My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 254

Chapter 0254 

It was 2:45 pm. when a sleek BMW parked in front of Palmer Group’s headquarters. A strikingly beautiful woman stepped out, dressed in a simple yet elegant laitted coffee–colored dress, paired with a light beige cardigan and matching high–heeled sandals. Her hair was swept up in a chic, loose bain, exuding effortless sophistication. 

For the first time in years, Valerie was returning to the building. The only other time she had been there was when she caught her then–husband, Maximus, in a compromising position with his assistant. That humiliating incident had been enough for Maximus to forbid her from ever setting foot in the offices again. 

Now, things were different. Marcus, her current husband, had evidently alerted the staff about her visit, as the valet immediately recognized her. 

“Mrs. Bartz?” the valet asked cautiously. 

“Yes, that’s me,” she replied warmly. 

“The gentleman is expecting you. If you check in at reception, he’ll come to meet you.” 

“Thank you!” Valerie said with a radiant smile. 

She carried an oversized designer handbag, a birthday gift from Marcus. Although she didn’t particularly care for flashy items, she cherished anything her husband gave her and wore it proudly. Inside the bag, she had packed containers of homemade food. 

“Mrs. Bartz?” the receptionist asked hesitantly as Valerie approached the desk. 

“Yes, that’s me.” 

“Please wait a moment. I’ll inform Mr. Bartz that you’re here.” 

Marcus was in the middle of a meeting with Maximus, discussing key company matters. As they spoke, Greta knocked on the door and stepped inside. 

“Mr. Bartz, your wife is here. She’s waiting for you in the reception area. Would you like me to bring her up or should I let her know you’ll come down?” 

Marcus’s face lit up instantly. “Thank you, Greta. Maximus time really flies in this building, I promised my wife we’d have lunch together, and she’s already here. Can we pick this up in an hour?” 

Maximus forced himself to keep his expression neutral, though a pang of something bitter settled in his gut. His hands itched to clench into fists, but he kept them still. 

‘Of course,” Maximus said evenly. “We can continue tomorrow.” 

“Perfect. I’ll see you later,” Marcus said, standing and adjusting his jacket. 

Ten minutes later, Marcus emerged from the elevator, leaving behind a faint trail of his signature cologne. His striking presence caught the attention of everyone in the lobby. 

“Valerie, my love,” Marcus called out when he spotted her sitting in the waiting area. 

Valerie stood up and smiled brightly, though a flood of memories rushed through her. The last time she was here, she had been a naïve 23–year–old girl, clueless about the creel reality of her marriage. Though the lobby had been remodeled, the memories were still vivid. 

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+25 BONUS 

“Marcus, were you busy?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern. 

“For you, my love, never.” 

“Shall we eat?” 

“I cooked something delicious and brought it with me!” she said, lifting her oversized bag “Valerie, are you telling me you packed food in that fancy designer bag?” Marcus chuckled. 

Her practicality, influenced by years spent with Camille, was one of the many things he adored about her. “Well, let’s find a spot. I’ll see if there’s an available conference room we can use. My office is being remodeled right now,” Marcus said, turning to the receptionist. 

“Is there a free conference room we could use for lunch? My office isn’t accessible at the moment.” 

The receptionist smiled. “You could use the presidential conference room on your floor. There aren’t any more meetings scheduled there for today.” 

“That works perfectly. Thank you.” Marcus extended his arm to Valerie and carried her heavy bag, 

Once upstairs, Marcus led Valerie to the spacious conference room. He opened the door, set the bag on the table, and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. Valerie, caught off guard, responded hesitantly. She knew exactly what 

this moment meant. 

‘Maximus’s watching,” she thought. 

Across the building, Maximus had slammed his laptop shugafter witnessing the kiss on his office’s security feed. He was furious. Despite knowing Valerie was now someone else’s wife, a part of him clung to the belief that she still belonged to him. Seeing her respond so tenderly to Marcus made him question everything. 

“Mary, you’ll fall in love with me again. I know it,” he muttered under his breath, his tone dark and determined. 

Back in the conference room, Marcus and Valerie enjoyed their meal together, chatting about family and other lighthearted topics. After an hour, Valerie began tidying up their dishes, while Marcus took every opportunity to steal kisses and hold her close. 

“Marcus, this is your workplace! Behave!” Valerie scolded, flustered. 

Marcus leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Alright, alright. I’ll behave–for now. But tonight, there’s no escaping me. Understood?”