Chapter 1

The meeting was taking place in the Executive conference room of the Metro Court. Since Jax is presumed dead this left Crimson in dire need of another financial backer. She's managed to stay strong for two years but her time has run out. Kate knows this does not put her in the best bargaining position however she'd be damned if she was going to be walked over. This company however has an established and respected reputation. Titan Publishing's CEO and President are flying in to meet with her this afternoon. Victor Kiriakis and Brady Black would be here in about an hour. Victor was the founder and CEO and Brady was his grandson and the new President. She had done her research on Titan and she had to admit, she was impressed and felt that this may be a great step for Crimson to take. However, she had to ensure that the integrity of the magazine that she built from the ground up was going to remain and that her decisions were not going to be challenged and second guessed.

"Kristina!" Kate bellowed albeit politely.

"Yes Kate?" Kristina responded coming into her office.

"Please take these files to the conference room in preparation for my meeting with Titan, and also double check that the Metro Grill has stocked the room with the finest Greek olives on the relish trays as well as the special Brandy I ordered and the various sparkling waters, as I'm told Mr. Black does not drink."

"Yes, of course." She hurried over to Kate's desk and picked up her files and made her way out the door and onto the elevator. She had been working for Kate for about a year now. She attended Yale for a year but when her mother had a relapse of her lung cancer she moved home. Thankfully Alexis was now in remission again and the outlook looked good. She had a lot to be thankful for and had really grown up in the last year. She left a young, self-absorbed teenager that panted around after an older man that showed no interest in her. She came back with a year at Yale under her belt and an ailing mother to care for. She had no time to be selfish, or obsessed with anything but her family. She and Ethan rekindled a friendship but she had no thoughts beyond that as she had other priorities. Ethan was now Luke's partner in the Haunted Star but was left solely responsible more times than not as Luke's lengthy disappearances absorbed 2/3 of the year.

She took care of the requests made by Kate and then made her exit as she had to hurry to make it to her last final of the year. She was still pursuing a law degree and even though she was slightly disappointed to have it not be a Yale law degree she knew it was more important to stay close to home. She quickly shot a text to her friend Serena letting her know she was on her way when she accidentally ran into the back of a man on his cell phone. Her bag and phone fell to the floor in the collision as she stumbled back.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking…" She said as the man turned around to face her. She caught her last words before they exited her mouth as the man's ruggedly handsome features deserved a moment of appreciation.

"It's ok. It looks like my back did more damage to you." He smiled and bent down to help her retrieve her items.

"You don't have to do that." She bent down to help and he handed her the purse and then her phone.

"It's no problem. I hope I didn't break your phone." His green eyes were piercing.

She looked at her phone and made sure her screen turned back on. "Well, it looks ok. Thank you, I better get going though. Sorry again." She walked out the front doors and the gentleman watched her leave wondering if all Port Charles women were that beautiful.

The next morning

Kristina walked in and set her coffee on her desk along with her bag. Lulu came walking in almost immediately behind her.

"Morning Kristina." She greeted.

"Morning. How's it going?" She replied as she sat down.

"Does the word yuck mean anything to you?" She said sarcastically. "I mean, Maxie taking that position with Vogue last month is great for her but makes it crazy here. I'm just glad you're done with classes for the summer and can put in more hours for the next few months because you are going to save me."

"Hey, well, I'm here to help anyway I can so just throw it at me and I'm here for you." She smiled at her sister in law. She was glad that she and Dante had managed to make it down the aisle last year even after a short break up a few months before.

The elevator doors opened and revealed Sonny entering the Crimson offices. He and Kate were seeing each other again but she was adamantly against marriage thinking that it just wasn't in the cards for them. Although this initially caused multiple arguments her father seemed to make peace with it now and was comfortable with where he and Kate were.

"Hi Dad." Kristina greeted.

"Hi sweetheart, Lulu." Sonny greeted his daughter and daughter in law respectively. "How did your finals go?"

