"That’s still up in the air! Alden wants to contact Marcus Bartz. He says Marcus might have answers about his father. At first, we thought he’d be a terrible man, but Alden did his research—at least as much as he could. Aside from being a good father to Serenity—that’s his sister’s name—Bartz took c
“Sir, what will you do about Alexia Levett? She’s still alive. According to the doctors, she’ll be quadriplegic, but she’ll survive. I heard rumors in the hallway that her husband hasn’t visited her—only her parents are with her.”“That damn woman took my father from me! We’re not going to let her d
Lucius parked the car in front of Leonardo’s luxurious mansion. It was an enormous palace, more like a castle. Serenity had never seen anything like it up close before."Welcome home, Serenity! I hope the trip wasn’t too tiring. Lucius insisted we stop for coffee at the place you like, but I preferr
"That’s what you say! But where were you all these years?" Serenity responded fearlessly."I already told you! Your damn mother separated you from us!" Leonardo shouted angrily."All this effort just to tell me I’m a Palmer?" Serenity asked."Serenity, it’s better if you don’t make my father angry.
'Do you know where she is?'Marcus woke up after a long night. Though he had slept, he hadn’t truly rested. His anxiety had resurfaced after just one argument. He needed Valerie to feel at peace—he couldn’t lose the woman of his life over a bout of jealousy. He was getting ready to go to Galea when
“All done. Looks like you’ll survive…” Alden said with a smile. “You were very brave.”As this unfolded, Ignatius took the opportunity to call Maximus Palmer. This time, the call wasn’t ignored.“Who’s this?”“Mr. Palmer?”“Yes!”“Hold on, someone wants to speak with you,” Ignatius said, handing the
Maximus arrived at the cemetery before Marcus. Without waiting for additional security, he entered and headed straight to the specified location, his heart in his throat. He had no idea who had called him, but the voice had felt familiar. Serenity was with this mysterious individual, and he couldn’t
“Serenity, I’m sorry, my dear. It’s just… seeing this young man left me in shock.”“It’s okay, Maximus. Just stop squeezing my hand—I’m not going anywhere, especially not like this.”“Serenity, what did that bastard do to you?”Alden was stunned by the way Maximus spoke, especially knowing they were
[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
"That's right. I'd like to speak with him alone, if you don't mind, Mr. Evans.""I think you're misunderstanding something. Letting you into my home doesn't mean you get to decide whether I'm in the conversation or not. Still, I'm trying to be reasonable—and if Paul wants to speak with you alone, on
Not too thrilled about it, Paul left his room and headed toward the garden, where a man was already waiting for him—one who didn't look his age. And to be honest, the resemblance between young Paul and the man was unmistakable.As soon as he heard footsteps approaching, the man—already sipping a cup