Anna Devane


Anna Devane is a fictional character from the original ABC Daytime soap opera, General Hospital, played by Finola Hughes. Hughes also appeared as Anna on All My Children, and the General Hospital prime time, spin-off series, . The character first appeared on the April 10, 1985, episode of General Hospital as a fence. The character was created and introduced by executive producer, Gloria Monty, and co-head writers, Pat Falken Smith and Norma Monty. Upon her introduction, Anna is revealed to be the super spy ex-wife of Robert Scorpio and romantic rival to his current wife, Holly Sutton. Anna remained a prominent character in the series until 1992 due to her romantic pairings with Robert and former mobster, Duke Lavery. The storyline in which Duke tries to evade his criminal past with the Jerome family, allows for Duke and Anna to become one of the show's supercouples, along with Robert and Anna. However, the storyline ends in tragedy when Duke dies in Anna's arms. Robert and Anna eventually reunite to raise their daughter, Robin, and eventually remarry; the happiness is short lived and the duo are killed off in 1992 along with their rival, Cesar Faison.
However, all three were eventually revealed to be alive. Anna reappeared on All My Children as the twin sister of Dr. Alex Devane on March 2, 2001. In addition working as chief of police, and a brief romance with Edmund Grey, Anna marries Dr. David Hayward and they had a child together; however, that child dies as an infant. Hughes returned to General Hospital for several guest stints between 2006 and 2008. Throughout the summer and fall of 2008, Anna appeared on Night Shift where she supported Robert through his battle with cancer and helped Robin prepare for motherhood. Anna returned to the series indefinitely in 2012 when Robin is presumed dead. She has a romance with Robert's best friend, Luke Spencer, and reunites with Duke, whom Faison is masquerading as. The real Duke is revealed to be alive. Anna has become one of the most respected and celebrated heroines in all of daytime.

Casting

Hughes joined the cast of General Hospital in the spring of 1985, and made her first appearance on April 10, 1985. Hughes auditioned for the role of Anna in early 1985, about three months after she relocated to New York City. About two weeks later, Hughes was shocked when she actually got hired because the role was originally written for an American actress. In late 1991, rumors circulated that Hughes had been fired. However, instead during contract negotiations, she took advantage of an out clause to work on another project. Hughes last taped scenes aired during December 16, last airing on December 17, 1991. If negotiations went well, Hughes was slated to return by the spring of 1992. In the interim, she was replaced by Camilla Moore who made her first appearance December 20, 1991. Moore last appeared on January 20, 1992, and Hughes returned to the role for one episode on February 25, 1992. Hughes briefly returned from November 13 to 22, 1995 as Anna's spirit to comfort the character's daughter Robin Scorpio, who is dealing with the loss of her boyfriend to AIDS-related illness and is herself HIV-positive. On All My Children, when Hughes reprised the role of Alex in February 2001 after her maternity leave, Hughes also made her first appearance as Anna on March 2, 2001.
In late July 2003, All My Children announced that Hughes would exit in the role of Anna when her contract expired. Hughes made her final appearance on September 11, 2003. An ABC spokesperson hinted that Hughes could return to the series in a recurring capacity but she never did. Rumors immediately followed that Hughes would return to GH. However, Hughes later revealed in an interview that she was open to a return, but had not been contacted by the series. When Tristan Rogers returned to the series as Robert in 2006, many speculated that Hughes would return to the series as well. However instead, Emma Samms instead returned to the series. Samms and Rogers's returns intensified speculation that Hughes would eventually reprise her role, Though initial reports hinted that Hughes refused to return, ABC finally confirmed Hughes's return in April 2006. Hughes first reappeared May 12, 2006. Hughes concluded her stint on August 30, and returned once again from July 13 to August 24, 2007.
