My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 1041

"Come here," Maximus said, opening his arms.

Laura walked over and hugged him.

"My girl… Never apologize for standing your ground. Never—hear me? Never apologize for defending what’s yours. Honestly, I can’t picture the scene, but I wish I could’ve seen it."

"Dad… This is embarrassing. I’ve never acted like that before," Laura said, truly ashamed.

"My girl, I’m really proud of who you are and what you’re becoming. It may not be the best advice, but Serenity was absolutely right. If you have to defend your daughter from someone like that woman, then that’s exactly what you should do. I’d love to see if the Georges dare come near you now…"

"And if they do, you know what?"

"What, Dad?"

"It’s simple. They’ll get to know the Evans family. If we were feared as Palmers, we’re even more so as Evanses."

"Dad… Don’t you think what I did was wrong?"

"Of course not—just try not to make a habit of it. Got it?"

"Yeah, Dad…"

"Now, where’s my coffee? I don’t see anything ready to help me process how my little girl is turning into a strong, independent woman…"

"Dad… Spending too much time with Uncle Peter is making you way too chill, isn’t it?"

"What can I say?"

-

[Meanwhile, at the Brown & George Residence]

The great Joseph George arrived home, only to find the place in complete chaos. The living room was a disaster—damaged artwork, shattered vases, and countless objects scattered across the floor.

"Hilda, what the hell happened here?" the old man asked in shock.

"No, sir. In most cases—or rather, in all cases—it’s been her hitting him. But we can’t interfere…" Hilda admitted, her voice laced with concern.

"Hilda, get someone to clean up this mess. And the artwork—have them load it into my truck outside. That girl has no idea of the value of anything in this house. She doesn’t work and just collects the money she thinks she’s entitled to by birth. But that ends today," the old man said, half-thinking out loud.

"Yes, sir! Are you going to wait for them to come home?"

"Yes, Hilda. Please bring me some coffee… This is going to be a long night."

"Of course, sir. I’ll be right back with it."

The old man walked toward Adrian’s study, sat down behind the desk, and looked at the long pile of documents. He was surprised to see that the young man had been studying. The papers in front of him showed he was learning about finance and economics.

Joseph George was a good man, but his family had been born into wealth, and few among them were truly worthy of admiration. As he had long suspected, Alice was not one of them. But judging by what he was seeing, her husband might just be the one who should be leading the family business.

Tired from the day and from life itself, he sighed and waited for his granddaughter and her husband to return home.