My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 1085

Time had flown by. The Bartzes were about to leave, and with them, Serenity and Alden. In just a week, everything would change again.

It was clear that once the Bartzes returned to Hesperia, the families in Valentia would start making moves too. As everyone already knew, Theodore would stay in Florentia, Maximus in Valeria running PBE Group, and Peter, ever the free spirit, would work from home alongside his wife and daughters.

Maximus was sitting at his desk, going through pending tasks, when a phone call snapped him out of his focus.

"Mr. Evans, I think we need to talk…" said the voice on the other end.

"Who's speaking?" Maximus replied, not recognizing it.

"Pierre Legrand…" came the reply, followed by a weary sigh.

"Mr. Legrand, weren't you supposed to let me know when you arrived in the country?"

"Mr. Evans, I'm calling because I've arrived. And I want to see about meeting my son."

"As I told you during our last call, Paul already knows you exist. I've left the decision up to him, and he hasn't agreed to see you. What do you want me to do? I respect my son's decision—and you should too."

"Mr. Evans, he's a teenager. Of course he's not going to want to. But if you don't step in or lay things out for him, he's never going to agree to meet me."

"I'm not going to force my son into anything. He's old enough to make his own decisions—especially when it comes to someone he doesn't know and doesn't want to know."

"Mr. Evans, I'm parked right outside your house—well, outside the Evans mansion. You'd better come down and open the gate, because I'm done waiting. Otherwise, I'll take whatever legal steps are necessary."

"I just want to meet Paul. I don't want to take him away. I don't want to have to resort to a court order, though you and I both know how easily a judge could grant it, including custody."

"Mr. Legrand, are you threatening me?"

"No, Mr. Evans. I don't make threats—I follow through. And before you know it, my lawyers and all my power will be in motion to get what I want."

"What happened to the civilized man who said he didn't want any trouble?"

"The same thing that happened to your promises. I've waited long enough."

"Fine, Mr. Legrand. You win. But if you don't learn to respect your son's choices, you're the one who'll lose the most."

"You don't know Paul very well, and clearly, you don't have kids. I have five. And if I've learned anything, it's that the most important thing is respecting their choices and guiding them the best we can."

"Well, we'll see about that, Evans. I want to meet my son—and I've waited long enough. So you better tell him I'm here."

Not wanting to escalate things—because he knew exactly the kind of influence that man had, and that he really could take Paul if he pushed it—Maximus did what seemed most reasonable.