His mind was in chaos. Fate was giving him the chance to think through his words and actions. This morning, he hadn’t known what to say. Now, he had time to figure it out—but his thoughts were interrupted by a phone call.“Peter, are you in Valentia?”“Matthew, yes, why?”“Damn it, Peter! Stop screw
“Marcus? Are you awake?” Frederick asked as he walked into the room.“Yes! Do you have the information I asked for?” Marcus replied, sitting up in bed.“I do… but after going through everything again, I think someone else should be here,” Frederick said cautiously.“Who?”“Maximus Palmer. He’s the h
“What? What’s going on? Did he do something to you? Tell me! Where is he?”“No! He didn’t do anything to me. Dad’s really drunk and hasn’t come out of his room. A little while ago, I heard his door open, but when I went to check on him, it was locked again. I called for him, but he won’t answer.”“L
[Valeria, Present Day]“Laura, let’s try something. I’ll knock on Maximus’s door—maybe hearing a different voice will make him open it.”“Alright…”Serenity knocked on Maximus’s door, but there was no response. Thinking for a moment, she said:“Laura, Maximus’s room is on the first floor. His room h
It was all too clear. The Brown family was seeking revenge, targeting his family. They knew exactly how to strike. Maximus had always known life would catch up to him, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.One day, Alex and Audrey Brown had shown up at his house, ready to deliver shocking new
Maximus got up, took a shower, and headed to Frederick Sander’s house. He rarely drank to the point of inebriation, but guilt had gnawed at him until he drowned it in alcohol. It wasn’t the best solution, but it silenced his inner demons, at least for a while.After driving for over 30 minutes, he f
“And what does that damned family have to do with this?” Maximus snapped.“Everything, Maximus. Absolutely everything.”“Take a seat and pay close attention to what I’m about to summarize,” Frederick began, pulling out several files and organizing them on the table.[File No. 1]“This folder contain
[Willowcombe, Present Day]After speaking with Matthew, Peter knew what he had to say to Celeste. She needed to hear the whole truth, no matter how painful it was. As far as Peter saw it, this was the only way to convince her to come back to him and leave the country. It was a gamble—she could eithe
“Well, I don’t, Serenity. My life changed completely when I found out I was going to be a father. One day I was a broke kid, and the next, I was managing absurd sums of money, getting paid, and changing diapers.”“Sorry…” Serenity murmured, her tone softening."Sorry… what?" Alden asked, raising an
Alden and Serenity exited the Palmer Group building, the tension from their earlier “altercation” significantly eased. Serenity felt more comfortable around him now, while Alden, with his trademark charming smile, continued to catch the admiring glances of every woman they passed in the hallway. Ser
Maximus sighed. “Emma, I know I’m inexperienced. I’ve avoided hiring anyone because my younger kids have spent years in boarding school. I didn’t want them to be raised by nannies anymore. Besides, my eldest is 15, and Maurice is 8. They’re not little anymore.”“I’ve been thinking… I want to come ba
Maximus returned home after a long day, his thoughts weighed down by the countless decisions he had to make. As he walked through the house, he noticed his younger children quietly doing their homework at the dining table. Laura, as always, had stepped in to keep them on task. When he found her rest
“Peter… What else are you planning to do?”“Nothing. Just wait. My time, and Marcus’s time, is coming. He and I will have to pay for what we’ve done. But that, dear brother, won’t affect you,” Peter said, placing a hand on Maximus’s shoulder.“Damn it, Peter! What the hell are you going to do?” Maxi
“What kind of nonsense is this? Of course, I loved Mary! I still love her!”“Do you? Then why did you let Marcus take her? If you loved her, why didn’t you fight for her?”“Because it was what was best.”“For who, Peter? For you? For her? For Marcus? Because it sounds to me like you sacrificed your
Maximus arrived in Slovenia, where Peter’s driver was already waiting to take him to his brother’s grand estate. As they approached the enormous house, Maximus couldn’t help but admire its majesty, but he chose not to comment.“I hope your visit is short and that you’re not here to punch me in the f
After Maximus left for the airport, Alden began showing Serenity around the various floors of Palmer Group. Though Serenity typically carried herself with poise and confidence, she found herself faltering every time Alden looked her way. There was something about his presence, his composed demeanor,
“Serenity, at the office, I’m not your dad—I’m the boss,” Maximus said, frowning slightly as he downed his coffee in one gulp.“I know, Maximus! Now let’s get going, or I’ll be late for my first day as your assistant.”“Miss Bartz, today is your induction day. No one starts working without completin