Chapter 5

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 country. Her grandfather, Albert had called her at school and asked to see her when classes ended. Catherine recalled advising Albert that they should leave without telling anyone…

-Flashback-

Albert had called the school and asked Mary to wait for him at the entrance in ten minutes. When he opened the car door, he saw his granddaughter, and she saw the man who had always been strong now looking distraught, his face full of anguish.

"Hurry, Mary, get in! We need to leave now…"

"Grandpa, what's going on? My things are still inside…"

"That doesn't matter anymore. Come on!"

She had no choice but to get in. She thought, 'Regina will pack up my things and bring them home this afternoon.' The car stopped at a hangar, and the driver asked for their phones.

"Sir, miss, I need your mobile devices and anything that can be tracked."

"Go on, dear, give him what he asks for!"

"Grandpa?" she responded, a bit scared.

"My dear, there's so much to explain, but there's no time right now. I'll tell you later, but please hand over your things."

Left with no other choice, Mary handed over her phone. It was the only thing she had with her; there were no extra clothes except her school uniform and a locket with pictures of her mother and grandmother.

The driver handed the devices to another person, and they continued on. Something that caught Mary's attention was the driver's accent. They weren't local, that much was clear, but she couldn't figure out where they were from. Finally, the driver stopped at a hangar, and they saw a private plane.

"Sir, you need to board immediately. This is as far as I go. Someone will pick you up when you arrive at your destination."

"Thank you so much, young man! I know how much you're risking by doing this. I will always be grateful to you."

"No need to thank me. It's our job and our duty."

Once on the plane, they took their seats. Mary's legs were trembling like jelly, and she was sweating cold. She didn't understand what was happening. All she knew was that it had to be serious.

"Dear, sit down and fasten your seatbelt. We're leaving soon."

"Grandpa, where are we going? And why are we leaving like this? We don't have anything with us."

The captain's voice came over the plane's speakers.

"Please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts. We will take off in five minutes."

Once they were in the air, Albert relaxed a little. His expression softened, and his jaw was no longer clenched.

"Okay, now I can tell you what's going on, my dear."

"What's happening, Grandpa?"

"Your father partnered with an old family friend to expand the construction business. This friend has been making shady moves and defrauding many businessmen. I'm the owner and legal representative, so there are arrest warrants out for me. They've seized everything. Your father and Aunt Camilla have also left the country, and we'll meet them soon."

"But…where are we going?"

"I don't know, my dear. I had no choice. You're about to turn 18, and this problem would catch up to you as well. So I asked for a favor from some old family friends. You don't know them, but they are people of their word, and they just helped us leave the country."

"Grandpa, I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't care what they take from us. I just want you to stay with me."

"Don't worry, my dear. Little by little, we'll get through this. Our family lawyer has stayed behind to clear our name and to find the guy who got us into this mess."

After more than twelve hours of flying, green hills and large mountains began to come into view, along with the emerald green of some lakes.

"Sir, miss, we've arrived. Please fasten your seatbelts; we're about to land," the captain's voice announced.

Upon landing, a car was already waiting for them. Albert began speaking in Valentian, and Mary realized that the men in Hesperia had spoken with the same accent. They had arrived in Valentia.

"Come on, dear, get in the car! They're waiting for us!"

"Yes, Grandpa!"

As they headed toward an uncertain destination, she observed the green fields, streets, and picturesque houses with flower-filled pots. The place seemed frozen in time. Suddenly, a huge mansion came into view. She was amazed—she had never seen anything like it. The car entered the property, and an older woman was already waiting at the main door, her face radiating joy.

"Oh welcome, Albert!"

The woman spoke in Valentian, and Mary only understood the greeting. She was surprised to hear how fluently her grandfather began to speak.

"Dear, say hello to Mrs. Catherine Palmer!"

"But…"

"You can speak in Hesperian; she understands you."

"Okay, hello, Mrs. Catherine!"

"What a beautiful girl! You are the spitting image of your mother!"

"You knew her?"

"In pictures, my child, only in pictures. I'm too old to travel now and never had the chance, but your grandmother used to send me photos."

"I didn't know that!"

"Oh! We're very old friends. Our friendship goes back to the 1930s."

"Wow!"

"Yes, my parents owed a lot to your great-grandparents. Much of what you see here was achieved thanks to your great-grandparents. Well, well, we'll have time to chat more later. For now, I think you should freshen up and get ready for dinner."

"Thank you, ma'am! Thank you so much!"

"Your rooms are here and there. Albert, I think I still have some of my late husband's clothes in that room. Take whatever you need. The problem will be Mary—I don't have any clothes for her. My grandsons are quite tall, so their clothes won't fit you, but we'll go shopping for some clothes first thing tomorrow."

Mary entered her assigned room. It was huge and dark, and at night, it looked scary. The window overlooked the gardens. "At least that's the only good thing. Tomorrow, in the daylight, everything will look different," she thought.

"Let's have dinner! The food is delicious!"

"Thank you, Catherine! Thank you so much for having us!"

Mary ate in silence. Mrs. Catherine spoke Hesperian but preferred Valentian, so it was hard for her to understand the conversation between her grandfather and their new acquaintance.

After dinner, Mary kissed her grandfather on the cheek and went to her room to rest.

"Thank you, Mrs. Palmer! I'm going to bed now."

"You're welcome, dear! Go rest. Tomorrow is another day!"