- 3 months ago
Hard Shocked! The Mask Comes Off! Ronnie’s True Identity & His Sinister Boss Rev
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00:00Hello everyone, and welcome to my General Hospital official channel. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day.
00:06Before we begin, please hit the subscribe button and give this video a thumbs up.
00:11Port Charles was no stranger to secrets, but this one threatened to shatter everything.
00:16The day began like any other, the usual bustle at the PCPD, officers moving in and out, reports piling high, but beneath the surface, a storm was brewing.
00:26Ronnie Dimestico thought he could keep his web of lies hidden forever, but cracks were starting to show.
00:32The man who once appeared as a loyal cop and friend was slowly unraveling, and soon everyone would see the truth, the truth that Ronnie wasn't just breaking the law, he was working for someone far more dangerous.
00:42At the station, Dante Falconeri sat at his desk, scanning through files connected to a recent wave of illegal shipments through the docks.
00:50These don't add up, Dante muttered under his breath, flipping through the pages.
00:55His partner, Chase, glanced over with curiosity.
00:59What doesn't?
01:01Dante sighed, tapping the folder.
01:04Every time we get close to shutting down this operation, the perps vanish like they were tipped off.
01:09Someone inside's leaking information.
01:13Chase frowned.
01:14You think it's someone from the PCPD?
01:17Dante didn't want to say it, but deep down, he knew.
01:21Yeah.
01:22I do.
01:24And I think I know who.
01:27Meanwhile, Ronnie leaned back in his chair across the station, pretending to type up reports, but his phone buzzed with a coded message.
01:34He looked around, making sure no one was watching, then opened it, time's up.
01:39They're getting close.
01:41Handle it, or I will.
01:44His jaw clenched.
01:46Damn it, he whispered.
01:48The mask of confidence slipped for a second as sweat formed on his brow.
01:52Whoever he was working for wasn't someone he could afford to cross.
01:57Ronnie knew the walls were closing in, but he wasn't about to go down quietly.
02:01Later that day, Sonny Corinthos met Dante at Charlie's pub.
02:05You look like you haven't slept, Sonny said, sliding into the booth across from his son.
02:10Dante rubbed his temples.
02:12Because I haven't.
02:14Something's off, Sonny.
02:17Every move we make against this new syndicate blows up before we get anywhere.
02:21Someone's feeding them from the inside.
02:24Sonny's eyes narrowed.
02:27You think it's Ronnie?
02:29Dante nodded slowly.
02:31He's been acting weird.
02:33Defensive.
02:35And when I ran a trace on a recent call that tipped off the smugglers?
02:39It led to his burner phone.
02:42Sonny leaned forward, voice low and sharp.
02:45If Ronnie's dirty, you need to expose him, but be careful.
02:49Guys like him, once they're cornered, they don't go down easy.
02:53Back at the PCPD, Ronnie's tension grew.
02:57He knew Dante was watching him.
02:58Every word, every movement, Dante's eyes followed like a hawk.
03:04Got something to say, falconary?
03:06Ronnie barked.
03:08Dante's calm stare didn't flinch.
03:11Just wondering why your name keeps popping up in places it shouldn't.
03:15Ronnie slammed a folder shut.
03:18You accusing me of something?
03:20Not yet, Dante said coolly, but I'm getting there.
03:24The silence that followed was heavy, electric.
03:28For a moment, both men stood toe-to-toe, cop versus cop, truth versus deception.
03:34That night, Ronnie met in a shadowy alley near the waterfront.
03:38A black car idled nearby.
03:40The tinted window rolled down just enough to reveal a pair of cold, calculating eyes.
03:45You're getting sloppy, the voice said.
03:49Ronnie swallowed hard.
03:50They're closing in faster than expected.
03:54Falconary's no fool.
03:56The voice hissed, then deal with him.
03:59You know the rules.
04:01No witnesses, no trails.
04:04Ronnie hesitated.
04:06He's my partner, and Sonny's kid.
04:09The window rolled up halfway.
04:12Then you should have thought about that before taking my money.
04:14The car pulled away, leaving Ronnie trembling.
