My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

Maximus and Serenity gathered all the loot. Serenity, albeit reluctantly, accepted the jewelry her father handed her. After that, Maximus took the box, and they left

the room.

"So this is where Mom lived when she was young?" Serenity asked, looking around.

"Yes... Actually, this has always been my home. I've lived here since I was a kid," Maximus said nostalgically.

"Wow! This house is huge. Hey, Maximus, didn't they seize this house?"

"Yes, but legally, it belongs to Laura," Maximus replied calmly.

"What?"

"Leonardo... I don't know how, but he transferred this house and Catherine's house under Laura's name. So, legally, both houses belong to her."

"Does she know?"

"No, not yet... After your wedding, I want to make some changes, but I don't want anything to affect your big day," he said, hugging his daughter.

"Thank you!"

"For what?" Maximus asked, intrigued.

"For this. For thinking of me, for thinking about my happiness. I know we haven't spent many years together, and I know that if you could have, you would have. Maybe you're stubborn, but now you're making things right, Maximus Evans."

"I have to... You're never too old to change, don't you think?"

"You're not old... Just a little aged... Besides, I think you're stealing some collagen from Diana," Serenity said with a grin.

"Hey!" Maximus blushed.

"Am I wrong? Diana's what, in her twenties?"

"Something like that..."

"There you go. She's going to be a really young mom for Paul and Maurice, don't you think? Are you planning on having more kids?"

"I can't have more kids... I already have too many. Don't you think?"

"But... What if Diana wants kids?"

"That's something that worries me... I'm older, and she's fine with it now, but if someday she wants her own children, I wouldn't want to deny her that."

"Well, good thing there's a reversal now."

"What?"

"Yeah, I saw it in a video. Apparently, there's a reversal for your procedure."

"Hey! I never said I had a procedure..."

"But your face did..."

"How does it work?"

"I don't know, Maximus. I just saw a video. But you should look into it before you start thinking the best thing to do is walk away from her. Diana seems like a great woman-she's grounded, and she's been by your side through all the bad times."

"I know!"

"Good... Hey?"

"What?"

"Which one was my mom's room?"

"We're standing right in front of it."

"Can I go in?"

"Of course! Laura used it, but most of it is just as your mother left it."

"Wow! I was here once, but I didn't know the details..."

"Yes, this was her room..."

Serenity walked in, looking around. She started imagining her mother as a young woman. She had seen pictures of her, but very few from her youth. Most of the ones she had were from after she was born.

"It's incredible, isn't it?"

"What, Dad?"

"How fast time flies... If you set aside all the problems and bad moments, when you look back on your life, it all went by too fast."

"I know, right? Look at me now. A year ago, I was planning to go to France, take pictures, and sell them. Now, I'm getting ready to get married and bring a baby into the world."

"Life moves that fast, sweetheart.

Just wait until your daughter is born. Il pass even faster. When

Time will

Lucius was born, he was just a newborn. Then came the first month, the first vaccine, crawling, walking, first words... And then,

before I knew it, he was in school. Next thing I knew, he had a girlfriend and was living away from home." swnovel

"You sound nostalgic..."

"Don't mind me, I'm just an old sentimental fool... Sweetheart, can I leave you here for a moment? I need to go to my room real quick."

"Of course! I'll wait here."

Memories flooded Maximus's mind, making him emotional, and he didn't want to ruin the moment. So, he pretended he needed to go to his room. When he left, he walked into his own room, which was just as covered up as the rest of the house -white sheets everywhere.

"Oh, Catherine... If only you could see your granddaughters... Well, technically only Flora and Martina are your granddaughters, but I think you'd be proud to see how full of girls this family has become Maybe in the future, they'll be the ones running their own businesses because everything that was built here is gone now..." swnovel

Something suddenly crossed Maximus's mind. He remembered something and began pulling off the sheets, searching frantically.

"Where is it? Where is it? It should be here... Where could it be?" he muttered. Once all the furniture was uncovered, he still hadn't found what he was looking

for.

"Idiot! Of course... It's not here." He walked out of the room and headed straight for the study. Like everything else, it was covered up. He walked straight to a bookshelf.

"There you are!t's time for you to go

back to your real family, Albert. I'mnoveldrama

sorry-I never meant to leave you behind. But I know someone who will be happy to see you... Your great-granddaughter is all grown up, and in two days, she's getting married. I'm sure you'd be happy to be with her, too," he said, looking at the container. swnovel

"Dad..." A voice spoke behind him.

Maximus turned around and saw Serenity standing at the entrance of the study.

"What is it, Serenity?"

"I was just coming to see you, but I heard you talking to yourself..."

"I wasn't talking to myself—I was talking to your great-grandfather... Albert, meet Serenity Bartz Hunter, your great-granddaughter, my daughter."

"Are those... Are those...?"

"Yes, Serenity. These are your great-grandfather's ashes. They were left here when the police came and locked the place up. I just remembered, and I'm taking them with me to give them to your mother. He needs to be with his family. It's time for him to stop wandering."

“Dad... This is going to mean the world to Mom,” she said, touching the urn.

"Come on, let's go. You take your great-grandfather; I'll take the jewelry box-that one's heavier."

"Okay..."

Father and daughter left the house. What started as an escape to clear their

minds ended with a flood of memories—and a fortune to divide.