Chapter 0635
Maximus felt a sense of calm he hadn’t experienced in years now that Emma had moved back into the mansion. She had been a fixture in his life since childhood, and her return provided a sense of stability. Her words echoed in his mind: the responsibility for the family was his, not Serenity’s. At only 20 years old, Serenity deserved the freedom to live her life and make her own plans. She shouldn’t have to shoulder the consequences of his decisions.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Alden’s sleek car pulling into the driveway. Maximus watched as Alden, ever the gentleman, opened the door for Serenity, who stepped out with a smile that instantly made Maximus uneasy. It wasn’t the kind of smile she usually directed at family members. Something about it felt… different. Shaking off the thought, he stepped forward to meet them in the foyer.
“Dad! Maximus!” Serenity greeted him with a small hop of excitement. “I didn’t think you’d be back home so soon from your trip.”
“We agreed to meet at home to talk with Emma, remember? Alden! How are you? How did my daughter do?”
“She did great,” Alden replied with a confident smile. “She’s incredible–learns quickly and will no doubt be ready to take the reins of the company in no time.”
“Oh, stop exaggerating!” Serenity interjected with a teasing glare. “You called me unrefined earlier.”
“Here we go again!” Alden groaned, throwing his hands up. “I didn’t mean that…”
Serenity grinned as Maximus’s sharp eyes shifted between the two of them.
“Unrefined?” Maximus asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, no, Uncle,” Alden protested. “What I said was that she’s a diamond in the rough–not ‘unrefined.” She just needs polishing.”
“But you did say ‘unrefined,“” Serenity said smugly.
“God, you’re impossible,” Alden muttered, exasperated. “That one word has haunted me through lunch and dinner, and you still won’t let it go.”
“She gets that from me,” Maximus said with pride. “She has my character.”
“Clearly,” Alden agreed. “We’ve been going back and forth about it all afternoon.”
“So, did you actually do anything productive at the company?” Maximus asked, crossing his arms.
“Yes,” Serenity replied confidently. “Alden gave me the tour and explained how the company works. And since I’m not as ‘unrefined‘ as he claims, we finished in record time.”
“Glad to hear it. Alden, thanks for helping her today. I heard you’re heading to the Emirates tomorrow?”
“Yeah, Uncle. I have to close a deal with some investors, so need to leave early.”
“How’s Peter?”
“He’s good, though as grumpy as ever,” Alden said with a laugh. “You’d think Celeste would mellow him out, but he’s still half–obsessed with work and the other half with micromanaging.
“Has he changed much?” Serenity asked, curious.
“Peter used to be the carefree one,” Maximus explained. “was the workaholic, and he was all about parties and
fun.”
“I would’ve loved to see that version of him,” Alden said, intrigued.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0635
“Don’t hold your breath. Those days are long gone,” Maximus replied. “Celeste isn’t doing great, either. Her treatment isn’t progressing as expected, so they might return to Valentia to consult the doctor who treated her after the accident.”
“Celeste is the one who helped my brother and Ethan, right” Serenity asked.
“Yes,” Maximus confirmed. “She’s Peter’s girlfriend. Why?
“I didn’t realize Peter was in a relationship.”
“Well, it’s still fairly new. After the accident, he practically whisked her away to Slovenia. They’d just started dating.”
Alden, aware of the complicated history involving Serenity’s mother and his father, decided to steer the conversation elsewhere to avoid saying something he shouldn’t.
“Well, I hope it works out for them,” Serenity said, her volte measured. Deep down, she couldn’t help but hope that if Peter was happy, he’d have no reason to revisit the past or her mother.
“Alright, I need to head out,” Maximus said, glancing at his watch. “Serenity, Emma is already settled in the downstairs room near yours. Did you know she wanted to move back here?”
“Yes, she told me.”
“Apparently, everyone in this house knows more than I do Maximus muttered, shaking his head.
