“Why are you only telling us this now?” Laura asked, her voice trembling.“Because there wasn’t much else to do. I didn’t know how you would take it. Your mother was in terrible shape—she passed away shortly after arriving at the hospital. Her parents already have her ashes, and the funeral is today
“My children,” Maximus began, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “Laura and I need to talk to you about something. Paul, I need you to pay close attention. Let’s go to my study, and we’ll discuss it there.”The small family made their way to the study and closed the door. Once inside, Maximu
A week had passed quickly since Alexia's death was announced. Maximus hadn’t shown up at Palmer Group’s offices. Marcus, along with Matthew, worked hard to keep the company afloat. While it was true the business wasn’t what it once had been, Matthew had analyzed the data and was convinced they could
John had invited Ethan to his house many times, but his grandfather had set a condition: if he wanted to visit a friend, he had to bring a gift. Therefore, Ethan had to save his Sundays to buy something that the family he was visiting might like. Incredibly, his grandfather could buy him the gift wi
“Grandpa? Grandpa? Where are you?”“Ethan, I’m in the study in a meeting, but tell me, what’s going on? With your insistence, it must be important.”“I have the gift for my friend’s family. I’m going to drop it off now…”“Ethan, it doesn’t work like that. We said you should save for a gift, but befo
After 15 minutes in the car, Peter parked his truck, helped Ethan out of his seat, and rang the doorbell, intending to meet the person who would be receiving his son. At that precise moment, a soft voice answered.“Hello, who is it? Who are you looking for?”“I’m Mr. Pietrovich. My son Ethan is frie
They carefully went up the stairs and finally entered the room where John was lying down. At first, he had a sad expression, but when he saw Ethan, his face changed completely.“Ethan! Mom, this is Ethan, my friend from school!”“I know, sweetheart… no need to shout…”“Ethan… Come, sit down. How hav
It had been at least two months since Maximus had resigned as CEO of Palmer Group. Marcus had to take over the reins, and in the end, the revenge he had planned had taken a complete turn. The only condition Maximus had left was that the shares belonging to Alden be transferred to him. After seeing 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
"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