Chapter 0805
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“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. She knows what she’s doing.”
“Diana, I need to go back. I need to talk to my daughter. I need answers. I need to understand what really happened. Maybe this guy seduced her–maybe he tricked her.”
“Ugh! Valerie, if I were you, I’d calm down. You’re not going to fix anything with this attitude. Let’s get some coffee! You can take one to Marcus, and I’ll bring tea for Celeste and a coffee for Maximus.”
Diana watched as Valerie struggled between her thoughts and her emotions. She could only hope that her fears and insecurities wouldn’t make things worse. Valerie had finally allowed herself to find happiness with her husband, and now, her daughter being pregnant with the son of the man she once loved was only making things even more complicated.
After comforting Serenity for a few minutes, Alden helped her sit on a small couch in the room. Once he was sure she was a little calmer, he turned to go see his father.
“Alden?” Peter said, his voice filled with uncertainty.
“Yeah, Dad, it’s me,” Alden replied, his throat tight with emotion. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, you know… Just dealing with the whole accident thing. They’re going to have to open up my skull again.
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“Yeah… Maximus told me the surgery has risks, but I want you to know–I feel the same way he does.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dad, I need you alive. I need you with us. We need you.”
“You and Ethan have Theodore too-”
“Yeah, but between one grumpy old man and another, we’d rather have you,” Alden said with a small smile.
Peter chuckled before fixing his eyes on his son. “Alden… Just tell me what you need to say. Now. I know you too well, and I can smell your fear. I taught you how to control your emotions, so why aren’t you using what I taught you?”
“Dad… there’s something I have to tell you.”
“See? I knew it. What’s going on?”
“I’m in love.”
“Wow! I never thought I’d hear you say that… That’s good, right? I think?”
“It depends on how you look at it.”
“Why?”
“Because the woman I fell in love with isn’t just any woman.”
“I figured as much. If someone finally managed to win you over, she must be special.”
“She is very special,” Alden said, glancing toward the small seating area. “Serenity, come here, please.”
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Chapter 0905
The moment Peter heard that name, only one face came to mind—his almost daughter.
‘Serenity?”
“Yeah, Dad… I fell in love with Serenity from the very first day I met her.”
“Do you both understand the consequences of this?” Peter asked, looking at them seriously. “That question is for both of you.”
“We do, Peter!” Serenity answered confidently. “We’ll face whatever comes next. I’ve already seen my mother’s reaction…” she added, lowering her gaze.
“Serenity… Don’t blame her. She’s an amazing mother. I understand why she reacted that way. I’m not here to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but I will say this–what’s ahead won’t be easy. But if you can get through it, you’ll be able to handle anything.
“Who else knows?”
“Maximus was the first to find out,” Alden said, locking eyes with his father.
“Alden, my son… I know you’ll be a good husband, You always have been. The thing is, you think there’s some kind of manual for it—but there isn’t. No one is born knowing how to be a father, a husband, or even a son. But I do think that the time you spent taking care of that family showed you the bigger picture.”
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Chapter 0906
