Valerie had no choice but to follow Marcus’s long strides. When he set his mind to something, there was no changing it. 'If he wants to lose more sleep, that’s on him,' she thought. A few minutes later, they reached the building’s parking lot. Marcus opened the passenger door for her to get in, a ge
They both entered the house, and Camille greeted them with a knowing smile, though Valerie didn’t notice it.“Good evening, Mr. Bartz! Serene is fast asleep, but please, go see her—she’s in her room,” Camille said, pointing to Valerie’s bedroom.Valerie, needing to collect herself, went to the kitch
The next morning, Valerie’s bedroom was filled with the lingering scent of Marcus’s cologne. Her alarm went off, and she noticed that Marcus was no longer there. He must have woken up early and left before she stirred. It was Friday, and she needed to get ready for work. As she moved around the bed,
Valerie entered Marcus’s office, where he was already deeply absorbed in his work. The man who had been peacefully asleep next to her daughter just hours ago was gone, replaced by the serious, focused CEO.“How’s Serenity this morning?” Marcus asked without looking up.“She’s fine, Marcus. Thank you
When they arrived at the bar, they were guided to a table reserved by the client’s assistant. Marcus ordered a whiskey neat, while Valerie chose a glass of wine. She kept her drink modest, knowing she needed to stay sharp—this was a rare opportunity to observe Marcus in a professional setting she ne
Marcus carried the briefcase with the contract in one hand and held Valerie's small hand in the other. Her cheeks were more flushed than usual. Marcus had to admit he felt a little dizzy from the drinks he’d had, but even so, he couldn’t bring himself to send Valerie home in a taxi in her condition.
Marcus had to send a message to Camille, letting her know that Valerie had had a bit too much to drink and wasn’t in any condition to go home. Naturally, he didn’t mention what had happened between them. He promised they’d be there early in the morning to pick up Serenity since they were planning to
As they walked to the sitting area, Valerie couldn’t help but marvel at how naturally Marcus was acting after the night they’d spent together."Valerie," Marcus began, his voice serious as they sat down. "I need you to know that I don’t want what happened between us to be just a casual encounter. I
"Thank you, Serenity. I have a lot to think about… But first things first—my daughter and my studies.""That's the spirit, my beautiful sister!" Serenity said, hugging her again.Finally, Serenity turned to Maximus and Diana. She looked at them, and they smiled at her. Maximus opened his arms and pu
Peter watched little Ethan, who still wouldn't meet his eyes. During all the goodbyes, Ethan had avoided coming near him—but now, the moment had come to do what was right."Ethan, come here…" Peter said, looking at the boy.With his head down, Ethan slowly walked toward him. Peter crouched down to t
[A few months earlier ]It was nighttime. Alden was out of town, and Serenity couldn't sleep. Her belly was still round with pregnancy when she noticed Peter sitting alone in the garden. She decided to join him—as long as he was okay with her company.He had recently woken up, and to him, nearly eve
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