My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 163

Chapter 0163 

Back when Valerie waited for her husband, she strolled through the plaza filled with high–end stores, searching for furniture to fill their enormous mansion Suddenly, the task brought a flood of memories. Her life with Maximus had been hell at the beginning and later just lonely. The few moments of affection he had shown her had left her confused–but who wouldn’t be at 19 years old? With Peter, though, life had been completely different. He gave her freedom but also protected her, showered her with attention, and made her forget all the pain of the past with his wild and loving ways. 

Now, life with Marcus was a whole new challenge. Since seeing him again, it had always been about pushing boundaries. He inspired her to be better every day, supported her projects, and taught her that while life wasn’t easy, there was always a solution to be found. 

Without even trying, Marcus had given her the greatest gift, one no one else–not even Peter–had managed to give her: freedom. The thought brought her back to that long, fateful day when everything changed forever. 

(Galea] 

While chaos erupted at Peter’s home, Mary chose to lock herself in the master bedroom. She couldn’t 

her bear to witness the Palmers fighting over what remained of the man who had been her fiancé, friend, her lover, her new family, and the father of the baby girl she had taken as her ownL Memories of her time with him came flooding back the day they met, his strong embrace, the citrus and mint scent he carried, the nights spent snuggling when they were “just friends,” their innocent kisses, the time he stood up to her brother without hesitation to protect her, the countless times he dried her tears, his patience when she hit rock bottom, and his expression when she told him she was pregnant. He had been so attentive to her and her cravings during pregnancy. 

There was so much to remember, yet strangely, his face was starting to blur in her mind. She could see his silhouette but not his features. A lump formed in her throat. She wanted to scream, cry, hurt herself, go join him. But all those thoughts disappeared whenever she touched her belly. This little girl wasn’t to blame for any of it. She had to live–for him, for herself, and for this baby who needed her the most. 

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The physical pains she had felt before learning about Peter’s fate vanished when she had to steel herself to go and identify his body. She had never met Marcus Bartz before that moment and had no idea who he was, but he refused to let her see Peter. She knew he was hiding something. During one of the fights between Maximus and Marcus, she overheard that there wasn’t much left of Peter to see. Marcus wouldn’t let her see what remained of the man she was about to marry. 

The thought of not being able to see him one last time of knowing he was already being cremated- crushed her. She would never again kiss those warm lips or gaze into those deep brown eyes framed by those captivating lashes. Tears poured as she recalled all the mornings, days, and nights spent in that room. He loved sleeping with her in his arms, touching her growing belly. It broke her heart to know she would never again feel his warmth or the touch of his fingers gently stroking her hair. 

The way she found out about his death had been cruel, but how else could it have been? It felt like years had passed, but it had only been hours. The news was still fresh. 

Chapter 0163 

+25 BONUS 

Struggling to breathe, Mary lay on the couch, waiting for Agnes to bring her a glass of water. The suffocating feeling overwhelmed her, and she decided to walk through the front garden. As she moved slowly through the greenery, she noticed two men approaching her: a detective and an officer. Fear surged through her. Were they here for her? Was it possible that, after the death of the family patriarch, unresolved issues had resurfaced, and now she would have to pay for a crime that had been committed? 

“Good evening, we’re looking for Mrs. Mary Preston, said one of the men. 

“That’s me. Who’s looking for me? Is it…?” 

“Ma’am, we need you to come with us.” 

“Can’t you see I’m pregnant? I’m not going anywhere unless you have a warrant.” 

The two men exchanged glances before one of them spoke again. 

“Ma’am, Mr. Peter Palmer was in an accident…” 

“What?” she asked, her face frozen in disbelief. 

“Mr. Peter Palmeri was in an accident and, unfortunately, he-” 

Before the man could finish, Mary instinctively covered her ears, convinced that not hearing the words would make them untrue. 

“Ma’am, we need you to come with us. Someone has to identify the body.” 

“No! You’re lying! You want me to go with you to trick me into going back to Hesperia!” 

“Ma’am, that’s not-” 

“Stop right there, officers,” interrupted a familiar voice. “Mr. Bartz has already been informed of everything. He’ll take care of it from here.” 

Mary turned to see Darius Richards, Peter’s lawyer, a man she had seen speaking with him many times before. 

“Mrs. Mary, please go inside. Mr. Bartz will handle everything. Please, go inside.” 

Mary stood in shock, unable to process what was happening. 

“Where’s Peter? Why isn’t he here? Darius, tell me what happened! Please, tell me… 

“Ma’am, come with me. Let’s go inside,” Agnes said, stepping in to help. 

Seeing Mary outside with the officers and Darius, Agnes realized it was too late. Mary had found out. She felt as though she had failed Peter. Marcus had explicitly instructed her not to let Mary learn the truth, but there was no stopping it now.