After crying for what felt like hours, a small, delicate hand touched his. Their eyes met, as if fate had orchestrated the moment. Valerie stood before him, her hand holding his. She had witnessed the raw vulnerability of a broken man, and guilt weighed heavily on her. Years ago, he had shattered he
Valerie stood for a long time in front of Peter’s grave. She held the bouquet of peonies, unable to place them because someone had already left fresh flowers. She knew who it had been. She still couldn’t fully grasp what was happening. Ever since Serenity was born, she had feared this day, and now t
After ending the call with the bodyguard, Marcus returned to the table where Alexia and the client were waiting. Minutes passed, but he couldn’t shake his unease. He knew how difficult it was for Valerie to visit that place, and he was about to excuse himself when his phone vibrated. The screen lit
"Mr. Palmer, you're going to get me into serious trouble with your father. He explicitly told me to dispose of these samples," Rivers said, his voice trembling with fear."My father isn’t here, and if he ordered that, it means he’s hiding something. I’m going to find out what," Lucius Palmer replied
After a long day, Maximus finally arrived at a house that felt both familiar and distant. The air smelled of dampness, and the furniture was draped in sheets. The place was shrouded in darkness as he made his way to the study—a room that had once been his sanctuary. Feeling his way around, he found
After Maximus ended the call, Matthew immediately began sending the memorandums to all Palmer Group shareholders. The sudden request raised eyebrows, as it had been a long time since such a meeting had been called. Leonardo, despite his advanced age, read the memorandum and knew something significa
“Regina! How can you ask something like that?” Valerie replied, blushing furiously. “I’m not telling you anything. You’re incorrigible!”“Incorrigible or not, that’s just who I am—and I’m your best friend!” Regina shot back, laughing. “Mary, it hurts me that I wasn’t there for you, that you had to g
Lucius had recently spoken with Leonardo, requesting permission to put his studies on hold. He was determined to join Palmer Group and start learning the intricacies of the business. With the looming presence of Marcus Bartz, Lucius felt a growing urgency—not only for the future of his siblings but
"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