In late March 2008, it was announced that Hughes would make a return to General Hospital. Hughes reappeared on April 25, 2008, and concluded her return stint on May 7, 2008. Days later, it was announced that Hughes would soon join the cast of The Young and the Restless and was slated to begin airing on June 19, 2008. At the time, Hughes was not contractually obligated to ABC, so accepted the four episode guest stint. However, Michael Logan of TV Guide later reported that ABC pressured Hughes into dropping out of the role in favor of a "big" storyline for the summer on GH. Hughes who was scheduled to start taping on May 28, was never actually replaced and her character was never introduced onscreen. On December 11, 2011, TV Guide confirmed that Hughes would return to General Hospital starting in mid January and would reappear just in time for February Sweeps. Hughes first airdate was slated for the week of February 13, 2012. On April 6, 2012, executive producer, Frank Valentini announced on Twitter that Hughes had been placed on contract with the series.
In October 2015, it was reported that Hughes has inked a deal with the series and will remain in the role of Anna.

Storylines

1985–1992

Anna is introduced in 1985 as skilled jewel thief who takes an interest in Robert Scorpio and his wife Holly Sutton. Anna is soon revealed to be Robert's ex-wife whom he divorced upon discovering she was a double-agent working for the DVX. Anna works as Sean Donely's secretary and partners with him to fence the Aztec treasure. However, the treasure goes missing forcing Anna and Robert to team up which makes Holly jealous. As the revelation about their marriage leads to Holly leaving Robert, Anna teams up with Robert and Grant Andrews to bring down Donely who has gone rogue. When Robert goes missing during their mission, Anna returns home to find her apartment destroyed and her old friend Filomena Soltini tied up. It is revealed that Filomena has been secretly been raising Robert and Anna's daughter Robin as her granddaughter. Robert resurfaces and confronts Anna about Robin who overhears the truth and runs away. She is kidnapped forcing Anna and Robert to rescue her. Later, Anna is named co-police chief along with Burt Ramsey. In 1986, Anna falls for the handsome mysterious club-owner Duke Lavery. When her friends Frisco and Felicia go missing, Anna suspects Duke is involved but her urges her to trust him. As Duke and Anna are engaged in October 1986, Robert exposes Duke's involvement in a money laundering scheme for the mysterious "Mr. Big." Soon after, Anna's home is bombed and Duke assures Anna he loves her and decides to get out of the mob for good. However, Duke is framed by his boss, the mysterious "Mr. Big" and ends up in jail. Robert then enlist Anna and Frisco's help to expose "Mr. Big" who turns out to be Anna's corrupt partner Ramsey. After the death of his father Angus McKay, Anna becomes suspicious of Duke's relationship with his half-sister, Camellia. In May 1987, Anna is horrified when the press crashes her wedding to expose that Duke covered up Camellia's murder of Evan Jerome, the son of mobster kingpin Victor Jerome. Anna dumps Duke and starts her own private investigator firm, and a recently widowed Robert becomes her partner. Robert and Anna bond as they work together and he wants to reunite but she chooses to go back to Duke instead. Duke and Anna are married in a traditional Scottish wedding on October 19, 1987. In January 1988, the deranged Grant Putnam kills Filomena after a failed attempt to kidnap Robin, and abducts Anna instead. Robert tracks Putnam and Anna to the Adirondack Mountains and rescues her. Anna settles into a happy life with Duke while working with Robert as they co-parent Robin. In the summer of 1988, Anna announces she is pregnant. However, Anna suffers a miscarriage in October 1988 when she is trapped in an elevator rigged to fall by Victor's jealous daughter Olivia St. John, who had become obsessed with Duke. When Olivia is shot and left comatose, Anna is arrested for her attempted murder. Anna is cleared when Victor's bastard son Dino is revealed to be behind the shooting. Anna is relieved when Olivia is shipped off to a mental hospital in 1989. However, Anna's life with Duke comes to an end when he is killed in a fire in April 1989, as revenge for testifying against the mob.
