After a pleasant conversation where Peter tried to make both Fiona and Adam feel included, he and Theodore had to step aside to discuss business matters. Meanwhile, Fiona and Adam took a walk through the gardens of the house.
Once inside the study, Peter—curious as ever—couldn’t hold back.
"I still can’t believe you’re married. When did it happen? How did it even come to be? Theodore, I might not remember much about you, but Alden has told me that you’ve always been a private man. We never saw you with any woman."
Theodore felt a bit embarrassed but knew that bringing Fiona and Adam with him would lead to many questions. And he would answer them—not because he had to, but because he wanted to.
"My lawyer in Dubai…" Theodore started, immediately piquing Peter’s curiosity.
"Yeah?"
"When everything went to hell between you, Marcus, and your father, I had to take over our businesses in Dubai."
"Uh-huh…" Peter encouraged him to continue.
"You probably don’t remember, but you’ve been there. It’s a country of immense wealth in the center, but on the outskirts, places like Sonapur are steeped in poverty. Many years ago, when I was still working for Frank and Marcus, I was there closing some deals. But something happened on that trip—that’s where I met Fiona."
"Oh, I see… Tell me what happened."
"Peter, is that really necessary?" Theodore asked, clearly uncomfortable.
"No, but I can tell this is eating at you. Maybe if you talk about it, I can give you my opinion."
"Fiona was 20 years old. I rescued her from some traffickers. We spent a few days together while I arranged for her to disappear from their records. In that time, she and I… well, things happened. But I couldn’t stay with her. She was just a girl to me—practically a child."
"Twenty isn’t exactly a child," Peter pointed out. "Look at Serenity—she’s about to get married, and she’s only turning 21."
"Yeah, but your son is 24. To me, they’re just kids playing house."
"Yeah, well, they’ve been playing it so well they even got themselves a new ‘doll’ to go with Ethan," Peter said sarcastically.
"Peter!" Theodore groaned, embarrassed.
"Alright, alright, I’ll drop it. Keep going—tell me more about Fiona," Peter said, genuinely interested.
"We were together a few times. I told her I couldn’t stay with her, that I would help her and then leave. I wasn’t looking for romance. She didn’t argue, didn’t say a word—just accepted my decision. After that, I left and never thought about it again."
"Look at me. I’m old and worn out. If I died tomorrow, my fortune would go to you guys anyway. It’s ironic. I had a life full of money and luxuries, but in the end, I never felt satisfied. Meanwhile, Fiona and Adam—despite everything—kept going. I saw them a few times before I spoke to them.
"And you know what? They smiled.
"When Adam got his scholarship, he couldn’t believe it. He almost fainted. I watched from behind the scenes."
Peter stayed quiet, taking it all in.
"So… how did you end up marrying Fiona?" Peter finally asked.
"My lawyer.
"He kept pushing me to meet Adam, but I refused. Until one day, for some reason, I said yes. I don’t even know why, but I agreed. I asked my lawyer to bring him to my office."
Theodore hesitated for a moment, then chuckled dryly.
"To my surprise, Adam already knew who I was. The moment he saw me, he hugged me. I won’t lie—that hug caught me completely off guard. It left me speechless. When he told me he knew I was his father, I just… I couldn’t believe it. But I was only fooling myself. The resemblance was undeniable."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)
Just finish the book. Gr8 story so no need to go round in circles...