Nobody saw this coming—least of all Gabi Hernandez.

For years, Gabi has built her brand on fierce independence, sharp wit, and a razor-sharp disdain for men who try to control her. And if you had told her just a week ago that she might share a vulnerable moment—let alone romantic chemistry—with Xander Kiriakis, she would’ve laughed in your face. Or slapped you. Or both.

Yet here we are, in the middle of Salem’s emotional minefield, watching something inexplicable unfold. It begins with a feud. Gabi, now stuck under Xander’s management, vents to Javi about her utter hatred for the man. She despises his arrogance, his authority, and just about everything he represents. But anyone who’s watched soaps for more than five minutes knows exactly what’s coming next.

In Salem, hatred is often foreplay.

The setup is classically twisted. Xander and Sarah’s relationship is on the verge of collapse, with their daughter Victoria caught in the middle. In a surprising moment of tenderness, Gabi reflects on her own daughter, Arianna, and those fragile early years. As she speaks, something shifts. Xander—who’s not exactly known for vulnerability—listens. Really listens.

That brief exchange, about a baby who misses her mother, is the spark. Xander’s face betrays something new: regret. Guilt. Pain. And maybe… clarity. For the first time, it isn’t Sarah or Maggie or Gwen getting through to him—it’s Gabi. The woman he’s supposed to hate.

And then fate intervenes again.

Arianna is kidnapped. Gabi is shattered. But instead of running from her pain, Xander moves toward it. He comforts her, not with cheap words or awkward pats on the back—but with a quiet, steady presence. It’s a moment of shared grief, shared panic… and shared strength. What begins as reluctant co-workers morphs into something more emotionally intimate.

This isn’t just two broken people finding comfort in chaos. It’s Salem’s most unpredictable slow burn.

Xander, fresh off cutting ties with Gwen, no longer has emotional baggage holding him back. His past with Gwen was toxic, tangled, and filled with alcohol-fueled regret. He may have burned that bridge, but now he stands on the edge of something new—something just as risky, but infinitely more surprising.

Meanwhile, Gabi—once emotionally tethered to men like Stefan or JJ—finds herself disconnected from those usual sources of support. JJ, in particular, has become a non-factor, despite what used to be their deep bond. The absence is glaring. Suspiciously so. Almost as if the writers are clearing the emotional landscape for something different.

Could this be it? The beginning of a twisted, passionate, explosive romance between two of Salem’s most emotionally complicated characters?

Some fans might laugh. Others will scream betrayal. But for those who’ve watched Gabi evolve over the years, and those who’ve seen Xander claw his way out of every hole he’s ever dug—this might be the only direction left unexplored.

And let’s be honest: that’s what soap operas are made for.

Still, everything remains tentative. Gabi’s walls are sky-high. Xander’s instincts remain self-protective. Any wrong move could collapse this fragile bridge they’re building. But in the midst of baby drama, family implosions, and a kidnapping that has rattled the core of Gabi’s soul, the idea of love—or at least understanding—emerging from chaos isn’t so far-fetched after all.

It’s messy. It’s awkward. It’s kind of shocking.

But in a town like Salem, maybe that’s exactly what makes it real.

Do you believe Gabi and Xander are truly heading for romance—or is this just emotional fallout dressed up as chemistry?