At the mention of the company that had belonged to his late wife’s parents, everything clicked for Marcus. Vincent Moriarty was the estranged son of Simon Stephenson—his late wife’s father. Now it all made sense. Anthony and Vincent’s strange interest in him had a reason. The aunt Anthony had once m
Vincent and Marcus stood in front of Valentina and little Peter’s grave. The afternoon was cold, and both carried flowers, staring somberly at the aged plaque worn down by time. Neither of them spoke, lost in their thoughts, each battling the storm of emotions inside them. A single tear rolled down
"What you should do is find your friend. Go to him, talk to him. Do it before he ends up forgetting about you. He never meant to hurt you. You were like an older brother to him—the brother life never gave him with Maximus."Well… now Maximus, even though he’s not his biological brother, takes care o
Marcus kept driving after his abrupt stop. Peter’s health wasn’t good, so if he wanted to talk to him, he had no choice but to wait until he recovered.Memories from earlier that morning began flooding his mind.[Court of Appeals]Marcus Bartz arrived at the courthouse as a protected witness, accomp
After a round of introductions, everyone took their seats. Maximus reserved a spot for Magnus Evans, his father, who arrived just minutes before the trial began. But Magnus wasn’t alone—he entered the courtroom alongside Vincent Moriarty.Maximus hesitated. What interest did the father of the judge
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a blatant abuse of power. Do you see now who the real victim is? Mr. Bartz, is it also true that you rescued Mr. Frank Levett Sr. from the streets of Slovakia?"Marcus was caught off guard. He hadn’t expected that question, and he had no idea where this was going. But
"I call upon Mr. Frank Levett Sr. to testify. Unfortunately, he is unable to speak, as his tongue and vocal cords were cruelly severed. However, despite this tragedy, he remains strong and has developed a way to communicate through writing."Please assist in bringing in Mr. Frank Levett, who has per
After a long session and careful deliberation by the judges, Frank Levett Jr. was found guilty of all charges, including first-degree attempted murder of Peter Palmer, defamation, and abuse of judicial power in the case against Marcus Bartz. He was also convicted of fraudulently taking control of Pa
"Yeah, Dad. I know it’s not easy, and that there will always be new things to learn. I can’t take anything lightly.""That includes talking to Serenity’s parents. You need to do that.""There’s a lot we have to discuss—including the truth. Dad, I love Serenity. We’re expecting a baby. And we got mar
"Do you even hear yourself?" Diana cut in. "As far as I know, you married Marcus under the exact same circumstances. Don’t go looking for excuses. If your daughter fell for him, there’s a reason. And I don’t doubt that you and Marcus raised her to be a good person. You told me yourself—she’s smart.
Diana and Valerie walked down the hallway in complete silence. When they reached the coffee machine, Diana finally spoke."What happened, Valerie? I don’t really understand the situation, but if I’m not mistaken… that girl was your daughter?""Yes…" Valerie said through clenched fists. "And the boy
"Mary! Please…! This isn’t the place!" Maximus said, fully understanding where her reaction was coming from.Marcus, seeing his wife, had no idea what had just happened. But before he could spot Serenity, Alden, and Ethan, they had already slipped into Peter’s room.Serenity had tears in her eyes, a
Maximus took a deep breath, thinking for a moment while Alden went to the car to get Ethan. Watching him, he said,"Serenity, like I said earlier, I’m probably the last person who should be saying anything. But I just want you to know one thing—no matter what happens, I will support you. It’s only n
"Serenity, Alden…" Maximus said, watching as they checked on Ethan, making sure he was still asleep in the car."Maximus…" Serenity said softly, looking somewhat embarrassed."Alden, you and I talked about this… What happened?""Dad… Maximus… He and I love each other. That should be enough for us to
"Let’s go. I don’t know what happened exactly, but we need to hurry.""Yeah…"Once he saw the others leave, Alden found the car he had arranged, helped Serenity and Ethan inside, and secured them. Ethan had fallen asleep again. As Alden drove, his mind was racing—above all, he was anxious about what
After several long hours of flying, a plane landed at Flameco International Airport in Valentia. Alden and Serenity arrived with the whole family, both feeling a mix of nerves and conflicting emotions. On one hand, Serenity was finally returning to her mother and father after months away. On the oth
"You did a great job as a father too. Alden turned out to be a good man, and let’s not forget your grandson, little Ethan.""Alden is who he is because of his mother. I’ve only been helping shape him for the past five years. He’s a good kid thanks to everything his mother taught him. He’s good in bu