"I took my last one yesterday and I think it went well. I feel pretty confident about it."

"Good. I'm sure you did great. You always do."

"Thanks, are you here to see Kate?"

"Yeah, I wanted to see if she was in yet?"

"No, not yet, she had a meeting that went into the night and then a breakfast again this morning." Lulu replied. "She should be here shortl…" she began to say but was proven right by the elevator doors opening again, now revealing Kate, a very distinguished looking older man, and a very handsome younger man. This had to be Victor Kiriakis and his grandson Brady Black, Lulu thought as she stood up and Kristina did the same recognizing the younger man.

Walking into the office Brady was surprised to see the girl he ran into yesterday afternoon. By the look on her face she seemed surprised to see him too. Victor was surprised as well but for a whole other reason. He recognized the man standing in the middle of Crimson.

"Good morning everyone." Kate said as she walked in. "Lulu, Kristina, this is Victor Kiriakis and his grandson Brady Black. The CEO and President of Titan Publishing."

"Nice to meet you both." Lulu said shaking Victor's hand first then Brady's. Victor nodded. Brady replied "You too."

"Mr. Kiriakis, it's a pleasure." Kristina shook Victor's hand then extended her hand to Brady. "Mr. Black." She smiled.

"Brady, please." He accepted her hand. "It's nice running into you again. Kristina?"

"Yes. Kristina." Noticing Kate looking towards Sonny. "This is my father Michael Corinthos." She said introducing Sonny so that Kate didn't have to say 'friend or boyfriend' in front of a business associate. She knows what weight and wariness goes along with her father's name sometimes.

Brady extended his hand to Sonny, which Sonny accepted.

Victor looked at Sonny, which Sonny noticed. It was a look he has seen many times before. It meant he was recognized, only this time he wasn't the only one because Victor's name sounded very familiar to him too, he just couldn't place it. Victor however was the first to break the silence.

"Mr. Corinthos, it's nice to make your acquaintance. Let me introduce myself again. Victor Kiriakis." Although hands were not extended it was a respectful greeting, one which was common in the Organization during peaceful meetings. Kiriakis. He knew that name, and then it finally clicked.

"Mr. Kiriakis, the pleasure is mine." Sonny nodded respectfully. Although he had not heard the name in many years it was one to be respected.

Brady could tell there was an unspoken conversation going on between the two men and made a mental note to ask his Grandfather about it later. The ladies noticed something as well so Kate decided to squash it right then and there.

"Victor, Brady, please have a seat in my office and we'll finish ironing out some details." Victor and Brady followed Kate's arm directing them. "I'll be right in." She said closing the door behind them.

"So, what was that about?" Kate questioned Sonny with an eyebrow arched.

"Nothing. Hey, are you free for dinner tonight?" Sonny downplayed Kate's curiousity.

She was suspicious, but willing to let it go for now. "Yes, I'll call you when I leave. Should be around 7."

"Sounds perfect." He kissed her cheek and made his way out and onto the elevator. He pulled out his cell phone.

"Bernie, get me a file on Victor Kiriakis and meet me at my house in 2 hours."

Back inside after Kate rejoined Victor and Brady in her office.

"So, what was that about running into you 'again'?" Lulu questioned Kristina.

"Oh, no big deal, I was sending a text and wasn't watching where I was going yesterday and ran into his back and dropped my phone and bag. He helped me pick them up and that was about it." Kristina said shrugging her shoulders.

"Is that why you're blushing?" Lulu teased her sister in law.

"Oh shut up." Kristina laughed and threw her coffee wrapper at Lulu. She had to admit that Brady Black was hot but she was extremely out of practice. Her last relationship was Will from school and that relationship just fizzled out as she couldn't really devote much time to it. Besides Brady had to be 28, 29 maybe and probably felt he was too old for her. That was the story of her life after all.

