Catherine looked at Alexander, forcing herself to meet his eyes.
She didn't want to sound weak. More than that, she refused to become weak. There were moments when exhaustion pressed so heavily against her that she wanted nothing more than to collapse beside Maximilian's bed and let someone else carry the burden. But every time that temptation surfaced, her gaze would drift toward the man lying motionless beyond the glass.
Her strength was there… Silent, breathing, and waiting for her.
And that was precisely why she had to remain standing.
Maximilian had deliberately provoked both Dorian and Fitzgerald before everything happened. He had known they would retaliate. A man like him never stirred a hornet's nest without preparing for the swarm afterward.
So where was the contingency?
He had told her almost everything. Every suspicion. Every hidden ally. Every calculated move.
Except...
Leon Aureus.
