Catherine followed Maximilian out onto the deck, her steps slower, her thoughts still catching up with everything that had just unfolded. In the distance, she caught sight of a car turning sharply at the far end of the road.

Dorian.

The name settled heavily in her chest.

By the time she reached them, Maximilian had already turned his attention to Bernice’s mother, questioning her with a calm that felt far more dangerous than anger. Nearby, Sebastian stood with the dismantled camera in his hands, examining it with sharp focus.

Catherine swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

Her hands trembled before she could stop them, and she pressed one against her chest, trying to steady the frantic rhythm of her heartbeat. The cold metal wall behind her grounded her slightly as she leaned back against it, drawing in a slow, controlled breath.

Dorian had always been dangerous.

But this... this felt different.

More deliberate.

More personal.

The questioning continued, but both Chad and his mother seemed genuinely unaware of any involvement beyond their own greed. Their confusion only made the situation worse.

"He came here himself, in his car," Sebastian said at last, his voice quieter now, edged with something darker. When Catherine looked at him, she caught a glimpse of something she had only ever seen in another lifetime—a sharp, calculating awareness that made her stomach tighten. "This was his warning."

Catherine pressed her lips together.

He was right.

If Dorian had wanted information, he would have come and gone without a trace. Instead, he had made sure they knew he was there.

That he was watching.

A warning.

And yet... something about it unsettled her in a way she couldn’t quite name. It wasn’t just fear; it was deeper than that, something instinctive, something that made her chest feel tight and her thoughts feel just a fraction slower than usual.

Maximilian noticed.

He didn’t say anything, but his gaze lingered on her just a second longer than necessary, catching the subtle hesitation in her movements, the way she seemed to be holding herself together instead of standing firmly as she always did.

Catherine drew in another breath, steadying herself before pushing away from the wall. She walked toward Bernice, her expression softening as she approached.

Sebastian, understanding without needing to be told, stepped away and moved toward Maximilian, giving them space.

Bernice looked up the moment Catherine reached her, her eyes still wet, her composure fragile. "Dr. Preston... I—"

She didn’t get to finish.

Catherine pulled her into a hug.

"You’re safe now..." she murmured, her hand moving gently over Bernice’s back in slow, soothing motions. "Sebastian came for you. He’s here. He’s not going anywhere. We’re here too."

"I know..." Bernice whispered, but her voice broke anyway, her grip tightening as the tears came harder.

Catherine held her, patient, steady, letting her cry it out. "I may not fully understand what you’re feeling," she said softly after a moment, "but I do know this—your family doesn’t deserve you. And Sebastian..." she let out a quiet breath, a faint, knowing smile touching her lips, "he can handle them. You saw that yourself."

Bernice nodded against her, still clinging to her words.

"Stay with him," Catherine added gently. "I need you."

That made Bernice pull back slightly, confusion flickering through her tear-filled eyes.

"Jonathan called me yesterday," Catherine continued, her tone turning more serious. "He wants me to fix the sequence. And out of everyone... you’re the only one who can truly understand what I changed."

Realization hit.

Bernice’s eyes widened. "What should I do, Dr. Preston?"

"Stay safe," Catherine said without hesitation. "That matters more than anything right now. I won’t let my research fall into their hands, and I’ll need you when I set up a lab again. When that happens... we’ll finish it together."

Bernice nodded, determination slowly replacing the fear. "I’ll be careful."

Catherine leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "How does Sebastian’s family treat you?"

It wasn’t just curiosity; it was quiet concern, something protective beneath her calm tone.

Bernice blinked, a little surprised by the question, but answered honestly. "They treat me well. Sebastian... he told me a lot about them. They’re... they’re really good people, Dr. Preston."

Catherine studied her for a moment, making sure she meant it.

Then she nodded.

"I’ll bring you to my family soon," she said, her tone softening again. And before Bernice could respond, she pulled her into another embrace, gentler this time but no less firm. "Don’t ever think you’re alone, Bernice. You’re not. You have us."

Her hand came up to wipe away the tears still clinging to Bernice’s cheeks.

"You’re my family too."

Bernice broke down again, but this time, there was something else beneath the tears, something steadier, something that held.