Kate, Victor, and Brady emerged from her office about 3 hours later. Diane joined them about an hour earlier as well.

"Ladies, I have an announcement to make." Kate commanded Kristina and Lulu's attention. "Crimson has reached an agreement with Titan Publishing and if all goes well in the next few weeks after ironing out all the details then by summer's end Crimson will be published under the Titan label."

"Wonderful." Kristina smiled and seemed to capture Brady's stare.

"Congratulations." Lulu added.

"Thank you both." Kate replied. "Kristina, I do believe this poses a good opportunity for you to work closely with Diane. She will be handling the arrangements and since you'll begin law school next year you could use this experience."

"Kate that would be great, thank you." Kristina was shocked. This would be a wonderful opportunity and could give her a great law related work experience to put on her resume.

"Brady will be staying in Port Charles the next few weeks to work closely with Diane on the details and myself with the magazine operations to become familiar with our process." She turned to Lulu. "Lulu, can you arrange the office down the hall to be made ready for Brady to occupy by tomorrow."

"I'll take care of it." Lulu replied and turned to get on the phone.

"Since we'll all be working closely together I would like to take all of you out to dinner tonight. My grandfather unfortunately has to get back to Salem this evening."

"It is regrettable as I would love to spend the evening with you lovely ladies however I'm sure my grandson will take good care of you. Ladies, a pleasure and I apologize but I must take my leave of you now. I will check back in a few days."

"Thank you Victor. I look forward to working with you." Kate shook Victor's hand and walked him to the elevator leaving Lulu and Kristina with Brady.

"Mr. Black, I'm so sorry but it's my mother in law's birthday and my husband and I have plans with her tonight."

"Oh, that's fine. This is very impromptu so I completely understand, but please call me Brady." He set her at ease.

"Thank you." She replied.

Kate returned to the conversation, overhearing Lulu's decline. "Brady, unfortunately I will be unable to join you this evening as well as I've made prior plans but I hope Kristina at least will be able to accompany you." Kate looked at Kristina in a manner that said 'you need to do this'. Not that she really had to, she didn't have anything going on.

"Yes, that's fine. I look forward to it." Kristina replied very politely.

Brady smiled at her and reached in his coat pocket. "Here's my card. Text me your address and I will pick you up at say 8:00?"

"Would you rather I met you here since you don't know your way around?" She asked.

"No, I'm actually going to go for a run and take a look around Port Charles this afternoon so hopefully I should be fine. I'll call you if I get lost though." He teased.

She let out a small laugh. "I'm sure you'll be fine then. Port Charles isn't too big." She turned and took her card off of her desk and handed it to Brady. "Here's my card with my cell on it, you know just in case you do find yourself in a bad area of town or something." She teased him back.

Brady laughed. "You'll come and be my bodyguard?"

"Well, I do have access to some actually." She left it at that not getting into her father's business just yet.

"My grandfather does too. He's had one at his side since I can remember. It's only in the last few years that he's relaxed a little on that, but that is probably a conversation for dinner." He didn't want to be rude to Kate and Lulu standing there listening to the two of them.

"I'll text you my address in a bit."

"I look forward to it." He then turned to Kate.

"Kate, it's been wonderful and I'm excited to begin this process with Crimson." He extended his hand which she accepted and then left for the elevator.

Kate waited until the elevator doors closed and then turned to Lulu and Kristina. "Well ladies, I know we held out as long as we could without Jax but I do believe this is a great step for Crimson. Titan has an amazing reputation and they have been highly successful in their endeavors."

"They seem very polite and approachable, so I would think good to work with." Lulu offered.

"Brady will work with us more than Victor so we'll have more contact with him but Victor doesn't strike me as the hands off type so I do expect to hear from him consistently, at least in the beginning."

A little flip went off in Kristina's stomach when Kate said Brady would work with them more. She didn't know why exactly, but that definitely did not sound like a bad thing to her.