My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 375

Chapter 0375 

+25 BONUS 

“With you, it’s different. When I saw those pictures of your mother that Theodore sent me, I remembered her. And when I saw you, I knew without a doubt–you’re my son. Just look at us; we’re like two drops of water. Though I can’t figure out where those gray eyes of yours come from–must be a family trait.” 

“So why did you wait so long to find us?” Alden repeated, his voice filled with frustration. 

“I didn’t know you existed. Darius Richards was my lawyer in the past. Though he doesn’t know I’m alive, I’ve seen that he did the right thing. He gave you my last name and ensured you received what was left of my small fortune. That gives me peace of mind.” 

“You still haven’t answered my question… Why did it take so long?” 

“Well, the injury I suffered wasn’t just any injury. After the accident, as I mentioned, the official report stated I had a severe traumatic brain injury. I went through almost every stage: first, I was in a coma, and eventually, I entered a state of post–traumatic confusion. That was when the doctors finally breathed a sigh of relief—but not for long. There was a lot of work to do, and my amnesia didn’t help. I didn’t know how to walk, talk, or remember people. Things I used to do every day became impossible. 

“Beyond the brain injuries, I suffered multiple fractures. The most severe and visible ones were to my femur and hip–both legs were badly damaged. One of my hands was also severely injured, but they managed to save it. I don’t have full mobility, but at least I didn’t lose it entirely. 

“By the time I could live almost normally, years had passed Theodore often thought about telling my family the truth, but his biggest fear was that someone would use my vulnerability to finish what they started. I learned that my brother married the woman who ordered my death. Even though we weren’t entirely certain, Theodore knew that the hit ordered by her former boss was meant to go through–whether it was me or my wife who ended up dead.” 

“Does that answer your question?” 

“Not entirely. Why now? Why appear in front of me after all this time? If you don’t remember anything, why are you here?” 

“Darius Richards… He gave you my last name when you were three years old. That was after my supposed death. Theodore found out about it and kept it in mind. He didn’t know who your mother was or where she lived, but my old friend is relentless. He knew you’d resurface one day, and that would be our chance to find you. That’s why I’m here. After 15 years, I just wanted you to know that for at least seven or eight of those years, I was focused on getting to where I am now. Even though I still don’t have all my memories, I’ve learned to live with that. It doesn’t keep me up at night. I’m simply moving forward, just like everyone else in my life has.” 

“So, what do you want from me now?” 

“All I want is for you to know you can trust me. I can’t ask you to see me as a father, but I do want to be close to you. You’re the only thing that feels familiar to me right now, and that doesn’t bother me. I don’t want your mother to know about this–I don’t want to disrupt her life. But you, my son, I want you to know that if you ever need me, I’ll be here.” 

Alden stared at the man in astonishment. It was hard enough to process that his father was alive, but now he was asking him to keep it a secret from his mother. While Alden didn’t entirely agree, he understood it was the right thing for her. She had already suffered through his father’s supposed death once; there was no point in bringing that pain back into her life. 

“Alden, I know you have a lot of questions about my life, but I probably can’t answer them. I’ve stayed silent all these years, not because I didn’t want to know about my family, but because, for me, they’ve become strangers. No matter how hard I tried, the people I once knew now feel unfamiliar.”