Chapter 0179
[Valeria, 20 years ago]
+25 BONUS
Leonardo, still in disbelief, hesitated over whether to call his mother or not. Instead, with trembling hands, he decided to call his son. He pulled out his phone and attempted to dial Peter, but the call wouldn’t connect. He checked his call log–the last time they spoke had been at 6:30 p.m. Peter should have been home by now. Perhaps his phone had died, Leonardo thought. Searching his directory, he found the number for Peter’s house.
He called once–no answer. A second time–still nothing. On the third attempt, a deep voice answered. It was Darius Richards, a lawyer who had stopped by to retrieve some papers from Peter’s stud
“Hello?”
“Goo… Good… Good morning. Is Peter Palmer available?” Leonardo asked, his voice trembling
“Who’s calling?” replied the voice on the other end.
“Tell him it’s Leonardo Palmer,” the father said, clearing his throat.
“Sir… hasn’t Mr. Bartz contacted you yet?” Darius asked, his tone hesitant.
“Please, put me through to Peter or Mary. I need to speak to one of them urgently,” Leonardo said, his voice growing more anxious.
There was a long sigh on the other end before Darius replied.
“Mr. Palmer, I’m terribly sorry to inform you of this. Peter had an accident last night while driving back to Galea. I’m afraid to say he didn’t survive.”
“Is Bartz there with you? What kind of cruel joke is this?” Leonardo demanded, his disbelief turning to
anger.
“Mr. Palmer, Mr. Bartz is on his way. He should arrive shortly. If you wish to see your son, I recommend flying here as soon as possible. Peter left specific instructions about what to do in case of his death, and we’ve been ordered to proceed accordingly.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“This is why I asked if Mr. Bartz had spoken to you. I have a legal document signed by Peter authorizing certain measures to be taken in the event of his passing. I understand this is difficult for you, but these were your son’s wishes, and we are bound to follow them. Please, if you want to see Peter, I urge you to come immediately.”
After hanging up, Leonardo walked to Maximus’s room, knocked on the door, and said, “Maximus, I need to go to Galea immediately. Can you arrange for the jet?
“Father, do you seriously believe them?” Maximus asked as he adjusted his tie. He had a full day of meetings scheduled, even though he was no longer CBD, as he often assisted his father with such
matters.
“Maximus, please! I need to see for myself that everything is fine!”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0170
Maximus sighed heavily and replied, “I’ll go with you. If this turns out to be a joke, you might end up. fighting with Peter.”
“Fine, Maximus! Let’s go. I hope it is a misunderstanding, but I just spoke to someone at his house, and they said the same thing. I won’t rest until I’m there,” Leonardo said, his worry evident.
Less than an hour later, Leonardo and Maximus arrived at a private airport in Galea. Leonardo looked visibly shaken, while Maximus’s fury simmered beneath the surface, though he kept it well–contained. They drove to Peter’s house but only found one of the gardeners, who hadn’t heard the news yet. Out of options, Leonardo decided to call Marcus Bartz.
“Marcus, I’m already in Galea. I went to Peter’s house, but there’s no one here except the gardener. What kind of sick game are you and Peter playing?” Leonardo demanded angrily.
“Do you know the hospital in central Galea?” Marcus asked calmly.
“Yes.”
“Meet me there. I’ll be there in thirty minutes–I’m still at customs.”
Leonardo and Maximus drove to the hospital. At reception, Leonardo identified himself and asked to see Peter Palmer. The receptionist looked at him with a mixture of pity and hesitation.
“Sir, you’re at the wrong entrance. You need to go to the emergency area. From there, ask at reception, and they’ll direct you,” she said.