04:19Whoever was inside that car was powerful enough to make Ronnie, a seasoned enforcer, terrified.
04:25The next morning, Sam and Spinelli were at Kelly's, sipping coffee and whispering over their laptops.
04:31You're sure this date is legit?
04:33Sam asked.
04:35Spinelli nodded enthusiastically.
04:38Absolutely.
04:39The jackal never fails when it comes to digital forensics.
04:44I tracked the shipment manifests tied to the new syndicate, and get this, all the authorizations were signed off by someone at the PCPD.
04:52Sam leaned closer.
04:54You mean Ronnie.
04:56Spinelli nodded grimly.
04:58He's the one connecting all the dots.
05:01But there's a larger name behind the encryption key.
05:05Someone who goes by the alias The Broker.
05:07Sam frowned.
05:10Who the hell is The Broker?
05:13Later, Sam took her findings to Dante.
05:16Spinelli found a digital trail.
05:19Ronnie's been authorizing illegal shipments, but the transactions all lead back to someone called The Broker.
05:25Dante's eyes darkened.
05:27The Broker.
05:29I've heard whispers, a ghost who runs the underground market in Port Charles.
05:34Weapons, money laundering, trafficking, all of it.
05:38Sam nodded.
05:40And whoever it is, they've got Ronnie on a leash.
05:43Dante looked up.
05:45Then it's time to cut that leash.
05:48Ronnie walked into his apartment that night, tossing his keys onto the counter.
05:52He froze when he saw Dante sitting in the dark, waiting.
05:56What the hell, man?
05:58You break into my place now?
06:01Dante stood up slowly.
06:03We need to talk.
06:06Ronnie smirked nervously.
06:08About what?
06:10Dante stepped closer.
06:12About the broker.
06:14About why you've been feeding intel to criminals.
06:18Ronnie's smirk faded.
06:20You got no proof.
06:22Don't need proof.
06:24I've got your burner phone, your transfers, and Sam's data logs.
06:29Ronnie's pulse quickened.
06:31You shouldn't have done that.
06:33What?
06:34Exposed you?
06:36Dante shot back.
06:37You brought this on yourself.
06:39In an instant, Ronnie longed, knocking Dante's gun aside as the two fought violently.
06:46Furniture shattered, glass broke, both men trading blows with years of history between them.
06:51You don't get it, Dante.
06:54Ronnie shouted, grappling with him.
06:57They own me.
06:59You think I wanted this?
07:01Dante gritted his teeth.
07:03You always had a choice.
07:06Ronnie's punch landed hard, sending Dante to the floor.
07:10Ronnie grabbed the gun and pointed it at him, trembling.
07:14I didn't have a choice when they threatened my sister.
07:17The broker said he'd kill her if I didn't cooperate.
07:21Dante's breath hitched.
07:23You could have come to me.
07:25Ronnie shook his head, tears mixing with anger.
07:28You don't know what they're capable of.
07:31Before he could fire, Sam burst through the door, gun drawn.
07:36Drop it, Ronnie.
07:38Ronnie turned, conflicted.
07:41Sam, stay out of this.
07:43Don't make it worse, she warned.
07:46You can still turn this around.
07:49Ronnie's voice cracked.
07:51No, I can't.
07:53It's too late.
07:54The broker's watching everything.
07:57Sam's finger tightened on the trigger, but Ronnie suddenly dropped the gun, falling to
08:02his knees.
08:03They'll kill me anyway, he whispered.
08:06Dante, still catching his breath, grabbed the weapon and cuffed him.
08:10Then maybe we'll find them before they do.
08:13Back at the station, Ronnie sat behind the glass in the interrogation room.
08:18His face was pale, eyes sunken.
08:21Dante entered with Jordan Ashford, the commissioner.
08:24You want to talk, now's your chance, Jordan said firmly.
08:29Ronnie took a deep breath.
08:31You think you can stop the broker?
08:34You can't.
08:36They've got people everywhere, judges, politicians, even cops.
08:40Dante leaned forward.
08:43Then give us a name.
08:45Ronnie hesitated, then whispered, the broker's not some mystery man out of nowhere.
