"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
Mary leaned her head against the car window, her face pale from the strain of the memories swirling in her mind."Mary darling, I know the journey has been long, but once we're settled, you'll start to enjoy your new home," Catherine said gently from the passenger seat, while Peter drove the black M
Mary lay back down, her body aching from the long trip. She felt safe with Peter, like he was the one constant in her life. She was grateful for his presence.A few minutes later, Peter returned. "The bath is ready. Come on, I'll help you get in. But first, let's wrap your wrist so it doesn't get we
"Haha, you don't even know who I am, do you?""No, and I don't care. I'm not naïve; my future husband surely had many lovers, but today, we're uniting our lives forever, and you'll be left in the past.""Oh, Mary, you're almost cute. I want you to remember this: I'm Alexia Levett, and I'm Maximus's
"Sweetheart, you made a deal with Maximus, and you need to honor it. My grandson doesn't deserve to be left at the altar. He'll be there waiting for you—I know it!""How do you know, Grandma?""I just do. He won't leave you standing there. You need to hold up your end of the deal and keep winning hi
"We never said we would deny you that," Laura replied sharply. "But let’s be honest, Mr. Legrand, this puts us in a very uncomfortable situation. I do believe he should meet you, but we should take it slowly—we can’t just drop the truth on him all at once.""Lau…" Lucius finally spoke, his voice cal
[Present Time]Adrian replayed the conversation in his mind, but there wasn’t much to consider. The offer was tempting—anyone in his position would see it as the perfect deal. But he already knew what he truly wanted: his daughter.He had made the mistake once before—choosing what his school, his fa
"You said it yourself—if I wanted to, I could’ve hit her back. But I won’t. I don’t want to. And I refuse to let this situation escalate any further. Look at me now—I have stitches in my head. Who knows what will happen next? I’d rather put an end to this now.""Adrian! You don’t have to air our bus
Adrian sighed as he watched Alice disappear in the distance. A short while later, he arrived home. Hilda, the housekeeper, rushed to help him out of the car."Sir… How are you? I thought you’d be back later… We were all worried!""Relax, Hilda. It was just a hit to the head. A few stitches, and that
As if fate itself wanted to set things in motion, the time had come. Laura, Lucius, and Maximus left the house together.The younger siblings saw them go, but they didn’t think much of it. Lately, the three of them had been leaving without saying where they were going, so this time didn’t seem any d
"Dad?""Come in," Maximus said, still checking his inbox."What’s going on, Maximus? Why all the secrecy?""Alright… Serenity’s wedding is over, and Lucius, I know you’ll be heading back to New Zealand soon. Moriarty won’t give me another extension, so we need to move forward with whatever decision
Another day passed at the Evans residence. The family was gathered for breakfast while Diana ran around in a rush, realizing she was running late for work. Maximus, ever the bad influence, kept telling his future wife not to worry so much, but it was impossible—Diana was always incredibly respectful
"Come here," Maximus said, opening his arms.Laura walked over and hugged him."My girl… Never apologize for standing your ground. Never—hear me? Never apologize for defending what’s yours. Honestly, I can’t picture the scene, but I wish I could’ve seen it.""Dad… This is embarrassing. I’ve never ac
Maximus, Diana, and Adele arrived home. Little Adele was completely exhausted—her day out had been long and tiring. For Maximus, spending time with his granddaughter filled his heart and eased the anxiety of what was coming.Laura heard her father arrive and immediately left her room to see him.“Da