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
After crying for what felt like hours, a small, delicate hand touched his. Their eyes met, as if fate had orchestrated the moment. Valerie stood before him, her hand holding his. She had witnessed the raw vulnerability of a broken man, and guilt weighed heavily on her. Years ago, he had shattered he
Valerie stood for a long time in front of Peter’s grave. She held the bouquet of peonies, unable to place them because someone had already left fresh flowers. She knew who it had been. She still couldn’t fully grasp what was happening. Ever since Serenity was born, she had feared this day, and now t
After ending the call with the bodyguard, Marcus returned to the table where Alexia and the client were waiting. Minutes passed, but he couldn’t shake his unease. He knew how difficult it was for Valerie to visit that place, and he was about to excuse himself when his phone vibrated. The screen lit
"We never said we would deny you that," Laura replied sharply. "But let’s be honest, Mr. Legrand, this puts us in a very uncomfortable situation. I do believe he should meet you, but we should take it slowly—we can’t just drop the truth on him all at once.""Lau…" Lucius finally spoke, his voice cal
[Present Time]Adrian replayed the conversation in his mind, but there wasn’t much to consider. The offer was tempting—anyone in his position would see it as the perfect deal. But he already knew what he truly wanted: his daughter.He had made the mistake once before—choosing what his school, his fa
"You said it yourself—if I wanted to, I could’ve hit her back. But I won’t. I don’t want to. And I refuse to let this situation escalate any further. Look at me now—I have stitches in my head. Who knows what will happen next? I’d rather put an end to this now.""Adrian! You don’t have to air our bus
Adrian sighed as he watched Alice disappear in the distance. A short while later, he arrived home. Hilda, the housekeeper, rushed to help him out of the car."Sir… How are you? I thought you’d be back later… We were all worried!""Relax, Hilda. It was just a hit to the head. A few stitches, and that
As if fate itself wanted to set things in motion, the time had come. Laura, Lucius, and Maximus left the house together.The younger siblings saw them go, but they didn’t think much of it. Lately, the three of them had been leaving without saying where they were going, so this time didn’t seem any d
"Dad?""Come in," Maximus said, still checking his inbox."What’s going on, Maximus? Why all the secrecy?""Alright… Serenity’s wedding is over, and Lucius, I know you’ll be heading back to New Zealand soon. Moriarty won’t give me another extension, so we need to move forward with whatever decision
Another day passed at the Evans residence. The family was gathered for breakfast while Diana ran around in a rush, realizing she was running late for work. Maximus, ever the bad influence, kept telling his future wife not to worry so much, but it was impossible—Diana was always incredibly respectful
"Come here," Maximus said, opening his arms.Laura walked over and hugged him."My girl… Never apologize for standing your ground. Never—hear me? Never apologize for defending what’s yours. Honestly, I can’t picture the scene, but I wish I could’ve seen it.""Dad… This is embarrassing. I’ve never ac
Maximus, Diana, and Adele arrived home. Little Adele was completely exhausted—her day out had been long and tiring. For Maximus, spending time with his granddaughter filled his heart and eased the anxiety of what was coming.Laura heard her father arrive and immediately left her room to see him.“Da