My Love Until the Last Goodbye by Alut

Chapter 0325

Maximus’s eyes glistened with tears as he continued. “Knowing I’d hurt you again, after everything, broke me. But I thought the best thing I could do was let you go. When I saw you with Peter, it killed me. But I convinced myself he’d make you happy, that he’d give you the life I couldn’t. And I believed Serenity was his–I never questioned it. I just wanted you to be happy, even if it wasn’t with me.”

“It sounds so simple when you say it, Maximus. But it wasnt,” Valerie replied, meeting his gaze.

“I know it wasn’t,” he admitted. “I caused you so much pain, in ways no one should ever endure. And when Peter died… that night when we all argued, we didn’t stop to think about you, about what you were going through You’d just lost the love of your life, and we failed you. I failed you.” His voice cracked. “For the first time, I wanted to break my engagement and stay with you. But I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what, Maximus? Tell me afraid of what?” Valerie asked, tears streaming down her face.

“I was afraid of you,” Maximus admitted, his voice heavy with regret. “Afraid you’d reject me, that you’d think I was taking advantage of the situation. You’d just lost Peter, and I didn’t think you’d take kindly to me trying to get close to you.” He looked at Valerie with an expression full of pain and longing.

“Mmm… “What if‘ doesn’t exist, Maximus,” Valerie said softly, reading the thoughts that flickered in his mind.

man now. Bartz… he’s a good man. I see it in how you’ve grown, how much you’ve achieved. Your company is incredible, even though you downplay it. You’re amazing, Mary. You have so much talent. He gave you wings to fly, and

trembling as tears

and without thinking, wrapped her in a

so–called firstborn… he wasn’t even mine…” Maximus

the hug,

voice thick with pain. “He’s not my son. Lucius… Lucius is my father’s child. 1 don’t know how, I don’t know why, and I don’t care to know. But

Maximus broke down,

anguish, moved closer and enveloped him in her small arms. In that moment, he seemed like a

games of heartless manipulators. Both had been torn from what might have been a better future. They’d never know for sure. He

being who he was, Marcus didn’t

wasn’t