My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 310

Chapter 0310 

[Hesperia, 15 Years Ago] 

25 BONUS 

“Leonardo, I don’t know what the hell you’re trying to do, but you’d better hand over my daughter. You know damn well that if anything happens to her, you and your family will pay dearly,” Marcus said, his voice cold and 

malicious. 

“Your daughter? She’s not your daughter! She’s Peter’s child–she’s my granddaughter!” Leonardo shouted, clutching Serenity tightly and covering her mouth to muffle her cries. 

“Where were you for the past five years? It wasn’t hard to find Mary. I’m amazed you’re showing up now when you’ve always known about her existence and where she was,” Marcus said, inching closer to Leonardo. 

“It doesn’t matter why I waited. She’s coming with me!” Leonardo replied, his voice trembling slightly as Serenity sobbed uncontrollably in his arms. 

A few hours earlier, Valerie and Serenity had gone shopping for a backpack to prepare for Serenity’s first day of elementary school. They strolled through Maisie’s, a popular mall, enjoying the outing under the guise of buying school supplies. While gazing at the mall’s domed ceiling that simulated day and night, Valerie turned to show Serenity the effect, only to realize her daughter was gone. 

Panic surged through her as she frantically searched the area, calling out Serenity’s name. She asked passersby if they had seen her daughter, showing them a recent photo on her phone. With her nerves fraying, she decided to call Marcus. 

Marcus was finishing a meeting and had planned to join his girls for lunch afterward. Valerie’s unexpected call surprised him she never interrupted his work unless it was urgent. His gut told him something was very wrong. “My love?” Ma 

“My love?” Marcus answered, his tone cautious. 

“Marcus, Marcus, the girl–she’s gone! I can’t find Serenity! Please, help me!” Valerie screamed into the phone, her voice shaking with fear. 

“Valerie, calm down. What happened? Where are you? I’m on my way. I’ll bring the team with me,” Marcus said, rising from the table and signaling to Frederick. 

The clients present were stunned as Marcus left abruptly, leaving Frederick to handle the pleasantries. 

“Marcus, what’s going on?” Frederick asked, following him 

“My daughter is missing!” Marcus said, his voice tight with panic as he headed for the elevator. 

“Take your security team with you. Didn’t Valerie have someone with her?” Frederick asked, equally concerned. 

“No. It was supposed to be a quick outing. We were going to meet in an hour,” Marcus replied, already distancing himself from his friend. 

“Where are you going now?” 

To Maisie’s. Send men to help me search for her!” Marcus barked. 

Frederick immediately deployed a dozen men to the location. By the time Marcus arrived, Valerie had already -notified mall security, and police were combing the area. The disappearance of Marcus Bartz’s daughter would 

not go unnoticed. Security personnel reviewed surveillance footage, but curiously, the cameras had malfunctioned at the exact moment Serenity vanished. 

Chapter 0310 

+25 BONUS 

Marcus’s face was ashen, his worry evident as he tried to console Valerie while keeping a level head. Yet, as he reviewed the footage himself, a familiar silhouette caught his attention. 

“Valerie, I need you to stay here. I’m going to check with the mall staff. Camille is on her way; the driver is bringing her. Please, stay calm. Can you do that for me?” Marcus asked, his voice steady despite the storm raging within him. 

“Marcus… my baby… please find her,” Valerie whispered, clutching a packet of tissues, tears streaming down her 

face. 

“I will find Serenity. I promise. Just stay with Camille when she arrives,” Marcus said before leaving her side. Marcus couldn’t afford to waste any more time. He recognized the silhouette in the footage it belonged to none other than Leonardo Palmer. His height and demeanor were unmistakable. Marcus seethed with fury at how effortlessly the man had taken his daughter. This was no spur–of–the–moment act, it was premeditated. “That bastard must have been watching us for a long time, Marcus thought. 

“Frederick, send more men to my location. Tell them to track me via GPS. It’s Leonardo Palmer–that bastard has taken my daughter! Send teams to all major airports–he’ll be trying to leave the country,” Marcus ordered, his voice tight with urgency. 

“Yes, Marcus. I’m deploying teams now. They’ll cover all terminals in Hesperia and Toluca Anywhere he might try to escape,” Frederick replied, his own worry evident. 

For the past month, Marcus and Valerie had been under surveillance. Leonardo Palmer had discovered Mary’s whereabouts five years ago but had chosen to wait for the right moment to act. 

To Leonardo, the reappearance of Peter’s daughter could disrupt many things, particularly Maximus’s life. Leonardo knew his son well enough to predict that Maximus might leave Alexia for Mary if the opportunity arose. The chaos that would ensue wasn’t something Leonardo wanted to deal with, so he had kept his discovery to himself until now.