Peter August was hired as Chief Operating Officer of Aurora Media. Jason Morgan and his wife, Sam, had wanted someone with experience to run the media empire until they learned the ropes. The launch party for Aurora Media took a surprising turn when gunmen stormed the venue and took Sam hostage to lure a man known as Patient 6 out of hiding. The ploy worked, and it was revealed that Patient 6 was the real Jason Morgan -- and the man who believed he was Jason was Jason's identical twin brother, Andrew, who'd been given to Betsy Frank at his birth and raised as Franco's brother for a few short years.

It was revealed that Jason and Drew had been kidnapped five years earlier by international criminal Cesar Faison. Faison had hired Dr. Andre Maddox to map Jason and Drew's memories then overwrite Drew's memories with his brother's. Afterwards, Jason had been slated to die, but someone had betrayed Faison and had hidden Jason away in a Russian clinic where Jason had been kept heavily sedated until his escape in September 2017.The shocking revelations rocked Port Charles, so Peter urged Lulu Falconeri to write a story about why Faison had snatched Jason and Drew. Lulu accepted the assignment, knowing she would have to lure Faison out of the hiding. She had no idea that Peter had had an ulterior motive for wanting Faison to surface.

In January 2018, Lulu turned to Nathan for help because Nathan had recently learned that Faison was his father. Nathan readily agreed because he didn't want Maxie and their unborn baby to live under the constant threat of Faison crashing into their lives. Nathan intended to put an end to his father's reign of terror once and for all. Nathan agreed to an interview with Lulu and talked about Faison. After Peter published the story, Faison slipped into Port Charles and took Liesl Obrecht and Lulu hostage. He locked them up in the barn on Spoon Island then slipped into Anna's home.

Faison was forced to flee without Anna when the police closed in. He made his way to Crimson, where he encountered Peter and Maxie. Peter tried to protect Maxie, but Faison shot him then dragged Maxie to the foyer just as Nathan exited the elevator. Faison had no idea that Nathan was his son and shot him. Maxie cried out with horror, prompting Faison to realize that he'd shot his son. Faison fled the scene as Peter emerged from the office and ran to Nathan's aid.

After Nathan was rushed to the hospital, Peter went to the park for a rendezvous with Anna. Anna had arranged to meet Faison's other secret son -- Peter!

Anna had learned from Liesl Obrecht that Faison had had a son named Henrik. Faison hadn't known who the boy's mother was, and he had treated the child like he was an annoyance. Anna couldn't understand why Faison would mistreat his child, especially a son. "The boy was his son, but not yours," Liesl answered. Liesl admitted that was the reason that she'd hidden Nathan by giving him to her sister to raise.

Peter changed his mind about talking to Anna when Jason entered the park. Peter managed to slip away without being seen then went to the hospital to confront his father. Jason had shot Faison in the chest as Faison had attempted to take Carly Corinthos hostage and escape from Metro Court. Peter entered his father's hospital room and gloated that he'd outwitted Faison. Faison was furious that Peter had betrayed him by keeping Jason alive, but Peter was unapologetic. Peter loathed his father and revealed that he had intended to unleash Jason on Faison when the time was right. Faison began to gasp for breath, but Peter pulled the call button away from Faison and left the room. Moments later, Faison died from cardiac arrest.

Peter returned to the park and took off a bulletproof vest that he'd been wearing. He dumped the vest into a trash can, doused it with lighter fluid, and lit it on fire. He also disposed of the bullet that Faison had fired at him in the Crimson office. Later, it was revealed that Peter had stolen a disco ball Christmas ornament that contained the flash drive with all of Andre Maddox's work and the mapping of Drew Cain's memory.

After Nathan succumbed to his gunshot wound, Peter ran into Lulu at Kelly's. Lulu was filled with remorse because she had approached Nathan with the idea of writing an article. Peter felt bad for Lulu and tried to distract her by talking about his own troubled childhood. He revealed that his mother had abandoned him, and his father had shipped him off to boarding school at the first opportunity. Peter admitted that he'd spent his childhood seeking his father's approval, to no avail. Lulu wondered about Peter's mother.

