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
“Valerie, you’re such an idiot!” she scolded herself. “You’re letting him fool you again! No, no, no—I won’t go through this again, not like with Maximus!”It felt absurd. A few years ago, she’d been the wife, and it was the assistant having an affair with her husband. Now she was the assistant, and
Marcus, after speaking with Olsen, returned to his office and was a bit surprised not to see Valerie’s bag. He called her, but she didn’t answer, so he tried Frederick instead.“Frederick, have you seen Valerie? I don’t see her bag in the office,” he said, feeling a tightness in his chest.When he a
Marcus was speechless. Hearing Valerie’s story in her own words broke his heart. Peter had never told him the full story, only bits and pieces. Now, everything made sense—her reluctance to let anyone close, her guarded heart. And while Marcus rarely thought of going to Valentia, at that moment, he h
[Present day in Westhaven, Valentia]Valerie felt restless. Marcus had rushed out in a hurry for work, leaving her worried. He hadn’t even changed his clothes, leaving in casual attire, grabbing only his coat, and disappearing like a man possessed.From a young age, she’d developed the habit of drin
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