My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 987

Two days before Serenity and Alden’s wedding, Maximus was wandering through the exclusive boutiques in Valeria, trying to find the perfect gift for his daughter and nephew. No matter how hard he thought about it, he had no idea what to buy.

Since Lucius’s arrival two days ago, Laura and the kids had been glued to him. Maximus felt a little left out, but he chose to give them their space.

Amanda had offered him chances to join in, but Maximus always came up with some excuse to avoid it. It didn’t help that Diana had to travel, leaving him even more isolated.

Frustrated, he sat down at a café, hoping a cup of coffee would help him think. He wasn’t used to this—he had never been one to pick out gifts. Matthew had always handled that for him, knowing both his taste and that of the people around him. But even if Matthew were here, Maximus doubted he would know what to get for Serenity and Alden.

As he waited for his coffee, he scrolled through his phone, looking at pictures of his daughter, trying to find a clue—something that would give him an idea. He did the same with Alden’s photos, but nothing came to mind.

Then, something pulled him out of his thoughts. A tall man with porcelain-white skin, light eyes, and slightly dark hair—dressed impeccably—stood before him.

"Mr. Palmer… No, Mr. Evans. May we speak?" the man asked, his tone refined and polite.

Maximus peered at him through his sunglasses, then took them off for a better look.

"Aren’t you… Pierre Legrand Bouygues?" he asked, eyeing him curiously.

"That’s correct. May I sit?" Pierre asked again, persistent.

"You and I… need to talk?" Maximus asked, intrigued.

"That’s right. May I?" Pierre said, already pulling out the chair.

Maximus observed him for a moment before gesturing with his hand.

"Go ahead," he said. Then, calling the waiter, he added, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Fine. Since you refuse to acknowledge what really happened, allow me to summarize the truth for you," Pierre said, leaning slightly forward.

"Alexia Levett had an argument with you. You two had been trapped in a toxic marriage for years—one filled with infidelity and unhappiness, on both sides.

"A little over a year ago, she had an accident following one of your fights. That fight happened right after you found out she was the one who ordered your brother’s assassination.

"She was presumed dead. But she wasn’t. Alden Palmer took her. Peter, not wanting Alden to dirty his hands with revenge, intervened. He was the one who hid Alexia, even going so far as to fake a marriage with her.

"Then, finally, your son Lucius rescued her. They lived in hiding for months, under your financial support, until Anthony Moriarty took them away.

"Moriarty struck a deal with Alexia—her confession in exchange for a better future for her son, who recently returned from New Zealand and is, at this very moment, likely at the movies with his siblings.

"Meanwhile, Alexia had decided on euthanasia, something I personally prevented. Moriarty had agreed to her wishes and would have followed through—had I not convinced him to let me take her to France instead."