Co-Head Writer Chris Whitesell officially announces (in case any of you are still wondering) that "Dana," a.k.a. "The Mystery Woman" is indeed Ben's presumed-dead wife, Maria.

"As Ben and Meg prepare for their wedding, he begins to come to grips with the harsh accusations he made toward Maria near the final moments of her life," says Whitesell. Tim will be the first to discover proof that Dana is Maria, but decides to wait until Meg's wedding day to drop the bombshell. Look for wedding bells to ring toward the end of September.

"Francesca forces Cole to help her in a series of jewel heists," reports Whitesell, adding that some of the victims will be people we know well. "We will realize that Francesca is not doing these jobs at random, but has a secret agenda involving her past with Antonio. Meanwhile, we will be seeing a very interesting quadrangle develop between Annie, A.J., Olivia and Gregory. Everyone wants Olivia and nobody wants Annie."

"Antonio devotes his energies to helping the earthquake victims rebuild their lives, but we end up seeing not only Antonio the priest, but also as a very human, sexual being." Whitesell teases.

And here's more...

In the wake of the Sunset Beach earthquake, Trey's need for medical attention may force Olivia to admit that she is the child's mother. This sends Annie into another scheming fit to protect the secret she had so finely crafted. However, Olivia learns another bit of information to hold over Annie and uses her power to tinker with the Liberty Corp.

With the horror of Derek's scheming finally over, Ben and Meg's relationship flourishes to a new level as they start to plan their wedding. While viewers learn that the mysterious Dana is indeed Maria, Ben's "dead" wife, the woman seems unaware of who she really is. But it is only a matter of time before Ben comes face to face with his troubled past.

Tyus, now having two Martin's Syndrome patients instead of one, attempts to re-discover the cure that was lost in the earthquake, despite the fact that his lab and his notes are all gone. Virginia is completely guilt-stricken when she realizes that Tyus will never find a cure because he is using cultures from Vanessa's skin, which doesn't really have the disease. She considers coming clean, but then gets the shock of a lifetime.

Francesca hovers around the perimeter of Cole and Caitlin's romance. Caitlin gets very territorial, fearing the power she has to ruin her happiness by rekindling Cole's latest feelings for her. Cole hovers between being angry at Francesca for spurning him in the past or further exploring his lingering attraction to her.

Bette tries hard to reconcile with her daughter, but Emily feels the process will take longer than Bette is willing to wait. Amy decides to play on Emily's estranged relationship with her mother in an attempt to get closer to Sean.

Sara's life manages to get even more complicated when some controversial photos of her in a compromising position surface -- and it's not with Congressman Blythe.

Ricardo and Gabi explore their budding relationship, with Antonio's approval. However, it seems that there is more troubling Antonio than he is letting on. The constant reminders of his possibly shady past, courtesy of Francesca, serve to sink him deeper into doubt.

Leo finds his father's mysterious behavior somewhat troubling.

Keep watching Sunset Beach for these storylines and more!

Sources: Soap Opera News, Soap Opera Digest