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
“What are you thinking about?” Peter asked, noticing Celeste’s faraway look.“My past and how much my life has changed in twenty years. It hasn’t all been bad. There are a lot of good things, but some friends stayed in the past. I still remember them fondly,” Celeste said with a smile.“Twenty years
Marcus, after leaving the bedroom, went straight to his study. He was exhausted, having barely slept. He’d planned to come home and rest beside his wife, but he hadn’t anticipated coming face-to-face with Peter. The encounter had thrown Valerie into a whirlwind of confusion, convinced that the man w
Marcus rested his elbows on the desk and buried his face in his hands, frustration coursing through him.“How long have you known?”“You’re confirming it for me now. I just needed to verify my suspicions.”“Camille, please… don’t say anything about this.”“Why, Marcus? Why are you keeping this secre
Valerie remained in her bedroom, replaying her conversation with Camille in her mind. She hadn’t realized her behavior had been so noticeable. All she could think about was the face of Peter, the man she believed she’d seen. A deep remorse began to settle in her heart. She couldn’t bear the thought
"Celeste, there’s nothing to worry about. Look, all of these symptoms are completely normal.""What do you mean, Dr. Kensington? Normal? I don’t feel normal at all...""Celeste, my dear, your situation is very normal. Congratulations! You’re pregnant!"Celeste’s face turned pale. Just when she had d
“Valerie! What are you doing up so early and on your feet?”“Hi, Emma! I was a little hungry and came for some milk and cake. By the way, Serenity should be having breakfast by now, but I don’t see her. Maybe I should go wake her up.”“No, sweetheart, don’t worry. Serenity didn’t sleep here last nig
Valerie got out of bed, woken by the insistent hunger of her babies. Her head felt like a tangled mess. She was dizzy, confused, unable to make sense of what was happening. How had her marriage ended up hanging by a thread? And why did she keep seeing Peter?Years ago, she had accepted that he was g
'“I’ll never forget you, I promise. But I want to spend the rest of my life with someone. And if life smiles on me with children, I’ll always tell them about you, and I’ll ask you to watch over them. I know you’ll agree that it’s time for me to move forward. It’s been so many years, and I think I’ve
[Celeste's P.O.V]Celeste sat by the window, gazing outside. Her legs ached slightly, though the medication she was receiving dulled most of the pain from her injuries. For a moment, she focused on the sky, letting her thoughts wander to her life and the struggles that had shaped it. She often felt
Peter left the hospital to meet with Darius. His plan was to make all the necessary arrangements to ensure he wouldn’t have to return to Valentia. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, especially now that his memories were slowly coming back. He couldn’t afford to leave any loose ends—he needed to o
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