My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

"I think there's something you need to know..."

"Know what? That he's dead? I know that! I've known for a long time! And believe me, there isn't a single day I don't pray for him. Not a day goes by that I don't think of my son, that I don't imagine how things should have been... But what good does it do to dwell on something that never was?"

Aria's voice trembled with emotion. "It broke me to realize I was too late. It broke me to realize I left him alone for years. I was never strong enough to fight for him... Not a day goes by that I don't blame myself. If I had done more... If I had escaped... If I had confronted my father..."

She inhaled sharply, as if trying to steady herself, but her voice cracked as she continued.

"Maximus, believe me... Even though I never got to know him, never got to hold him, my heart shattered the day Leonardo took me to his grave."

Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed onto a nearby bench, her body trembling. The scene struck Maximus hard-it reminded him of how he had felt when he first heard that Peter was dead.

Kneeling in front of her, he gently took her hands.

"Aria, I know what I'm about to say will sound impossible. It took me a long time to believe it myself. Leonardo never accepted the truth, but... Peter, your son, my brother... he's not dead."

Aria's eyes widened in shock, fresh tears spilling over. She stared at him in disbelief, her body instinctively shaking her head in denial.

"You're lying! What do you want from me? Why would you play with something like this, Maximus Palmer?" she cried, trying to stand up.

"Aria, I'm not lying." Maximus's voice was steady. "Leonardo showed you pictures of him, didn't he?"

She hesitated, then slowly nodded.

"Then let me show you something," he said, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his gallery. "Aria, my brother is alive. Not only that, he just became a father again. He has two newborn daughters, an adult son, and a grandson who's almost six."

He looked at her, gauging her reaction. "And soon, he'll have another granddaughter. In a few months, his daughter-in-law will give birth to his great- grandchild."

Aria struggled to process his words. How could this be real? How could Leonardo have lied to her like this?

Then again... her own father had stolen her child from her. If he was capable of such cruelty, why wouldn't Leonardo do the same?

"Here," Maximus said, handing her the phone. "This is Peter-your son."

Aria took the phone in her trembling hands. The moment she laid eyes on the photo, she shot up from the bench, her breath hitching.

Her fingers shook so violently that she dropped the phone.

Maximus immediately picked it up, relieved to see it had landed in a flower pot, preventing any damage. He quickly pulled up more pictures and handed it back to her.

Aria stared at them, unable to believe what she was seeing. Cold sweat trickled down her back.

"The woman beside him is Celeste, the mother of his twin daughters. They're not married yet, but they plan to be," Maximus explained.

"Aria, your son-my brother-nas. I

been through hell. I was there the day we placed his ashes in the columbarium. I saw it happen with my own eyes."

He took a deep breath. "There's so much I need to tell you. I thought you were dead. I begged Leonardo to tell me where you were, but he never did. I suppose he wanted to respect your decision to disappear."

Aria remained silent, her gaze fixed on the photos.

"Now that he's gone, he finally told me where to find you. And I believe the right thing to do is to give you the chance to meet your son. It's time, Aria. It's time for you to be the mother you were never allowed to

be, Because whether

not, you're already anoveldrama

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ready or

great-grandmother. And soon, you'll

be one again."

Aria's hands tightened around the phone. She was speechless. Thoughts raced through her mind. Was this a trick? A cruel joke?

No. The pictures didn't lie. The people in them were too real.

A million different possibilities ran through her head. She could tell Maximus she didn't believe him. She could throw him out and continue living her quiet life, pretending none of this had happened.

But deep down, she knew she couldn't live with that decision.

What if it was true?

What if she finally had a chance to meet the child she had lost?

After all... the worst thing that could have ever happened to her had already happened. She had lost her son without ever knowing him. Nothing could be worse than that.

So why not take the risk?

She clutched Maximus's arm, her whole body trembling.

"I want to see him! Yes! Yes, I do! I want to see him!" Her voice was frantic,

pleading. "Take me to him! If he's alive... Please, take me to him!"

Maximus watched as she broke down completely. Her eyes, filled with uncertainty, searched his face for reassurance.

She was trusting him. After her initial doubt, she was choosing to believe.

Or maybe... she was simply desperate to believe.