My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 204

Chapter 0204 

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Dinner passed as it always did–casual conversations, updates about work, Serenity’s antics, and scheduling Marcus’s next visit to see her. To an outsider, they might have sounded like a couple discussing their daughter, but the reality was far from it. 

Marcus appeared calm, but his thoughts were in turmoil, caught between what he wanted and what he should do. 

When Valerie first started working at Marcus’s company, she had been assigned to the reception desk, alternating between the two shifts, Gradually, she demonstrated her knack for handling more responsibilities, but without a high school diploma, there was little room for growth. Marcus encouraged her to finish her studies, telling her that if she wanted to improve her position and income, she needed to put in the effort. Without it, there would be no promotions or raises. 

rs, with Valerie had no choice but to look into online programs to finish high school. She studied during work hours, Frederick’s knowledge and approval, though Marcus pretended not to notice. Since she didn’t have Wi–Fi at home, her only option was to use the office network. She often skipped lunch to study in peace. 

It wasn’t long before she earned her diploma, which she proudly handed to Frederick Over time, Frederick had become like family to her. She’d grown more open, sharing personal stories with him–stories that sometimes reached Marcus’s cars. He never mentioned it, unwilling to break the trust she had placed in Frederick. Marcus knew that if Valerie ever needed help, she would go to Frederick, and that knowledge reassured him. She wasn’t alone anymore. 

For a full year, Valerie’s interactions with Marcus had been minimal: polite greetings exchanged in passing. That was the extent of it. She clocked in, did her work, and left at the end of her shift. During that time, she occasionally overheard her coworkers gossiping about Margus’s romantic life. Some said he was a “Don Juan,” constantly surrounded by beautiful women. 

Valerie had no firsthand evidence to confirm or deny these daims, but she had once seen him with a striking blonde woman. The woman, as tall as Marcus and with piercing green eyes, didn’t speak Hesperian. Every so often, she would appear at the office, and Marcus would drop everything to take her out for lunch. Their relationship seemed close, though Valerie didn’t know who she was. The woman always introduced herself as Dr. Olsen, and Marcus would greet her with a broad smile. 

Now, as Marcus’s assistant, Valerie had noticed that Dr. Olsen no longer visited the office. It had been about six months since her last appearance. ‘Maybe the relationship didn’t work out,” Valerie had thought at the time. 

Spending nearly 20 hours a day with Marcus, plus the weekends when he visited Serenity, had started to cloud Valerie’s thoughts. The Marcus she knew at work was strict and disciplined, the Marcus who visited Serenity was warm and caring, and the Marcus she worked late nights with was an entirely different person–relaxed, almost vulnerable. 

These different sides of him confused her. Valerie, who had sworn never to fall in love again after Peter, now found herself studying Marcus more closely. She noticed his habits, his expressions when he was happy, focused, tired, or annoyed. She was becoming accustomed to the scent of his cologne filling the office every morning, a heady mix of sophistication that lingered wherever he went 

As she cleared the table after dinner, Marcus, feeling her almond–colored eyes on him, stood up. He grabbed the wine bottle and glasses, placing them back in the minibar before turning to look out the floor–to–ceiling windows at the city lights. Recently, he had been avoiding prolonged eye contact with Valerie, using distractions to mask his growing discomfort. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Marcus saw her focused on her phone. 

“Is something wrong?” he asked, curious. 

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Chapter 0204 

“No, it’s nothing,” Valerie replied, her eyes still fixed on the screen. 

Marcus approached quietly, peeking over her shoulder to see what she was doing. She was booking a ride through