Valentin and Charlotte Flee Port Charles — and Natalia Has a Business Offer for Sonny

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In her office, Sonny asks if Nina can bury the hatchet with him like she did Drew. Nina says there is nothing to bury. She blew their relationship up with lies. Plus, their relationship was based on a man named Mike, who didn’t exist. Sonny thinks Mike was a little bit real. She doesn’t want to forget what they had, and they both want each other to be happy. Nina says if Ava and Scott are stupid enough to ask her to testify against him, she’ll tell them she’ll only tell story after story of what a good father he is. She hopes he gets custody. Sonny says he has to, for Avery’s sake.

Nina admits she should have listened to him over and over again about Ava. Sonny says he should have taken his own advice and not let Ava in. However, he looked past her faults because she’s Avery’s mother, but also because he was so messed up over losing Nina. Nina says she was messed up, too, but she’s a lot better now. He’s glad to hear it. She asks how he’s feeling these days. Sonny states he’s ready for anything and won’t let anyone take advantage of him anymore. They wish each other all the best.

Later, Maxie arrives to talk Deception business, but finds Nina is lost in thought. Nina says Sonny was just here, and he was like his old self, and he wanted to bury the hatched. Maxie asks if she wants Sonny back. Nina says she’ll always love Sonny, but she’s no longer hopelessly and desperately in love, she’s stronger and ready to move on. Maxie recalls not too long ago she was hellbent on getting Sonny back. Nina says she’s only going to say this once, Ava was right, her life and Sonny’s don’t fit and never did. Nina even admits Carly was right too, and they were all right. She tried to turn Sonny into something he wasn’t, and she tried to become the perfect woman for him and lost sight of who she was.

Maxie says she’s proud of Nina. Even though she got her heart broken, she gained some wisdom from the experience. Nina isn’t so sure she did given the Drew situation. Nina says they have been able to help one another after so many ups and downs. She admits she believes Drew will make a good Congressman, and Willow has reached out to her as a mother thanks to Drew. If Willow believes in Drew, she wants him to get elected for her.

At the pool, Joss catches Gio spaced out and lets him know people are waiting for towels. He later thanks her for not getting him in trouble, but she says she’s not his boss and asks if everything is okay. Gio worries that he’s overstayed his welcome. He tells her about Lois’ suggestion he returns home, which confuses Joss, as Lois brought him here.

Gio explains the gig his Aunt Lois arranged for him. Joss says Lois was a music manager and thinks Lois probably looked at it as just a nice opportunity. Gio assumes she’s right, why else would she want him to leave? However, maybe he should go back and take the gig after Aunt Lois went to so much trouble to find it. Joss says he needs to decide what he wants, and it’s up to them to figure out their lives and what makes them happy.

Meanwhile, Carly delivers Lois a drink she ordered and says she hears they have her to thank for bringing Gio to Port Charles. Lois says his future is bright, and the sky is the limit. She goes on and on about how there is nothing Gio can’t play. Carly brings up Sonny paying for Gio’s education. Lois explains Gio’s mother, Camilla, was a cousin from Italy and came to America to play for the Brooklynn Philharmonic. She was only here six months when she fell for Gio’s dad, Francis Palmieri. She says they had a whirlwind romance and eloped right before he was deployed. Then she found out she was pregnant, but before she could tell Francis, he was killed in action.

Carly says that is such a sad story. Lois says they all rallied around Camilla, and just when they thought Camilla and Gio would have their own happily ever after, Camilla died. Gio had just started his musical training, he was only ten. That’s when Sonny stepped in to pay for his education. Carly wonders why Sonny never mentioned Gio to her?

Sonny arrives home to find Natalia waiting for him. He asks why she’s here. She knows he’s still upset with her, but she is here for Alison… well, Blaze, rather. She cries Blaze worked so hard for her career and that contract, which are now in jeapordy. Sonny says Blaze’s fans didn’t just hear her words. It was what she said that hurt Blaze and her fans. Natalia knows, and Kristina has already spoken to her about what she said. She admits she now sees how much Alison and Kristina love each other, although it came a little too late. Sonny asks if she wants him to be a go-between. Natalia says this is her mess to clean up with her daughter, but she can at least work to save her career.

Sonny realizes this is about his old ties to the music business. Natalia is hoping he’ll help Blaze, which will help Kristina too. She says if he invested in Blaze, they could put all new material out on an indie album. She’ll offer her money up, too, but it won’t be enough on her own. Sonny asks, “You want me to bankroll a new record label?” He knows nothing about the business. Natalia says she does, and his investment will be returned one hundredfold. He asks what Blaze thinks about this. Natalia admits she doesn’t know, but she knows Blaze will make it and is a star. Sonny says he’s in. However, he wants no one to know he’s involved. Brook Lynn will get the credit, and she’s in charge. Natalia is shocked. He says it’s his offer, take it or leave it.

