Once the tension eased and Maximus left Marcus’s office with a disheveled Alexia, Marcus still held Valerie tightly. She was trembling with anger, clutching the strands of hair she had managed to pull from her rival’s head.Marcus guided his wife to one of the chairs and immediately closed the door
Finally, Valerie began to calm down. Marcus had only ever seen his wife this upset once before, and that was with Olsen, but that had been years ago.“My love, I hate seeing you cry. You don’t have to feel this way. I’d never do anything to hurt you,” Marcus said, trying to comfort his wife, who was
Diana was Hesperian and had just graduated with a degree in International Business. She had studied at one of the best public universities in the country, coming from a modest family background. Her university education had been possible thanks to the scholarships available.She was a diligent stude
Diana was trying to convince Matthew she was capable of handling the tasks required. She had to persuade him—this was her last chance after a string of failed interviews. If she didn’t succeed, she’d be in serious trouble, and her exchange program could be jeopardized.“Mr. Rice, I know I’m not from
After that night out, Maximus’s attitude toward Diana softened. He began asking Matthew to involve her in more tasks, realizing she could be helpful and that her presence didn’t bother him. Matthew, aware of their previous outing, was grateful for the extra help but also concerned about Maximus’s in
Maximus developed an unusual relationship with Diana. Every Friday evening, they would meet and talk late into the night, always ending up at the same lookout point. Diana often wondered why he tortured himself with memories of Mary. What could he have done so wrong to feel such guilt? Whenever she
Time passed quickly, and Diana was just 15 days away from returning to Hesperia. Her relationship with Maximus had become something undefined—not quite a friendship, but not a romantic relationship either. In secret, Maximus dreaded the thought of letting her go. His mind was a chaotic mess. Diana,
“Maximus, I understand your guilt now. But do you think living the way you are now changes anything? You’re just sinking further into the same mess you created. Wake up! You’re not doing anything extraordinary; you’re running on autopilot. I truly regret what you did to that woman. She didn’t deserv
"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