My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 323

Chapter 0323 

Laura turned her anger on Alexia. “Mom, you’re the worst person I’ve ever known. You’ve never cared for us. Your don’t deserve a man like my father risking his freedom for you. And you,” she said, glaring at Lucius and Leonardo, “you’re just as guilty. You sat there and enjoyed watching someone else’s suffering. It disgusts me. I love you, Lucius, but I can’t condone what you’ve become. 

She hugged her father tightly, grounding him as his rage gave way to shock and sorrow. 

Valerie’s POV 

Valerie felt the weight of everything crashing down. The truth was out, and it was tearing everyone apart. She cursed herself silently. She should have been honest with Marcus from the start, but his eagerness to raise Serenity as his own had made her think she could leave the past buried. 

Now it was all unraveling. Instead of achieving justice for the pain the Palmers had caused, they were causing even more harm, threatening to break apart her family. 

She tried to reach for Marcus’s hand, but he pushed her away. The rejection stung deeply, leaving her feeling utterly wretched. All she could do was watch the chaos unfold, powerless to stop it. 

Valerie, upon hearing the demand to repeat the DNA test, snapped. She bared her claws and vehemently refused, reminding everyone what a pack of trash they were as a family. She stormed toward her daughter, who looked utterly shattered, but what she didn’t expect was Serenity’s reaction. Her daughter raised her voice, defied her, and refused to leave with her. “How could this be happening? 

For the first time in many, many years, Valerie felt a sharp, familiar pain–the same pain she’d experienced long ago on her honeymoon with Maximus in Santorini. She had returned to their hotel room only to find Alexia asleep In the same bed as Maximus. The betrayal had been obvious, and her young, naive heart had shattered into pieces. 

Now, that same agony came rushing back. Her loving husband, Marcus, was now pushing her away–choosing Alexia’s company over hers, yet again. That woman had won once more. She couldn’t bear it any longer. The walls of that place felt like they were closing in on her, suffocating her. If her family refused to leave, then she would. She didn’t need to endure this. She didn’t need anything from either of these families. If Marcus had fallen for Alexia’s claws, that was his problem. Valerie wasn’t going to let history repeat itself. 

She hailed a taxi, and the driver asked where to. Valerie hesitated. She could go home, but the thought of facing. her two elderly aunts who doted on her or her sharp, precocious five–year–old son felt unbearable. She didn’t want to worry them. 

Then, out of nowhere, she remembered reading about a nearby place–Villa Aurelia, a serene spot with gardens and a lake. All she wanted was some peace. She didn’t want to explain anything to anyone. She just wanted to be 

alone. 

Luckily, she arrived just as the last group of visitors was being let in before the park closed. She slipped away from the guided tour and found her way to the edge of the lake, where she sat down and cried. She cried as openly and as loudly as she had the day she arrived in Hesperia after Peter’s death. The difference was, this time, there was no pillow to muffle her sobs. Her grief could be heard by anyone nearby. 

It had been twenty years, but the feeling was the same. She felt alone, adrift, and once again, it was her fault for not knowing how to set boundaries, 

“Peter… Pretending, Serenity was your daughter–it sounded so good, so right, but that was when you were still here…” she whispered through her tears. “You have no idea how much I wish I could turn back time! I wish you were here. I miss you, Peter!” 

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