My Love Until the Last Goodbye by Alut

2/2 Chapter 0313 Chapter 0313 +25 BONUS Valerie froze as Serenity's voice broke the tension in the room. Turning to face her daughter, she tried to compose herself, wiping her hands on a towel to buy a moment. Marcus's sharp gaze moved between the two women, sensing the undercurrent of unease.

"They want us to g go to Palmer Group," Marcus replied evenly, though his eyes were fixed on Valerie. "Maximus has called a meeting of all the shareholders, and Matthew specifically requested that you and your mother attend." Serenity frowned, confusion evident on her face. "Why would he want us there? I'm not a shareholder, and neither is Mom." Valerie jumped in quickly, eager to deflect the conversation "Exactly, Serenity. It doesn't make any sense. Besides, you have classes, and we shouldn't disrupt your studies for something unnecessary." Marcus leaned back against the counter, his arms crossed, observing his wife's attempts to steer the conversation "Tha what your mother thinks, but I believe it might be more significant. This could be Maximus's way of formally returning something that belongs to the two of you. After all, your connection to the Palmer family hasn't been completely severed." Valerie felt her stomach tighten. Marcus's words were logical, but they missed the deeper complexities of the situation-truths she wasn't ready to admit. “We don't need anything from the Palmers,” she said firmly. “We've built our life without them, and we don't owe them our tnow." Serenity raised an eyebrow, her expression curious. “Mom are you okay? You seem really tense about this." "I'm fine, sweetheart. It's just... I don't think it's necessary to get involved in anything related to them again." Serenity hesitated, then said cautiously, "I get it, Mom, but maybe we should at least hear them out. I mean, if it's. something important, we'll regret not going. And if it's nothing, we can just leave." Before Valerie could respond, Marcus added, "Serenity has point. I understand why you might be reluctant, but avoiding this could make things more complicated down the line." Valerie felt comered. Both Marcus and Serenity were making logical arguments, but they didn't understand the emotional weight this carried for her. The very idea of walking back into the Palmer offices filled her with dread, let alone facing Maximus again.

After a long silence, Valerie sighed heavily. "Fine. We'll go, but Serenity-only if it doesn't interfere with your classes." Serenity nodded, satisfied. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll work something out if it comes to that." Marcus approached Valerie, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for considering this, my love. I know it's not easy for you.

Valerie offered a small, forced smile, but her thoughts were a storm of anxiety. Deep down, she knew this meeting wasn't going to be as simple as Marcus and Serenity believed. The truths waiting to be uncovered could shatter the fragile peace she had fought so hard to maintain.

Later that morning, after Serenity left for class, Valerie found herself sitting by the window, staring out at the garden. Marcus had gone to work, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

"What am I walking into?" she whispered to herself. Her mind replayed the moment Maximus kissed her, the guilt clawing at her heart. She had tried to bury the memory, but now, with the impending meeting, it felt like a ticking tbomb.

+25 BONUS Chapter 0313 Would Maximus reveal everything? Would Marcus finally piece together the truth? As much as she wanted to protect her family, Valerie couldn't shake the feeling that she was on the edge of losing everything.

Before Marcus could say a word, Valerie stepped forward arul said: "You're not going anywhere, sweetie. You need to focus on university." "But Dad said I had to go somewhere..." replied Serenity, who was well-known for never taking no for an answer.

"Sweetheart, at the office, Maximus Palmer requested your mother's presence and yours,” Marcus said calmly, only to be abruptly interrupted by his wife.

"Marcus! Please, let the girl go to university. If that man has something to discuss, he can do it with me! I'll go to the company with you, but Serenity has no reason to miss class," Valerie said, her tone clearly irritated. This reaction caught not only Marcus by surprise but also Serenity, who wasn't used to being forbidden from doing anything. Secretly, she decided she'd go to the company anyway.

"And what tis this so-called meeting?" Serenity asked with curiosity.

"It's at 3:00 p.m., but your mom is right-you don't need to go. If she and I are there, we can figure out what they néed from you," Marcus replied, not wanting to overstep Valerie's authority.

"Okay, I was just curious. It's fine, Dad," Serenity said, brushing off the subject.

After that, Serenity left for university. Her day went on as usual, but she couldn't shake the nagging feeling about why she'd been summoned. So, she took out her phone and made a call.

Meanwhile, back at the Bartz home, Marcus watched Valerie. She a seemed nervous, almost in a bach mood. Knowing his wife, this was unusual-if something bothered her, she usually said it outright. But this time, no matter how much he tried to figure out what was wrong, all she said was that everything was fine.

After breakfast, Marcus got ready to leave for the office. He kissed his wife goodbye, but unlike her usual routine of walking him to the garage and seeing him off, she stayed in the kitchen cleaning up from breakfast. Marcus couldn't help but notice that the meeting with Maximus had unsettled her, though he couldn't figure out why. With no other choice, he left, hoping it was just his imagination-an overreaction spurred by his jealousy.