Chapter 0089
+25 BONUS
At dawn, Mary awoke feeling cold. The warm embrace of Maximus was gone. She assumed he might have risen early to prepare breakfast for her, but a heavy feeling in her chest unsettled her. She dressed quickly and wandered through the mansion. She checked the kitchen, but he wasn’t there. No sign of him anywhere.
Returning to their bedroom, a sudden Instinct led her to look for his suitcase—it was gone.
For a moment, she sat on the edge of the bed, unable to think clearly. What had happened the night before had been special for her, a glimmer of hope. She refused to accept the obvious: that once again, Maximus had deceived her. She had fallen for his act, just like all the other times before.
She tried not to think the worst, but as time passed with no sign of him, her anxiety grew. She grabbed her phone and called him. The phone rang, but there was no answer.
At 10:00a.m., her concern turned to anger. She decided to call the mansion. Part of her wanted answers, the other part dreaded them. Only the day before, she had given him another chance–and now she was alone, without so much as an explanation.
“Hello?”
“Hello… Emma?”
“Yes, who’s calling?” Emma sounded confused.
“It’s Mary!”
“Ma’am! How wonderful to hear your voice! Forgive me, I didn’t recognize you–I’ve been so absentminded lately.”
“Emma… is Maximus at the house?” Mary asked cautiously.
“He arrived very early this morning, dropped off his suitcase, and left.”
“Was he… alright?”
“Yes, he seemed fine. Just in a hurry.”
“Okay, Emma. Thank you…” Mary hung up before Emma could respond.
Emma’s answer confirmed what Mary already knew. It was always the same. Maximus had likely argued with Alexia and used her, once again, as a distraction from his loneliness.
Tears streamed down her face as she gasped for air. She ran to the garden and released an anguished
scream.
“I’m such a fool! An idiot! Why? Why? Why did I fall for it again?” she shouted into the wind.
Her cries were loud enough to draw the attention of the mansion’s staff, who immediately informed Leopold. When he found her, he tried to help her to her feet, but she refused to move. With no other choice, he called for Catherine.
Chapter Dop
+25 BONUS
Catherine rushed to the garden, her face filled with worry.
“Mary, my child, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”
“He lied to me! 1 believed him again, and he lied, Grandmal” Mary sobbed.
“Maximus! Where is Maximus? Where on earth is Maximus?” Catherine demanded, her voice trembling with concern.
Leopold hesitated but finally answered. “The Señor left early this morning, very early.”
His words left no doubt in Catherine’s mind–Maximus had abandoned Mary again.
Maximus had arrived in Valeria hours earlier. He had barely dropped off his suitcase at the mansion before rushing to Alexia’s apartment. By 8:00a.m., he was at her door, ringing the bell.
“Maximus! My love! I knew you’d come! It’s wonderful–we’re going to be parents!” Alexia exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck
“Are you sure, Alexia?” he asked, his voice uncertain.
“Yes, my love! I took five tests. Look!” she said, holding out the positive results.
“We need to see a gynecologist to confirm this. We have to be absolutely sure,” Maximus replied, his
tone serious.
“Yes, of course! I’ve already made an appointment for today. That’s why I asked you to come. I want us to go to the first appointment together.”
Alexia clung to him tightly. Maximus stood frozen, unable to process his emotions. He had always thought he would be overjoyed to hear such news from Alexia, the woman he believed he loved. But instead, a nagging discomfort gnawed at him. Deep down, he wished the news had come from someone else.
Mary’s breakdown had become unmanageable. She cried endlessly, and no one could calm her. Catherine, seeing no other choice, called Dr. Chris Sylvester, desperate for help.
“Dr. Sylvester?”
“Yes, this is Dr. Sylvester speaking.”
“This is Catherine Palmer. You may recall, some time ago, I picked up my granddaughter Mary from the hospital.”
“Yes, of course. How can I help you?”
“Everything was fine until this morning. We found her in the garden, sobbing uncontrollably, and we can’t calm her. I fear for her well–being. Is there anyone you can recommend who might help us?”
Chapter Ou