Peter admitted that he'd had a fantasy about his mother rescuing him, but his father had told Peter not to count on it because an "intermediary" had given Peter to his father, so his father had no idea who Peter's mother was. Lulu felt terrible for Peter and likened his childhood to a Dickens novel. Peter decided that it was time to leave Port Charles, so he paid Drew a visit and resigned. Later, Valentin called Peter. Peter assured him that he was leaving town, but Valentin advised Peter to reconsider.

Meanwhile, Anna had set out on a mission to find her long lost son when she learned that Faison had suffered from Huntington's Disease, which had twisted his mind. Anna revealed that she had discovered that she was pregnant following a mission during which she had seduced Faison. Anna had decided to give the child up for adoption at birth without ever holding the newborn or learning the child's gender. In time, Anna's search would lead her to Henrik when it was revealed that Faison had a son Valentin had discovered Anna's secret, and he had taken the infant from the adoptive family then delivered Anna's son to Faison to raise, but Valentin had been careful not to reveal the identity of Peter's mother.

Peter had sought out Dr. Griffin Munro's help when he had learned about Faison's diagnosis. Tests would later reveal that Peter had not inherited the illness from his father, but Griffin had put the pieces together, and he realized that Peter was Anna's son. Peter, unaware of who his mother was, persuaded Griffin not to reveal that he was Faison's son. Griffin agreed, but he was plagued with guilt because he knew that Anna was desperate to find her child.

On the night of the Nurses Ball, Peter was with Maxie as she went into labor. He was forced to pull to the side of the road. Minutes later, Maxie gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Peter was deeply moved to hold his nephew for the first time even if he was the only one who knew about their blood ties. Peter's past soon caught up with him when he went to Pier 55 to meet Anna who had arranged a meeting with "Henrik." Peter confronted Anna with a gun, but Jason arrived to help Anna. Fearing that Jason might kill Peter, Anna blurted out that Peter was her son. Peter was arrested for his role in Jason and Drew's abductions, and various other crimes relating from the kidnapping and Jason's imprisonment at the clinic in Russia.

Peter attempted to bargain for his freedom by offering Drew the flash drive with Drew's memories, but Drew refused to help Peter. On May 31, Valentin helped his protégé escape from jail. Peter raced to his hotel suite and packed his bags. He decided to drop the flash drive in an envelope addressed to Drew, but Liesl Obrecht had managed to slip into the suite, inject him with a sedative, and then kidnap him.

Peter woke up tied to a bed in a remote cabin in the woods. Liesl vowed vengeance for "Henrik's" role in Nathan's murder. She demanded that he made a full confession to all of his crimes, and she resorted to all manner of mental torture when Peter refused to comply. Eventually, Nina Reeves discovered her aunt's secret when she followed Liesl to the cabin. Nina tried to intervene on Peter's behalf, but Liesl refused to release her prisoner. Liesl's violence toward Peter escalated, but rescue arrived in the form of a young scout named Wyatt who discovered Peter in the cabin then went for help.

Unfortunately, Liesl and Nina had managed to move Peter to the stables on Spoon Island, but Nina had had enough, and she demanded that Liesl release Peter. Furious, Liesl threw a Molotov cocktail into the barn then left her niece to perish with Peter. Valentin and Finn arrived moments later, and Valentin rescued Nina, while Finn went to Peter's aid. Both Nina and Peter were taken to the hospital to recuperate. Peter refused to divulge Nina's role in his abduction because she had repeatedly tried to help him, and she had nearly died trying to save him. However, Liesl was arrested.

On August 8, Peter worked out a deal for his freedom with the WSB in exchange for information about his father's crimes and the project that Drew and Jason had been a part of. Afterwards, Peter picked up the pieces of his life. He bought the Invader, and she hired Lulu Falconeri to work for him. Maxie appreciated that Peter wanted to turn his life around, and a role in his nephew's life, so she gave him a second chance. In time, Peter also made peace with his mother and the two forged a tentative relationship.