-----

On their way back, Catherine leaned into Maximilian’s shoulder, her body finally giving in to the exhaustion she had been holding at bay all night. The quiet hum of the taxi wrapped around them, but her mind refused to settle, thoughts circling restlessly, refusing to land.

"Something’s not right..." she murmured, her voice softer now, stripped of the sharpness she usually carried.

Maximilian’s hand found hers without hesitation, his thumb brushing slow, reassuring circles against her skin. He understood the weight behind those words, understood that this was neither the time nor the place for explanations, yet he refused to let her sit alone in that unease.

"He won’t succeed, Catherine," he said quietly.

She turned her head just enough to look at him, studying his expression. For a fleeting moment, a memory surfaced—Dorian’s pride, the way he had once spoken of Maximilian as though he were a rival worth acknowledging. And yet, in the end, Dorian had failed.

Was this confidence born of certainty... or simply something he said to steady her?

She didn’t question it out loud.

Instead, she let herself lean into him just a little more.

"Your apartment or mine?" Maximilian asked after a moment.

"Yours," Catherine replied without hesitation.

There was something about his space that felt... easier. Safer, in a way she didn’t quite want to examine too closely.

By the time they reached the brownstone, the first light of morning had begun to stretch across the sky, pale and quiet. Catherine paused just long enough to take it in, her gaze lifting over the structure.

"You have a beautiful place," she said.

Maximilian smiled faintly as he opened the door, stepping aside with an exaggerated bow that made something in her chest ease. She walked in with a small smile of her own.

The moment she reached the couch, she dropped onto it, her body heavy with fatigue. From somewhere deeper inside the apartment, she heard the sound of water running, steady and deliberate, and her lips curved faintly.

Of course.

He would think of that.

She pushed herself up and followed the sound, finding him in the bathroom, testing the water with quiet focus.

"Want to join?" she asked, her voice light, though her gaze lingered just a fraction longer than necessary.

Maximilian leaned closer, his lips brushing against her earlobe, his breath warm enough to send a quiet shiver down her spine. "Don’t tempt me, woman," he murmured.

Something in his tone made her pulse skip.

She didn’t press further.

Instead, she let herself have the space she needed, slipping out of her clothes and stepping toward the tub. The water was perfect—warm, soothing—and the moment her skin met it, some of the tension in her body finally began to melt away.

She had just settled in when she heard the door behind her open.

Instinctively, her arms crossed over her chest as she turned.

Maximilian stood there, a towel loosely draped around his waist, his gaze steady, unreadable—but intent.

He didn’t speak.

He didn’t need to.

Something unspoken passed between them, something that had been building long before this moment. Catherine felt it, clear and undeniable, and slowly—deliberately—she let her arms fall away.

Not out of carelessness.

But trust.

She sank back into the water, holding his gaze just long enough before looking away, her breath quieter now, but no less unsteady.

Maximilian let the towel fall without ceremony and stepped into the bath, the shift of water subtle but impossible to ignore as he settled across from her.

Catherine’s gaze betrayed her.

It flickered—curious, unguarded—before she could stop it.

"Eyes up here, lady," Maximilian said, a hint of amusement threading through his voice.

Her face flushed instantly, heat rising too fast to hide as she cleared her throat, trying—and failing—to compose herself. Even then, it took effort to meet his eyes again.

She wasn’t used to this.

Maximilian made no attempt to hide his reaction, his presence filling the space between them with a quiet, steady tension.

"Like what you see?" he asked, his tone low, teasing, but edged with something deeper.

Catherine covered her face for a moment, her embarrassment only making her more aware of everything. "You’re shameless," she muttered.

He let out a soft, incredulous laugh. "I’m the shameless one?"

Her only answer was to dip her head lower, the water lapping around her as if she could hide in it.

"Look at me..." he said.

His voice had changed.

Dropped.

Deepened.

It wasn’t teasing anymore.

Catherine shook her head, her breath catching despite herself.

"Catherine..."

Just hearing her name like that sent a shiver through her, something tightening low in her chest, unfamiliar and yet impossible to ignore.

"Look at me."

This time, it wasn’t a request.

And without fully understanding why... she obeyed.