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
"Mr. Palmer, you're going to get me into serious trouble with your father. He explicitly told me to dispose of these samples," Rivers said, his voice trembling with fear."My father isn’t here, and if he ordered that, it means he’s hiding something. I’m going to find out what," Lucius Palmer replied
After a long day, Maximus finally arrived at a house that felt both familiar and distant. The air smelled of dampness, and the furniture was draped in sheets. The place was shrouded in darkness as he made his way to the study—a room that had once been his sanctuary. Feeling his way around, he found
After Maximus ended the call, Matthew immediately began sending the memorandums to all Palmer Group shareholders. The sudden request raised eyebrows, as it had been a long time since such a meeting had been called. Leonardo, despite his advanced age, read the memorandum and knew something significa
“Regina! How can you ask something like that?” Valerie replied, blushing furiously. “I’m not telling you anything. You’re incorrigible!”“Incorrigible or not, that’s just who I am—and I’m your best friend!” Regina shot back, laughing. “Mary, it hurts me that I wasn’t there for you, that you had to g
Lucius had recently spoken with Leonardo, requesting permission to put his studies on hold. He was determined to join Palmer Group and start learning the intricacies of the business. With the looming presence of Marcus Bartz, Lucius felt a growing urgency—not only for the future of his siblings but
"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