My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

A thought crossed Maximus's mind. Could his grandmother be grooming Peter to take over if he failed to meet her ultimatum? Lately, that seemed like a possibility he couldn't dismiss. Their last argument had revealed a side of her he had never seen before.

"I need more pictures of this woman. I want to know who she is, where she came from, what she eats, where she lives, her education-everything."

"Yes, sir. Don't worry. We'll do whatever it takes to get past your brother's defenses."

Still brooding over his grandmother's potential plans for Peter, Maximus remembered the deadline looming over him-only four months until his grandmother's ultimatum expired. He turned back to Matthew.

"I need you to contact acting schools or escort services"

"Excuse me?"

"I need a woman."

"What kind of woman?"

"Don't look so alarmed, Matthew. That's what I have Alexia for. But I need a woman to pose as my wife and I need her now.

"Understood. I'll see what I can do and let you know as soon as I have options."

"I want this resolved today."

That evening, over dinner, Maximus finally broached the difficult subject he had been putting off. Matthew's report about Peter and Angela had raised red flags, and he could no longer delay the inevitable.

"Sweetheart, we need to talk about something," he said, taking Alexia's hand.

She looked at him in surprise, a pang of anxiety telling her something was wrong.

"There's something I haven't told you."noveldrama

"Maximus, please..." she replied, her voice trembling

"The day Grandma forced the tenant out of my house, we had a big argument. She gave me an ultimatum: she wants me to marry and give her a grandson."

"Then let's get married!" Alexia said enthusiastically.

"That's the problem. She wants me to marry anyone but you," he said regretfully.

"What? What's wrong with your grandmother?! We love each other!" Alexia shouted, standing up from the table. "You're not going to agree to this, right?"

"I thought she wasn't serious, but now I see she's already moving the pieces to replace me. Chapter 1068

"What do you mean?"

"Matthew told me today that for the anniversary party, Grandma added someone new to our family's table-a supposedly distant cousin named Angela Palmer. She's been visiting my brother frequently."

"And why do you think she wants to replace you? Aren't you the one in charge of the company?"

"Yes, but she's still the majority shareholder. She could replace me without consulting anyone, and no one would dare challenge her."

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"So, if you don't marry and give her a grandson, she'remove you?"

"Yes. I hate to tell you this now, but I only have four months left before the deadline she set."

"Does that mean you're going to leave me?"

"No, not at all. I have a plan."

"What plan?"

"I need to find someone willing to marry me. We'll sign a contract, and once I've fulfilled my grandmother's demands, I'll look for a way to declare her legally incompetent and strip her of enough shares to remove her as majority shareholder. I'll divorce the woman I marry, compensate her, and then you and I can get married. I had hoped to find grounds to declare her senile sooner, but I haven't been able to."

"Maximus... I'll have to endure seeing you with someone else."

"It'll just be an act, love. Don't worry-I won't pick someone flashy. I don't want complications. I've already asked Matthew to look into acting schools or escort services for someone who can play the part.

Alexia sat back down, covering her face with her hands as tears began to flow. Maximus made it sound easy, but deep down, she knew it wasn't a good idea.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. In fact, we'll choose her together. You'll interview them with me, and you'll make it clear that you're and always will be Mrs. Palmer. But remember, no one else can know about this -not a soul besides you and Matthew."

Days passed, and in a secluded venue outside the city, several interviews were conducted. Alexia wanted to ensure that whoever played the role of Maximus's wife wouldn't pose a threat. So far, she hadn't found anyone suitable. All the candidates were actresses or models who could easily charm Maximus. She needed someone plain, unremarkable-someone without allure. But she hadn't found her yet. That night, after an intense intimate session with Maximus, Alexia lay in bed, unable to sleep. Tears streamed down her face as she watched him, sound asleep and naked beside her. She couldn't believe that in just three weeks, her life had turned upside down.

By helping him find a replacement wife, she was accepting her role as the mistress. She couldn't fathom how, after being the dream girlfriend adored by social media, she was now relegated to this. 'Is this the price I'm willing to pay to be with the man I love?" she wondered, staring at the man sleeping beside her. Everything was her fault. If she hadn't chased after that art professor years ago, letting him use her as a

temporary fling, she would already be Maximus's wife They would have children and a happy family.