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
Mary and Peter went to their appointment with the gynecologist. Everything was going well; the gestational sac had grown a few more millimeters, and everything appeared to be under control. They asked the doctor if it was safe to take long trips. Peter was overly cautious and didn’t want to miss a s
Catherine’s birthday had arrived. Peter had checked his schedule and ensured they could leave on Friday to avoid rushing. He was well aware he couldn’t drive too fast anymore. They packed their bags, and Agnes prepared a small bag of desserts and fruit for the journey—Mary couldn’t go without eating
After a couple of hours, Peter woke up feeling rested. The trip had exhausted him, and being with Mary always made him feel pleasantly drowsy. As soon as they’d arrived at Catherine’s house, all he’d wanted was to cuddle up with his beloved and take a nap.Mary was still asleep, but as Peter shifted
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
She was still holding her bridal bouquet—hadn't even had the chance to toss it. And even if she had, there would've been no one to catch it, since the whole wedding had been so secret and closed-off.Mary walked behind him, trying to catch up. She didn't understand why he was so upset."Mary, there'