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
To avoid the overwhelming media presence outside the courthouse, Moriarty arranged for the Bartz, Palmer, and Evans families to leave through the back exit. He still had plenty of work ahead of him—the trial had shaken the entire country—but for a man like him, this was just another day at the offic
The moment the doctor was gone, she turned to Maximus."Maximus… what’s wrong with Peter? Why did the doctor talk about ‘worse outcomes’? What aren’t you telling me? Is there something Peter hasn’t told me?" she asked, a mix of fear and frustration on her face.Maximus looked at her and saw how deep
"I need to talk to Alden. He needs to be here. If anyone should be by Peter’s side right now, it’s him and his grandson, Ethan."Maximus exhaled heavily, his voice laced with determination."I’ve been thinking about this a lot, Celeste. I don’t care if Peter has to forget us. What matters is that he
Celeste took Maximus’s hand, looked at him, and said,"Maximus, I love your brother. At first, I didn’t understand him. When we met, he was so direct—he told me he liked me and that he wanted a relationship."Honestly, I thought he was crazy. I assumed he just wanted a fling with his grandson’s teac
She then turned to Maximus, handing him a cup of coffee and a sandwich."My love, I know you don’t feel like eating. But try. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to help your brother. And the Palmer women don’t need this kind of stress."Maximus looked at her, pride swelling in his
Once Alden ended the call, he leaned down and kissed Serenity’s cheek. Slowly, she stirred, her eyes fluttering open."Sweetheart, wake up… Hey…" he whispered, his voice tinged with concern.Serenity rubbed her eyes. "Alden? What’s wrong?""I just got off the phone with Maximus. We need to return to
Three hours had passed since they had stabilized Peter. When the nurse stepped out, she searched for the patient’s wife.Maximus, who had been anxiously waiting, immediately pointed to Celeste.He wanted to see his brother. He needed to talk to him.But Peter needed to see her first.Maximus knew th
"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