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When one marriage falls apart, there’s always an ex waiting.
Yikes! Last fortnight when Belle (Martha Madison) walked into the Brady Pub – with her now-grownup daughter Claire (Olivia Rose Keegan) in tow – she revealed that her marriage with her former Salem High sweetheart Shawn (Jason Cook) was on the rocks thanks to his neglect and her cheating. So we’re at attention when Belle’s ex-husband Philip Kiriakis (now played by John-Paul Lavoisier) arrives in Salem to take the reins at the Kiriakis clan’s Titan empire. Philip, Shawn and Belle were in a dramatic love triangle growing up in the early 2000s – is history set to repeat itself? With Shawn back in Maine and Belle and Claire staying in Salem, the field is wide open…
THE SPARK, THE FLAME
Philip seems keen to rekindle the flame. During their first late-night meeting, he jokes about lawyer Belle treating him as if they’re still married and he tries to invite her to dinner. But Belle is more cautious and believes that she needs to pull herself and her life together and Philip will be too busy at work to spend much time with her. She could have a point. John-Paul jokes that formerly laidback Philip is grown up now. “I wear suits every single day and I am corporate. I’m doing man stuff, posing in my suit! I’ve got computers and paperwork and talking about Taiwan negotiations and all kinds of business stuff.”
A DIMERA DILEMMA
But those romantics who’re fantasising about a Valentine’s Day reunion for Philip and Belle may want to hit the brakes because it’s not just that these two have piles of baggage of their own; Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) has his own plans for Belle. He believes that she is the key to the DiMeras getting back their fortune that was stolen by Belle’s mom Sami (Alison Sweeney) in early January. There’s also the small matter of Andre’s new mission to brainwash his little brother Chad (Billy Flynn) to force him to romance and seduce Belle…