In 1990, Olivia having escaped the sanitarium tells Anna that Duke is alive and posing as art dealer, Jonathan Paget. As Anna and Duke are about to reunite, Duke is shot by Victor's son Julian Jerome in retaliation for him betraying the Jerome family. Robert postpones his wedding to Katherine Delafield to comfort Anna. Robin convinces Anna and Frisco to help her friend Casey the Alien recover his crystal and return to his home planet of Lumina. Anna, Robin and Casey kidnapped are by adventure novelist P.K. Sinclair, who is revealed to be Anna's obsessive arch-rival Cesar Faison. Faison's plans to steal Casey's crystals are thwarted and Anna helps Casey go home. On Valentine's Day 1991, Robin sends Anna and Robert cards signed with each other's names. They later attend Robin's dance recital where they continue flirting. After a romantic dinner, Anna seduces Robert only to tie him up and leave him for Frisco to find him. Their cat-mouse games leads to the two falling in love again. Robert ends up in the hospital when someone tries to kill him and his estranged brother Mac is the prime suspect. While Mac feigns innocence, Robert is released into Anna's care and they make love for the first time in years. Robert proposes to Anna and she accepts. They are married on June 28, 1991, in Lila Quartermaine's garden. Robin is the maid of honor and Mac is the best man. In November 1991, Anna discovers Lila's presumed dead husband Edward Quartermaine alive and reunites him with his family. In January 1992, Robert and Anna's happy life is upended by the return of a very much alive Holly. Realizing he's made a life with Anna and Robin, Holly divorces Robert. To make matters worse, Faison kidnaps Anna in February 1992, after killing Anna's childhood Au pair, his own mother, Nanny McTavish. Robert immediately leaves to rescue Anna. In May 1992, Anna and Robert are reportedly killed in a boat explosion, along with Faison.

2001–2003

Anna is revealed to be alive in March 2001 when her twin-sister Alex returns to her home in Pine Valley to announce that she's been secretly caring for her sister. Months earlier, Alex had been summoned to Canada by Bart. Bart had been caring for Anna when she began having seizures. Bart immediately contacts Alex for help. With the help of her brother-in-law Dimitri Marick and his brother Edmund Grey, Anna checks into Pine Valley Medical Center, posing as Alex. Alex also enlist her colleague David Hayward to heal her sister. While Anna recovers, she has no recollection of her life in Port Charles. Meanwhile, Anna learned from Alex that their aunt Charlotte had put a hit out on her. The failed hit puts claims the life of Gillian Andrassy. Anna settled into her new life and also met her half-brother Gabriel. Charlotte had brainwashed Gabriel to kill Anna but The sisters are able to break the conditioning. In May 2001, Anna shares a happy reunion with Robin. While she wanted to be with Robin, Anna knew she'd put her in danger. Anna turns to the WSB for protection and they partner her up with federal agent Chris Stamp to apprehend the drug lord Proteuos.
In 2002, Anna finds David secretly meeting with Roger Smythe, a runner for Proteus. David claims he's been treating Roger's heart condition with experimental drugs. Chris pressures Anna to turn David into the authorities and Anna sets out to protect him, so she offers to marry him. David and Anna are married in March 2002, for convenience, though they've fallen in love. As Anna's is named chief of police, David's mother Vanessa Bennett is revealed to be Proteus. Anna is furious to learn that David played a part in the disappearance of Edmund's wife, Maria Santos and she leaves him. However, soon after Anna learns she is pregnant and reluctantly tells David. She finds support in her nephew Aidan. Despite his warms feelings toward her, Anna is suspicious of Aidan. She learns Aidan has been framed for murder and there is still a hit out on him.
