Chapter 0314
Chapter 0314
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Marcus arrived at his office and asked his shared assistant Maximus was in. He had personal matters to discuss with him. The assistant only shook her head no, avoiding even standing up. The dangerous aura radiating from Marcus was enough to keep her glued to her seat. Normally a calm and kind man, today Marcus clearly didn’t want to be disturbed. If someone dared, they would awaken all his demons.
At the old Palmer mansion, Maximus had passed out in his study after nearly finishing a bottle of whiskey. He woke up close to midday with a pounding headache and walked to what used to be his bedroom. Luckily, he had left some clothes there. After a cold shower, he got ready to head to the office. He knew that after today, he would likely no longer be the “famous CEO of Palmer Group,” but that didn’t matter as much to him as it had just a week
ago.
While straightening his tie, Maximus caught a glimpse of his room in the mirror, transporting him back to a time when life felt lighter.
“When did it all change, Maximus? When did your life fill with pain, indifference, and loneliness? Look at yourself! You’re nothing like the arrogant businessman you once were. Are you really willing to keep living like this?” a voice echoed inside him.
Once dressed, he walked through the dusty halls of the abandoned house. After the divorce, he would return to the place he once called home. He would need to hire a cleaning crew to restore the mansion and gardeners to revive Mary’s garden. He even planned to restock the fish pond. Now that he’d be free of Alexia and the company, he’d have plenty of time to take care of the place. Finally, he would get that childhood dog he’d always wanted.
After a quick look at the overgrown garden, Maximus left for Palmer Group. He barely had enough time to make it, so lunch was out of the question. Instead, he stopped quickly for coffee at one of his favorite cafés. While waiting, his phone vibrated. He’d put it on silent mode due to the flood of calls about his unexplained absence.
He pulled his phone from his blazer and saw it was his daughter calling.
“My darling! What’s up?” Maximus asked Laura calmly.
“Hey, Dad. I got an email saying I need to go to the company today. But it’s not the end of the month. Do I really have to go?” Laura asked timidly.
“It’s very important, sweetheart! Can you ask the driver to take you? Or, if you prefer, I’m heading to the office now–I can pick you up somewhere,” Maximus offered warmly.
He knew that being in crowded places made Laura uncomfortable. Normally, he would have ignored this, but today he was determined to make her feel safe.
Dad! I like that idea better. Let’s meet at the park near the office. I’m at school, but I’ll ask for permission to leave early. How soon can you be there?” Laura asked, sounding excited.
This would be her first time going to the company with her father, and she was thrilled.
“I’ll be there in 20 minutes. Sound good?” Maximus said, checking his watch.
“Perfect! See you soon, Dad!” Laura said, rushing out of her classroom to get permission to leave.
As Maximus left the café with coffee in hand, his phone vibrated again, almost immediately after ending his call with Laura. He answered without checking the screen.
“Talk to me, sweetheart! What’s up?” Maximus said sweetly.
Hearing his gentle tone, Serenity felt a wave of nostalgia. Marcus was kind to her, but ever since learning that Maximus was her uncle, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like if her own father were still
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Chapter 0314
alive.
“Hi, Maximus,” Serenity said, her voice tinged with longing.
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