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
"Valerie, you made that promise while you were mourning a good man. But I believe, from wherever he is, he’d want you to be with someone who loves and values you. I’m not just saying this to cheer Marcus on, but have you ever noticed the way he looks at you? The way he’s helped you? That man’s pushe
From the day Valerie started dating Marcus, her life began to change. This man stopped working late, except when it was truly urgent, though in the 15 days they’d been together, that hadn’t been necessary.Marcus made a point of sticking to office hours, mostly because he wanted to spend time with V
After breakfast, where Maximus, Lucius, and Laura just stared at each other, waiting to see what would happen, Maximus decided he'd spend the day with Paul. He wanted to take him out for a bit. Maurice tried to tag along, but Laura and Lucius kept him distracted."Dad, where are we going?" Paul aske
“Excuse me, miss, have you seen my wife by any chance? She’s a short girl…” Maximus asked at the front desk.“The woman who went up to your room? The blonde?” the receptionist asked, looking confused.“No, my wife is the short girl I arrived with.”“I’m sorry, sir, but the woman who came in earlier
“Wow. I wasn’t expecting that,” James admitted honestly. “During the day, that guy seemed really into you… That’s why I didn’t approach you.”“That man just wants me to stay the hell away from him!” Mary scoffed. Then, a thought crossed her mind. “Hey, wait… Are you from around here?”“No, I’m just
After taking a shower, Maximus stepped out, put on his pajamas, and climbed into bed. He glanced at his watch—it was already midnight. It was too late to call Diana, so he just sent her a message, wishing her goodnight and sending a kiss.As he lay down, he placed his hand on the side of the bed Dia
“I want to know—who was she? What happened to her? How did you two end up separating? Didn’t she love you?” Paul asked, full of curiosity.“Paul, maybe I could tell you how I met your mother instead…” Maximus said, uncomfortable just thinking about that distant past.“No! I want to know about the wo
[Months Ago, The Maldives]“Come on, Dad! Hurry up…!” Paul said as they arrived at the airport and his father made his way through customs.“Paul, wait, just let me sign this and we’ll go. If that girl’s already waited this long, I’m sure she can wait a few more minutes…” Maximus replied, rushing to
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