[Present day]After the heated argument with his wife, Maximus was left with a pounding headache and trembling hands. Over the years, the anxiety he’d developed after his brother’s death had become more evident with each passing day. While Diana had been in his life, he’d managed to keep it under co
After a brief conversation with the clinic director, Maximus stepped out of the office. An overwhelming urge to smoke hit him. He made his way to the smoking area and sat on a bench, watching people come and go. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like to live a normal life. From a young age,
“Of course. I’ll inform the team right away. It shouldn’t take too long. Now, let’s move on to Paul. He’s quite the young man now, isn’t he?” the doctor said with a smile, opening the envelope. But as he read the results, his expression changed. He hesitated, then spoke carefully. “Mr. Palmer, I reg
Marcus and Valerie were driving together. After the events of the afternoon, Valerie had wanted to take a drive to clear her head. She didn’t want to go home upset and needed to calm down first. Her husband decided to take her to a scenic overlook, and they stayed there until night fell. That evenin
A week after Lucius returned to London, he had already organized his affairs. He requested a leave of absence from university and ensured his businesses could be managed remotely. With everything in order, he prepared to return to Valeria. The idea of Bartz being at the company made him restless; he
“Lucius,” Bartz said in a disturbingly calm voice. “You said you’d help me, didn’t you?”“Yes… Just let me down… Everything hurts,” Lucius replied, his voice cracking with pain.“You’re just a kid, but you want to play adult games. Fine. I’ll give you your chance,” Bartz said, his tone almost patron
Maximus returned home, utterly drained. He walked in quietly, knowing all the staff were already asleep. Heading down the hallway, he noticed the light on in his wife’s room. A surge of anger flared within him—he was sure that if he faced her now, he might actually strangle her. He took a deep breat
Maximus had fallen asleep for several hours next to his daughter. When he woke, he carefully slipped out of Laura’s room, feeling a rare sense of peace. With this newfound calm, he decided to head to his study to tackle a task he knew wouldn’t be easy.It wasn’t unusual for Maximus to stay up late,
"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