Maximus felt drained; that brief conversation with his nephew had left him utterly exhausted."Alden, yesterday I read through the entire investigation. It pains me to see what the woman I once loved—the mother of my children—has become."He hesitated, staring out the large window. "I know you won’t
Marcus and Valerie returned to the house. She picked up the bouquet of flowers and her bag, then said, "I'm ready! We can go. This house holds so many beautiful memories, but the ones I want to keep are the ones we make together with our children."Marcus turned to look at her, his almond-colored ey
[Ushuaia, Argentina, 7 years ago]“Alden, I know you’re caught up in the buzz around here, but I don’t want you to join the force. You’ve got a gift, and you should make the most of it. I’d rather see you get into business. Your mom has been working at the factory for years, and while she’s still yo
Katherine had lived in the shadows for many years. After hearing the news of Peter's death, she had closed her heart and vowed never to love again. For reasons she never fully understood, Darius Richards had always reached out to offer her unconditional support, but she had always refused it. Today,
Theodore had been raised by a strict military father, which meant his education at the military academy was rigorous and disciplined. When the time came, he left the service and began working in private security. His excellent performance and discretion quickly caught the attention of the city’s eli
"If you already know everything, why are you even asking me?" Theodore replied, shifting uncomfortably."Marcus Bartz wants to speak with you. Now. In fact, he’s waiting outside for my signal to come in and see you. I told you—this visit isn’t a courtesy. He’s very interested in knowing why you spar
After a long week, Katherine received a message from Darius Richards. He would be waiting for her at Ana & Juana - Onas at 6:00 PM, a public venue designed to ease any fears she might have about meeting him. Though Darius didn’t fully understand her apprehensions, he knew this would be his first tim
[Present day]In a room saturated with the smell of disinfectant and medication lay the inert body of Alexia Levett. Her condition had shown some improvement—not enough to say she was cured, but at least she no longer required an endotracheal tube. Now, she only needed an oxygen mask.The people car
After the conversation between Pierre, Laura, Lucius, and Maximus, it was time to talk to Paul. However, Maximus felt it was something that needed to be discussed between father and son.He fully understood that Laura wanted to be involved, but this—this was something only he could and should handle
"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