David sets out to win Anna back and confesses to his crimes. David is sentenced to community service at a free clinic. Anna goes to visit David and is taken hostage at knifepoint by troubled teen Reggie Porter. After the ordeal, Anna learns her baby suffers from a congenital heart defect and needs emergency surgery. Since David is still on probation, Anna travels to Switzerland to see a specialist. David surprises Anna by arranging for Robin to meet her there. During the operation, the doctor suffers a stroke and David is rushed to Switzerland to save Anna and their daughter. Anna gives birth to daughter Leora Devane Hayward on February 26, 2003, named after David's late brother, Leo du Pres. When Leora's condition worsens, Joe Martin convinces Anna to agree to another surgery. Leora does not survive and David lashes out accusing him of killing Leora for revenge. Anna in turns finds comfort with district attorney Jackson Montgomery. Anna reaches out to David only to find him trying to poison the Martins with an amnesia drug. Anna locks David in his cabin until he accepts Leora's death as an accident. In the summer of 2003, Anna oversees the investigation into the murder of Michael Cambias. Michael's supposed wife Kendall Hart is the prime suspect but Anna discovers finds evidence implicating David and Kendall's mother Erica Kane. Realizing she couldn't remain objective, Anna leaves the evidence at David's cabin with a letter. She reveals she is going to Paris to live with Robin and does not want David to follow.

2006–2008

Anna resurfaces in 2006 when she runs into Robin and a very much alive Robert in the Markham Islands. Robert and Luke Spencer have gotten involved in jewelry heist with Holly Sutton and end up in prison. Robin comes to free her father while Anna comes looking for the jewels. Anna promises to visit Port Charles to catch up with Robin and to meet Robin's boyfriend, Patrick Drake. Anna comes to Port Charles a few weeks later investigating Lorenzo Alcazar and uses Robin as her cover story. Disappointed to learn that Patrick and Robin have split, Anna convinces Robin to give Patrick another chance. When Anna realizes Robin is in love, she makes sure Patrick feels the same way before she leaves on assignment. Anna returns in 2007 and helps Patrick's father Noah Drake pass himself off as rock star Eli Love during the LIFEbeat concert which is held in support of HIV/AIDS awareness. She and Noah have a brief fling before she skips town again. Anna returns in 2008 and is shocked to learn Robin is pregnant. Anna initially struggles with the news she is going to be a grandmother and gets drunk with Luke. A brief visit from Eli helps Anna come to terms with being a grandmother and she finally told Robin how excited she is. On the prime time spin-off, General Hospital: Night Shift, Anna is at Robert's side when he is diagnosed with colon cancer. Anna finds comfort spending time with Robin and Mac when Robert falls into a coma. During Patrick and Robin's wedding ceremony in October 2008, Robin goes into labor. Anna is terrified when Robin falls into a coma shortly after giving birth to her daughter Emma. Robin recovers and enlist Anna as her maid of honor when she and Patrick finally marry in December 2008 and Robert is there to walk her down the aisle.

2012

Anna returns to town in February 2012, shortly before Robin is killed in a hospital lab explosion. Anna delivers the sad news to Mac and tries to contact Robert. She sends Luke after Robert, who storms off after viewing Robin's remains in the morgue. When Robert returns, he tells Anna that Luke told him he is the father of Holly's son, Ethan Lovett, who has been kidnapped by Helena Cassadine. Robert doesn't want to lose another child, so he decides to find Ethan and leaves Anna behind, going before Robin's funeral, not knowing that Luke and Holly lied to him in order to give him a reason to live.
After Robert leaves, Luke looks after Anna. Their friendship grows and Luke asks Anna to move in with him, much to jealousy of Luke's ex-wife Tracy Quartermaine, at his suite in the MetroCourt Hotel. Anna agrees, as she doesn't want to be alone.
In April 2012, Anna is visited by John McBain, a former protege of hers from the FBI. John asks Anna for help in taking down local mob boss Sonny Corinthos, whom John believes to be responsible the deaths of Cole Thornhart, Hope Manning-Thornhart, Robin, and John's sister, Theresa. It was revealed that it was Joe Scully, Jr. who killed Theresa, framing Sonny, and making Robin's kidnapping occur.
Anna is offered the job of the Port Charles Police Department's Police Commissioner. She is effective at her work, able to locate the body of Anthony Zacchara, Tracy's husband who went missing.
