[Bartz Family Estate]Marcus was preparing to leave for Florentia when an unexpected visit delayed his plans. The police officer he had befriended in prison arrived with information he wasn’t expecting."Mr. Bartz, are you heading somewhere?" the officer asked."Yes, officer. What do you need?" Marc
Everything she had endured while he wasn’t by her side weighed on him. But no more. He wouldn’t let Valerie face any more hardships alone. She was the love of his life, and he couldn’t bear to see her suffer any longer."Valerie!" Marcus called out, his voice warm and familiar.Valerie’s heart skipp
[Rosaria Clinic's Garden]Marcus and Valerie had been discussing their plans for the next month and a half, carefully avoiding heavier topics, but the inevitable came up. It was a question Marcus dreaded, one he wished could be left unspoken."Marcus, I need to ask you something, and I want an hones
-A few hours had passed since Marcus stormed out of the hospital after his heated argument with Valerie. His frustration still simmered, and his mind was set on confronting Maximus. He wanted answers—why Maximus had inserted himself into Valerie’s life and played the role of a good Samaritan.Marcu
"Your kids are with Alden too?" Marcus asked, his voice edged with disbelief."Marcus, you’re letting jealousy cloud your judgment. All of our children had to leave. Alden and Emma are taking care of them, and unless you don’t trust them—which I do—you can be sure they’re in good hands. Do you think
While Marcus wrestled with his emotions and what he should do, in the Maldives, Alden and Serenity had finally found a day to meet and spend time together. There was so much to discuss and so many plans to make—they couldn’t keep postponing things. That night, they decided that the next morning, aft
Serenity sighed, placing a hand on her belly. "Paul, the baby is already here," she said firmly. "It’s not going to disappear like magic. This baby is coming into the world, whether people like it or not. Everyone here has suffered because of our parents’ mistakes."But at some point, we have to sta
“But he’s not here… He left with Miss Celeste and forgot about me…”“He never forgets about you. Every time I talk to him, the first thing he asks about is you.”“Really? What does he ask? No, you’re lying! He wouldn’t ask about me…”“Of course, he does! Look…” Alden said, showing him an email conve
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