08:49It's someone you already know.
08:53Jordan frowned.
08:55Who?
08:56Ronnie's lips trembled.
08:58Cyrus Renaud.
09:00The room went silent.
09:03Dante stared in shock.
09:05Cyrus?
09:06He's supposed to be locked up in Pentonville.
09:10Ronnie nodded.
09:11He is, but he's still running things from inside.
09:15The whole time, he's been controlling the syndicate remotely.
09:19Every order I got came from him.
09:22Jordan crossed her arms.
09:24And you expect us to believe that?
09:27Ronnie's eyes met hers, desperate.
09:30Check the transfers.
09:32They lead to his offshore accounts.
09:35The broker is Cyrus.
09:37Hours later, in Pentonville, Cyrus Renaud sat calmly in the visitation room,
09:42Bible in hand, as Dante and Jordan entered.
09:44Detective Falconeri, Commissioner, he greeted smoothly.
09:49To what do I owe the pleasure?
09:52Dante glared.
09:53Cut the act, Cyrus.
09:56We know you're the broker.
09:59Cyrus's calm expression never faltered.
10:02You've been misinformed.
10:04I'm a changed man.
10:06Jordan dropped a folder onto the table.
10:08Then explain these, money transfers, offshore accounts, communication logs.
10:15All traced back to you.
10:17Cyrus chuckled softly.
10:19You can trace numbers, Commissioner, but good luck proving I sent them.
10:24Technology can be so easily manipulated.
10:28Dante slammed his hands on the table.
10:31You threatened Ronnie's sister, forced him to betray us.
10:35Cyrus raised an eyebrow.
10:36Ronnie Dimestico made his own choices.
10:40I simply offered him, incentive.
10:43His tone was cold, smug, and unbothered.
10:47If you think bringing me down will stop my operation, you're mistaken.
10:51There's always another broker waiting in the wings.
10:55Jordan leaned in.
10:57You're finished, Renaud.
10:59Cyrus smiled faintly.
11:02On the contrary, Commissioner, I've only just begun.
11:05Back at the PCPD, Dante watched as Ronnie was led away to holding.
11:10You think he'll survive in there?
11:13Chase asked quietly.
11:15Dante shook his head.
11:17Not if Cyrus gets to him first.
11:20Sam approached, concern etched on her face.
11:24Cyrus might be in prison, but he's still got reach.
11:27You think he'll retaliate?
11:30Dante looked down, jawtight.
11:32He already has.
11:35Ronnie's just the beginning.
11:37The next morning, the poor Charles citizens buzzed with the news, Ronnie Dimestico, once
11:42trusted, arrested for corruption and racketeering.
11:45But those close to the case knew it wasn't over.
11:48At General Hospital, Anna Devane met with Jordan in private.
11:53If Cyrus is orchestrating this from behind bars, then he's not doing it alone, Anna said firmly.
11:59He's got outside contacts, probably someone we haven't identified yet.
12:04Jordan nodded grimly.
12:06Then we find them before another cop turns dirty.
12:09Meanwhile, Sonny sat at his penthouse with Brick, watching the news.
12:14So Dante was right, Brick said.
12:17Ronnie was dirty.
12:19Sonny's expression was unreadable.
12:22Yeah.
12:23But Cyrus running things again?
12:26That doesn't sit right.
12:28He's got too many eyes on him in Pentonville.
12:32Someone else must be managing his moves.
12:35Brick tilted his head.
12:36You think there's another boss?
12:40Sonny nodded slowly.
12:42Yeah, someone higher up.
12:44Someone pulling Cyrus's strings this time.
12:48That night, in a dark office somewhere outside Port Charles, a woman's voice echoed through
12:52the shadows.
12:54So, Ronnie's been arrested.
12:56A man answered, yes, ma'am.
12:59He tried to talk, but they only know about Cyrus.
13:03The woman chuckled softly.
13:05Good.
13:07Let them think he's the one in charge.
13:10The Rayol broker remains untouchable.
13:13She stepped into the light, and it was revealed to be Olivia Jerome, alive and well.
