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,
After realizing that she and Maximus wouldn’t be spending the day alone, Laura’s expression turned serious. Though her shyness remained evident in her eyes, she was clearly upset. A single tear slipped down her cheek. In her mind, there was no doubt—her father must be introducing her to a mistress h
Minutes later, Valerie appeared in the kitchen, still groggy. She found Marcus gazing out at the garden with a coffee cup in hand. Smiling, she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his firm yet warm back.“Good morning, sweetheart,” she murmured.“My l
Serenity looked up, momentarily unsure. Then she recognized him—Maximus. For a split second, she hesitated. He looked different today, much like Laura had thought. The man standing before her seemed nothing like the stern, cold figure she had briefly met in Madrid.“Hello, Maximus,” Serenity replied
"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