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
Marcus carried the briefcase with the contract in one hand and held Valerie's small hand in the other. Her cheeks were more flushed than usual. Marcus had to admit he felt a little dizzy from the drinks he’d had, but even so, he couldn’t bring himself to send Valerie home in a taxi in her condition.
Marcus had to send a message to Camille, letting her know that Valerie had had a bit too much to drink and wasn’t in any condition to go home. Naturally, he didn’t mention what had happened between them. He promised they’d be there early in the morning to pick up Serenity since they were planning to
As they walked to the sitting area, Valerie couldn’t help but marvel at how naturally Marcus was acting after the night they’d spent together."Valerie," Marcus began, his voice serious as they sat down. "I need you to know that I don’t want what happened between us to be just a casual encounter. I
[Present day]Frederick noticed that his friend and boss, Marcus, was smiling as they drove to pick up Serenity. He considered ignoring it but decided it was better to clarify the reason behind that grin. With Marcus, you could never be too sure—it could just as easily be about his family as about p
After the conversation between Pierre, Laura, Lucius, and Maximus, it was time to talk to Paul. However, Maximus felt it was something that needed to be discussed between father and son.He fully understood that Laura wanted to be involved, but this—this was something only he could and should handle
"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