Celeste could only watch as the tall woman walked away down the hallway. She didn’t know how to take her words. Slowly, she turned to look at Peter, who was still standing inside the study.Peter saw her and immediately started walking toward her."Celeste…" he whispered.But the moment Peter laid e
As soon as Peter stepped into the operating room, he took Celeste’s hand. She looked much calmer now that he was there. The anesthesia had already been administered, and the cesarean was about to begin.A few minutes later, the first cry echoed through the room. A beautiful baby girl had just been d
As Peter stepped out of the neonatal unit, he immediately spotted Maximus and Diana waiting outside. They rushed toward him, their eyes scanning his face for answers."How are you? How’s Celeste? And the babies?" Diana asked, worry evident in her voice."They’re okay… as much as they can be. Celeste
Celeste finally opened her eyes. She felt a little better now that the anesthesia had worn off. Her incision still hurt, but overall, she was okay. As she stirred, she realized that Peter had fallen asleep with his head resting on her hand. His curly hair tickled her fingers, which had gone slightly
Maximus sipped his coffee, his thoughts elsewhere. In just a few hours, he would see Diana—they had agreed to visit Peter and Celeste together. Originally, they had planned to go in the morning, but a last-minute issue had come up for Diana, so they decided to visit them during lunch instead. Maximu
Marcus and Valerie were having breakfast in the garden, watching as John excitedly talked to his younger siblings. He loved being a big brother. Even though Serenity was technically his oldest sister, he took his role as the older sibling very seriously, eager to teach his little brothers and sister
[New Zealand]It had been a few months since Sebastian Sinclair had arrived in New Zealand. Angela Moriarty had chosen a stunning apartment for him—modern, stylish, and equipped with everything a young man could possibly need.Anthony Moriarty’s wife had been incredibly generous to him. Since she ha
Theodore took a sip of his drink, staring out the massive window of his Burj Khalifa penthouse. From there, the city looked tiny—just another sprawling landscape beneath his feet.But despite the breathtaking view, his mind was elsewhere.His son.The boy had inherited much of his genetics—tall and
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
She was still holding her bridal bouquet—hadn't even had the chance to toss it. And even if she had, there would've been no one to catch it, since the whole wedding had been so secret and closed-off.Mary walked behind him, trying to catch up. She didn't understand why he was so upset."Mary, there'