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
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