My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 808

Before Alden could speak, Serenity beat him to it. "Dad… Alden and I fell in love. I love him, and he loves me."

"Mr. Bartz," Alden said, his voice steady and respectful, "I completely understand what you must be thinking. I don’t expect you to be happy about this. But the truth is, Serenity and I love each other. I know that’s not the answer you want to hear, but it’s the truth."

"When?" Marcus demanded.

Alden took a deep breath. "To be honest, from the moment I saw her, she caught my attention. At first, I thought it was just affection for someone I believed was my sister. But once I found out we weren’t related by blood… I thanked God for that.

"She means everything to me. I love every single thing about her—everything she does, everything she represents. I love her. I know that, in your eyes, I may not be worthy of her. I’m a divorced man with a child. But believe me, both my mother and father raised me to be a good man.

"I may not have the same wealth as you, but I have my own businesses. I can provide for my family—just as I have been doing all this time we’ve been away."

Marcus listened carefully to every word Alden said. He had gotten to know the boy over time, and he had been impressed by his abilities. As much as it pained him to admit it, Alden was a good match for Serenity.

But he wasn’t about to make things easy for him. No—this was his daughter, his little girl. The same child he had met when she was so sick she could barely open her eyes.

So, if Alden wanted his blessing… he was going to have to fight for it.