My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 998

[Evans' residence]

Maximus drove home after dropping his daughter off. He was exhausted. As soon as he arrived, he parked in the driveway. His father, Magnus, was watching from the living room and immediately noticed that Maximus looked stressed or irritated.

"Maximus…" he called out from the couch.

"Hey, Dad. What’s up?" Maximus asked, carefully controlling his tone.

"That’s what I was going to ask you. You don’t look too great… What’s on your mind?" Magnus asked calmly.

"Oh, this? Just some things I need to drop off for the Palmer and Evans girls," Maximus said as he approached and greeted his father.

"Come with me to the study. We need to talk," Magnus said, sensing that his son wasn’t telling him everything.

Once they were in the study, Magnus poured them both a drink. He handed a glass to Maximus before taking a sip of his own.

"I think you need this," Magnus said.

"Do I really look that bad?" Maximus asked before downing his drink in one gulp.

"A little. So? What’s going on?" his father asked, intrigued.

"A lot… But one thing in particular."

"And that is?"

"There’s something I haven’t told you… It’s about one of my sons," Maximus said, deciding to just lay it all out.

"Who? Lucius?"

"Well… I was going to tell you about that too. But no, it’s not Lucius."

"Then who?"

"Paul."

"Ah, I see! What about our blonde kid?"

"Well… Paul… Paul isn’t my biological son," Maximus admitted, pouring himself another drink.

Magnus barely reacted. "Hmm? And that’s a problem?" he asked as if it were no big deal.

Maximus was surprised by his father’s reaction.

"No, it’s not a problem. I’ve known for a year and was hoping I’d never have to bring it up, but… his real father showed up," he said with obvious frustration.

"Hmm… And what do you plan to do?" Magnus asked, trying to understand his son’s thoughts.

"You know, I’ve learned from our own situation. You only started treating me like your son when I was already an adult. I handled it well because my so-called father turned out to be a piece of shit.

"But you… You were different. You spent your whole life unable to be there for me. I don’t want to do the same and end up with Paul hating me," Maximus admitted, feeling guilty.