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
Tears welled up in Valerie’s eyes. Marcus, seeing her reaction, stood up and went to her.“Why are you crying?” Marcus asked gently, his voice tinged with concern.“It’s just… this piece belonged to my father. When I ran away, I never saw it again. It was such a treasured family heirloom, passed dow
[Present day in Westhaven, Valentia]Valerie rested in Marcus’s arms. She hadn’t been able to relax since he left the house, her mind racing with worry. Why had he rushed out so abruptly? Now that he was back, things were clearer, but her anxiety hadn’t subsided. The thought of telling her daughter
“Well, you don’t need to worry about him anymore. We took care of that. He’s living exactly where he always wanted, meditating and trying to atone for his sins.”“That’s good. But now that Maximus is running the company, how are my shares being managed?”“We’ve been working through Matthew, but with
Maximus had come to understand something important—so much of what makes a family strong lies in its core: the father and the mother. He'd seen it with his own eyes, experienced it with his father, and once with his grandmother. After a long, yet somehow short, time lingering around the table, the
After several hugs and a strange sense of emptiness, Lucius and Amanda left the house. Lucius started driving, knowing he still had to get home—he hadn't said goodbye to his siblings, his father, or the grandfather he'd just met.Time was ticking. Through the rearview mirror, he caught a glimpse of
The week had flown by, and Lucius and Amanda were getting everything ready to head back to New Zealand. Their time in Valentia had been amazing. This visit had given them a lot of good memories, but it was time to return to university.Maximus and the others were hoping they could visit during the
After Ethan gave a masterclass on how to hold a baby, it was the grandparents' turn. Marcus, not wasting a second, held little Isabelle in his arms. The moment he looked at her, he knew—she was the spitting image of his daughter, the same baby girl he had met just over two years ago. "Hello, prince
After finally finishing all the paperwork and preparations for the creation of PBE Group, Maximus and Peter drove from Florentia to Valeria. Both men were determined to get there—after all, their daughter, so to speak, had just given birth, and it was essential to meet the family's first granddaught
A couple of hours after that awkward conversation, Alden, Serenity, Isabelle, and Laura were on their way home. After all the advice from the OB-GYN and the pediatrician, the new little family was finally heading back.Serenity was filled with mixed emotions. In her arms, she held her baby—yes, her
The next day, Serenity had her check-up. Little Isabelle stared intently at her mother, those big, beautiful eyes locked onto her face. Serenity couldn't stop admiring her.She was completely in love with the tiny angel in her arms. Looking at her, she couldn't help but remember how she and the man
They barely made it to the car before they were already pulling up to the place where Adrian was now living. When they arrived, Laura was surprised by the location. It wasn't bad, exactly—just not the kind of place she could ever picture Adrian choosing for himself.It made her think his financial s
"Is it far from here?" Laura asked, a bit concerned."Not really. I could actually walk, but honestly, with the crutches, it's kind of uncomfortable—and risky.""If you wait for me, I'll say goodbye to my sister and give you a ride. I'm guessing it's on the way, so...""No! No, you came to see your