13:18Her smile was ice cold as she picked up a glass of champagne.
13:22Port Charles thinks they've solved their problem.
13:25But this is only the beginning.
13:27Across town, Dante sat in his apartment, staring at the evidence board.
13:32Pictures of Ronnie, Cyrus, the docks, and a large question mark hovered over one blurred image,
13:38the true identity of the broker.
13:41He whispered to himself, who are you really?
13:44The camera panned away from his wall of clues to reveal a shadowy figure watching him from
13:48outside the window.
13:49The faint sound of a phone vibrating broke the silence.
13:54A distorted voice spoke through the earpiece,
13:56Phase two begins now.
13:58And with that, Port Charles was once again pressed into chaos,
14:02because Ronnie's downfall had only scratched the surface of something far darker.
14:06The exposure of his dark side wasn't just an ending,
14:09it was the start of a war between the cops, the mob,
14:11and an unseen puppet master lurking in the shadows.
14:14The opulent penthouse, all sharp angles, cold marble,
14:18and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Port Charles skyline,
14:21was a world away from the dusty, sun-bleached streets of his childhood.
14:26It was a fortress, a throne room, and a gilded cage.
14:30Ronnie sat in a sleek, uncomfortable chair,
14:32swirling amber liquid in a heavy crystal tumbler.
14:36The ice cubes clinked, a tiny, rhythmic sound that did nothing to soothe the roaring tempest in his mind.
14:41On the giant screen of the muted television,
14:44the familiar face of a general hospital news anchor was speaking,
14:47the ticker at the bottom of the screen flashing words that made his knuckles turn white around the glass.
14:52Ongoing investigation into the organized crime syndicate.
14:57Key figures remain at large.
14:59A web of corruption that stretches.
15:02He took a long, burning swallow of the whiskey.
15:05It was top shelf, a hundred dollars a pour, but it tasted like ash.
15:09This was the life he had clawed his way into,
15:12a life of power and fear,
15:14where every shadow held a potential enemy
15:16and every ally was a knife waiting to be plunged into your back.
15:20And now, the carefully constructed walls were showing cracks.
15:23The world was getting a glimpse of Ronnie's dark side,
15:26and he could feel the gaze of the one person who truly mattered piercing through the facade,
15:30getting closer every day.
15:32It had started with small things.
15:35A shipment intercepted by the feds.
15:37A loyal foot soldier turning up dead in the harbor,
15:41a clear message carved into his skin.
15:43Then, the leaks to the press.
15:46Not the whole story, never the whole story,
15:48but enough to paint a picture of a ruthless enforcer,
15:51a man who had risen too high, too fast.
15:54Ronnie's dark side is exposed,
15:56the Port Charles press had screamed on its front page just last week.
15:59They had details, the warehouse fire,
16:02the missing accountant,
16:03the intimidation of a city councilman.
16:06They had sources.
16:08They had enough to make the police braver,
16:10the DA's office more aggressive.
16:13But they didn't have the core of it.
16:16They didn't know the identity of the boss behind Ronnie.
16:19His phone, a custom-built encrypted device,
16:22vibrated on the glass table.
16:24He glanced at the screen.
16:26A single word,
16:28Cipher.
16:29A cold dread,
16:30colder than the marble floors,
16:32seeped into his bones.
16:34Cipher was the codename,
16:35the only point of contact.
16:38The summons was never a request.
16:41It was a command.
16:43Ronnie drained his glass,
16:44the alcohol doing nothing to warm the chill inside.
16:47He stood,
16:48his reflection staring back at him from the dark window,
16:50a man in an impeccably tailored suit,
16:53his face a mask of hardened composure,
16:55but his eyes,
16:55always his eyes,
16:57betrayed the frantic animal trapped within.
16:59He left the penthouse,
17:01descending in the private elevator to the underground garage
17:03where a nondescript black sedan waited.
17:06The driver,
17:07a man named Silas who never spoke,
17:09merely nodded.
17:11The drive was a blur of city lights and shadowy streets,
17:13a route Ronnie knew by heart
17:15but always felt like a journey into the belly of a beast.
