Chapter 76 Elisa

- Elisa, she... She was once the love of my life," murmured Maximus, looking sadly at that grave. Her pain caused Isabella to shudder.

"The love of your life?" she muttered, incredulous.

"Listen, Isabella..." Máximo looked at her seriously, noticing the pain in her eyes. I'm going to tell you the truth..." He caressed her cheek gently. I want you to understand the decisions I made..." He said as Isabella swallowed dry and nodded. I met Elisa when we were very young, at a music school. She played the violin and I... "

"The piano," Isabella understood instantly.

"That's right...

Máximo smiled nostalgically at his spouse's response, remembering the day he played the piano in front of her to confess his love.

“Elisa and I became good friends quickly, and over time, that friendship turned into something more. We fell in love...

Máximo explained, observing the look of pain on Isabella's face. He didn't want to hurt her, but it was necessary for her to hear the truth.

"Elisa was... She was a breath of fresh air in my life. She studied music for her sake, while I did so as part of my preparation to become the heir. However, thanks to Elisa I found a new passion in music...

"Max, I don't know if I want to hear this," Isabella murmured, lowering her gaze.

The young woman felt her heart tighten when she imagined Máximo in love, sharing his life with another person.

"Please, Isabella, I need you to listen to me...

Maximus begged, taking the girl's chin gently to lift her up, and then caressing her hair.

Isabella took a deep breath, omitting the lump in her throat and nodded, for Maximo to continue with the story.

“Time passed and I spent more and more time with Elisa, while I was very focused on the piano... In the midst of my naivety, I thought I could dedicate myself to music, but..." Máximo wrinkled his eyebrows, thoughtfully.

"What happened?"

"My father didn't agree...

"Oh..." Isabella understood.

“I started having problems at home. My father also did not allow me to spend much time with Elisa. Although she came from a wealthy family, she was not an important heiress or anything like that...

Isabella was thoughtful. He was not very surprised that Maximilian had gotten involved, considering what he already knew about him. He was manipulative and self-interested.

“Although I resisted my father's wishes to move away from Elisa, over time, as I grew older and took on more responsibilities in the family, my commitments also increased: classes, events... I tried to spend as much time as I could with Elisa, but for her it didn't seem to be enough," Máximo explained.

“Why?

“At the time, I thought Elisa had a very different perspective on the world. He asked me for more time, he used to say that we should take advantage of life, live in the present, be free and enjoy. "We had a lot of discussions about it," said Maximus, looking at the tomb and letting out a sigh. Between my father, my family, and my last name, my life and my obligations became more and more overwhelming... Elisa didn't understand this. He did not agree with my activities, with the fact that I was always busy and taking orders. But I... I couldn't put it all aside. He had a duty and many responsibilities; I knew what I was born to do. I was raised and groomed to represent the Collins surname...

Isabella watched her spouse, confused. If he was aware of his responsibilities at the time, why did he accept his father's proposal to step down as head of the Collins family?

"Max?" She called him when she saw him distant and thoughtful.

“Over time, Elisa and I became more and more estranged... And soon after, she broke up with me," he said, a spark of pain in his eyes.

"Did he leave you?"

"She told me that she was leaving town, that she should focus on her music lessons, and that she was very sorry, but..." I didn't feel anything for myself anymore," Máximo said seriously. That was the only explanation he gave me.

"I... I'm sorry, Max." Isabella swallowed thickly.

Could it be that Elisa still hurt Maximo, that he still felt something for her?

Isabella felt more and more sunk in a hole, she was choking on that feeling of jealousy and pain that burned her inside.

The young woman also thought about the pain that Máximo must have felt when Elisa left him and then remembered how she herself had left him too, not completely, but she had still left to study, just as Elisa did.

Isabella felt guilty, how could Máximo have felt that the same thing happened to him twice?

“It doesn't matter, that's no longer relevant. You don't have to regret it or apologize," he said, frowning.

“What happened next?

"I got very angry; I was furious with her for a long time. I really loved her, I thought of her as my spouse, I imagined a life together...

Máximo lowered his gaze, looking embarrassed and regretful. Isabella didn't understand why.

"I... I just needed time to fulfill my preparation and become the heir, but Elisa... He couldn't wait for me, and that frustrated me a lot. Máximo explained with a grimace of discomfort. She just wanted to live in the present, to do everything in one day: touching, walking, swimming, exploring, dancing. Nothing was enough. I wanted to experience it all, and I think... I guess that's what made me fall in love with her. When he left me, I was completely blinded, filled with hatred and rage. I couldn't understand how he could leave me from one day to the next, after so many promises and shared moments...

Maximo took a deep breath, completely focused on the story, as if reliving the moment. In fact, he wanted Isabella to understand what he felt in that sad chapter of his life.

"Did you look for her?" Ever...? Isabella tried to ask but was interrupted by Maximo.

“I thought about it many times. I wanted to look for her, to ask her to come back, to try again... But I stopped. I still had a lot of anger, pride, and there was always something to do. There was always some commitment... I also hoped that she would come back, but that never happened...

"Max...?" After that, you didn't see her again. Isabella asked in a thin voice.

She felt pain for what Máximo had gone through, and empathy for his suffering. He also felt guilty for having repeated Elisa's mistake, without knowing it.

"No, I didn't see her again..." Máximo swallowed dryly. Sometime later I learned that Elisa had died and that she had been ill for a long time. She never said anything to me. When I learned of his death and all that he had suffered, I fell apart..." Máximo looked down sadly. Then I understood why he asked me for more time, why he wanted to do everything, why he always said that we should live in the present. And the most curious thing is that... Elisa never showed signs of sadness or concern about her illness. He was always smiling, he always seemed happy.

Isabella's eyes crystallized, it was the most tender and saddest story she had ever heard... His heart wrinkled as he thought and imagined that poor young woman and her suffering.

“It was... It was a very hard stage of my life. I fell in love, maybe it was a youthful crush, as my father used to tell me, but that didn't ease my pain. I fell in love and lost her, I missed the best moments by her side, her last days... Why? Because my responsibilities should always come first, it was always the Collins surname, I always had to comply with my father's orders...

"Max..." Isabella looked at him sadly, feeling a tear escape her. Máximo cleaned it with sweetness and delicacy.

“I got angry with life, with my father, with my family, with everything that the surname Collins meant... I was desperate to give it all up, to put it aside and live my life, just as Elisa wanted..." Máximo continued.

“Resign? How...? Isabella tried to ask, but Máximo was already answering.

"I... I opened a few companies abroad without anyone knowing, not even my father. It was my way of escape, which would give me the freedom I desired...

“Did you open your own companies in secret? Isabella asked, surprised.

- Yes, that was my plan, my card up my sleeve... But then, my father forced me to go on that cruise..." Maximo took one of Isabella's hands. Emily or I... One of the two was to marry the heir of the Sinclair family. If we didn't accept it, we would be exiled from our family, we would lose everything. Máximo clarified.

"I... It's just... I don't understand. If you wanted to give up being a Collins and you already had the companies, why didn't you object to going on the cruise? Isabella asked, confused.

“Because the companies were relatively new, they were in full growth and needed more time to stabilize and become profitable. If I gave up everything, including my family income, I wouldn't be able to continue investing, and at the end of the year, I would have been left with nothing...

"But then you rejected me." Why did you do it if you didn't want your father to banish you and take away your income? Isabella was still even more confused. I'm sorry, I thought I understood your reasons with Elisa's story, but I still don't understand...

"My feelings?" You're still not sure about my feelings, are you? Máximo changed his countenance for a calmer one, offering his spouse a faint smile.