Serenity released her and nodded silently, her tearful eyes wide with anticipation.Valerie took a deep breath and began. “I told you I fell hopelessly in love with Maximus Palmer, but things didn’t work out. After my suicide attempt, I was discharged from the hospital and went to his grandmother’s
“Serenity, he adored you. Even though he wasn’t your biological father, he loved you. If he had stayed with us, I know he would have loved you more than your real father ever could.”Valerie recounted every detail of her life with Peter. Serenity listened quietly, wishing that one day she might find
Marcus chose not to interrupt his girls and instead went to tuck John in. Afterward, he headed to the master bedroom, took a shower, changed into his pajamas, and lay on the bed. The past few days had been exhausting.When he first entertained the idea of returning to Valentia, he never imagined it
Peter, understanding his son Alden’s intentions regarding Alexia, felt it was wise to stay close. Knowing how impulsive his son could be, he had no choice but to return to Valentia. He entrusted the arrangements to Darius Richards, who secured a central house in Westhaven and enrolled little Ethan a
After kidnapping Serenity, Leonardo and Lucius fled to Davos in the Swiss Alps. It was the ideal place to rest and strategize, not to mention the seat of the World Economic Forum. Their choice wasn’t random; Leonardo already had a plan. With the money secured and the truth about his relationship wit
The next day, Valerie and Marcus shared the news with their children about taking a week off for a trip to unwind. The past few days had been stressful, and they needed a break. To their surprise, both Serenity and John flat-out refused to miss school. Serenity explained that she had already missed
“Oh, I see. That’s what’s been on your mind?” Marcus asked gently.“Yes, back then Catherine forced us to come here. Maximus and I made a pact to get along, and it worked—at least until Alexia arrived,” Valerie said nervously.“My love, you should’ve told me. We could’ve gone somewhere else,” Marcus
Maximus managed to convince Alden to take him to see what remained of Alexia. A week had passed since the truth had come to light, and neither Maximus nor Marcus had visited the Complex, leaving Matthew Rice in charge once again. Meanwhile, Marcus and Valerie were taking some much-needed time to foc
Before long, Peter arrived at the hospital where Celeste was being examined by a doctor Peter trusted."Peter," the doctor said, "I’ve checked on Celeste. Her wounds are healing well. If things continue like this, we can consider discharging her. After all, I know you’ll take good care of her. There
Peter took a bath and a short nap. He woke up when he felt someone tugging on his hair—a small hand playing with his curls."Ethan, aren’t you going to school?" said Peter, groggy, with his eyes still closed."Yeah, but I want you to take me. Where have you been, Grandpa?""I’ve had a lot of work, a
Camille, having seen Marcus storm out, went to find the girl she considered her daughter. She found Valerie in tears, embraced her, and said:“Valerie, my love, I don’t think this is going to work. Have you thought about whether it might be better to end things?”“What?”“Valerie, darling, I’m not b
Minutes after Frederick received Marcus’s call, the man was knocking on his door. When Frederick opened it, he was greeted by the sight of his friend and colleague’s battered face.“Marcus, what happened to you? Who did you fight with?”“Can I come in?”“Oh! Right! Come in, come in, my boy. When you
Peter circled around Maximus’s car. It was clear he owed him a window now. He was heading to his house to ask Theodore for help taking it to the shop. Besides, there was no way he could return to the room with Celeste in this state. It was past 5:00 a.m., so the best option was to go home, take a ba
He paused, leveling a hard look at Marcus. “By the way, why the hell haven’t you killed Frank yet? Everything that happened—this whole mess—is because of him! Did you forget what he did to your family?”“Don’t you dare bring up my family,” Marcus warned, wiping blood from his lip.“Oh, I haven’t for
“Stop! Stop it! Calm down!” Peter shouted, holding Marcus back with all his strength.A stray punch escaped Marcus’s struggle, smashing into the window of Maximus’s car. The glass cracked, and Marcus’s hand began to bleed.“Enough!” Peter bellowed.“You’re a damned bastard!” Marcus shouted. “Why, Pe
Marcus drove aimlessly, trying to cool his head and avoid escalating the argument with Valerie. Yet, his heart guided him to a place he instinctively knew wouldn’t bring him peace. Parking outside the hospital, he stepped out of the car, ready to confront the turmoil consuming him.At the reception
"No, Marcus, it’s me who needs to apologize. Something’s been bothering me, consuming my thoughts, and it’s not fair to you—to you, my husband."Before Marcus could respond, Valerie was already by his side. Her growing belly brushed his shoulder as she stood close. Marcus turned to face her and stoo