In early January, Peter was horrified when his mother complained of a headache then was suddenly struck blind. Anna was rushed to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a latent virus that was tied to Dr. Arthur Cabot. A surgical procedure had reversed the blindness. Over time, several sets of twins, including Drew and Jason, were temporarily blinded by the virus because they'd each been part of an early experiment on memory transfer.

As Peter and Maxie's friendship deepened, romance blossomed. Liesl, who had managed to put her legal troubles behind her, initially objected to the relationship, but she loved her grandson and Maxie. Nina also expressed reservations about Peter, but Maxie had seen the changes in Peter and the effort that he had made to put his old life behind him. Eventually, Liesl and Nina accepted Peter's place in Maxie and James' life. Peter and Anna had also made strides in their relationship when they both agreed to make more of an effort to get to know each other.

Peter stood by Maxie's side when Maxie began to question the maternity of a young woman named Sasha Gilmore who claimed to be Nina's daughter. Despite a DNA test that had proven Sasha's claim, Maxie was certain that Sasha had lied in an effort to get closer to Nina and exploit her sister-in-law's wealth. However, a secret DNA test revealed that Sasha was indeed Nina's daughter. What Maxie and Peter didn't realize was that Valentin had gotten wind of the couple's plans, and he had arranged for the DNA test to confirm the first DNA test, even though Valentin had paid Sasha to pose as Nina's daughter.

Soon, Maxie became distracted by her concern for Lulu's floundering marriage because Dante had returned from an undercover assignment with post-traumatic stress as a result of torture and brainwashing. Fearing for the safety of his family and loved ones, Dante flew to a WSB facility in Wales for treatment, but the distance and lack of communication had taken a toll on Lulu. Maxie used her connections at the WSB to find out that Dante had been moved to a facility in New York, so Peter insisted on accompanying Maxie to the visit. Things took a shocking turn when Maxie startled Dante, and Dante reached for a gun. Peter was shot in the shoulder and transferred to General Hospital.

Maxie realized her mistake, and she apologized to Lulu for overstepping. Lulu forgave her friend, but days later, Dante filed for divorce. After Peter recovered from his injury, Peter and Maxie admitted that they were in love with each other. However, Peter's happiness was immediately threatened when ex-cult leader Shiloh reached out to Peter for help. Shiloh had been arrested for a slew of crimes including sexual assault and kidnapping. Shiloh had also stolen the flash drive with Drew's memories then had the memories transferred to Franco Baldwin.

Shiloh threatened to reveal Peter's true role in Drew and Jason's abductions if Peter didn't help Shiloh break out of jail. Peter feared that Maxie would leave him if she discovered that he had been Helena Cassadine's partner rather than his father's minion, so he took steps to neutralize the threat. Peter contacted a hit man to kill Andre Maddox then arranged for Drew's plan to crash into the Gulf of Aden. Peter couldn't afford for Drew to recall Peter's role in Helena's plot, and he feared that Andre's procedure might backfire on Franco leaving Franco with a clearer recollection of Drew's past. Andre survived the assassination attempt, but Drew was presumed killed.

Next, Peter arranged for the hit man to kill Shiloh. Peter's hit man posed as a police officer when Shiloh was transferred from his trial at the courthouse back to prison. The hit man knocked out the guard then attempted to kill Shiloh, but Shiloh managed to turn the tables on the hit man. After Shiloh changed into a police uniform, he flagged down Bobbie Spencer. Shiloh was delighted when he saw Wiley Cooper-Jones in the backseat because he believed the child was his biological son who had been given up for adoption. Shiloh took off in the car with the toddler, leaving Bobbie on the side of the road.

On September 23, 2019, Shiloh took refuge in the Haunted Star. After he knocked out fellow stowaway, Dev Cerci, Shiloh called Peter to instruct Peter to gather as much money as Peter could get his hands on then meet Shiloh because Shiloh needed the money to go on the run. Moments later, Sam stumbled into the ship looking for Dev. She was stunned when she saw Shiloh holding a gun and her nephew.