For a long time, Maximus didn't answer.
He just looked at Serena. His eyes were deep, unreadable, and heavy with thoughts only he knew.
Serena waited quietly, her hands clasped together on her lap. Her heart was pounding, though her face remained calm.
The silence stretched until it almost hurt to breathe.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Maximus spoke.
"…I don't have a photo of her," he said slowly.
His words fell softly, but each syllable cut through Serena like a blade.
Her eyes flickered, and the small, faint hope faded away before it could take shape.
"Oh…" she murmured, her voice almost too quiet to hear.
For a second, she looked down. Her fingers trembled just slightly, then stilled again.
Her face didn't show much emotion, but her eyes told the truth that something inside her had just broken a little more.
Maximus saw that look. It was small, but enough to make his heart twist painfully in his chest.
