drink?" Eric asked. Leo appeared queasy, so Eric handed Leo a trash can to vomit into if needed. "All I want is Dimitri, who left me all by myself," Leo said. Leo put his head in the can and started to weep.

Eric handed a water bottle to Leo. After a few sips, Leo told Eric, "Sloan did not deserve to be blackmailed. Nobody deserves to be blackmailed." Leo apologized. "I would not do anything like that again," Leo promised. "I should hate you for what you did, but the truth is, you seem lonely and sad and genuinely contrite," Eric said. Leo asked for forgiveness, and he told Eric he needed to confess.

"You said something like that at Jude's christening," Eric noted. Leo whispered Jude's name, and he fell asleep. Eric slapped Leo's cheek and he asked, "What about Jude?" Leo remained unconscious.

At Sloan's apartment, Sloan cradled a sleeping Jude as she paced the main room. Someone banged on the door, and Jude started to cry. Furious, Sloan opened the door and demanded to know why E.J. was banging on the door and waking her baby. "Your baby? That is not your baby, you lying bitch!" E.J. yelled. Sloan gasped. E.J. demanded that Sloan refute that the baby was not his. Sloan stared in horror.

"Do you have any idea what you put my wife and my family through? Now I am taking that child. And after I prove that he is my son, I am going to call the police and have you arrested for kidnapping," E.J. screamed. Sloan put Jude in his crib, and she turned her wrath on E.J. "Are you out of your mind?" Sloan hissed. E.J. told Sloan that a drunken Leo had confessed to him about the baby switch.

"Jude is our baby. Nicole's and mine," E.J. said. Sloan calmed. "[Leo's] only half right," Sloan said. E.J. demanded answers. "Jude is Nicole's baby. But not yours," Sloan confirmed.

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