The execution was halted just moments before the drugs could finish their work. Roberto Barelli, the dying mobster, had confessed to killing Franco Kelly from his hospital bed, and Governor Thorne had no choice but to stop the procedure. Samantha Brady was revived and rushed to Salem University Hospital, her family surrounding her with relief and tears. But the chaos wasn’t over.
Lucas Roberts, the father of Sami’s son, had also confessed to the murder—only to recant the moment Barelli’s confession became public. Now he sat in police headquarters, sweating under the glare of Captain Roman Brady and the district attorney, his story shifting like sand. Kate Roberts stood in the corridor, her careful composure cracking. She had orchestrated everything—the deal with Barelli, the promise to care for his family in exchange for his confession—all to protect Lucas.
But Lucas had panicked and confessed himself, nearly destroying her perfect plan. “If you had just trusted me and not panicked! ” Kate hissed at her son when they had a moment alone. “I told you over and over I would never let Sami die.
”
Lucas shot back, his voice raw: “How was I supposed to know that? You never wanted Sami off death row. ”
“I didn’t,” Kate admitted, her eyes hard. “Because I thought the appeals would go on forever!
But then the judge moved up her execution because of her reckless behavior—because Sami was willing to risk her life to keep you from getting custody of Will. ”
In the hospital, Sami held her mother’s hand, her skin still pale but the color slowly returning. She asked about Lucas’s confession, about Kate’s presence at Barelli’s bedside, trying to piece together the nightmare that had almost ended her life. Austin stayed close, telling her the important thing was that she was alive and free.
But downstairs in the interrogation room, Lucas was digging his own grave. The district attorney, Carson Palmer, wasn’t satisfied with two conflicting confessions. He wanted the truth. “Why would you confess to a crime you didn’t commit?
” Carson pressed. Lucas explained it was a last-ditch effort to buy Roman time—a desperate gamble to save Sami from the needle. He talked about his son Will crying for his mother, about wanting to be a hero in his boy’s eyes. But Roman Brady wasn’t buying it.
“Mommy’s not here to tell you what to do,” Roman said coldly. “Why don’t you be a man for once? Tell the truth. ”
Outside the station, Eric Brady confronted Nicole, his anger barely contained.
She was Lucas’s wife now, wearing the ring that should have been his. He demanded to know what Kate and Lucas had done to her, whether she was being blackmailed. “I can’t tell you the truth, Eric,” Nicole whispered, pulling away. “I did what I did to protect you…
because I love you, too. ”
But Eric’s hatred for Lucas burned too bright to hear her. “Lucas will pay for what he has done to my sister and Nicole. ”
Then the phone rang.
Forensics had re-examined all the evidence from the murder scene. Carson Palmer returned with the verdict: the fibers on Sami’s wedding dress matched the carpet at the Kiriasis mansion, where Barelli had dragged her unconscious body. Roberto Barelli had murdered Franco Kelly. The evidence was conclusive.
Lucas Roberts was free to go. Roman Brady accepted the outcome with a tight smile, but Mickey Horton saw the doubt in his eyes. “When Carson said he believed Roberto’s confession, I got the impression you didn’t,” Mickey observed. “It’s just a little too convenient for me,” Roman admitted.
“I still think Lucas did it. I think Kate helped him cover it up. Sami’s exonerated, and that’s a big win—but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Kate and Lucas get away with murder. ”
Kate Roberts watched her son walk free, her expression triumphant but her mind already spinning.
“I really had no choice. I had to save Sami. But now everyone’s going to think of her as some kind of saint or martyr—but I know differently. That vengeful little bitch is going to be in our lives forever.
”
In the hospital room, Sami asked her father about the guard she had drugged during her escape. Mickey assured her there would be no charges—she never should have been in prison in the first place. She was free. Completely, officially free.
Austin stayed by her side as the family filed out, promising to take her home to Will. Sami’s eyes drifted to the door, a flicker of worry crossing her face. “I just hope Lucas is in a sharing mood. ”
Carrie watched them from the hallway, her heart heavy.
“It’s so obvious how much Sami loves Austin,” she said to Mike. “I don’t think she ever stopped. ”
Mike took her hand. “Well, maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be—Austin with Sami and you with me.
”
Marlena and John walked out together, the nightmare finally over. But John’s jaw was set with determination. “I’m going to prevent another one by making sure DiMera stays away from us. ”
Marlena had gone to Stefano DiMera to save her daughter, begging him to use his influence with the governor.
Bo had warned her that Stefano would call in that marker someday—that she had “sold her soul to the devil for absolutely nothing. ”
Gina asked Bo what Stefano could possibly want from Marlena. Bo shook his head, his voice grim. “God only knows.
That’s why I’ve got to bring him down before he calls in his marker. ”
But even as the Brady family celebrated their victory, the shadow of Stefano DiMera loomed over them. And Roman Brady stood in the police station, unwilling to let the truth die, knowing that Kate and Lucas had somehow cheated justice. Lucas walked out of the station into the night, the memory of that gunshot still ringing in his ears.
“That I killed somebody and got away with it, didn’t I? ” he murmured. “The memory’s going to haunt me for the rest of my life. ”
Kate gripped his arm, her voice fierce with maternal protection.
“You didn’t murder Franco. He was going to kill me, and you shot him to protect me. But now you have to put all of that behind you—in the past—and get on with your life because you finally have everything you ever wanted. ”
Lucas nodded, drinking in the night air.
He had his son, his wife, his freedom. “I should find Nicole. I should tell her the good news. ”
But across the parking lot, Eric Brady stood in the shadows, watching Lucas walk free.
His fists were clenched at his sides, his eyes burning with righteous fury. Lucas Roberts might have escaped justice tonight, but Eric knew the truth. And one day, Lucas would pay.