17:17They ended up at a seemingly abandoned warehouse
17:20on the industrial waterfront,
17:22a place that smelled of salt,
17:23rust,
17:24and decay.
17:25This was one of the many nerve centers of his operations,
17:28a place where deals were brokered,
17:30punishments were meted out,
17:31and the dirty machinery of his empire churned.
17:34Silas opened the door,
17:36and Ronnie stepped out into the damp night air.
17:39He walked through a side entrance,
17:40his footsteps echoing in the cavernous space.
17:43In the center of the main floor,
17:45under a single, dangling bare bulb,
17:47a man was tied to a metal chair.
17:50He was bruised,
17:51bleeding,
17:52his head lolling forward.
17:54One of Ronnie's lieutenants,
17:55a hulking brute named Kovac,
17:57stood nearby,
17:58wiping his knuckles with a rag.
18:00He's been singing,
18:01Kovac grunted,
18:02his voice a low rumble.
18:05Pretty little song about how the PCPD offered him a deal.
18:09He was their rat.
18:11Ronnie approached slowly,
18:12his hands in his pockets,
18:13the picture of calm authority.
18:16Inside,
18:17his stomach was churning.
18:19A rat.
18:21This was how it began.
18:23The structure started to rot from within.
18:26He looked at the broken man,
18:27a mid-level distributor he'd known for years.
18:31A family man.
18:33What did you tell them,
18:34Leo?
18:35Ronnie asked,
18:36his voice dangerously soft.
18:39Leo looked up,
18:40his one good eye swimming with tears and fear.
18:42And nothing,
18:44Ronnie,
18:44I swear.
18:46Just small stuff,
18:47delivery routes,
18:48names that don't matter.
18:50Every name matters,
18:51Ronnie corrected him.
18:53He circled the chair,
18:54a predator assessing its prey.
18:57You know the rules,
18:58Leo.
18:59You know the price of betrayal.
19:02They have my daughter,
19:03the man sobbed,
19:04the sound raw and pathetic in the vast emptiness.
19:06They threatened to send her away,
19:09to fabricate charges.
19:11I had no choice.
19:14Ronnie stopped his circling
19:15and stood directly in front of him.
19:18For a fleeting second,
19:19he saw not Leo the rat,
19:20but himself,
19:21years ago,
19:22backed into a corner by forces far beyond his control.
19:25The memory was a shard of glass in his mind.
19:29He pushed it down.
19:30There is always a choice,
19:32Ronnie said.
19:34He didn't raise his voice.
19:36He didn't need to.
19:38The finality in his tone was absolute.
19:41He gave a slight,
19:43almost imperceptible nod to Kovac.
19:46Please,
19:46Ronnie.
19:48No.
19:49I have a family.
19:51The pleas were cut short,
19:53replaced by sounds that would haunt the warehouse long after the body was disposed of.
19:57Ronnie turned and walked away,
19:59not waiting for the job to be finished.
20:01He had seen enough death to last a thousand lifetimes.
20:06This was the dark side the newspapers whispered about.
20:09This was the reality of his power.
20:12It was messy,
20:13brutal,
20:14and absolute.
20:15And it was all in service to the one who held his leash.
20:19Back in the sedan,
20:20heading back to the city,
20:22his encrypted phone buzzed again.
20:24Not a summons this time,
20:26but a location and a time.
20:28The Monarch Hotel.
20:29Penthouse Suite.
20:32Midnight.
20:34The Monarch was the crown jewel of Port Charles,
20:36a place of old money and discreet power.
20:39It was not a place for the kind of business discussed in blood-stained warehouses.
20:44This was different.
20:46This was a audience.
20:48The boss was in town.
20:50At 11.55 p.m., Ronnie walked through the opulent,
20:54hushed lobby of the Monarch,
20:55his presence causing a subtle ripple among the night staff.
20:59He was known here,
21:00not as a crime lord,
21:01but as a wealthy,
21:02if somewhat mysterious,
21:03businessman.
21:05He took the private elevator to the penthouse level,
21:07the gears of his mind turning,
21:09trying to anticipate what was coming.
