[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
[The present, Madrid]After a long conversation between Maximus and Serenity, he signaled for the bill. It was getting late, and he didn’t want her walking alone through the streets of Madrid after dark. Just as he turned to flag the waiter, Serenity snapped a photo. Maximus didn’t notice until she
Alden held Celeste tightly as she wept, her body trembling against his. It felt like a part of her was being ripped away. It had already been a week, and still, there were no signs of Peter waking up.The swelling in his brain had gone down, but for some unknown reason, there was no neurological act
"I was thinking we could grab some vanilla ice cream and sit somewhere to talk. Sound good?""Perfect."We stopped by an ice cream shop and bought a liter each.As expected, she devoured hers.I watched her for a moment before taking a deep breath."Mary… there’s something I want to talk to you abou
After a few minutes, I helped Mary into the car. As I closed the door, I noticed Agnes stepping outside to see us off, drying her hands on her apron.Seeing her there—knowing she would be one of the many people affected by my death—I walked over and pulled her into a hug."You stubborn old woman… I
She hesitated. "Well… when you put it like that… maybe."I exhaled, running a hand through my hair."I have to admit something. You’re my least favorite person in the world.""Gee, thanks.""But you’re also Mary’s best friend. And you’ve proven to be a good friend to her. So, I just want to ask one
As I stepped out of my room, I was immediately greeted by the loud, unmistakable laughter of Aurora. God, that woman still got on my nerves… And to think that at one point, Mary had actually suggested that she and I could be a couple. According to her, since we were both wild, chaotic, and loved par
After finalizing the last details of my fortune, I picked up the phone and called the one person who had the power to change my life forever."Peter?""Marcus…""What’s going on? You don’t usually call me twice…""Well… technically, you called me earlier…" I said, trying to sound casual."What’s wro
"I just remembered I have something urgent to go over with Marcus. I can’t put it off—it’s about the meeting. I completely forgot. I’ll talk to my father and the doctor to reschedule our appointment. Just give me until noon, okay? This is really important."Before she could respond, I turned toward
[Peter's P.OV]For a few seconds, I just stared at Celeste.She was just a girl—well, compared to me, she was.She was thin, her curly hair as messy as always, and she wore glasses that made her look even younger. There was an innocence in her eyes, a brightness untouched by the weight of life.I sm
Alden’s stomach dropped. "What do you mean by that?"Maximus hesitated before saying, "I’m sorry, Alden… Celeste… But we have to be prepared for the fact that he might not wake up.""He will wake up," Celeste said firmly, her voice trembling with emotion. "He promised me. You said it yourself—Peter