“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
[Present day]After Marcus’s confrontation with Maximus—and the hard punch he’d landed squarely on his jaw—Maximus spent the rest of the night sleepless. The blow hadn’t left a mark, but the lingering pain in his jaw was a stark reminder of just how strong Marcus had become. The man Maximus had know
“Oh, I see. That’s what’s been on your mind?” Marcus asked gently.“Yes, back then Catherine forced us to come here. Maximus and I made a pact to get along, and it worked—at least until Alexia arrived,” Valerie said nervously.“My love, you should’ve told me. We could’ve gone somewhere else,” Marcus
The next day, Valerie and Marcus shared the news with their children about taking a week off for a trip to unwind. The past few days had been stressful, and they needed a break. To their surprise, both Serenity and John flat-out refused to miss school. Serenity explained that she had already missed
After kidnapping Serenity, Leonardo and Lucius fled to Davos in the Swiss Alps. It was the ideal place to rest and strategize, not to mention the seat of the World Economic Forum. Their choice wasn’t random; Leonardo already had a plan. With the money secured and the truth about his relationship wit
Peter, understanding his son Alden’s intentions regarding Alexia, felt it was wise to stay close. Knowing how impulsive his son could be, he had no choice but to return to Valentia. He entrusted the arrangements to Darius Richards, who secured a central house in Westhaven and enrolled little Ethan a
Marcus chose not to interrupt his girls and instead went to tuck John in. Afterward, he headed to the master bedroom, took a shower, changed into his pajamas, and lay on the bed. The past few days had been exhausting.When he first entertained the idea of returning to Valentia, he never imagined it
“Serenity, he adored you. Even though he wasn’t your biological father, he loved you. If he had stayed with us, I know he would have loved you more than your real father ever could.”Valerie recounted every detail of her life with Peter. Serenity listened quietly, wishing that one day she might find
Serenity released her and nodded silently, her tearful eyes wide with anticipation.Valerie took a deep breath and began. “I told you I fell hopelessly in love with Maximus Palmer, but things didn’t work out. After my suicide attempt, I was discharged from the hospital and went to his grandmother’s
Valerie and Marcus arrived home after a short flight. She had been longing to get back and hug her children. As difficult as it would be, she knew she needed to have an honest conversation with her daughter. Just as she had opened up to Marcus, she now needed to explain everything to her daughter, l
When Alden saw how much his mother was suffering from the revelations, he nearly made the mistake of revealing that his father was alive. He had to bite the inside of his lip to stop himself, clenching his fists so tightly that his palms bore the marks. The pain was almost unbearable. After tucking