Back in Lunavalle, Maximus had spent an entire week at his grandmother’s house, diligently caring for Mary. One morning, he had even surprised her by bringing her breakfast in bed.“This is delicious, Maximus! I never imagined you could cook!” she exclaimed.“Well, there’s a lot we don’t know about
At dawn, Mary awoke feeling cold. The warm embrace of Maximus was gone. She assumed he might have risen early to prepare breakfast for her, but a heavy feeling in her chest unsettled her. She dressed quickly and wandered through the mansion. She checked the kitchen, but he wasn’t there. No sign of h
“I understand. Where are you located?”“We’re in Lunavalle. I brought her here for a change of scenery, hoping it would help.”“I see. Give me ten minutes to find someone who can assist.”Those ten minutes felt like an eternity to Catherine. When Chris finally called back, he provided the contact in
In Valeria, Maximus and Alexia sat in front of the gynecologist, waiting as he reviewed the results of her tests.“Ms. Levett, Mr. Palmer, congratulations! There’s a baby on the way! Based on the results, you’re about nine weeks along.”“Maximus, congratulations! You’re going to be a father!” Alexia
Back in Valeria, Matthew messaged Maximus after seeing the speculation spreading on social media. When Maximus read the news, he immediately realized that Mary had likely heard about it too. Returning to Lunavalle was no longer an option.“Matthew, draft a divorce settlement and send it to my grandm
The Bartz family carried the infamous reputation of being part of the mafia, known for their ruthlessness toward enemies. While some of the rumors were true, much was exaggerated. Peter Bartz, the patriarch, had two sons: Lawrence Bartz and Francis Bartz, with Francis being the elder.In his old age
Maximus was stunned by how quickly the news had reached his grandmother Catherine, and even more so by her drastic reaction. He had never heard of the Palmer family being connected to the Bartz family, and now Marcus Bartz—a name Maximus thought was nothing but a myth—was being floated as a candidat
Peter woke early to prepare Mary’s things for her stay at the clinic. It broke his heart to see her like this, but he knew he couldn’t give her the help she needed. That had to come from experts, through therapy and time. Aurora, Mary’s closest friend, had insisted on being part of the process and w
"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