A/N: Kinda wished there was an "Align Right" option in the doc editor but alas...
"I hope everything's stable over there."
"So far, so good." A small smirk crossed Anna Devane's face. On her laptop screen was an open Skype call, with Laura Collins's face present in the frame. The town mayor sat in what appeared to be a lobby, with watercolor landscape photos hanging behind her, "As far as I'm aware, Victor hasn't done anything since you've left."
"That's a relief," Laura said in response, "but knowing Victor, there's probably something behind the scenes going on."
"Absolutely."
"And that likely involves Valentin."
"Unfortunately," Anna sighed, "That's still something I'm trying to decipher. Valentin doesn't really like his father, so why would he decide to work with him?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but truthfully, I wouldn't be surprised if it came down to his family tree."
"What do you mean?"
"He's a Cassadine. Corruption, treachery…it's part of their nature. I love my son, but I'm not going to act like it's not part of who he is."
"Sure, the family as a whole has their vices. But Valentin?" Anna bit her bottom lip, "I don't know, I just don't think we can pin this on him simply being a Cassadine."
"You could be right. The family nowadays is quite…fractured. It's like everyone's in their own little spheres and so distant."
"I'd like to think of it as a mostly good thing."
"Oh, certainly! But don't think that the family's internal disconnect means they've lost the darker sides of themselves."
"When it comes to Victor, I'm definitely aware. And sometimes Nikolas too, no offense."
"None taken."
"Part of me wants to extend that notion to Valentin, it really does, but…I just can't."
"...This is really bothering you, isn't it?" Laura sighed, her eyes full of sympathy, "I know how you feel about Valentin, and I don't mean to step on any of that, Anna. Like I told you at the Metro Court - don't let love rob you of your better sense."
"I know," Anna smiled sadly, "and at the end of the day, Valentin is just one part of Victor's plan."
"What about Victor's plan?"
Whipping her head around, Anna found Dante Falconeri standing a foot or two adjacent to her, Sam McCall's arm looped with his. The couple greeted Anna with warm smiles before walking around and taking seats on either side of her.
"Nice of you to join me," Anna said.
"Sorry for the delay. Kids kept us busy for a bit," Dante chuckled, "Drew would be here too, but he agreed to stay back and watch over them."
"So what's this about Victor?" Sam asked, "Any developments with him or his plans?"
"Not that we could see," Laura chimed in, "Anna and I were pondering what he could be up to, considering that nothing has happened since I left for Italy."
"Victor is nothing if not crafty," Anna explained, "There has to be something going on in the shadows."
"Well, do we even have any idea of what Victor could be doing?" Dante said, "Last time we all met, we discussed Operation Demeter, but that tied to the military and all the leads we had were dead ends."
"Something tells me Victor's plans aren't entirely related to that," Laura said, "If anything, his focus seems to be all about family."
"Well, we know that Valentin is working with him-" Sam began
"Right, but I think it goes beyond that. It would be one thing if it was just Valentin he's been close with since he returned to Port Charles."
"But?"
"He's been to Wyndemere and bonded with Spencer. He's tried to get Alexis to assist him through the Invader. He's mingled with all the Cassadines still on the Earth."
"I mean, family is family," Dante shrugged, "but considering how…distinct the current Cassadines are, it's certainly a bit suspicious."
"Victor is pretty unpopular as it stands," Anna pointed out, "so for him to try and get the remaining Cassadines on his side, it doesn't make sense."
"Obviously he's got an angle," Sam continued, "Of course, if he wants to get me or my mom on his side, he'll really have to work hard at it."
"And while Spencer and Ava seem to be on good terms with him, Nikolas doesn't share the feeling." Laura added.
"Whatever Victor wants with uniting the Cassadine family must have some importance to it," Anna concluded, "and for now, it's likely where our focus needs to be."
From: Dex (6:42 AM)
At the pier now, Wyndemere soon.
To: Dex (6:49 AM)
Excellent. Keep me updated on what goes on.
Sonny clicked off his cellphone, a small smirk crossing his face. As much as he wanted to congratulate Ava for getting rid of Esme, the circumstances held him back. Esme was a crafty young woman, and despite the fall from the Wyndemere parapet being quite steep, the kill rate wasn't exactly positive. And knowing what Esme was capable of regardless, the chance of her surviving and hiding in the shadows gave Sonny an uneasy feeling.