21:11The doors opened not into a hallway,
21:14but directly into a foyer larger than most apartments.
21:16The suite was a masterpiece of Art Deco design,
21:20all rich woods,
21:21polished brass,
21:22and soft,
21:22indirect lighting.
21:24It was warm,
21:25lived in,
21:26a stark contrast to his own sterile penthouse.
21:29And there,
21:30standing by the grand piano,
21:31her back to him as she gazed out at the glittering expanse of the city,
21:34was the last person he ever expected to see.
21:38Anna Devane.
21:39She turned slowly,
21:41a faint,
21:41unreadable smile on her lips.
21:44She was dressed not in her usual professional attire,
21:46but in an elegant,
21:47dark-soaked gown,
21:48a glass of champagne in her hand.
21:51Anna Devane.
21:53Former WSB agent,
21:55former police commissioner,
21:56a pillar of moral fortitude in Port Charles.
21:59A heroine.
22:01Ronnie,
22:02she said,
22:02her voice is smooth and cool as the marble in his home.
22:06So glad you could make it.
22:08I trust your evening business,
22:10was concluded satisfactorily.
22:13Ronnie felt the floor tilt beneath his feet.
22:16The world seemed to slow,
22:17the sounds of the city fading into a dull hum.
22:21This was impossible.
22:23This was a nightmare.
22:25Anna Devane was Cypher?
22:27Anna Devane was the boss?
22:30He must have said the words aloud,
22:31because her smile widened,
22:33a chilling,
22:34predatory thing.
22:36Surprised?
22:36You shouldn't be.
22:39You of all people should know that the most dangerous predators are the ones you never see coming.
22:44Why,
22:45was all he could manage to choke out,
22:47his mind reeling,
22:48trying to reconcile the woman who had stood for justice her entire life with the architect of the criminal empire he operated.
22:54Why,
22:55she echoed,
22:56moving towards him with a dancer's grace.
22:58Why does anyone do anything,
23:00Ronnie?
23:02Power.
23:03Control.
23:05The world is a chaotic,
23:07messy place.
23:08The police,
23:09the courts,
23:10the so-called justice system,
23:11it's a blunt instrument.
23:13It's slow,
23:14it's inefficient,
23:15and it's riddled with compromises.
23:16I grew tired of working within a broken system.
23:21I decided to create my own.
23:24She gestured around the magnificent room.
23:27This city,
23:28all of it,
23:28runs on a simple principle,
23:30order.
23:31My order.
23:33I don't deal in petty street crime.
23:36I deal in influence.
23:38I control the supply chains,
23:40the unions,
23:41the real estate,
23:42the very flow of capital in this town.
23:44I decide which businesses thrive and which ones burn.
23:48I ensure that the chaos is managed,
23:50contained,
23:51and most importantly,
23:52profitable.
23:54Ronnie just stared,
23:55his entire life,
23:56every decision,
23:57every brutal act,
23:58reframed in an instant.
24:00He had thought he was serving some shadowy,
24:02anonymous kingpin,
24:03a mythic figure of pure criminal intent.
24:06He had built his legend in the service of this entity.
24:10He was the feared Ronnie,
24:11the enforcer,
24:12the face of the darkness.
24:14And all the while,
24:16the strings were being pulled by Port Charles's golden girl.
24:19You,
24:20he whispered,
24:20the betrayal so profound it was a physical pain.
24:24All this time,
24:25the shipments,
24:26the hits,
24:26the payoffs,
24:27it was all for you.
24:29It was all for us,
24:30Ronnie,
24:31she corrected,
24:31her tone turning sharp.
24:34Don't pretend you were an unwilling
24:35participant.
24:37I found you when you were nothing.
24:40A gutter rat with ambition and a vicious streak a mile wide.
24:43I saw your potential.
24:46I polished you,
24:47funded you,
24:48guided you.
24:49I gave you this life.
24:52Everything you are,
24:53you owe to me.
24:54It was true.
24:56He had been a young,
24:57reckless thug,
24:58all muscle and rage,
24:59running with a small-time crew.
25:01Then,
25:02the offers started coming through untraceable channels.
