“Celeste, the investigation I conducted uncovered something that shattered both Maximus and me. We always thought our parents’ marriage was perfect—Maximus idolized it and wanted to emulate it in his own life. But behind closed doors, it was a different story.“My father abused my mother, both physi
“Now that I know I’m going to be a father again, I want you to understand that I won’t let these problems reach us,” Peter said, his tone resolute. “I’ve told you all this because my actions triggered a cascade of events, and I think you deserve to know the truth.”Celeste looked at him, her eyes a
“I know! But I was consumed by hatred for so long. I wasn’t thinking clearly…” Peter’s voice faltered.“Peter…” Celeste’s voice hardened. “You’re dangerous—to me and to our children. I feel like I don’t even know the man standing in front of me. I think you should—”“No, Celeste, don’t say it,” Pete
Maximus sat with a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid swirling in his hand as he stared into the fire. Drinking had become a habit he turned to whenever frustration overwhelmed him. The revelations from Folder 4 had upended his life: he wasn’t Leonardo’s son, and nothing he had devoted his life to—n
Maximus didn’t want to admit it, but Leonardo had been right. Alexia was impossible to please. Everything he did seemed to provoke her wrath, just as Mary’s presence once had provoked his. The similarities unnerved him.Without realizing it, he had parked outside Matthew’s house. His loyal assistant
Maximus’s face turned pale, a mixture of disbelief and anxiety washing over him. He couldn’t believe there was detailed information about the man who was his real father.“How? There’s information about him?” Maximus asked, his voice tinged with incredulity.“Yes,” Frederick confirmed. “To be honest
Valerie sat in her room, unaware that Serenity wasn’t home or that John had returned from school. She only realized how much time had passed when Camille entered to call her for dinner. Today had been overwhelming, a whirlwind of emotions pulling her in every direction. Anxiety churned in her chest
“My family doesn’t matter anymore. They’re all dead.”Maximus’s voice turned icy. “Your new family does. Serenity, Ethan—have you thought about how this would affect them? They’d be branded as the children of a killer. You have your list, Marcus, and even I can’t compete with it.”“Get out of my way
After Ethan gave a masterclass on how to hold a baby, it was the grandparents' turn. Marcus, not wasting a second, held little Isabelle in his arms. The moment he looked at her, he knew—she was the spitting image of his daughter, the same baby girl he had met just over two years ago. "Hello, prince
After finally finishing all the paperwork and preparations for the creation of PBE Group, Maximus and Peter drove from Florentia to Valeria. Both men were determined to get there—after all, their daughter, so to speak, had just given birth, and it was essential to meet the family's first granddaught
A couple of hours after that awkward conversation, Alden, Serenity, Isabelle, and Laura were on their way home. After all the advice from the OB-GYN and the pediatrician, the new little family was finally heading back.Serenity was filled with mixed emotions. In her arms, she held her baby—yes, her
The next day, Serenity had her check-up. Little Isabelle stared intently at her mother, those big, beautiful eyes locked onto her face. Serenity couldn't stop admiring her.She was completely in love with the tiny angel in her arms. Looking at her, she couldn't help but remember how she and the man
They barely made it to the car before they were already pulling up to the place where Adrian was now living. When they arrived, Laura was surprised by the location. It wasn't bad, exactly—just not the kind of place she could ever picture Adrian choosing for himself.It made her think his financial s
"Is it far from here?" Laura asked, a bit concerned."Not really. I could actually walk, but honestly, with the crutches, it's kind of uncomfortable—and risky.""If you wait for me, I'll say goodbye to my sister and give you a ride. I'm guessing it's on the way, so...""No! No, you came to see your
"Well, Laura, things aren't that simple... but I'll figure something out. And with all this, what are you doing at the hospital? Who's taking care of Adele? Is something wrong? Is someone in your family here? Are you okay?""Wow... That's a lot of questions. But yeah, everything's fine. Emma's watch
At the hospital cafeteria, after Laura decided to stay a bit longer, she and Celeste were walking toward the room where Serenity was. As they passed by one of the consultation rooms, Laura came face to face with Adrian.She was surprised to see him. The young man was on crutches, his left foot in a
After almost four hours on the road—where Alden's driver wasn't so much driving as flying—he finally arrived. He didn't even wait for the car to park. As soon as he saw the hospital, he jumped out and ran inside.Alden was sprinting down the hallway looking for the room number, his heart pounding in