My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 1052

After taking a shower, Maximus stepped out, put on his pajamas, and climbed into bed. He glanced at his watch—it was already midnight. It was too late to call Diana, so he just sent her a message, wishing her goodnight and sending a kiss.

As he lay down, he placed his hand on the side of the bed Diana usually occupied. He missed her terribly, but this was the reality of being engaged to a successful CEO. He understood it perfectly.

Slowly, sleep took over, and as he drifted off, a figure appeared in his dreams. No… not just a person—an entire moment from his past came rushing back.

-

[Santorini, about 23 years ago]

Maximus carried Mary in his arms as she tried to keep up with his kisses.

It was obvious she had little experience—Maximus and Peter were the only ones she had ever kissed. But what had happened with Peter… that was a secret she would take to the grave.

Maximus didn’t want to admit it, but he was drunk, too. He had to put her down just to open the door to their room.

But as soon as he did, they were met with a huge, unpleasant surprise—Alexia Levett was there.

She hadn’t been able to just sit back and do nothing, not when the man she loved was locked away with his so-called wife.

“Maximus Palmer! I’ve been calling you for hours… I haven’t moved from here, waiting for you to come back to your room, and now I see you show up with this…” Alexia snapped, her tone dripping with disgust as she glared at Mary.

The young woman, already tipsy from the wine she had consumed, found the courage to speak up.

“This this has a name! And in case you’ve forgotten, Alexia, my name is Mary—Mary Palmer!” she declared, raising her hand to show off her wedding ring.

“Mary!” Maximus shouted, furious at her outburst.

“What? Am I lying? I am Mary Palmer! I am the one wearing the wedding ring! I am not the mistress!” she fired back, completely unaware of the weight of her words.

“Shut up, Mary!” Maximus roared, his voice even louder this time. His anger flared as he saw Alexia’s eyes welling up with tears. “Get out of here!” he barked again, his gaze filled with fury.

“What? What the hell are you saying?! Grandma Catherine paid for this room! This is my room!” Mary exclaimed, both shocked and disoriented.

“Yeah, well, she’s not here, and I don’t give a damn if she paid for it or not. You never talk to Alexia like that again, do you understand me?” Maximus hissed, grabbing her chin.

Alexia had sat on the bed, crying silently. Mary hadn’t said anything but the truth—a truth Alexia refused to accept.

Yes, she loved Maximus. That much was undeniable. But the reality was that he had married Mary.

“You stupid little brat! Do you even know your place?” Maximus spat, his voice laced with contempt.

“Maximus!” Mary shouted.

The alcohol coursing through her veins gave her the courage to raise her voice, to fight for what was rightfully hers. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t even have a place to sleep tonight.

“Maximus, I’m leaving… I think I’ve seen and heard enough. I should never have come here,” Alexia said, rising from the bed and grabbing her bag and suitcase.

“No! You stay. She is the one who needs to get the hell out of here!” Maximus snapped, pointing at Mary.

In that moment, Mary wanted to scream. She wanted to throw his betrayal in his face. She wanted to tell Alexia that Maximus had kissed her not once, not twice, but countless times. That they had nearly made love that night.

But more than anything, she reminded herself that she had to keep her dignity.

So before the tears in her eyes could spill over, and while Maximus was distracted with Alexia, she ran into the bathroom, grabbed her small cloth bag, stuffed her belongings inside, and walked out of that room.