When she was a teenager, Sarah Garone was regularly targeted by an anonymous predator for almost a decade. Each time her mysterious assailant struck, Sarah ran to her stepfather, Gary Hardy. Each time, Gary responded with shock and concern, pretending to be her protector.

Claire Throssell interprets Darren Sykes' overwhelming displays of affection as signs of true love; she doesn't realize that Darren's grand gestures are his way of luring her into a false sense of security so he can control her.