Valentin Cassadine has faced danger, deceit, and heartbreak — but nothing prepares him for the shock that walks through his door this week.

When Lulu Spencer suddenly returns to Port Charles, she isn’t the same woman he once loved.

The warmth in her eyes is replaced by calculation, and her visit feels less like a homecoming and more like a warning.

Valentin is stunned, his carefully built world teetering as Lulu delivers a chilling ultimatum: if he wants to see Charlotte again, he’ll play by her rules.

At first, Valentin tries to charm his way out, masking his unease behind his usual smooth façade.

But Lulu’s tone cuts through every defense. She’s done being controlled, done being the woman in his shadow.

“You’ve had enough chances,” she tells him coldly, “and this time, you don’t get to decide what happens next.” The words hit him harder than any bullet.

Meanwhile, Nina senses something’s off. She catches Valentin distracted, his mind clearly elsewhere, and begins digging for answers — the last thing he needs. Dante also becomes suspicious after a cryptic phone call between Lulu and an unnamed contact. He can tell she’s hiding something — something dangerous.

The tension erupts when Lulu and Valentin meet again at the pier. What begins as an emotional confrontation turns volatile as old resentments surface. Valentin begs her to reconsider, to remember their past and what’s at stake for Charlotte. But Lulu’s resolve is unshakable. “You had your chance to be the man I believed in,” she says, “now you’ll face the man I’ve become.”

As she walks away, Valentin realizes the truth — this isn’t just about family or forgiveness. Someone is pulling Lulu’s strings, and if he doesn’t uncover who, he could lose everything he’s ever loved.