Chapter 0787
+25 BONUS
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 office.
From a distance, Valerie spotted Peter. For a brief moment, she considered saying something, but she quickly dismissed the thought. It wouldn’t be appropriate. Things between her and Marcus were going well, and if they wanted to strengthen their marriage, they needed to avoid any misunderstandings—not just for themselves but for their entire family. They had been separated for far too long. Without another glance, she got into Marcus’s car, and they left immediately:
Meanwhile, Peter, Maximus, and their partners got into an SUV that Magnus had arranged to take them Magnus himself stayed behind at the courthouse with Vincent–they had things to discuss–so he didn’t accompany them but made sure they got away from the public eye safely.
- le.
Since stepping down from the witness stand, Peter had been battling a severe headache. He didn’t want to worry anyone, so he kept quiet. But when he could no longer bear it, he leaned his head against Celeste’s shoulder. Her scent calmed him. Just having her close soothed him.
It wasn’t until that moment that Celeste noticed something was wrong–Peter was burning up.
“Peter? Are you okay?” she asked, gently caressing his face.
He didn’t respond.
A wave of panic washed over her.
“Maximus! Peter won’t wake up–he’s burning with fever!” she cried, her voice laced with fear.
Maximus, seated just in front of them, turned around immediately.
“Peter! Peter! Brother, answer me!”
“What’s happening, Maximus? He was fine just a few minutes ago! He only rested his head on my shoulder, and that’s when I noticed he had a fever,” Celeste said, trying to stay calm.
“Relax! Everything will be fine,” Maximus reassured her, though his own anxiety was evident. Then, turning to the driver, he ordered, “Take us to the hospital–now!” His voice was sharp and urgent.
Within minutes, they arrived at the hospital where Dr. Wagner, the doctor who had always handled Peter’s case, worked.
As soon as the SUV stopped, Maximus jumped out, using all his strength to pull Peter from the vehicle. He was still unconscious.
They rushed into the emergency room, where paramedics immediately attended to them.
“He’s Dr. Wagner’s patient,” one of them called out. Within moments, Wagner himself arrived, quickly assessing the situation as they wheeled Peter into the ER.
Maximus paced the hallway, waiting for any update on his brother.
At the hospital, the staff recognized him–they had seen him with Peter before. Naturally, they assumed Maximus was his legal guardian.
Realizing this, Maximus quickly stepped in. “His wife is here,” he corrected them.
Celeste was important to Peter. Maximus understood that. So, in a way, he had to bend the truth about her status,
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0787
Diana did her best to calm him down, but Maximus only relaxed when Dr. Wagner finally stepped out of the emergency room.
“Dr. Wagner, how is my brother?” Maximus asked, genuine concern in his voice.
“Mr. Palmer, as I’ve told you before, Peter needs surgery. If we don’t proceed, we could be facing the worst possible outcome within hours.
“For now, we performed an MRI and managed to stabilize him, but that won’t last long. Mr. Palmer, you need to make a decision.”
“How much time do we have?”
“I can’t give you a definite timeframe. With the medication we’ve administered, he’ll remain asleep for at st three hours. But to keep him stable, we’ll have to repeat this process unless we receive different instructions. “Once he wakes up, I strongly suggest you talk to him and convince him to go through with the surgery.”
“Thank you, doctor. I promise I’ll try.”
“If there’s nothing else I can do for you, I’ll take my leave. But I’ll be monitoring his condition closely. Talk to him. From what I see, he has more reasons than ever to fight for his life.”
“I will, Doctor. I know it’s time to have a serious talk with him.”
Dr. Wagner walked away, leaving Celeste with a million questions swirling in her mind.
She knew about Peter’s anxiety attacks, but something about this situation didn’t add up. She had overheard the mention of surgery and worse outcomes, and that only made her more worried.
