The following morning, Matthew woke up with a pounding headache. He had spent the entire night trying to figure out how to end Alexia's contract without sparking a full-blown disaster. He knew very well that once he informed her, Alexia would lose control, and he dreaded being the one to deliver the
Mary woke up after a long nap, feeling relaxed. Peter had been right—the lavender oil had helped soothe her. Perhaps it was the change of environment, or maybe it was having Catherine and Peter close by. She knew she had to be strong and recover quickly so she could see her grandfather again. Whatev
He poured himself a glass of cognac and lit a cigarette, something he hadn't done in years. His neck ached, his head throbbed, and the alcohol only seemed to heighten the surreal fog settling over his thoughts. Suddenly, he began to see a familiar silhouette moving through his office. It was faint,
Maximus got up and took the first flight to Florentia. His wife had invited him to talk, and he wouldn’t let that opportunity slip by. Upon arrival, he drove as quickly as possible to Lunavalle. That particular day, the fields looked more radiant than ever. He was carrying a mix of emotions he could
“Of course, it is! You didn’t want to let go of Alexia—and I get it. I know you love her. But I also know you’d never let the company fall into Peter’s hands because of your strange rivalry. You can’t stand losing. But I’m not willing to stay in this game anymore. I don’t know how much more I’d have
After Catherine took Mary away from Maximus’s mansion, time continued its relentless march forward. Alexia was proving to be exceptional in many ways, outshining several of her colleagues at the office. This didn’t go unnoticed by her lover, who only briefly felt the absence of Mary at home.News of
A thought crossed Maximus’s mind. Could his grandmother be grooming Peter to take over if he failed to meet her ultimatum? Lately, that seemed like a possibility he couldn’t dismiss. Their last argument had revealed a side of her he had never seen before.“I need more pictures of this woman. I want
Once Maximus and Mary left the wedding hall, they arrived at the mansion. Mary felt unsettled by the deathly silence during the drive. The only thing Maximus had said was that the honeymoon was canceled.When they got to the mansion, Maximus stepped out of the car first and hurried inside without ev
"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