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
The morning after the wedding, Mary woke up and struggled to remove her wedding dress. The intricate beading and pearls, meant to symbolize well-wishes, made it nearly impossible to take off by herself. In frustration, she resorted to scissors, cutting parts of the fabric. Afterward, she took a show
Reluctantly, Emma went upstairs and knocked on Mary’s door. She found her already asleep, dressed in comfortable athletic clothes. Remembering how little Mary had slept the night before, Emma hesitated to disturb her. She returned downstairs, determined to serve Maximus herself.“Emma, where’s Mary?
Mary left the clinic and wandered through the city, reluctant to return to the mansion. This time, Maximus had crossed the line, causing her more pain than she could bear. She wanted to call Peter and go back to Galea. 'I never should have left there,' she thought bitterly.Tired from walking aimles
Hearing Matthew's report, Maximus gripped the steering wheel so tightly it was a wonder it didn’t snap. He was torn between wanting to strangle his wife and needing to catch her before she disappeared again.“Matthew, find out which bus she’s on. I’m going to get her.”Without hesitation, Matthew co
Emma, seeing Maximus's unrelenting stance, reluctantly left the mansion. She couldn’t risk losing her job, but her heart was heavy, knowing she was leaving Mary alone in such a volatile situation. She dared not inform the grandmother, fearing it would escalate into a larger problem.As she reached t
Fred left the mansion fuming, but not before reminding Maximus that Mary needed to be seen at the hospital. If not, he would have no choice but to inform Catherine of everything.Once Fred was gone, Maximus approached Mary, who was sitting quietly in the garden, still trying in vain to recover her l
[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