As Celeste slept, Peter’s thoughts drifted to a conversation he once had with Theodore during his recovery. In that conversation, Theodore had laid out their shared past, explaining the nature of their relationship before the accident and the intricate web of their mutual dealings. Over time, as tru
Laura’s life had changed drastically in the two months since she transferred to Clearmount College. She had started dating Adrian, and Maximus had made several attempts to meet the young man who was courting his daughter. But fate—or excuses—kept getting in the way. When Maximus was available, Adria
“Laura,” Fred said gently, “everything seems fine so far. I believe this could just be stress from the change in schools or environment. But I do need to ask you a more delicate, personal question. You’re free to answer or not—it’s entirely up to you.”“Laura, at what age did your period start?” Fre
Maximus felt a surge of fury spread through him like wildfire. He wanted to strangle the boy—Adrian, that foolish, reckless boy. He wanted to scream. Laura, his little girl, his baby, the child he had only recently accepted as his own, was no longer a child. She was a woman, and most likely, she was
Maximus said nothing. He didn’t know Adrian, but the speed at which everything had happened spoke volumes about the boy’s character—or lack thereof.-When they returned home, Maximus retreated to his study. He didn’t know how to process the news or who to turn to without exploding. Pulling out his
“Come on! Stop looking at me like that,” Peter said, leaning back in his chair. “You’re the one who wanted to talk. What was so urgent? What’s going on?”Maximus realized his brother didn’t want to address the topic of Mary. He couldn’t blame him; it wasn’t something Maximus was eager to discuss eit
“Have you ever considered having a child?” Maximus asked, breaking the brief silence. “I mean, you have Alden, but you met him as a teenager. Grace, well, you took her in as a daughter, but she was already grown too. Have you ever thought about starting a family with someone?”Peter paused, smiling
He took a sip of his drink before continuing. “Love can’t be forced. I loved her—it’s obvious. I don’t even know when it started. Maybe I loved her from the first time she stayed with me. Maybe I made mistakes and hurt her too. Even when we were together, I knew that you, Maximus, would always be a
"Monday?""No, I mean… what’s the date?""August 15th.""What year?"She laughed softly, as if I were playing some kind of joke on her."2003… Peter, what kind of prank are you trying to pull? Come on, get out of the bathroom. I need to pee, and you’re taking forever. And don’t forget—we have the ap
After thinking it all through, I knew I couldn’t leave her alone. If something happened to me, all my wealth would go to her. My children would never be left unprotected, and she would never have to worry about money again. But that wasn’t enough. I didn’t want to leave her alone to raise our childr
Diana and Maximus stepped out of the room, both looking exhausted and worried. It was already 10:00 a.m., and there was still no news about Peter. Celeste had finally fallen into a deep sleep after drinking the tea they had brought her.Marcus and Valerie had left the hospital a few hours earlier to
"Just curious…""Hmm… Are you sure?""Yeah…"Peter had been wondering about this ever since he came across an old photo of himself standing next to Mary, who had pink hair at the time. Fate worked in strange ways. Celeste had always been there—she was the little girl in the corner of that very pictu
Celeste went back into the room, and Peter looked at her, his eyes softening."Come here… I want to hold you."Something in his gaze unsettled her, but without hesitation, she stepped closer."Do you know that since the moment I met you, you became my whole world? I still can’t believe you’re going
"What is it? Peter, I don’t understand… I’ve never asked you for anything. Well, except earlier, when I made you promise not to leave me alone with our kids. That alone would make me happy.""I know! But this time, I want to do things right… I mean, I’m a man, a proper man—I can’t keep doing things
Valerie and Alden kept chatting while the café prepared a salad for Serenity. Valerie was surprised at how well Alden already knew her daughter’s tastes.As she watched her future son-in-law, she realized her daughter had made a good choice. Guilt crept in when she thought about her initial reaction
Alden nodded. "Yes. And I know the history between them. But to be completely honest? I don’t care."That was years ago. You moved on with your life. My father did the same."As adults, the past shouldn’t dictate our present. I know it’s hard to ignore it, but to me, it’s not important."Valerie sig
Alden had gone to find a room for Serenity. He knew this wasn’t a hotel—it was a hospital—but sometimes, accommodations could be made for certain people. He figured it was worth a try.Marcus was right. Serenity had endured a six-hour flight without any breaks, and it was already past midnight. She