In one of the gardens of Cambridge University in London, a refined 20-year-old walked confidently toward his economics class. His stride was abruptly interrupted by the ringing of his phone. Searching through his backpack, he answered the call.“My son, I need you to come home!” came the voice of a
Serenity lay on her bed, scrolling through her social media feed when a notification popped up—an email from Maximus Palmer. A sharp pang shot through her stomach, but it quickly dissolved into anger. That bastard actually dared to write to her? How could he? What gave him the nerve?[Hello Serenity
Maximus sat in his study, the image of Mary’s tear-streaked face lingering painfully in his mind. He felt a pang of guilt—he had barely seen her again, and he had already caused her to cry.“Maximus, you’re an idiot,” he muttered to himself.Lost in thought, his attention was drawn to an email notif
Alexia sat in the master bedroom, going through her meticulously detailed nightly routine to preserve her youthful appearance. Creams, applicators, and various other products were scattered across the vanity. As she looked into the mirror, she felt a strange tightness in her chest. Time was slipping
[Present day]After Marcus opened his heart and confessed to Valerie that knowing she had met with Maximus made him jealous, he felt both embarrassed and relieved. It was one of the outcomes he had anticipated when her ex-husband learned of his existence, but he hadn’t been sure how to handle it. Th
[The past]Audrey had just turned 18, and during her birthday party, she met Maximus Palmer. That night, Maximus arrived at the celebration alone—a rare occurrence, as he usually attended such events with Alexia to maintain appearances. However, an argument over something trivial had erupted before
The call Alexia received from her grandfather had left her on edge. She knew he didn’t mess around. If he wanted, he could send her husband proof that she had ordered the removal of Maximus’s only brother.She took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. She needed to talk to Maximus. But how? She h
It was 10:00 p.m., and Marcus was drinking and smoking on the balcony of the hotel room where he’d decided to stay. He had been waiting for a decent hour to call the one woman who could bring peace to his heart. The day had been far from easy, and he still felt unsettled by his actions, though he tr
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