My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

And the biggest surprise of the evening was the arrival of the Evans Hayward family: Lucius, who arrived just in time, looking more mature than ever. That youthful, sometimes shy face was now gone.

Today, he was a businessman-attractive, serious, and respected in Hesperia. In the end, he didn't become a judge, or a lawyer, or a businessman running the family empire. Life had taken him in another direction.

He was brilliant with money. His greatest strength was numbers. Even against Anthony Moriarty's wishes, he had become an investment banker-helping companies go public, handling mergers and acquisitions, securing financing, and offering advisory services when time allowed.

In short, Lucius had become a finance whiz. He also had his own wine company, founded with the inheritance from his grandfather-but what truly calmed his mind was the work he did in finance.noveldrama

Yet the real surprise wasn't how mature he looked, or how big and happy Amanda had grown. It was what she shouted that stunned everyone.

"Grandpa!" Amanda cried out the moment she spotted Maximus.

"My girl! How are you?" Maximus said, kneeling to greet his granddaughter.

"Look! Come! I want you to meet someone! I'm so happy, Grandpa-I HAVE A MOM NOW!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, making everyone turn toward the woman walking hand in hand with Lucius.

Maximus felt a pang in his chest. Did his son have a relationship he hadn't told him about? What was happening?

He picked up Amanda in his arms and walked over to Lucius.

"Lucius... Son..."

"Dad... Well, I guess Amanda just shouted our surprise to the whole world," Lucius said, giving his daughter a playful side-eye.

"Sorry, Dad! But I couldn't wait any longer to tell him. She's the best mom in the world!"

"I'm just... not sure what's going on," Maximus said, eyeing the shy woman holding Lucius's hand.

"Well, let me introduce you to my wife. She is..."

Lucius told his father her name, but there was no time for further explanation-the wedding march had begun, and everyone had to take their seats. Honestly, it was a huge surprise for everyone to learn that Lucius had a new wife no one knew about.

The woman clearly looked much younger than Lucius. She was shy, but Amanda seemed completely at ease with her.

When they sat down, Lucius ended

up next to the Moriarty family. Angela, in her usual cheerful manner greeted the young woman warmy it was as if they'd known

each other for years. But no one was really shocked-that was just Angela Moriarty's way, making even the shyest person feel at home.

Laura was stunned. She was very close to Lucius, yet she had no clue there was

a woman in his life. Something about this felt off.

The young woman looked timid, but in Lucius's or Amanda's hands, she smiled like she belonged there. She was beautiful-her hair black as night, her skin like coffee with milk, deep brown eyes, and delicate features.

She shared traits with Amanda-similar height, that carefree aura when she was with them, the way she looked at the little girl, and that signature smile, much like the one Lucius's late wife used to have.

Then, without further delay, the bride appeared on Theodore's arm. She was stunning-radiant. There was made

something in her gaze the

Peter fee like the fuckiest man in the world. He couldn't wait for the ceremony to end so he could whisk her away on the honeymoon he had planned.

He wanted to give that woman the world-even if she didn't need it. All she ever

wanted was a cozy afternoon of coffee and cake, filled with kisses and cuddles, surrounded by family.

They wrote their vows and said

them as they said "I do." These were

words they shared every

day-phrases only they truly understood through the rhythm of their lives. And when the priest finally declared them husband and wife, Peter wrapped his arm around his wife's waist, pulled her close and kissed her passionately-completely forgetting they were surrounded by guests.