Mary was exhausted from all the crying. As she put on her pajamas, she saw a large bruise on her stomach, caused by the blow her husband had landed earlier that day. A tear rolled down her cheek, but she chose not to think about it anymore. This wasn't the first time it had happened, so seeing her s
Mary lay down, trying to calm herself and find the right words to tell Catherine that divorce was the only viable option for her marriage. Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a new text message.[How did you like yesterday's scene?You know, this isn't the first time. We do it once or twice a day; your
After what felt like a long journey, the ambulance finally arrived at the hospital. Mary was pale and unconscious. One of the paramedics said, "She has lost a lot of blood. Let's hope we can still do something."Another said, "We have to. She's so young, she can't die like this.""I don't know what
As Maximus, Emma, and Catherine waited in a private room for news about Mary's condition, Catherine couldn't help but remember how the girl had come into their lives five years ago. Much of this information was unknown to Maximus.Mary had been 17 years old when she was suddenly forced to leave her
After dinner, Catherine and Albert went to the study to discuss the troubling matter at hand.“Albert, I’ve reviewed the information your lawyer sent us. Unfortunately, I don’t have good news. Your supposed partner ran off with millions and offended one of the most prominent families in your country
Mary got up from the bed and hurried out, thinking that maybe she could still find her grandfather. Unfortunately, he had left the mansion several hours ago."Mary, my dear, where are you going?" Catherine asked."I'm looking for my grandfather!""Sweetheart, your grandfather left last night. He onl
After several days at the mansion, Catherine had to leave on a trip for some family business. This time, she couldn't take Mary with her, so before leaving, she said:"Mary, I'll be gone for a few days, but you won't be alone. Emma will stay with you. If you need anything, you can ask her.""Yes, Gr
After several days in the hospital, Mary was moved to a private room. The danger had passed. Now, only her physical wounds needed to heal, but they would also need to work on her emotional scars. During all those days, Catherine kept recalling how Mary had come into her life five years ago, bringing
Before long, Peter arrived at the hospital where Celeste was being examined by a doctor Peter trusted."Peter," the doctor said, "I’ve checked on Celeste. Her wounds are healing well. If things continue like this, we can consider discharging her. After all, I know you’ll take good care of her. There
Peter took a bath and a short nap. He woke up when he felt someone tugging on his hair—a small hand playing with his curls."Ethan, aren’t you going to school?" said Peter, groggy, with his eyes still closed."Yeah, but I want you to take me. Where have you been, Grandpa?""I’ve had a lot of work, a
Camille, having seen Marcus storm out, went to find the girl she considered her daughter. She found Valerie in tears, embraced her, and said:“Valerie, my love, I don’t think this is going to work. Have you thought about whether it might be better to end things?”“What?”“Valerie, darling, I’m not b
Minutes after Frederick received Marcus’s call, the man was knocking on his door. When Frederick opened it, he was greeted by the sight of his friend and colleague’s battered face.“Marcus, what happened to you? Who did you fight with?”“Can I come in?”“Oh! Right! Come in, come in, my boy. When you
Peter circled around Maximus’s car. It was clear he owed him a window now. He was heading to his house to ask Theodore for help taking it to the shop. Besides, there was no way he could return to the room with Celeste in this state. It was past 5:00 a.m., so the best option was to go home, take a ba
He paused, leveling a hard look at Marcus. “By the way, why the hell haven’t you killed Frank yet? Everything that happened—this whole mess—is because of him! Did you forget what he did to your family?”“Don’t you dare bring up my family,” Marcus warned, wiping blood from his lip.“Oh, I haven’t for
“Stop! Stop it! Calm down!” Peter shouted, holding Marcus back with all his strength.A stray punch escaped Marcus’s struggle, smashing into the window of Maximus’s car. The glass cracked, and Marcus’s hand began to bleed.“Enough!” Peter bellowed.“You’re a damned bastard!” Marcus shouted. “Why, Pe
Marcus drove aimlessly, trying to cool his head and avoid escalating the argument with Valerie. Yet, his heart guided him to a place he instinctively knew wouldn’t bring him peace. Parking outside the hospital, he stepped out of the car, ready to confront the turmoil consuming him.At the reception
"No, Marcus, it’s me who needs to apologize. Something’s been bothering me, consuming my thoughts, and it’s not fair to you—to you, my husband."Before Marcus could respond, Valerie was already by his side. Her growing belly brushed his shoulder as she stood close. Marcus turned to face her and stoo