After helping deliver Laura’s baby and contacting medical services, Alden called Maximus. When Maximus saw Alden's name on the caller ID, he answered immediately.“Alden?”“Uncle… I just wanted you to know… your granddaughter is here!”“It’s a girl?”“Yes! She’s a beautiful baby girl. Laura’s restin
"Well, well! This is some of the best news I could’ve gotten… Though it’s clear Frank Levett Jr. still has significant political power.""Not for much longer, I think. I know it’s hard to keep up with things from in here, but recently a new magistrate—Judge Anthony Moriarty—was appointed to the gove
A week had passed since Laura had given birth. Little Adele was bright-eyed and alert, captivating everyone. The adults took turns caring for her during the night, but Emma and Alden were the most experienced when it came to handling babies.Alden’s mind kept drifting back to when he became a father
"Fine. But only because the baby had a rough night.""Sure, sure! Whatever you say. Even you don’t believe that.""Alden!""Hey…""Mmm?" Serenity mumbled, already half-asleep."I love you.""We love you too," she murmured.The response snapped Alden out of his thoughts. He wanted to ask her what she
Once they had shaken off the paparazzi, Anthony and Marcus arrived at a residence belonging to the Moriarty family. Vincent Moriarty was already waiting for them. The older man embraced Marcus warmly as soon as he saw him."I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to know there’s still a Bartz left!"
Alden couldn’t sleep after Serenity’s words echoed in his mind: “We love you too!” He kept glancing at her as she cuddled Adele, replaying the moment in his head. He wasn’t naive, and one thought kept nagging at him, though he wasn’t sure how to process it.When Serenity woke up after a long nap, Al
Maximus had left the hospital to tend to some business matters, giving Peter the perfect opportunity to slip away. It had been almost three weeks since he’d been to Slovenia, and not being able to contact Celeste was gnawing at him.By the time Maximus realized what had happened, his brother was alr
Maximus had spent the past few days consumed with Peter's situation at the hospital. Dr. Hill had informed him that Peter had left the country, a decision that worried her greatly. She warned Maximus that the episodes of confusion would persist and that, while he couldn’t make decisions for his brot
Alden held Celeste tightly as she wept, her body trembling against his. It felt like a part of her was being ripped away. It had already been a week, and still, there were no signs of Peter waking up.The swelling in his brain had gone down, but for some unknown reason, there was no neurological act
"I was thinking we could grab some vanilla ice cream and sit somewhere to talk. Sound good?""Perfect."We stopped by an ice cream shop and bought a liter each.As expected, she devoured hers.I watched her for a moment before taking a deep breath."Mary… there’s something I want to talk to you abou
After a few minutes, I helped Mary into the car. As I closed the door, I noticed Agnes stepping outside to see us off, drying her hands on her apron.Seeing her there—knowing she would be one of the many people affected by my death—I walked over and pulled her into a hug."You stubborn old woman… I
She hesitated. "Well… when you put it like that… maybe."I exhaled, running a hand through my hair."I have to admit something. You’re my least favorite person in the world.""Gee, thanks.""But you’re also Mary’s best friend. And you’ve proven to be a good friend to her. So, I just want to ask one
As I stepped out of my room, I was immediately greeted by the loud, unmistakable laughter of Aurora. God, that woman still got on my nerves… And to think that at one point, Mary had actually suggested that she and I could be a couple. According to her, since we were both wild, chaotic, and loved par
After finalizing the last details of my fortune, I picked up the phone and called the one person who had the power to change my life forever."Peter?""Marcus…""What’s going on? You don’t usually call me twice…""Well… technically, you called me earlier…" I said, trying to sound casual."What’s wro
"I just remembered I have something urgent to go over with Marcus. I can’t put it off—it’s about the meeting. I completely forgot. I’ll talk to my father and the doctor to reschedule our appointment. Just give me until noon, okay? This is really important."Before she could respond, I turned toward
[Peter's P.OV]For a few seconds, I just stared at Celeste.She was just a girl—well, compared to me, she was.She was thin, her curly hair as messy as always, and she wore glasses that made her look even younger. There was an innocence in her eyes, a brightness untouched by the weight of life.I sm
Alden’s stomach dropped. "What do you mean by that?"Maximus hesitated before saying, "I’m sorry, Alden… Celeste… But we have to be prepared for the fact that he might not wake up.""He will wake up," Celeste said firmly, her voice trembling with emotion. "He promised me. You said it yourself—Peter