My Love Until the Last Goodbye by Alut

Once everything was said and done, Lucius walked to the study, where Maximus was already waiting for him, reviewing some documents related to the merger.

"Have you said goodbye to everyone?" Maximus asked, looking at his son with a sad expression.

"Yeah. Amanda's saying her goodbyes too... Thank you, Maximus. Really-thank you for letting me spend time with my siblings. Thank you for letting me see them again," Lucius said, his voice heavy with emotion.

Maximus looked at him, got up from his chair, walked around the desk, and pulled his son into a strong hug.

"You, Lucius... you're my son. Never think I would deny you the right to come here. If you told me right now you didn't want to leave, I'd go talk to Moriarty myself and convince him to let you stay-even if I had to sell my soul to the devil to do it."

"If you want to stay, I'll talk to him and make it happen."

"Thanks... but I'm a man now. And what kind of man would I be if I let you fight my battles for me?" Lucius said, steady and certain.

"Alright, son. I won't push. But I want you to know this-this house, and everything we have, will always be open to you and your girlfriend. By the way... I really like her. I'm glad you're finally living the kind of life a young man your age should be living."

"Thanks, Maximus. Really... These days here have been amazing. And yes, I'll do everything I can to come back. I hope I can make it happen," the young man said, completely sincere.

"Wherever you are, you know you have me—and all of us.

"Please, don't isolate yourself. I know we were never very close, but... as long as we're alive, there's always time to start over."

"I know... I know, Dad," Lucius said, a little shyly.

When Maximus heard his son finally call him "Dad," a strange warmth spread through his chest, and he couldn't help but pull him into another tight embrace.

"I love you, son. Never forget that. It doesn't matter how much time passes. It doesn't matter how far apart we are. It doesn't matter what happened in the past.

just as you are. And I hope life gives us the chance to keep seeing each other more often," Maximus said—and then he remembered

I have something for you. It's been waiting for you

opened it, and took out a small case. Judging by the way it looked, it clearly had been kept for a long

saving this for years..." Maximus

looked at

"What is it?"

Maximus

Inside was a

important part was

Only time will show you how much I love

it and couldn't stop the tears from welling up in his eyes. His father took the watch and gently fastened it around his

always be my son... my baby boy that I used to visit at night after long days at

"You probably don't remember—it

stay with you almost until dawn.

my arms while I

that chair in your

enough time in the rest of my life

years I was absent," Maximus said, tears running

whispered, doing his best not to cry as he launched himself into

hug meant

by Lucius since the boy

those moments

it belongs. Maybe one day, when you have

to him," Maximus

will. You can count on that, Dad," Lucius said, hugging him