“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
Valerie and Marcus made their way down to the garden for breakfast. The housekeeper had already set the table, and Serenity sat sipping her coffee, visibly uncomfortable. She felt awkward about arriving home earlier than planned, knowing her mother would sense that something had happened—even if she
Valerie hugged her daughter tightly. Though Serenity was tall and carried herself with confidence, today, after hearing her mother’s story, she seemed as small and vulnerable as she had been at five years old, clinging to Valerie’s legs for comfort.“Mamá… I never imagined you had lived through some
Valerie held her daughter tightly in her arms, feeling the girl’s ragged breathing. She wanted to comfort her, just as she used to when she was little. Slowly, the embrace seemed to dissipate the sudden anger that always erupted when things didn’t go her way. But this wasn’t a child anymore—this was
Valerie left without giving Serenity a chance to join her. Her security team was alerted and followed her at a discreet distance. Those tasked with her protection assumed she had errands to run, so they didn’t notify Marcus.After driving for a while, she arrived at Pizzeria, a café-bar located in a
Valerie tried to hold back her tears, but a flood of emotions and memories overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t stop them. A couple of tears escaped, and she quickly wiped them away under the astonished gaze of her ex-husband. Rising to her feet, she said, “Maximus, stay away from her! I won’t say it a
[The past]Sunday arrived quickly, and Valerie and Serenity were at the airport, saying goodbye to Marcus. Serenity’s eyes widened when she saw her father boarding a massive airplane. Tears began to well up, and she didn’t fully grasp that he was leaving but would be back. Inevitably, she burst into
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