Meanwhile, Anna becomes a new target of Heather Webber's obsessive behavior, due to Anna's involvement with Luke Spencer. Luke is kidnapped by Heather, but found by Anna just as the cabin in which he is being held goes up in flames. Heather accidentally shoots Luke as she attempts to shoot Anna, and is arrested. Anna later finds out Olivia Falconeri, who is Heather's son Steve's girlfriend and the mother of a PCPD detective, Dante, was hurt by Heather on the order of Sonny's enemy, Cesar Faison,
When Heather is brought to the police station, Anna questions her, and Heather claims Robin is alive. Heather says she saw Robin at Ferncliff Sanitarium. Anna goes to Ferncliff, but Robin isn't there. However, she finds a pamphlet to a clinic in Switzerland, and decides to go there to get answers.
In Switzerland, Anna pretends to be a patient in order to snoop around the clinic. Luke later arrives to help her search, but they cannot find Robin, and return home. He later tells Anna about the lie he told Robert, and she isn't able to forgive him.
Anna's presumed deceased ex-husband, Duke Lavery, shows up, and wants to get back together. He is able to convince Anna that it is really him, and they grow close. Later, Faison, who is obsessed with Anna, shows up, and it is discovered he has been wearing a mask so that he can act and look like Duke. Faison pretends to be Duke for a time. She begins to not only believe that he is Duke, but that Duke is falling madly in love with her all over again. Just when she thinks she, too, is falling back in love, she begins to question the true identity of Duke/Faison.
As Faison realizes Anna is close to figuring out his true identity, he takes her away to Switzerland. Robert tracks Anna down and reveals Duke is Faison. Next, Anna and Robert find and free the real Duke. Robert also comes upon Robin, but is drugged by Dr. Obrecht, which sends him into a long term coma. Anna and the real Duke return to Port Charles. Robin continues to be held prisoner by Obrecht, and Faison is imprisoned until Obrecht later frees him.
The real Duke lays low for a while, but tells Anna he still loves her with all his heart and soul. Luke also wants her back, but she finally decides to rekindle her relationship with Duke.
Eventually, Robert regains consciousness and remembers seeing Robin. He and Anna set out to locate their daughter, finding her on Cassadine Island in Greece. They are unable to free Robin, and are themselves trapped on Cassadine Island, while Robin is transported back to Port Charles. She is hidden there on Spoon Island, with Faison and Obrecht, following instructions to conduct research in order to keep her parents from being killed. Robert and Anna eventually escape and free Robin. Anna is now able to enjoy a reunion with her daughter, continued friendship with Robert, and a rekindled romance with Duke.
Eventually, Duke becomes entangled once again with the mob in Port Charles. This is partly sparked by the return of Julian Jerome and his mob connections. Duke allies with Sonny Corinthos in order to oppose Julian. His active mob involvement gradually alienates him from Anna, who pleads with him to refrain from criminal activities as long as she is the Police Commissioner. Ultimately, their relationship breaks up.
This happens just at the same time that it is discovered that Faison has resurfaced in Port Charles, having escaped his imprisonment by Robert and Anna. Anna is in hot water with the Justice Department, as she and Robert took the law into their own hands by imprisoning Faison privately.
Duke and Anna reconcile in 2015 and agree to go away together, but he is fatally shot on the docks that same night. Anna is once again devastated. She becomes obsessed with seeking revenge against Carlos Rivera, eventually holding him at gunpoint with the intent to arrest him for the murder of Duke under orders from Julian. Carlos taunts her that he will walk if he is tried. Anna is tormented to the point where she blasts him four times in the chest. Carlos was wearing a bulletproof vest with blood squibs in it to fake his death so he could get away with murder.
Since his "death", Anna has frequent hallucinations of Carlos taunting her about how she's supposed to be upholding the law, but then turns around and violates the law herself, so she decides to talk to Dr. Kevin Collins to deal with her problem. Kevin writes a prescription for a low dose of anti-anxiety medication, but her visions continue.
