“Well, I don’t, Serenity. My life changed completely when I found out I was going to be a father. One day I was a broke kid, and the next, I was managing absurd sums of money, getting paid, and changing diapers.”“Sorry…” Serenity murmured, her tone softening."Sorry… what?" Alden asked, raising an
Maximus felt a sense of calm he hadn’t experienced in years now that Emma had moved back into the mansion. She had been a fixture in his life since childhood, and her return provided a sense of stability. Her words echoed in his mind: the responsibility for the family was his, not Serenity’s. At onl
“Uncle,” Alden interjected, “I’m heading home now. I’ll be back in a week. It’ll take time to finalize the deal with the investors.”“I know how those trips go. Enjoy yourself, Alden,” Maximus said, smirking.“What does that mean?” Serenity asked, her brows furrowed in suspicion.“Just that the Emir
Maximus arrived at Diana’s apartment just after 10:00 p.m. He knew she’d likely be asleep, but despite all his efforts to get there earlier, his day’s responsibilities kept delaying him. Still, he decided it was better to arrive late than not at all. Hesitant, he rang the doorbell. The lights were o
“Well, living alone forces you to learn. I’m glad you enjoyed it!”Maximus smiled but soon his expression grew serious. “So, do you want to know how it went in Slovenia?”“Of course. Tell me everything.”“On the flight back, I spoke with Matthew to arrange another flight for tomorrow. I need to go t
Maximus and Lucius entered the elevator in tense silence. As they walked down the long, sterile hallway, the scent of disinfectant lingered in the air. The bright, orderly surroundings only amplified the weight of the moment. Maximus’s thoughts wandered, flashing back to Lucius’s infancy—the tiny ha
“Would you have believed me?” Alexia’s bitter laugh echoed in the room. “Come on, Maximus. Your father was your idol. If it had been Peter, maybe you would’ve listened. But Leonardo? You would’ve done anything for him. Or am I wrong? For a while, I thought that by marrying you, the nightmare would e
[Palmer Group HQ]Maximus’s headache throbbed like a hammer against his skull as he navigated through airport security, urgently trying to cut his trip short. Of all days, Leonardo had chosen today to rear his head with that cursed eviction order. As he scrambled to board an earlier flight, chaos wa
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
Time had flown by. The Bartzes were about to leave, and with them, Serenity and Alden. In just a week, everything would change again. It was clear that once the Bartzes returned to Hesperia, the families in Valentia would start making moves too. As everyone already knew, Theodore would stay in Flor