My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 1043

"Dad?"

"Come in," Maximus said, still checking his inbox.

"What’s going on, Maximus? Why all the secrecy?"

"Alright… Serenity’s wedding is over, and Lucius, I know you’ll be heading back to New Zealand soon. Moriarty won’t give me another extension, so we need to move forward with whatever decision we make regarding Paul."

"What have you decided, Dad?"

"I sent an email to Pierre yesterday. We’re meeting with him today."

"Wait… Today? So soon?" Laura asked, a bit surprised.

"Yes, today. It’s better to get this over with quickly—it’s time we talk to him."

"Alright then… Let’s do it," Lucius said without hesitation.

"What time and where are we meeting?"

"He suggested The Poet's Cafe at 3:00 PM," Maximus said, trying to sound calm.

"Well, that’s settled then. We’ll talk to him, and after that, we’ll speak with Paul."

"Lucius, how can you be so calm? That man might have other intentions with Paul. I wouldn’t be so relaxed," Laura said, clearly uneasy.

"I think we need to hear him out. My biggest concern is Paul’s reaction, not talking to Pierre," Lucius replied.

Maximus had a gut feeling that his son was up to something. At first, Lucius had been resistant to the idea, but now, he seemed completely at ease.

"Alright, I need to take care of a few things before we leave for the meeting," Laura said, feeling a slight unease. This week was shaping up to be an emotional rollercoaster.

As she got up to leave, Maximus turned to Lucius.

"Lucius…"

"What is it?"

"Can we talk?" Maximus asked calmly.

"Yeah… About what?"

Maximus watched as Laura exited the room and closed the door behind her. Once they were alone, he spoke.

"Lucius… I know you did something. Tell me if I’m wrong," Maximus said, reading his son’s expression.

"Maximus, you know I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing…"

"Just tell me you didn’t do anything reckless."

"No… It’s not that… You just called me ‘Dad’…" Maximus said, visibly surprised.

"Well, that’s what you are, right?" Lucius shrugged.

"Yes, but… you never called me that before."

"Well, get used to it. It’s easier than calling you Maximus."

"Fine…!"

Lucius knew exactly how much of a shock this was for his father. His meeting with Pierre had opened his eyes. He had come to realize that both he and Maximus had been nothing more than pawns in a scheme orchestrated by their own family.

If they had been distant for so long, it was because of external forces—not because of them. And though Lucius had few memories of their relationship, flashes of the past surfaced in his mind. He was two or three years old, but he could vaguely remember his father playing with him, spending time with him. Brief moments, but real ones.

"Thanks…" Maximus murmured.

"For what?"

"For calling me that… I never thought you would."

"Maximus! Don’t ruin the moment."

Maximus just smiled and let it go. Whatever had prompted it, he was happy with that little glimpse of familiarity.