Marcus sat down, his patience already wearing thin as he waited. The door to the pediatrician’s office finally opened, and the doctor stepped out. Upon seeing Marcus, the doctor’s face registered immediate recognition.“Mr. Bartz! Are you feeling alright? Do you need assistance?” the doctor asked, c
[The present]Maximus arrived at his hotel and took some time to rest before preparing for his evening meeting. After going over the details, he found himself thinking about the gray-eyed woman who had stirred something unfamiliar in him. Unable to resist, he decided to send her an email.-[Subject
Maximus opened the email and read the girl’s response. Once again, he found himself surprised. Not only did she know who he was, but she was also confidently proposing to work for him. It seemed his reputation as a “cradle robber” hadn’t reached her ears—a relief, though her boldness made him skepti
[The past, Hesperia]"Mr. Bartz, you found me. What do you want? The last time I saw you, you were very clear—you couldn’t help me any more than you already had. I’m immensely grateful to you; thanks to your help, my daughter and I are still alive. But ever since Peter died, I swore I’d have nothing
[The present, Westhaven]“That pizza was delicious!” Valerie said, feeling content with a full belly.The two of them stepped outside to sit at the small garden table.“Love, I noticed you were very quiet during lunch,” Marcus said, intrigued. “That’s not like you—you’re usually talking non-stop!”“
Maximus arrived right on time and chose one of the many bars in the Plaza Mayor area. He messaged Serenity to let her know, and soon after, she arrived with a bright smile on her face. Seeing her, Maximus felt a sharp pang in his stomach, the same feeling he’d had since their first meeting. He could
[Valeria, 20 years ago]Leonardo, still in disbelief, hesitated over whether to call his mother or not. Instead, with trembling hands, he decided to call his son. He pulled out his phone and attempted to dial Peter, but the call wouldn’t connect. He checked his call log—the last time they spoke had
Following her instructions, they headed to the emergency wing. Upon arriving, they were directed down a hallway where Leonardo’s legs nearly gave out at the sight of Mary sitting on one of the chairs. She looked utterly shattered, her face streaked with tears. She was accompanied by an older woman a
"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