Anna slips into the morgue to see Carlos' body, but Jordan catches her. Anna pleads with Jordan for help, so Jordan opens the drawer containing Carlos' body, finding it empty. They discover the body was cremated, but a review of the examiner's report raises red flags because photos were missing and some information was incorrect.
According to the report, Carlos was shot twice, but Anna recalls firing at him four times. She realizes the records were falsified—or the body that was recovered wasn't Carlos. Anna suspects Paul is behind the cover-up, and confronts him. He advises her to drop it. She refuses and continues to push until Paul reveals that he knows she shot Carlos because Kyle had provided him with proof of it. Paul assures her that he took steps to keep her secret buried, and promises Kyle won't be a problem, since he could be charged as an accomplice.
Meanwhile, Kevin reaches out to a colleague to take Anna's case. He feels she needs someone to be more objective. He introduces her to Dr. Andre Maddox. The sessions start off rocky, but Anna eventually grew to trust Andre. Anna returns to see Andre and confesses she killed Carlos. She admits that one other person knows, and he's been holding it over her head. Andre promises to keep her confidence. Anna decides to bide her time with Paul until she can turn the tables on him.
Paul continues to be a thorn in Anna's side. Tensions mount between Paul and Anna when she takes on a cold case—the shooting of Sonny Corinthos at a warehouse, while he'd been rescuing T.J. Ashford. Paul wants Anna to drop the investigation and resorts to blackmail to force her to comply.
Things take an unexpected turn when Anna spots Carlos on the piers. He manages to evade her, but she has proof that he was alive because he'd dropped a necklace with "Carlos & Sabrina" engraved on it.
Mac Scorpio catches Anna breaking into Kyle's apartment. She tells him she suspects Kyle was in cahoots with Carlos, and theorizes Kyle set things up to make it appear she killed Carlos. Mac wonders whose body was recovered from the harbor as he and Anna look around Kyle's abandoned apartment. Anna finds a slip of paper with a familiar phone number and calls it. She is shocked when Paul answers.
Anna suspects Paul killed Kyle and passed his body off as Carlos, but she has no proof. She is briefly sidetracked from her investigation when she and Robert join forces to rescue Robin from the clutches of Jerry Jacks and Helena Cassadine on Cassadine Island.
Anna decides to hunt down Carlos to prove her theory, so she and Jordan pay Sabrina a visit. It is clear Sabrina had gone on the run with Carlos, prompting Anna to reach out to Robert for help. They quickly pick up Carlos and Sabrina's trail in Halifax, Nova Scotia. However, Paul arranges for Anna and Robert to be detained to buy Carlos and Sabrina time to disappear. Anna and Robert race to the cabin they suspect Carlos and Sabrina were in, but the couple managed to get away. Anna returns to Port Charles and redoubles her efforts to investigate Paul.
Jordan eventually collects enough evidence against Paul to arrest him. Anna begs Jordan to hold off as Anna needs more time to capture Carlos. She is determined to send Duke's killers to jail, but she can't take down Julian without Carlos' testimony. Jordan reluctantly agrees.
Anna's life takes an unexpected turn when a young man appears on her doorstep, claiming to be Duke Lavery's long-lost son. Griffin willingly takes a DNA test, which confirms that he is Duke's son. Anna and Griffin bond instantly as she tells him about the man he never met.
Anna fills in Sonny about Paul's connection to Carlos. She is certain Carlos decided to remain in hiding instead of cutting a deal. Sonny offers to tap Paul's phone. She can't support the plan, but she also wants justice for Duke. A few days later, Sonny tells Anna he has a lead on Carlos' location. He provides her with a jump drive of Paul's conversation, but he asks her to retrieve the tracking device from Paul's phone.
Anna bumps into Paul at the hospital and persuades him to let her use his phone to call Robin. She feigns a poor connection, ducks around a corner, and removes the tracking device. Later, Paul arrives at Anna's house to stop her from going to Ecuador with Sonny to capture Carlos. He tries to arrest her, but she chloroforms him, cuffs him to her staircase, and leaves.
