Catherine moved instinctively, crossing the room to stand beside her father, just as she always did in moments like this.
The shift in the room was subtle, but undeniable.
People made way for her without being asked, without even seeming to realize they were doing it. It was simply understood—this was where she belonged. At the patriarch's side, as though she carried an authority of her own.
Even Billy, the future head of the family, stepped aside without hesitation.
Maximilian noticed it all.
He didn't step forward with her. Instead, he stopped where he was, watching quietly, a faint smile forming in his eyes.
Princess then… princess now.
Some things hadn't changed.
If anything, it only deepened his resolve. She was not meant to stand any lower than this—and it was on him, as her future husband, to make sure she never would.
