My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

Serenity was feeling a bit tired. After getting back from her honeymoon, everything had been a whirlwind of emotions and meetings.

The week had flown by, and before she knew it, it was already Friday. Everything had gone by in a blur-coming home, unpacking, and picking up Ethan.

It didn't help that the girls were dying to hear all the honeymoon details.

The week had passed quickly, between listening to Ethan and John's adventures, picking out the dream house where they'd live in Hesperia, handling all the paperwork so Ethan could start at the same school as John-so much that she almost forgot about a meeting she had agreed to go to, even if she hadn't been all that excited about it. Still, she'd promised to show up.

After getting back from the honeymoon, Serenity had checked her pregnancy tracking app, and it showed the start of the final four weeks. She couldn't help but feel butterflies every time she imagined Isabelle's arrival.

That day in particular, she'd woken up a little more tired than usual. She'd felt some minor aches here and there, but chalked it all up to the size of her huge belly.

It wasn't the first time she'd felt that way-her obgyn had explained they were Braxton Hicks contractions, so there was no need to worry too much. She just needed to rest properly.

Alden and Peter had to travel to Florentia to meet with Maximus, and Theodore- her husband now had agreed to go because they needed his signature to move forward with the partnership.

By midday, she was so exhausted she had to take a nap. As soon as she woke up, she remembered the conversation she'd had with Laura and the promise she'd made to meet and talk about something specific.

She hadn't brought it up to Alden, mostly because she knew he wouldn't agree and for good reason.

But she felt it was time to fix the things that had happened in the past, all under the shadow of Leonardo Palmer.

So, without overthinking it, she put on a comfy dress, a pair of flats, grabbed her purse, and asked one of the bodyguards to drive her to the café downtown.

That's where she had agreed to meet the only one of her siblings she had no contact with: Lucius Palmer.

He still carried that last name, although it was really just a formality now. Lucius didn't legally exist anymore-his name was now Sebastian Sinclair.

After 30 minutes in the car, Serenity finally spotted the café where she'd agreed to meet Lucius.

Her stomach was in knots, and weirdly enough, her back ached a little. She'd felt it since early morning, but only now realized the pain had been there all day.

A bit tired and uncomfortable, she got out of the car and said to the bodyguard:

"I'm going into the café. Please, just keep some distance. I need a bit of privacy- it's a delicate topic."

"Yes, ma'am! Don't worry, I'll be right here if you need anything."

"Thanks!"

She sat at one of the outdoor tables, gently rubbing her belly and talking to Isabelle while waiting for her older brother older by just a few months.noveldrama

What she didn't know was that Lucius had already been watching her from inside the café. The moment he saw her sitting outside, he got up, coffee in hand, and headed over.

"Serenity Bartz Palmer," Lucius said softly.

Amanda had warned him not to use his usual voice-she found it sexy and charming, but for a pregnant woman, it might come off too intense, like he was scolding her.

"Lucius!" Serenity said, surprised.

She couldn't believe she was face-to-face with the same man who, just over a year ago, had tried to hurt her.

He looked completely different now. The bitterness and anger that had once been

in his eyes were gone.

"May I sit?" he asked, still holding his coffee.

"Go ahead," Serenity replied, nervous.

"What would you like to order?" Lucius asked with interest.

"A strawberry milkshake, please," Serenity said, clearly craving it.

"Alright, give me a second," Lucius said, standing up. "Want anything else?" "Strawberry cake?" Serenity said, already picturing the taste.

"Okay, one second," he said, walking over to the counter to place her order.

A few minutes later, he came back to the table.

"They'll bring it out in a few minutes..."

"Thanks," Serenity said, unsure what else to say. "I thought Laura would be with you..."

"Nope. It's obvious I wouldn't bring her. You and I have a lot to talk about."

"Oh, really?" Serenity asked, curious.

"Yeah, and I know that if I brought Laura, she'd try to sway the way you see me," Lucius said firmly.

"Well, I don't think that view is all that great to begin with," Serenity said bluntly.

"I know! And I'm not here to argue about it... I just want you to know that—"

"Sir, here's the strawberry cake and milkshake you ordered," said a pretty waitress who couldn't take her eyes off him.

"Thanks!" Serenity responded with a smile, already savoring the dessert.

Once the waitress walked away, Lucius continued.

"Serenity, first of all... I think I owe you an apology. Actually, no I need to ask for your forgiveness," he said sincerely.

"What?" Serenity said, a bit thrown off.

"Yeah... I know I hurt you over a year

ago, and even though it wasn't my

intention, I still did. It wouldn't be right for me to just blame it all on my grandparents, so I'm not going to.

"I raised my hand against you on my own, and I'm not proud of it. I never even gave myself the chance to know you or get to understand you. But even so, I've heard amazing things about you and Alden.

"Laura, Paul, and Maurice adore you. They told me that when my mom passed, you stepped up and took care of the family like you were their big sister.

"That's something I'll always admire about you, because after everything I did, you

had every right to hate me and..."

Serenity watched as the young man struggled to keep his emotions in check-he couldn't even meet her gaze.