Maximus took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he tried to gather his thoughts. He didn’t know where to start, but he needed to persuade Serenity to agree to the DNA test as soon as possible.“Serenity, you told me you had questions about your father and that I was the one who could give you answers
“What?” Serenity exclaimed, her face a mix of shock and offense.“Don’t take it the wrong way. No one doubts your paternity. But my father wants proof that you’re the child your mother was carrying when she disappeared. I’ve tried to convince him it’s unnecessary, but he refuses to remove the clause
After Serenity handed over the lock of hair, she returned to class while Maximus headed straight to the clinic. On the way, he called the director, Dr. Rivers, from his phone, requesting that the DNA test be expedited as soon as the sample was handed in. He didn’t want to waste any more time on this
Valerie had started her morning as she always did since their arrival—following the same routine. Despite having staff for the daily chores, she loved preparing breakfast for her husband. Marcus, for his part, cherished her homemade breakfast, especially her signature latte. It was his preference at
-Marcus had intended to accompany Valerie to her meeting, but Maximus’s sudden absence from the office that morning disrupted his plans. With Maximus untraceable and a full schedule of important meetings awaiting him, Marcus had no choice but to step in as a substitute. Though he felt guilty cancel
Valerie stared intently at the envelope Maximus had just placed beside her. The man standing before her exuded a cold aura, and she watched as he loosened his tie with those long fingers. He looked at her and gestured toward the envelope with his hand before saying:"Mary, open that envelope, please
"Mary, tell me… why?"Mary could see how hard he was trying to control his anger. She knew the truth would eventually come out, but she had always avoided thinking about it."Peter knew, didn’t he?""Yes."Maximus took a deep breath, exhaling slowly to keep calm. It was something he had learned to d
Valerie sat still for a long time, unable to move or say a word. She couldn’t believe Maximus’s reaction to the news, much less that he had kissed her. Her hands and legs trembled. With a shaky hand, she touched her lips—lips that had been kissed in a way only he knew how. For a moment, she got lost
For the Palmer family, discovering that someone as important as Peter’s mother was still alive was a great source of joy. It was remarkable how a family that had once consisted of only four men had now grown into a large, predominantly female household.After a big family dinner—where they had to im
“Alden Pieotrovich Palmer, Grandma. It’s a pleasure to meet you! I think we have many nights of long talks ahead of us to catch up,” Alden said as he hugged Aria and kissed her forehead. “This is Ethan, your great-grandson. He’s six years old. And this is Serenity Bartz. Pretty soon, we’ll be gettin
Peter and Aria held each other for a long time. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that this was really happening. It had been so many years—an entire lifetime, really. There was a whole life’s worth of stories to tell, and they wouldn’t be able to share them all in just a few hours or
Peter felt as if time had stopped. He rested his cheek against Aria’s head, holding her tightly. He saw out of the corner of his eye how everyone else had quietly left the room, but it didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered. He felt good—for the first time in a long time—wrapped in the arms of this wo
“Maximus, what’s going on? I don’t understand…” Celeste said, looking worried.“Come on! In a few minutes, you’re going to meet Peter’s real mother. It’s a long story, but let’s go. Peter is nervous and anxious—he ran out so fast that no one could stop him. He’s probably in the foyer by now.”“Yes!
Maximus pulled out his phone and called Magnus, asking him to bring Aria. His father was confident everything would go well, so he had already set off. He was bringing all three guests with him since Danielle, still somewhat distrustful, refused to leave the woman who had been by her side for nearly
When Maximus hugged his daughter, he felt something strange—the warmth of her body, the small bump of her belly. Seeing his 21-year-old daughter pregnant made him imagine what it must have been like for Peter’s mother—the fear she must have felt, the loss, everything… All of it reminded him why he w
Maximus had been driving for about two hours. When he finally got home, he knew that before introducing Aria to his son, he needed to have a long conversation with his brother. He stepped out of the car and gestured for his three guests to do the same. On the way there, he had already messaged Magnu
Seeing Aria go from disbelief to outright desperation stirred something deep inside Maximus. He hadn’t lived through the same pain as she had, but he understood uncertainty—he was living it himself, not knowing where his own eldest son was."We can leave now. My car is parked on the other side of th