Paul calls Anna as she waited in Ecuador on Sonny's private jet for Sonny to return with Carlos. She realizes Paul hoped Sonny would kill Carlos. If that happened, Paul would charge her and Sonny with murder when they returned. She accuses Paul of trying to save his own skin because Carlos knew Paul had killed Kyle. Sonny finds Carlos, in a church, dressed as a priest. After a brief standoff, Anna bursts into the church to stop Sonny from killing Carlos. Carlos takes advantage of the distraction and lunges at Sonny. A brief struggle ensues, followed by a gunshot. Carlos is hit in the shoulder. Anna handcuffs him, and they all board Sonny's jet back to Port Charles.
In the interrogation room, Anna tells Jordan that she'd been set up to make it look like she killed Carlos. Paul argues that Anna has no proof, but she reminds him that he confessed to her that he killed Kyle to avenge Susan. Jordan arrests both Paul and Anna.
Anna admits she is ready to face the consequences of her actions. Paul blurts out that he is in love with Anna, but she scoffs at that. After Mayor Lomax secures Paul's release, Paul informs Anna that she won't be granted bail because he has concerns about her mental well-being. He says Anna's compulsion to mete out punishment for perceived wrongdoings borders on irrational, so he wants an expert to determine her mental stability. She is stunned when Andre sides with Paul. Anna accuses Andre of playing into Paul's hands. When Paul returns, Andre tells him he can't evaluate her because it would be a conflict of interest.
At Anna's hearing, she enters a plea of not guilty. Paul produces a report from a psychiatrist deeming her unfit to be released, but he decides to testify on Anna's behalf so she will be granted bail. Later, a witness named Hale steps forward and makes a statement that he saw Carlos murder Duke. However, Hale is found dead from a drug overdose days later. Anna suspects Julian is behind the witness's death.
Carlos escapes while being transported to prison. Anna is certain Paul had a hand in staging the escape. She joins in on the manhunt and finds Carlos hiding at the pier. She tries to arrest him, but he manages to overpower her and knocks the gun out of her hand. He throws her into a meat locker, then flees. Trapped and injured, she has another vision of Duke. Duke begs Anna not to waste her life seeking justice for him. He wants her to focus on the time they'd had together rather than trying to change something that couldn't be undone.
Luckily for Anna, Andre finds her before she succumbs to hypothermia. At the hospital, Anna and Andre are shocked when paramedics rush past them with an unconscious Carlos on the gurney. Weak and gravely injured, Carlos begs to see a priest. Everyone is shocked when Griffin reveals that he is a Catholic priest on sabbatical. He administers Extreme Unction and hears Carlos' confession. After his death, Sabrina returns to Port Charles and agrees to cooperate with the police. She tells Anna that Carlos said nothing about Julian, but Carlos was in contact with a mystery person.
Anna continues to build her case against Julian for Carlos' murder. The dagger that killed Carlos is found at Julian and Alexis' home. The blade was wiped clean, but there is blood between the handle and the blade. A DNA test confirms the blood belongs to Carlos.
Anna flies to California to spend a few weeks with Robin. Shortly after she returns home, Paul is revealed to be a serial killer who arranged for Julian to be acquitted of all the crimes with which he was charged. Paul confesses and is sent to Pentonville for life. Anna feels she hasn't done enough to keep Julian off the streets.
Anna contacts Robert and tells him that she would like to resume her work for the WSB. It was agreed Anna's home base would be Port Charles. A short time later, Griffin introduces his ex-lover Claudette and her young daughter, Charlotte, to Anna. Claudette needs help to protect herself from another ex-lover, Valentin Cassadine. A DNA test reveals Valentin Cassadine is Charlotte's father.
