Chapter 0609
“Can we?” Valerie asked softly, her voice trembling with vulnerability.
“Yes. Yes, we can…” Marcus replied, his voice filled with certainty.
They surrendered to a moment they had both longed for but thought might never happen again.
[At Maximus’s house]
In Laura’s room, she and Serenity sat cross–legged on the bed, talking animatedly like two excited girls at a sleepover.
“Serenity, do you think your plan will work?” Laura asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
“I hope so, Laura… I really hope so.”
“I don’t know your parents, but if this idea came to you, it must be good.”
“For extreme situations, extreme measures,” Serenity replied with a small smile. “I know my mom loves my dad, but they’re both so stubborn. My mom has a strong personality, but seeing Peter again threw her off–it’s like she’s a little girl again. My dad is a good man, but his jealousy clouds his judgment. He doesn’t think things through and makes impulsive decisions he later regrets.”
“But leaving your house–do you really think it’ll help them?”
“Well, they came home together, and my dad was carrying a giant bag of desserts…”
“You’re the devil!” Laura teased, giggling.
“No, I’m just thinking with my head and not my heart. It hurt to see my mom cry–it really did. And it hurt to make her think I was abandoning her. But I had no other choice. It was either this or continue watching them pretend everything’s fine when it’s not.”
“How long will you stay?”
“I promised I’d take care of you, didn’t I? That’s what I’m going to do. Don’t think you’re just my excuse to leave, Laura. You’re my sister, and you need me now more than ever.”
“Thank you, Serenity,” Laura said, her voice trembling with emotion. “I feel so much happier with you here. It makes me feel calmer. My dad is amazing, but I needed someone I could talk to about… everything. No offense to him–I love him so much–but there are things I can only share with you.
Serenity smiled and pulled Laura into a tight hug. Though she didn’t say it out loud, Serenity felt a rush of affection for Laura, her newfound sister. It was a strange but beautiful realization. Serenity had grown up with a loving family, yet discovering she had a sister filled her with a unique excitement.
Laura was nothing like her mother, and learning about Laura’s life before they met had broken Serenity’s heart. Despite everything, Laura was a sweet, kind girl, far removed from Alexia’s shadow. If anything, Laura reminded Serenity of Catherine.
While the girls talked upstairs, Maximus sat in his study, his thoughts drifting between the present and the past. Having his children under one roof, even temporarily, brought him a strange sense of peace. But there was a lingering sadness: Lucius, the boy he had raised as his own, wasn’t there.
Maximus felt a pang of regret as he thought about how Lucius, as a baby, had unknowingly driven a wedge between him and Mary. He had loved that boy fiercely, but the truth about his paternity had unraveled the life they could have had.
Chapter 0009
Shaking off the ghosts of the past, Maximus focused on the files Marcus had shared–the infamous 12 folders. It was time to act. His father had yet to surface, which gave him a chance to dig deeper into the origins of the files. There was only one person who could shed light on them: Magnus Evans.
Grabbing his phone, Maximus dialed Matthew.
“Matthew, are you awake?”
“Barely,” Matthew replied groggily. “But I was about to head to bed. What’s up?”
“I need you to arrange the company jet for a trip to Germany.”
“What time do you need it?”
“First thing tomorrow morning. Just let me know when, and I’ll be at the airport.”
“Got it. Let me speak to the captain and confirm. Are you going to find your father?”
Maximus chuckled softly. “That sounded ominous. But yes, it’s time to face reality.”
“Take it slow, Maximus. Listen to whatever he has to say.‘”
“Don’t worry. I plan to. I need answers, and he’s the only one who can give them to me.
