As the news of Mary’s pregnancy weighed on Peter, forcing him to make a difficult yet loving decision, in Valeria, Maximus visited Alexia at her apartment. He told her the divorce had been finalized, and he was now a free man.“That’s excellent news, love!” Alexia exclaimed, practically jumping with
Leonard Palmer became a widower when his sons were just 15 and 13 years old, a devastating blow to his heart. Martina Palmer had been his one true love. They had met when Leonard began working at Palmer Group, and she had been his unwavering support when he took control of the Preston & Partners Gro
Peter had improved his attitude when his grandmother arrived. He began to work on the subjects he was about to fail, so there were days that he stayed late in the school library.One of those many days, he passed by the art teacher's office. The light was on and peculiar noises could be heard from i
After hours of brooding in his study, Leonard made a difficult decision: He would send Peter to Galea, to an internment school for troubled youth. Without a word, Peter was pulled from his room, still in his pajamas, and taken to the institution. From that moment, Peter wouldn’t see his father again
Frank Levett was an unyielding judge, whose reputation over the years had become untouchable. Considered an exemplary citizen, his opinions carried weight both professionally and personally.Alexia’s parents, who for years had been passive observers of their daughter’s relationship with Maximus Palm
While several pieces were shifting in Valeria, Peter was taking Mary to her first appointment with the gynecologist in Galea.“Hello, Miss Preston, Mr. Palmer! You must be the one who emailed me at 12:00 a.m., 2:00 a.m., and multiple times after that, correct?”“Hello, Dr. Andrew Roman. Yes, that wa
Peter and Mary returned home. She took a long nap while he drove. As he navigated the road, Peter couldn’t help but reflect on all the things that needed to be sorted out. A baby was on the way, and nothing would ever be the same. He needed to share the good news with someone, and there was paperwor
From that night onward, Peter asked Mary to sleep in the master bedroom. The request slipped out naturally, without much thought.That evening, after dinner, they went to their respective rooms. Peter took a bath, put on his pajamas, and lay on the bed. He realized the request had been too sudden—sh
Valerie approached, one last time, one of the most important women in her life in Valeria.Emma Fiore—the woman who had taken her in almost like a daughter. While they had grown close during the three years Valerie was married to Maximus, their bond went far beyond that. They were family.Emma had c
After that hug, Valerie walked over to Laura, Serenity's sister, with whom she'd developed a bit of a bond."Laura and beautiful Adele—I wish you both all the success in the world… You must finish your studies and use your degree. You're living proof that it's possible—and that's exactly what your l
The day had finally come—the Bartz family and the newly formed Palmer-Bartz family were leaving for Hesperia.Without meaning to, the three families found themselves gathered once again at the airport.Marcus was saying goodbye to Peter, who, due to his memory loss, only held onto the memories of th
While Valerie packed up their things for the move back to Hesperia, Peter was driving with Celeste and their little girls toward Willowcombe.He was taking her to see how the renovations on the house—where they'd soon be living—were coming along.Celeste was in the back seat with the girls, tending
Valerie was packing clothes into the suitcases, though she kept drifting off, thinking about the reason they'd come here in the first place.At first, everything had seemed simple—quick even. Within a few months, they'd be back in Hesperia. But it had already been over a year.Things hadn't gone as
After Maximus said goodbye to Pierre, he went back into the mansion and headed straight to his son's room. Paul was lying on his bed, facing away from the door."Paul, can I come in?" Maximus asked gently."You're already in, Dad… Are you here to scold me for something that happened years ago?" Paul
"That's right. I'd like to speak with him alone, if you don't mind, Mr. Evans.""I think you're misunderstanding something. Letting you into my home doesn't mean you get to decide whether I'm in the conversation or not. Still, I'm trying to be reasonable—and if Paul wants to speak with you alone, on
Not too thrilled about it, Paul left his room and headed toward the garden, where a man was already waiting for him—one who didn't look his age. And to be honest, the resemblance between young Paul and the man was unmistakable.As soon as he heard footsteps approaching, the man—already sipping a cup
Time had flown by. The Bartzes were about to leave, and with them, Serenity and Alden. In just a week, everything would change again. It was clear that once the Bartzes returned to Hesperia, the families in Valentia would start making moves too. As everyone already knew, Theodore would stay in Flor