After Claudette vanishes in Canada, Anna paysValentin a visit. She senses something familiar about the black sheep Cassadine, but he denies having ever met her. She is determined to help Griffin get custody of Charlotte because Valentin was the prime suspect in Claudette's disappearance. During a lull in the custody hearing, Valentin whispers a Latin phrase that leaves Anna shaken. Translated, the phrase was, "Open your eyes," and it is the motto for the WSB training academy. Robert informs Anna that there is no record of Valentin working for the WSB, so she pays Valentin a visit to question him about the motto. Valentin plays innocent and claimed that he'd been referring to Shakespeare's play Richard III.
Meanwhile, Andre recognizes Valentin, but knows him by the name of Theo Hart—the head of an international diamond-theft ring operating out of the Ukraine. Theo had vanished before he could be apprehended. When a picture of Anna, taken during her days at the WSB training academy, is discovered by Emma in Valentin's possession, Anna reaches out to Andre. Anna hopes that hypnosis therapy will help her figure out why Valentin seems so familiar. Under hypnosis, Anna recalls seeing a door at the end of a hallway with a beam of light shining from underneath. She also has a vivid memory of hearing someone whistling a tune. Anna's final memory was of dropping a watch she'd been winding, which was stopped at 11:05 on October 29 – her birthday.
Anna confronts Valentin, who concedes that he was in her room at the academy. However, he refuses to elaborate. During another encounter with Valentin, he reminds Anna that not every sinner paid for their crimes, adding that she knew that truth better than anyone. Anna has a flashback to her birthday, entering her room at the training academy, and finding Valentin waiting. She recalls him saying, "I have waited so long for this." Anna recoils in horror. "No. Stop!" she recalls saying to the disfigured young man.
Anna sees Griffin storm out onto the balcony to confront Valentin after learning of Claudette's death. Valentin brutally beats Griffin until Anna and Andre intercede. Anna accuses Valentin of being a vicious thug and slaps him. Valentin is stunned and begins to stutter. Mortified, he flees.
Eventually, Valentin reveals he and Anna were once been good friends at the training academy. However, he wanted more than friendship, so he tried to kiss her on her birthday. He confesses that her rejection drove him to sell his skills to the highest bidder to fund numerous surgeries to correct his deformities. She recalls Valentin used the name Ivan Theodore at the time and reaches out to her contacts at the WSB. They send a file, but it suddenly vanishes off her computer as she tries to read it. Anna calls Robert and asks him to track down Carl Browning, a man who'd trained with her and Valentin at the WSB.
Carl advises Anna to keep her distance from Valentin. He explains that Valentin's file was redacted because Anna had Valentin on a hit list. She has no recollection of ordering Valentin's murder, so she goes to Wyndemere to get answers. He catches her before she can plant a listening device. He demands an explanation, but Anna—who'd been suffering from debilitating migraines—collapses. He races her to the hospital.
Anna is initially diagnosed with a blood clot, but further testing determines she has a rare type of blood cancer known as polycythemia vera, or PV. There is no cure, but it is considered manageable with blood thinners and regular appointments with a phlebotomist. Robin flies to be at her mother's side and shares the news that she is expecting another baby. Anna is delighted to soon have another grandchild.
Their excitement is interrupted when Olivia Jerome resurfaces in Port Charles and kidnaps Robin, holding her hostage in an elevator. Olivia also tries to bring Duke back to life by drugging Griffin, to use his body as a vessel for Duke's spirit. Anna tries to stop Olivia, but collapses from blood loss after Olivia cuts her hand with a scalpel. Griffin comes to and saves Anna after Olivia's escape. Anna awoke from her injuries and found Robin with the help of Jason Morgan.
Once home from her PV diagnosis and harrowing ordeal with Olivia Jerome, Valentin visits Anna. She tells him she recently discovered that she put Valentin on the WSB's hit list and begs him to tell her why. She tells him she has no memory of it. He refuses to explain. Her determination to solve the mystery of her relationship with Valentin is redoubled when he reveals that they had been intimate. Anna turns to an expert at the WSB, who helps her uncover more memories. She returns to Port Charles and apologizes to Valentin for everything she'd done to him.
Anna and Finn get together in 2018.