25:05Opportunities.
25:08Inside information.
25:10A path to power that seemed divinely ordained.
25:13He had taken it,
25:14climbed the ladder,
25:15never questioning the invisible hand that cleared his way,
25:18eliminated his rivals,
25:19and opened doors.
25:21He had assumed it was the natural order of things,
25:24but his own cunning and ruthlessness were the engines of his ascent.
25:27He was the master of his destiny.
25:30The thought was a sick joke.
25:33I made you my shield,
25:34Anna continued,
25:35sipping her champagne.
25:37The fearsome Ronnie.
25:39The public face of the organization.
25:41While the police and the press were focused on you,
25:44with your flashy suits and your brutal reputation,
25:47I was able to operate in plain sight.
25:50Who would ever suspect Anna Devane,
25:52the crusader for justice,
25:53of being the puppet master?
25:55It was the perfect camouflage.
25:58The pieces were falling into place with devastating clarity.
26:02The leaks to the press.
26:03They weren't just random.
26:06They were targeted.
26:08She was exposing him.
26:11She was preparing to sacrifice her night to save the queen.
26:14You're throwing me to the wolves,
26:16he said,
26:17his voice low and dangerous.
26:19The news stories.
26:21The exposure of my dark side.
26:24It's you.
26:26You're tightening the noose around my neck
26:28to draw the heat away from yourself.
26:30Anna's smile was glacial.
26:32Perceptive.
26:34The investigation was getting too close.
26:38They were starting to look past the enforcer
26:39and ask who he was enforcing for.
26:42I can't have that.
26:44Your usefulness,
26:45in your current capacity,
26:47is coming to an end.
26:49The narrative is perfect,
26:50the ruthless crime lord Ronnie,
26:52brought down by the relentless efforts
26:53of the Port Charles PD.
26:55It will be a great day for justice.
26:59Rage, hot and blinding,
27:00surged through him.
27:02It was a fury born of years of manipulation,
27:04of realizing he was not a king but a pawn,
27:07a piece on a board to be sacrificed.
27:09He took a step toward her,
27:11his hands clenching into fists.
27:13She didn't flinch.
27:15She merely raised an eyebrow.
27:18I wouldn't, if I were you.
27:20This suite is surrounded by my people.
27:23People you don't know,
27:25who are loyal only to me.
27:27You make one move against me,
27:28and you'll be dead before you take a second step.
27:31And then,
27:32your little sister,
27:33what's her name?
27:35The lease?
27:36Living so quietly in that little town in Oregon,
27:39her life would become very,
27:41very difficult.
27:42The threat hung in the air,
27:44more effective than any gun.
27:46The lease?
27:47His only vulnerability,
27:49his only tethered to the man he used to be.
27:52He had hidden her,
27:53protected her,
27:54paid for her life with the blood money he earned,
27:56all to keep her safe from the world he inhabited.
28:00And Anna knew.
28:01Of course she knew.
28:03She knew everything.
28:06The fight drained out of him,
28:07leaving only a hollow,
28:08crushing despair.
28:10He was trapped.
28:12A bird in a gilded cage,
28:14and the person who held the key was the one he had,
28:16and some twisted,
28:17hidden part of his soul,
28:18perhaps even admired.
28:20What do you want from me?
28:21He asked,
28:22his voice flat.
28:24I want you to play your part,
28:25Anna said,
28:26setting down her glass.
28:28You will be the magnificent villain in the final act.
28:32You will go down fighting.
28:34There will be a spectacular confrontation.
28:38The police will have their victory.
28:40And I will be there,
28:41in the background,
28:42the steadfast former commissioner,
28:44helping to pick up the pieces of the city.
28:47And then,
28:47I will rebuild.
28:49Perhaps with a new enforcer.
28:52The cycle continues.
28:54She walked over to the piano
28:56and lightly ran her fingers over the keys,
28:58not pressing them down enough to make a sound.
29:01You have one last job.
29:03There's a ledger.
29:05A physical,
29:06old-fashioned thing.
29:08It contains records of certain,
29:10transactions,
29:11that could be inconvenient if found.
