Chapter 0297
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Valerie sat still for a long time, unable to move or say a word. She couldn’t believe Maximus’s reaction to the news, much less that he had kissed her. Her hands and legs rembled. With a shaky hand, she touched her lips- lips that had been kissed in a way only he knew how. For a moment, she got lost in memories of something that should never have happened.
ne man was
She was deep in thought when the company’s marketing director interrupted her abruptly. The young barely in his twenties.
“Excuse me, I didn’t think my meeting would run this long, Honestly, it caught me off guard. I had already set aside some time to review your campaign. I appreciate your patience and your time,” the young man said, eyeing her curiously.
“No, no worries! I’m sorry, but I have to leave. Something has come up, and I need to go. Let’s reschedule later this week,” Valerie replied as she picked up her bag and got ready to leave.
The young man barely managed to say anything to the stunning woman before she rose from her chair and rushed out. She needed space, and that place was suffocating her. As she left the building, the security team was waiting for her. She stood for a moment as the chauffeur pulled up the car. Once inside, she said, “Please, take me to Flavian Cemetery.”
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“Yes, ma’am,” her bodyguard replied.
The unusual request raised eyebrows among the security team, and they decided to notify Marcus. He was engrossed in one of the many meetings he had to attend when he was suddenly interrupted by a call.
“Mr. Bartz, your wife is with us. However, she has asked my colleague to take her to Flavian Cemetery. Don’t worry, she is accompanied by six bodyguards,” the man on the other end reported.
“That’s fine. Keep me updated,” Marcus said. Though he wanted to drop everything and go to his wife, he was currently at a restaurant attending an important meeting, which also involved Alexia. Leaving wasn’t an option.
Alexia, meanwhile, was plotting ways to catch Marcus’s attention. This meeting, which Maximus would usually handle, was her perfect chance to talk to the handsome Marcus Bartz.
“Well, Marcus, what do you think of the client proposal? Do you agree with the budget we’ve outlined?” Alexia asked, trying to engage him in conversation
“Alexia, first of all, it’s important to evaluate the client. I can’t give any input without speaking with them first,” Marcus replied in a tone that was polite but firmly dismissive.
Elsewhere, Maximus had no intention of returning to the company or going home. Instead, he decided to visit a place he hadn’t been to in years–his brother’s grave. He stopped by a flower shop and bought Peter’s favorite flowers. Holding a beautiful bouquet of white peonies, he drove to Flavian Cemetery.
Upon arriving, he removed the old flowers from the vase. Seeing lilies there made him pause–only a few people knew those were also Peter’s favorites. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he replaced them with the peonies and placed his palm on the plaque. If anyone had seen him, they wouldn’t have believed it.
Maximus Palmer began to cry. For the first time in years, he let himself break down, sobbing like a child. All the emotions he had bottled up since his mother’s death came pouring out. He felt like an abandoned little boy with no parents, no grandparents, and no one to embrace him. After his mother’s death, he had to soppress his feelings. With one brother spiraling into trouble and a father shattered by grief, someone had to bear the burden of their grandparents‘ company. That someone had been him.
“Peter, why? How did we get here? When we were kids, we were so close. When did everything fall apart? Brother,
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Chapter 0297
I want to believe that what you did with Mary was out of fear of how I would react… but I would have preferred to live the rest of my life thinking she was your daughter. At least then, there would be something of you left in this world. Now I know there’s nothing, and that… that breaks me.
“There were so many things left unsaid, so many apologies we never gave each other. My soul is shattered. My life is nothing like what I imagined. I always dreamed of a marriage like Mom and Dad’s. I thought I’d be a good father, but I’ve failed at even that. This is my punishment for my arrogance and selfishness. Alexia was my punishment for mistreating the only woman who truly accepted me for who I was.
“Now that I know Serenity is my daughter… please, let me be part of her life as her uncle. I don’t ask for more. She has a father, and I won’t disrupt that. I’ll wait for her to accept me into her life. Just let me be near her in some
way…
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Chapter 0298
