Maximus quickly tore open the envelope, and like Valerie, felt a heavy weight press against his chest. The envelope was eerily similar to the one he had once presented to his ex-wife when he sought answers about Peter’s daughter. As he unfolded the report, his face turned ghostly pale. It was the sa
Before Marcus could say more, another blow landed—this time from Maximus. Blood began streaming from Marcus’s nose.“Never! Do you hear me, Bartz? Never speak to my daughter like that again! Do I make myself clear?” Maximus roared, teetering on the edge of losing control.“Enough!” Valerie screamed,
Serenity was devastated. She had never felt such betrayal in her life, and what crushed her the most was that it came from her own home—from her mother. The realization tore her apart.Valerie tried to approach her daughter again, but Serenity rejected her. Laura, calm and patient, stepped in.“Don’
Leonardo was visibly fuming, his anger boiling over at the realization that Maximus had been prepared to hand over the largest share of the company to Serenity, the daughter he had with Mary. Rising from his seat, he spoke sharply:“Maximus, enough with the theatrics. We need to have a private discu
Leonardo leaned forward, his gaze intense. “Maximus, do you really want to know why Lucius is my favorite?”"Yes!" Maximus roared, his frustration boiling over.Leonardo sighed heavily, his voice tinged with regret. "Ah, Maximus. I truly wish we’d never had to touch this cursed topic. But seeing you
Once inside, Alexia looked around nervously, her legs trembling as if they might give out beneath her. She never imagined she’d find herself in such a situation. Seeing Maximus, Leonardo, and Lucius all in the same room, she immediately understood what was happening. She regretted staying behind to
Serenity's P.O.VMinutes after hearing Marcus, Maximus, and Lucius discussing a DNA test, Serenity realized they were talking about her test. She had set all of this in motion, naively trusting that giving that cursed sample wouldn’t lead to chaos.A sharp pain hit her chest as she turned to her mot
Laura turned her anger on Alexia. “Mom, you’re the worst person I’ve ever known. You’ve never cared for us. You don’t deserve a man like my father risking his freedom for you. And you,” she said, glaring at Lucius and Leonardo, “you’re just as guilty. You sat there and enjoyed watching someone else’
As soon as Maximus left the hospital room, Peter sank into his thoughts, trying to figure out what to do next. It was clear that his life had completely changed, and Maximus was right—whether he liked it or not, he was a father and a grandfather. And soon, he’d be a father again. There was also a wo
Peter had his eyes closed. His brother was still sitting next to him, curious about what he might be thinking. He didn’t want to pressure him, so he waited for him to speak."What do I do about Celeste?" Peter finally let out, his voice filled with worry."What? What do you mean?" Maximus asked, int
Two weeks had passed, and Peter still showed no interest in speaking to or seeing Maximus or Celeste. The hospital, which had once been filled with family and friends waiting outside his room, was now only visited by Alden—and occasionally, Marcus.Celeste tried to stay calm and positive, but in thi
"But he is right—your mother asked us to take care of your education and finances. We know you don’t want contact with your family, and if you stay in Valentia, you won’t just run into them—you’ll also be at risk from any enemies your grandfather may still have out there.""So you’re saying… I have
"Where the hell am I?" Lucius muttered, waking from his forced sleep."You’re in my house. And you better behave, because I’m not a very patient man. I promised to look after you, but your mother isn’t here anymore, so she won’t know if something happens to you," Anthony Moriarty said, his piercing
And then—"Daddy!"Maurice bolted toward him, his little feet barely touching the ground.After a few steps, Maximus crouched down to scoop up his youngest son, who looked noticeably bigger than the last time he had seen him."My boy, how are you, my love?""Daddy! Daddy! We’re back!""Yes, my boy,
After leaving the hospital, Maximus drove home, the only thing on his mind being the need to have his family together again. Things with Peter hadn’t gone well, but at least this time, he had something to keep him grounded—his family and Diana.Diana hadn’t accompanied him home; she had stayed behin
Throughout their conversation, Alden had asked his father multiple times if he wanted to see Celeste, but Peter refused every time. He even seemed irritated whenever her name was mentioned. However, whenever Alden spoke about his mother, there was a glimmer in Peter’s eyes—something Alden kept to hi
Celeste and Alden exchanged looks. They were the two closest people to Peter, yet neither of them knew how to handle this situation. A Peter who only remembered being in his twenties was something they hadn’t expected."Alden, go in. He’s your father, and I’m sure he’ll be happy to see a copy of him