29:13It's in a safety deposit box
29:15at the First National Bank.
29:17Box 734.
29:20You will retrieve it for me.
29:22Tomorrow.
29:23Consider it your final act of loyalty.
29:27She turned her back on him,
29:29a clear dismissal.
29:31The audience was over.
29:33Ronnie stood there for a long moment,
29:35watching her,
29:36the woman who had created
29:37and now planned to destroy him.
29:39He saw not a hero,
29:40not a villain,
29:41but something far more terrifying,
29:43a true believer in her own warped vision,
29:45a woman so convinced of her own righteousness
29:47that any atrocity could be justified in its name.
29:49He left the monarch,
29:51the night air feeling different,
29:53heavier.
29:54The city lights no longer sparkled with promise,
29:57they glittered like the eyes of a predator.
30:00He was a dead man walking,
30:01and the architect of his demise
30:02was the last person anyone would ever suspect.
30:06The next day,
30:07Ronnie moved through his duties like an automaton.
30:10He gave orders,
30:11he settled disputes,
30:12he projected an image of unshakable control.
30:16But inside,
30:17the storm was raging.
30:19He couldn't do it.
30:21He couldn't just lie down and die for her.
30:24He had spent his life building his power,
30:26only to discover it was an illusion.
30:29But he still had his mind.
30:31He still had his will.
30:33He went to the first national bank alone.
30:36The safety deposit box was where she said it would be.
30:40Inside,
30:41nestled beside bundles of cash and bearer bonds,
30:43was a simple, black leather-bound ledger.
30:46He didn't open it.
30:49He didn't need to.
30:51He knew what it represented,
30:52Anna's insurance,
30:53her record of the empire.
30:55It was also his only chance.
30:58He took the ledger and left the bank.
31:01He didn't go back to his penthouse.
31:04He went to the one place he still felt was his,
31:06a small, anonymous storage unit
31:08on the outskirts of the city
31:09that not even Kovac knew about.
31:12It contained relics of his past,
31:13things he couldn't bear to throw away,
31:15and his own private cache of weapons,
31:17money, and false identities.
31:20His escape plan.
31:22He sat on a cold metal crate
31:23and finally opened the ledger.
31:26The pages were filled with meticulous entries.
31:29Dates, amounts, code names.
31:32But it was the recipients of the payments
31:34that made his blood run cold.
31:37Judges.
31:38City council members.
31:41High-ranking officers in the PCPD.
31:44And there, repeated often,
31:45were payments to shell companies
31:47that he knew, through his own work,
31:48were connected to,
31:49the Jerome organization.
31:52A new layer of the conspiracy
31:53unveiled itself.
31:55Anna wasn't just running her own empire,
31:57she was playing all sides.
32:00She was funding and manipulating
32:01her supposed enemies,
32:02ensuring that the traditional criminal factions
32:04remained destabilized
32:06and under her indirect control.
32:08It was a breathtakingly audacious web of deceit.
32:12As he poured over the entries,
32:13a name jumped out at him,
32:15a name that made his heart stop.
32:17A payment, a massive one,
32:19dated five years ago,
32:20to a shell corporation linked
32:21to a medical facility in Switzerland.
32:24The same facility where his sister, Elise,
32:27had undergone her life-saving,
32:28experimental surgery.
32:30The surgery he had been told
32:32was paid for by a mysterious,
32:34anonymous benefactor,
32:35a charitable foundation.
32:37He had wept with gratitude at the time,
32:39believing it was a miracle.
32:41Now he saw the truth.
32:44It was no miracle.
32:46It was a down payment.
32:48It was the moment Anna Devane
32:50had purchased his soul.
32:52She had saved his sister's life
32:54not out of compassion,
32:55but to own him,
32:56to bind him to her
32:57with an unbreakable chain of debt.
32:59Every brutal act he had committed
33:01since every step deeper into the darkness
33:03had been, in his own mind,
33:05a repayment for that one act of salvation.
33:08He had told himself
33:09the ends justified the means,
33:10that he was a monster
33:11so that his sister could live in the light.
33:13The end of the life-saving
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