Chapter 0625
Maximus stared into Diana’s determined eyes and let her words sink in.
“I’m not going anywhere, Maximus. I want to see you again, to have you close. Don’t you understand that I like you? I’ve always liked you. It’s time you seek your freedom time to live the life you’ve always wanted. I know your children and your home are your priorities—and I want to be part of that. I’m not leaving. Do you hear me?” Maximus listened, her voice awakening memories of childhood dreams he had once confided to her. He used to want a home with one or two dogs, maybe some cats–even though he wasn’t sure if he was allergic because he’d never had one. He dreamed of a big family, lots of kids, and marriage like his parents‘. But now, that dream had crumbled under the weight of Peter’s revelations.
“Diana… I need to go. I have to get home. In a couple of hours, you need to get to work, and I have to be at the office. It’s Serenity’s first day working with me–I can’t let her down.”
“I understand. Can we see each other again?”
Tonight?”
“Really?”
that habit of
“You still haven’t kicked that habit of answering with a question, have you?”
“No,” Diana replied, smiling,
“You’re impossible. Tonight it is, then. Want to go out for dinner?”
“How about I cook something, and we have dinner here?”
“That works.”
Maximus finished dressing and sat on the edge of her bed for a moment. He kissed her lips, savoring the softness he’d long imagined, then left. It was strange, but he felt unusually good that morning. Seeing Diana had been exactly what he needed to clear his head, if only a little. Still, he couldn’t delay any longer. He needed to see Marcus today.
As he drove home, Diana’s words kept echoing in his mind. She had met Lucius when he was a teenager, and her observation gnawed at him. Lucius did resemble him. It wasn’t identical, but the likeness was undeniable. He bore some of Alexia’s features, but there were also traits that matched Maximus’s own.
“How is that possible if he isn’t Leonardo’s son? Could Lucius actually be mine?”
The thought was too loud to ignore. Maximus grabbed his phone and called Matthew, who, groggy with age and exhaustion, took his time answering.
“Maximus, do you have any idea what time it is? It’s 4:00 am.!”
“I know, Matthew. I’m sorry to wake you, but I need a favor. I know you have the right contacts and that you’ve been tracking Lucius. I need to know where he is. If he’s been withdrawing money from the company’s account, it must be for something urgent. He’s never touched that money before.”
“I already told you, Lucius is paying hospital bills in Switzerland–for palliative care. For whom? I have no idea. But I don’t think it’s for Leonardo.”
“Help me dig into it. And get Alden to the office today.”
“Alden? Didn’t you tell him and Marcus to stay out of company matters?”
Chapter 0625
“This is personal. Once you pinpoint Lucius’s location, I’m going to see him. Meanwhile, Serenity insists on working with me at Palmer Group. Since I’ll be leaving unexpectedly, I need Alden to stay with her. He and you are the only ones I trust to handle things.”
H
“Maximus, you and your secrets. Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on?”
“I will, once I’ve found Lucius. I think I already know who he’s taking care of.” Maximus hung up and immediately dialed his brother’s number.
It took five calls before Peter finally answered.
“Maximus Palmer! What the hell? Do you know what time it is?”
“No, and I don’t care–not when you’ve turned my life into a mess. Peter, I’m coming to see you. You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Damn it, Maximus. You’re acting like your old idiot self. What happened to the warm, forgiving brother you were two months ago?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. I’m coming to see you today. You’d better have a good explanation for all of this.” “Maximus, it’s not a good time. Things are-
Maximus didn’t let Peter finish. He hung up, drove home, showered, and dressed in a sharp black suit. When he went downstairs for breakfast, Serenity was already waiting for him. She had taken her new role seriously, wearing black dress pants and a pink blouse, with her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. She looked every bit the part of a professional and undeniably beautiful, like her mother.
“All set, Dad! Let’s get to the office.”
