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
Maximus watched as Marcus took Serenity away. For a brief moment, he felt a twinge of nostalgia. His daughter had been so frightened that she was happy to see and hug him, but he knew he had to respect the fact that Marcus had been her legal and emotional father for years. Forcing things wouldn’t he
Maximus leaned back in his chair, letting out a deep breath. “Do you know that inheritance actually exists?”“I don’t need it! I only want one thing. I want to work for the company. I know it’s not in a great situation, but I want to see how I can invest money into it and bring it back to what it on
Marcus sat in the back seat of the SUV with Serenity beside him. After everything that had happened, she finally felt safe in her father’s presence and drifted into a deep sleep.“My girl, I don’t know exactly what happened, but I’ll find out. Believe me, Leonardo and Lucius will regret laying a fin
“Can we declare her dead?”“We can, but why would you want that?”“Her family will stop worrying about her, and we can keep her alive under our control.”“Are you seriously considering that as an option?”-“Yes, I have no doubt about it. That woman changed so many lives with her ambition. She denie
Valerie was unaware of everything that had transpired that day. She simply got out of the bed she had slept in for her first nine months in Galea. Aurora and she had chosen to sleep there—Valerie didn’t feel ready to use the master bedroom, unwilling to disturb anything left inside. She hadn’t even
She got dressed and sat at the vanity. Though it was clean, it still held toiletries for both her and Peter. Her heart clenched as she remembered their small arguments about using the mirror—she always had to wait for Peter, who spent half an hour styling his wavy hair only to mess it up and let it
[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