“Wow, you remember a lot about me.”“I remember the things I liked most about you.”As they talked, time passed, and the temperature dropped. Maximus took off his jacket and wrapped it around her, holding her close. They sat in silence for a while, and then Maximus spoke again, “Mary, come back home
“Maximus! Well, it’s just that… I don’t know what… I don’t know what to think.”“Mary, I want us to talk about what happened and what comes next.”“What do you mean?”"What I told you a few hours ago is true. I want you with me, Mary, and it makes me anxious to think you’ll leave soon. I want you to
Maximus returned to the office after two weeks away, the longest he had been absent since becoming the president of the company. He looked exhausted, but he had no choice but to push through and keep his mind off the memories and thoughts of his wife, who was now under Emma's care since yesterday."
Dr. Xavier, noticing her tone, began to piece together that her emotional turmoil was likely connected to her husband. He had seen similar cases before—patients whose mental health was deeply affected by their relationships. But something else troubled him. When Mary had first arrived, he had notice
"Nonsense! I've already signed everything. We don't need Maximus for this. Your things are already at my home, and we'll be heading to the vineyards this afternoon. There's someone there who's eager to see you."Mary's eyes widened in surprise, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "My grandfath
"It was on our wedding day…""Go on…""I wanted to see Mary before the ceremony…""Don't you know that's bad luck?""Grandma… are you going to listen, or do you already know where this is going?""No, not yet.""When I was about to knock on the door, I noticed it was open, and you were inside.""Oh,
Maximus felt a sharp pain in his chest. If everything his grandmother was saying was true, Mary had been the only victim here. She was a victim of him and Alexia, but mostly of him."Maximus, I want you to know that it really took a lot to convince her. She was young, but she wasn't a fool. It's obv
Maximus stood up from the bench, feeling the weight of guilt pressing down on his heart. For so long, he had been a fool, the executioner of Mary's hopes and dreams, all for a crime she had never committed. She had given him her heart, her youth, and her innocence, only to be treated like a pawn in
[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
"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