The private jet carrying Marcus Bartz landed in Hesperia at 4:00 p.m., a full four hours ahead of Mary's flight. Marcus had been enduring an intense pain in his leg almost since leaving Coravela, but he hadn’t mentioned it to Frederick because of the circumstances. When he stood up, a burning sensat
Mary woke up in that hotel room where, just the night before, she had cried tears of pain. A grumble from her stomach reminded her that her little one was hungry. She got up, freshened up, and went downstairs to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant. After eating, she left the hotel. She had rested
[The present]The private jet carrying Marcus Bartz touched down in Madrid at midnight. His eyes blazed with fury and malice, his mind racing with countless thoughts throughout the flight. He wished the plane could fly faster, but then he scolded himself—he knew it was nighttime, and his daughter wa
[The past]After a long journey, Catherine finally returned home, carrying in her arms the only thing left of her youngest grandson—his ashes. The woman’s face was drawn, her features weary. It was clear she had been crying for a long time, unable to believe that only two days ago, she had seen him
Mary saw a woman’s hand extended toward her. The sun behind her was so bright that Mary had to lift a hand to shield her eyes and make out the woman’s face.“Thank you! My legs went numb, and I couldn’t get up,” Mary said with genuine gratitude.“You really shouldn’t sit like that anymore. How far a
Mary sat on a bench, lost in thought about where she would spend the night. The hotel she’d stayed in for one night had been fine, but it wasn’t a long-term solution. Besides, she didn’t know if anyone might be following her. The best option was to erase all traces of her presence. She decided the n
After days of searching, Mary finally found a small room where she could rest. She had looked for furnished places, but they were beyond her budget. Eventually, she came across a new rental option—a shared house with roommates. It had common areas and a private room for her, which was perfect. She w
As she walked peacefully down the street, she suddenly felt her legs grow wet. She looked down and saw a puddle. Thinking the ground was wet, she moved away, but people around her started staring. Finally, a man approached her and said:“Miss, I think your water just broke.”Mary’s face turned pale
"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