At Valentin’s, he asks Anna to run away with him. She can’t risk it, but he thinks she already put her life on the line to help him. She claims she did this for Charlotte, and if not for her, she’d let Cates have him. Valentin knows that’s a lie as she loves him, and he begs her to come with him and start a new life together. She refuses to live on the run. She left Robin once, and she can’t sacrifice her time with Noah and Emma for any reason. Valentin warns her when the FBI arrives, he’ll be gone, and they’ll connect the dots back to her. She says dots don’t make a case. He cries, “Don’t throw your life away, come with me.” She kisses him but cries, “I’m sorry. I love you, but I can’t go with you.”

Anna says he doesn’t have a lot of time and asks if he has contingencies in place, like cash and new IDs. He says they’ll be fine. Anna doesn’t understand why he built a good life here to risk it all for Pikeman. What happened? Valentin tells her, “You did.” Valentin explains he’s always been involved with Pikeman, and it all goes back to the mission she and Brennan were involved in with the defector. It was all about getting the defector’s money to set up Pikeman. He resigned from the WSB, but still did contract work for Pikeman. Then years later she busted Brennan, and he was out of reasons to be a good boy. She wished he had opened up to her and trusted her.

Valentin admits he almost told her before he was planning to take over but didn’t want to put her in a position where she’d have to arrest him. Anna notes, “And here we are again.” He points out that she’s not arresting him, she’s letting him go. Anna brings up Cates finding fabricated emails between her and Brennan. He admits that was him, and he was careful, nothing would hold up in court, and he’d never incriminate her. Anna notes he did use her, though. Valentin cries anything good in him is because of her. She says that’s not true, and he has a good heart. She states she’s been here too long, so as soon as Charlotte gets here, take her and leave. Valentin knows she can’t go with him, but at least tell him she wants to, even if it’s not true. Anna cries that if she could go with him, she’d do it in a heartbeat. He asks if that’s true? She smiles and says, “You’ll never know.” Suddenly, Charlotte arrives, sees Anna crying, and asks, “What’s wrong?”

Cates bangs on Jason’s door until he opens it. Cates asks what took him so long. Jason says this is where he lives, so if he wants to talk, they should go to the warehouse. Cates reminds him he holds the cards here, and Carly will pay the price if he doesn’t do what he says. Cates wants information on Sonny, but Jason says that wasn’t the deal and he’s not answering questions about Sonny. Cates asks how he can be loyal to a man who almost killed him a month ago. Jason says that wasn’t Sonny, and if he did a proper investigation, he’d know that. Cates believes it was Sonny who hired those men to take him out. He argues that Sonny uses people, and he used Jason and discarded him. Cates says the man destroyed his life. Jason angrily responds, “Sonny didn’t destroy my life, you did!”

Cates notes Jason chose to become an informant, just as Carly chose to take over for Sonny, and Sonny is the only one who never seems to pay. He says right now Sonny is trying to take Avery from Ava, and she’s terrified. Jason suggests he think twice before he trusts Ava. Cates can’t believe he’s so far gone that he will believe Sonny above anything and anyone. He tells Jason he was a good kid, so what happened to him? He rants that Sonny wrecks lives, and Jason just needs to admit Sonny was the one who tried to kill him. Seeing Anna’s time is up, Jason offers up Valentin’s phone, which proves Valentin is the one running Pikeman. Cates asks where he got this? Jason asks if he really wants to know. Cates wonders how long he has had this. Jason admits it’s been a few hours. Cates demands to know why he didn’t tell him earlier. Jason reminds him he’s been hammering on about Sonny. Cates calls back up to Valentin’s house and storms out.

Back at the pool, Jason shows up and runs into Gio. They briefly chat about his violin playing, and he spots Carly and heads to see her. He tells Carly it’s done, and if Cates keeps his word, they are free.

Cates and other agents burst into Valentin’s house, but it’s clear and all bedrooms are empty. Parked in a car nearby, Anna watches and smiles.

On the next General Hospital: Blaze thinks her music career is done. Tracy asks Cody, “When did you realize that was something you shouldn’t be bragging about.” Chase warns Dex it will be the longest five seconds of his life. At the footbridge, Carly asks Jason to promise her something. Sonny and Natalia meet with Brook Lynn to discuss a plan that hinges on her.