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
Valerie and Marcus walked to the parking lot. She was still lost in the image she had seen moments earlier. Marcus clearly noticed but chose not to say anything. When they reached the car, he opened the door and helped his wife get in. On one hand, he was worried about the lie he was caught up in, a
“You went through so much with your first marriage, and then losing that man left you adrift. But life and fate have been kind to you. Now you have Marcus—a man in every sense of the word. He doesn’t deserve to be haunted by ghosts from your past.”“Camille, I don’t know what’s happening to me. I ca
Peter took Maximus’s car to head back to the hospital. He had only had a single glass of cognac, but seeing his brother in that state left him feeling something strange. It was an odd sensation—he and Maximus had never really shared a deep conversation or addressed personal issues before. Peter deci
“Maximus, I know you’d sacrifice yourself for Peter—you’ve always been that way. But would you do it for Marcus?” Diana asked, her tone pointed.“He’s about to become the father of twins. I don’t want Mary to end up alone again.”“You have four children and a grandchild on the way. Two of your daugh
After a few minutes of silence, watching the city lights, Diana and Maximus got back in the car. Their conversation continued, casual and light, like two old friends catching up. Diana was trying to understand the new life of the man she had waited for over six years. After driving for a while, they
“How are you, Diana?” Maximus asked, a trace of nostalgia in his voice.“Much better now that I’m seeing you!” she replied cheerfully.“Let’s go grab some dinner—I’m starving…”“Of course!”“Where will the great Maximus Palmer make a reservation?”“We’re going to The Russet Garden. You’ll like it—th
Maximus glanced at the time on one of his watches and realized he was already running late. He quickly grabbed the outfit his daughter had meticulously picked out for him and even put on the cologne she’d chosen. When he stepped out of the dressing room, he had an audience—both of his daughters were
“You’re my biological father, so yes, I can tell you exactly what I see. Now, let’s take a look at what you’ve got here. Where are your scissors?” Serenity said, walking into Maximus’s wardrobe without hesitation.“Scissors?”“Yes, for your hair! When I was little, I used to cut Marcus’s hair. He le
It was late Sunday afternoon. Laura had gone to her room after lunch, and the kids were holed up in their rooms, rushing to finish last-minute homework. Maximus had warned them that the punishment would be severe if they didn’t complete their assignments or missed any responsibilities at school. Mea
Maximus had returned from Germany, but his life had changed after that trip. The man came back with more questions than answers, and the only one who could provide those answers was in Slovenia.“Peter… you son of a bitch. Why the hell do I have to follow through with your stupid plan?” Maximus said
“I already know all of this, Mom!”“No, you don’t know everything… Leonardo isn’t your father!”“What?! Say that again!”“You heard me. Leonardo isn’t your father. I have to be honest: at first, I thought you might be his. But I did a test before you were born and found out you were Maximus’s son. I
While Maximus traveled back from Germany, in Switzerland, Lucius was grappling with the only choice his mother was giving him. He refused, but every day she reminded him that she wasn’t well and that it would be better if he let her go.“Lucius, think carefully about what you’re doing, son… You’re t