Maximus was utterly taken aback when he saw the name on his phone screen. Of all the people who could have called him, he hadn’t expected her. The surprise was overwhelming, but without hesitation, he answered. Tonight, of all nights, he needed to hear her voice.“Maximus? Maximus Palmer?” said a fa
As the bus pulled into the station near midnight, Valerie stepped off, feeling a hollow ache in her stomach. When she stormed out of the hotel, she hadn’t known where to go. Home wasn’t an option—not in the state she was in. A hotel felt too risky; she couldn’t predict how far Marcus might go to fin
After hanging up with Diana, Maximus headed to the old mansion. Once there, he wasn’t in the mood for anything other than taking a bath and sleeping—it had been a long day. He was lying on his old bed when the light of his phone pulled him out of a half-sleep. An email with encrypted files had just
After nearly being strangled to death by her husband, Alexia shockingly returned to the mansion. It was clear that many things were about to change drastically. A few hours earlier, Leonardo had made it clear that he wouldn’t help her at all. Lucius had only advised her to leave the house and find s
For the first time in years, Marcus felt an anxiety attack creeping in. With no other option, he called Frederick. It was late at night, but like Matthew, Frederick knew his bosses well and had been expecting the call, though it was clear from the delay that something was wrong.“What’s going on, my
After narrowly escaping death at the hands of her husband, Alexia climbed into her car and sped away, desperate to reach civilization. Her spirits lifted when she finally saw the glow of city lights in the distance. Inside the car, she cursed Maximus relentlessly. He had always fallen for her tricks
After the disastrous meeting at Palmer Group, Serenity was taken home by her father. Since then, she hadn’t heard from either of her parents and was still reeling from the shocking revelations. Serenity, who had always prided herself on being level-headed, had acted like a crying little girl today.
Serenity felt a shiver run down her spine as she caught the cynical look in the young man’s eyes. He was the spitting image of Maximus, only much younger. She remembered seeing him once before—he was the one who had opened Pandora's box, setting off chaos and fights everywhere. If he was here now, i
"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