Maximus arrived in Valeria and went straight to see Alexia. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to face her anger, but he hadn’t expected to find her in loose clothing, her eyes and nose red from crying. When his gaze fell on her swollen belly, he felt like the most miserable man alive. She was the mother o
Peter and Mary arrived home in Galea after their long journey. Mary was still fragile, so Peter had instructed the staff to provide her with all the help she might need. Agnes, ever attentive, had prepared a delicious meal, knowing the expectant mother needed nourishment. She felt it was her duty to
In Ambervale, two months had passed since Albert’s death, and Agent Count had finally uncovered key information related to Albert Preston’s arrest.“Mrs. Catherine, can we meet? I have something I believe will interest you. I’ve sent part of it to your email, but it’s imperative you see the rest in
[In Ambervale, two decades later]In a private hangar at Flameco Airport in Eterna, a strikingly beautiful woman with long blonde hair descended from a sleek private jet. Ahead of her was a tall, commanding man with sharp, rugged features, his face partially covered by a neatly trimmed beard and a p
After half an hour of driving, a convoy of three SUVs arrived at the entrance of Flavian Cemetery. From the lead vehicle stepped the striking couple, returning to Valentia after what felt like an eternity away.The man took the woman’s hand and helped her out of the SUV. A bodyguard handed them the
After a few emotional minutes at Peter’s final resting place, Marcus Bartz gently urged Valerie to leave. The security team had signaled that someone was loitering nearby—a risk Marcus couldn’t afford.“My beloved Valerie, we need to go. It’s dangerous to stay here,” Marcus said, his eyes scanning t
“My dear Emma! It’s been so long…” Valerie said, tears streaming down her face.“My child! Don’t cry! I don’t like seeing those eyes filled with tears,” Emma said, wiping them away with her hand before pulling Valerie into a hug.Emma had worked her entire life for the Palmer family. But when Maximu
Not far from the Bartz residence, Maximus Palmer was accompanying a young and beautiful woman at the National Gallery of Modern Art. After their tour of the gallery, Maximus suggested they go for a coffee. The girl, clearly excited, didn’t object.“Maximus, darling! I’m heading to the restroom, I’ll
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'