He prayed that her body was scattered among the rocks.
Dex better find her, Sonny thought to himself, twiddling his thumbs in his lap, or else we're all in for a world of trouble.
"Mr. Corinthos, sir?" Sonny snapped out of his thought to see Frank standing in the doorway of his office. He could see part of the Pozzulo's bar behind his henchman, and in Frank's hand was a small slip of white paper.
"Hmm? What is it, Frank?"
"I was handed this phone number," Frank walked forward, placing the paper on the desk, "with no further instruction. I don't know if you'd want to reach out."
"Well, I…I see no harm in making a phone call," Sonny sighed, sitting upright, "Thank you, Frank."
Once the man closed the office door behind him, Sonny took a look at the number in front of him: (206) 555-0191
He pressed each number into the desk phone, listening to the dial tone hum in his ear.
"Hello?"
"This is Sonny Corinthos. A colleague of mine was given this phone number."
"Oh good," the voice, male and with a lingering German accent, laughed, "Glad you decided to call."
"Who is this?"
"Doesn't matter. What does matter is what's coming."
On the other side of the country, a man sat with his feet on top of his lacquered desk. His hair was a dirty blonde, and his eyes were a deep brown. He twirled the phone cord between his fingers, a smug expression on his face.
"And what exactly is coming?" Sonny asked.
"A new business," the man replied, untangling his fingers to rub the stubble on his face, "I've heard your coffee is pretty good. You've got quite a strong monopoly over there."
"I do. You think your product's better?"
"No, I don't deal in coffee. Too simple, too cheap-"
"My coffee isn't cheap."
"Never said it was. I'm saying coffee in general is cheap. It's easy."
"Spoken like someone who doesn't drink it."
"If you say so, Mr. Corinthos," the man cleared his throat, "My point is, your business? It's decaying and drying out, is it not?"
"I think the people of Port Charles would beg to differ, at a minimum."
"Well, if that were true, you wouldn't have lost those lucrative contracts with the Port Charles Grill and the Haven Bistro, correct?" The quiet hum of static filled the man's ear, and he softly chuckled in response, "Cat got your tongue?"
"How do you know about that?"
"News travels fast. The Internet is free, after all. It's not hard to pull up a business article from your neck of the woods."
"Losing two local businesses doesn't mean I'm decaying."
"Oh come on now, Mr. Corinthos, let's not be ignorant. Two losses can turn into four, and then eight, and then sixteen, and before you know it, you're done."
"I-"
"And let's not act like your exports haven't taken a hit either. All that supposedly good coffee going to waste in that dingy harbor…it's a tragedy."
"...I see what this is," Sonny laughed, "You're just some hotshot nobody trying to rile me up."
"Ooh, so close, but it sounds like I'm doing a great job."
"You know nothing about me."
"I know plenty," the man's voice was cold. His eyes danced around his office before landing back on his desk, specifically on a photograph of him in an earlier time, "I know that, among other things, you're quite the family man."
"It's something I take pride in. Why is that a concern of yours?"
In the photo, a young boy sat in the man's lap. While their hair color matched, the boy's eyes were a dull gemstone green, "Family's important to me too, which is why I can't imagine hurting them," his eyes quickly darted away from the photo, "...not that you'd know how to avoid that."
"You keep your mouth shut about my family, do you hear me?!" Sonny growled, "You make any move against my loved ones and you'll deal with me personally."
"Wouldn't dream of it. There's enough of that going on already," the man laughed before a ringing sound interrupted the static, "I think that wraps up our little conversation."
In Pozzulo's, Sonny felt rage boil within him. He held the desk phone in a death grip, ready to break apart at any moment.
"Is that so?" Sonny asked.
"Duty calls. But it was so nice to hear from the big bad kingpin on the east coast."
"And who are you then? The least you could do is give me your name, considering you know mine."
"Oh please, the last thing I'd ever give you is any kind of fair deal. You can consider me a foreigner, a stranger for the time being."
"I-" On his desk, Sonny's phone lit up: a text notification.
From: Dex (6:52 AM)
At Wyndemere. The search is on.
"I really do have to go, Mr. Corinthos, but truly, it was nice to finally hear from you," Sonny felt his ear twitch at the man's voice, an unsettling anger coursing through his veins, "And for what it's worth, I hope you find what you're looking for."