My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 968

"Adam told me that somehow, his mother had managed to keep a photo of me. It was blurry, but my face was unmistakable—just an older version of his own. He said he had seen me once at the university when I visited. Honestly, this kid surprises me. He’s both direct and timid, but he still took the risk of reaching out, knowing I could reject him. But I couldn’t. Not when my own reflection was standing right in front of me.

"My lawyer advised me to formally recognize him as my son. His life was difficult, and my donations would only lead to speculation. If I continued on that path, all I would accomplish was putting a target on his mother for something that, years ago, was never her fault," Theodore said.

"So… is that why you decided to marry her?" Peter asked curiously.

"I didn’t have to think too much about it. She's Adam’s mother. Even though I hadn’t seen her in years, once I met my son, once I got to know him, I knew she had done an incredible job raising him," Theodore said, his pride evident.

"Peter, you and I—we’ve been terrible people, and you know it. Life gave you a second chance. As for me… sometimes I think not even death wants me yet.

"But when I met my son, when he told me about his life—about the life he and his mother had—I realized that he couldn’t have had a better mother.

"Fiona never dragged him into a bad life. They were happy with what little they had. She worked hard to support him and nurtured his intelligence. My son was studying two degrees—one in economics and another in robotics. He’s brilliant, and I know that with the right opportunities, he can go far," Theodore said, his voice heavy with emotion.

"And what about Fiona?" Peter asked, concerned.

"After finding out that Adam had always known about me, I decided I didn’t want to stay in the shadows—not from him, and not from her. So I decided to see her again."

"And…?" Peter pressed absentmindedly.

"Nothing, really. One day, we went to her house. It was just as I had imagined—two small, humble rooms. The moment she saw me, she recognized me instantly… and almost fainted. If Adam hadn’t been there, I’m sure she would have run away."

"Why do you say that?" Peter asked, confused.

"Because she told me later—she thought I’d be angry that she decided to have the baby. She only found out about her pregnancy four months after I left," Theodore said with a tight-lipped expression.

"Knowing you, I doubt you were the romantic type who got down on one knee to propose, right?"

"No. I just told her she would be living in my house from now on and that she would be my wife," Theodore stated flatly.

Peter immediately bristled.