After the heated argument between Marcus and Maximus, Frederick managed to calm the two men down. In the end, Marcus needed to speak with his wife and convince her to tell Serenity the truth. Maximus reluctantly agreed, though the decision left a bitter taste in his mouth. Frederick had hit the nail
“Hi, Marcus! Here’s your order!”“Hey, Noah! Still working this late?”“Yeah, this is my last delivery. Then I’m heading home.”“Good. Don’t stay up too late—you’ve got school tomorrow,” Marcus said, handing him a large bill.“I’m in exams now, actually. Just a little longer, and I’ll be on vacation
Dinner passed as it always did—casual conversations, updates about work, Serenity’s antics, and scheduling Marcus’s next visit to see her. To an outsider, they might have sounded like a couple discussing their daughter, but the reality was far from it.Marcus appeared calm, but his thoughts were in
Valerie had no choice but to follow Marcus’s long strides. When he set his mind to something, there was no changing it. 'If he wants to lose more sleep, that’s on him,' she thought. A few minutes later, they reached the building’s parking lot. Marcus opened the passenger door for her to get in, a ge
They both entered the house, and Camille greeted them with a knowing smile, though Valerie didn’t notice it.“Good evening, Mr. Bartz! Serene is fast asleep, but please, go see her—she’s in her room,” Camille said, pointing to Valerie’s bedroom.Valerie, needing to collect herself, went to the kitch
The next morning, Valerie’s bedroom was filled with the lingering scent of Marcus’s cologne. Her alarm went off, and she noticed that Marcus was no longer there. He must have woken up early and left before she stirred. It was Friday, and she needed to get ready for work. As she moved around the bed,
Valerie entered Marcus’s office, where he was already deeply absorbed in his work. The man who had been peacefully asleep next to her daughter just hours ago was gone, replaced by the serious, focused CEO.“How’s Serenity this morning?” Marcus asked without looking up.“She’s fine, Marcus. Thank you
When they arrived at the bar, they were guided to a table reserved by the client’s assistant. Marcus ordered a whiskey neat, while Valerie chose a glass of wine. She kept her drink modest, knowing she needed to stay sharp—this was a rare opportunity to observe Marcus in a professional setting she ne
"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