114

114
 Maximus’ POV

"Asher, slow down! The ice cream isn’t going anywhere," I grunt, watching my son sprint ahead, like he’s in some kind of race. "If you fall, I swear I won’t feel bad for you this time. I’m serious, get back here!" 

Of course, he doesn’t listen. If anything, he runs even faster, making me chase him like some desperate lunatic. 

I give up. I’m already exhausted, and the last thing I need is to pass out because my kids are being their usual mischievous selves. Kylie, included. I never knew she could be this playful. She has always been the gentle, reserved type.

It’s like being with Anna and Asher brought out the playful side of her. 

Beside me, Raymond chuckles, clearly enjoying my suffering. I shoot him a sharp look, and just like that, his laughter dies. 

"I don’t think you’re in any position to laugh," I scowl, crossing my arms. "This is your fault. You had one job, Raymond. One. Look after them till I got back. I don’t need you to be the ‘cool uncle’. I need you to be the responsible one. No wonder Avery doesn’t like you.”

He gasps. “Are you..”

“Oh, please.” I roll my eyes. “For the love of everything good, remind me never to let you babysit again. You’re the worst!”

He grins again. completely unfazed by my irritation. It only grates on my nerves more, especially with that smug look still plastered on his face as he watches my kids play with the toys I bought them. 

"They’ve been through a lot, Maximus. They deserve to be spoiled a little,” he snickers before casually shifting the topic. “And as for Avery, she’s just playing hard to get. But one of these days, she’s going to admit she’s madly in love with me." 

I shake my head. “Don’t be delusional, Raymond.”

“I’m not being delusional, Max. You’ll see. Want to bet on it?” 

I throw my head back and then let out a soft laugh. Turning back to him, I part my lips to respond, but before a word comes out, another voice floats through.

“I wouldn’t make that bet if I were you, Raymond. Don’t get too cocky." 

Avery. The moment her voice cuts in, Raymond’s grin stretches even wider. 

She’s now standing before us.

Raymond only laughs. “Cocky? Come on, Avery. I’m sure you..”

I barely register their bickering, filtering out their voices entirely. 

My attention is locked elsewhere. On just one person. 

Selene.

And damn, she looks even more stunning.

I still can’t believe that just a few months ago, I was at the hospital, clutching Selene’s hand, praying she wouldn’t slip away. That day is burned into my memory. Every detail, every second. 

Mason holding our children at gunpoint. The sound of the nanny’s body hitting the floor after he shot her. His cold, unhinged voice as he threatened to kill Selene. 

I know she acted out of pure desperation. Mason wasn’t going to stop, not until we were all gone. So she did the only thing she could… She pushed them both over the banister. The impact shattered the glass dining table beneath them. Mason died instantly, his skull crushed from the fall. 

Selene survived; barely. And only because Mason took her fall. If she had taken the full impact like he did, there’s no doubt in my mind that she wouldn’t be standing here now, smiling at me. 

I don’t even want to imagine what my world would have looked like if she had died that day. The thought alone makes my stomach turn. I still struggle to accept that my own brother’s obsession drove him to madness. 

After everything, I searched Mason’s apartment, expecting to find evidence of more people working with him. But there was no one else. Just him and Benjamin. What I did find, though, was something even more damning. Evidence against my father. 

He had to face the law. It nearly destroyed my mother to watch him go to prison, but there was no other way. Right was right. And after everything Mason had done, I couldn’t let my father’s sins go unpunished too.

Seeing Selene’s pictures plastered all over Mason’s apartment was the final proof of his twisted obsession. Some of those photos were deeply inappropriate…the kind no one should have. Mason had collected every image of Selene he could get his hands on, crossing boundaries no brother should ever cross. 

Those first few weeks of Selene’s recovery were brutal. Her injuries were severe, and she couldn’t remember a thing. The doctors said it was the shock, a mental barricade built by the betrayal of someone she once trusted so deeply. Mason had always been close to her..too close, as it turned out. 

But despite everything, Selene and our children, alongside Kylie are the center of my universe. The love I have for them is immeasurable, the joy they bring me beyond words. 

“Is there a special occasion today, or are you just trying to steal my heart all over again?” I tease, moving closer to where she’s standing, unable to resist the magnetic pull between us. 

Gently, I wrap my arms around her waist, drawing her in. “Selene, I love you more than words can say. And I’ll never stop loving you,” I promise, my voice thick with emotion.

“Stop, you’re going to make me cry,” she says with a blush, her eyes shimmering with emotion. “We’re having a family dinner tonight. Everyone’s coming..your mom, my mother, Mia, Raymond, Avery, and the kids.” 

Her smile softens as she looks up at me. “And I love you, too. I’m very much happy with you, Maximus.” 

That’s all I need to hear. I pull her into a deep, passionate kiss, letting every ounce of love I have for her spill into it. 

When we finally pull away, we turn to watch our children, a deep sense of contentment settling over us. 

This moment, this life..is everything I ever wanted.