"Do you even hear yourself?" Diana cut in. "As far as I know, you married Marcus under the exact same circumstances. Don’t go looking for excuses. If your daughter fell for him, there’s a reason. And I don’t doubt that you and Marcus raised her to be a good person. You told me yourself—she’s smart.
"Yeah, Dad. I know it’s not easy, and that there will always be new things to learn. I can’t take anything lightly.""That includes talking to Serenity’s parents. You need to do that.""There’s a lot we have to discuss—including the truth. Dad, I love Serenity. We’re expecting a baby. And we got mar
Alden carefully placed Ethan in Peter’s arms. He knew that his father had asked for his grandson for two reasons—one, because he genuinely missed him, and two, because he was giving Alden and Serenity the space they needed to talk to Marcus and Valerie."Dad, can I leave Ethan here with you? Serenit
Before Alden could speak, Serenity beat him to it. "Dad… Alden and I fell in love. I love him, and he loves me.""Mr. Bartz," Alden said, his voice steady and respectful, "I completely understand what you must be thinking. I don’t expect you to be happy about this. But the truth is, Serenity and I l
Why should this be any different?He didn’t love the idea of Alden being Peter’s son. But, objectively, Alden wasn’t a bad person. When they had worked together, Alden had shown intelligence and the ability to lead a company to success.And that wasn’t even considering the personal side. Alden had t
Marcus sat in silence for a moment after speaking with Serenity and Alden, feeling an emptiness in his chest. He couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that his little girl was no longer a little girl—she was a woman, one who had chosen her life partner."Alden, you should take Serenity home. She nee
"Dad!""I’m just saying!""Dad, he’s a good man. And I love him. That’s all you need to understand. Please.""Serene… It’s just hard for me to accept that you’re married, that you’re pregnant, that you just introduced me to the man who’s taking you away from me…""Daddy… I will always be your daught
Alden had gone to find a room for Serenity. He knew this wasn’t a hotel—it was a hospital—but sometimes, accommodations could be made for certain people. He figured it was worth a try.Marcus was right. Serenity had endured a six-hour flight without any breaks, and it was already past midnight. She
"Thank you, Serenity. I have a lot to think about… But first things first—my daughter and my studies.""That's the spirit, my beautiful sister!" Serenity said, hugging her again.Finally, Serenity turned to Maximus and Diana. She looked at them, and they smiled at her. Maximus opened his arms and pu
Peter watched little Ethan, who still wouldn't meet his eyes. During all the goodbyes, Ethan had avoided coming near him—but now, the moment had come to do what was right."Ethan, come here…" Peter said, looking at the boy.With his head down, Ethan slowly walked toward him. Peter crouched down to 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