It was supposed to be just another carefree summer day — a lakeside hangout for Arianna and Holly, with friends, laughter, and maybe a bit of teenage flirting. But by the end of the hour, Days of Our Lives fans will be holding their breath, as the carefree outing spirals into a desperate, life-threatening crisis… with one man holding the key to everything: Doug III.

Earlier in the day, Tate had planned to meet Holly and Ari at the square. But they never showed up. He bumped into Doug at the Brady Pub, expressing concern. What Tate didn’t know was that Doug already knew where the girls were — and the truth was darker than anyone could imagine. The girls had been abducted. Not by a random criminal, but by someone with a direct connection to Doug’s hidden life of debt and danger.

Doug had been borrowing money from a dangerous loan shark named Richie. When Doug failed to meet his full repayment, Richie decided to use the two girls as leverage — insurance for Doug to deliver. Doug, guilt-ridden and panicked, has seen the proof: photos confirming that Ari and Holly are being held against their will.

But Doug is at a crossroads. If he tells the truth, he risks exposing his involvement in the criminal underworld. If he says nothing, the girls might die. And time is running out. As the hours tick by, Holly and Ari realize they’ve been kidnapped — and the only person who might realize it is Tate. He knows them. He knows they wouldn’t just disappear. But will he push hard enough to uncover what Doug’s hiding?

Desperate and cornered, Doug turns to the only valuable thing he still controls: Alice Horton’s necklace. A family heirloom passed down for generations, it had recently gone missing, breaking Julie Williams’ heart. Now we know the truth — Doug stole it himself, believing the priceless piece might be his only bargaining chip to save the girls. But will Richie even accept it? And if Doug trades it away, what does that mean for his standing in the Horton family — or his future?

Meanwhile, in the tangled web of Salem’s adult conflicts, EJ and Belle spend time together before heading into court. Their chemistry is undeniable, but trust between a DiMera and a Brady is never simple. Especially when court looms large, and their interests no longer align.

Elsewhere, Kristen and Brady engage in a serious conversation at Marlena’s townhouse. While the specifics remain unclear, tension around Rachel’s potential court testimony grows stronger. Could she be forced to recount the night EJ was shot — and whether Johnny really pointed a gun at his own father?

Johnny, for his part, is trying to avoid drama. He’s desperate to focus on his new life with Chanel, but both of them are compromised. Their threats during the fateful night have made them suspects in a case that refuses to die down.

In the DiMera mansion, Gwen and Kristen reconnect after weeks apart. Gwen, still married to Dimitri, is no stranger to family chaos. But Kristen sees her as kin — and may be positioning her for a new role in the ever-shifting DiMera alliances.

But all of that — the romance, the revenge, the secrets — pales in comparison to the peril that Arianna and Holly now face. Two young lives hang in the balance, and only a man with everything to lose can save them.

Will Doug betray his secrets to save the girls? Or is it already too late?

What would you risk to bring a loved one home — your freedom, your family, or your soul?