Chapter 213: Left Out
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.
Catherine, unaware of the thoughts running through his mind, let her gaze move across the room, and that was when she saw her... Standing beside Alexander.
The woman from the hospital. The lawyer.
Roxana Hollister.
A flicker of confusion crossed her face before she could suppress it.
Alexander stepped forward then, his hand firmly holding Roxana’s, as though he had already made his choice and dared anyone to question it.
"We’re married," he said.
For a moment, Catherine thought she had misheard him.
Married?
The word echoed in her mind, refusing to settle.
But the room didn’t stay silent for long. Shock broke first, and then laughter, then an outpouring of reactions all at once.
"I thought you’d die a bachelor!"
"You actually married a woman? That’s the real surprise!"
"Roxana and Alexander... that’s a good pairing!"
"Did you agree to this wholeheartedly?" Bobby asked Roxana with mock seriousness. "You really wanted to marry Alexander?"
That was enough to send everyone into laughter.
Congratulations followed quickly—hands clapping his back, people stepping forward to hug them, voices overlapping in excitement and disbelief.
Even their father laughed, his deep voice filling the room, his expression openly pleased.
But Catherine didn’t move. She didn’t laugh. She simply stood there, watching it all unfold, something unreadable settling behind her eyes.
Beside her, William remained just as still.
While the rest of the room celebrated, the two of them observed in silence, taking in what others had accepted without question.
Because beneath the laughter and congratulations, something about this... didn’t feel simple.
"I’ll be in my room," Catherine said, her voice calm but distant as she broke away from the moment. Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out, her fingers tightening around Maximilian’s hand as she pulled him along with her.
Maximilian had been about to step forward, to congratulate Alexander, but one look at Catherine’s face made him stop. The brightness she usually carried had dimmed, replaced by something quieter, heavier.
So he followed.
"As always... she’s making it about herself," someone muttered under their breath.
Catherine heard it.
"I mean, she was about to be the star with her engagement, and now Uncle Alex just one-upped her with a marriage. That’s got to sting," another voice added.
"How can she expect the whole world to revolve around her?" Caleb said, not even bothering to lower his tone.
Maximilian’s forearms tensed, his jaw tightening at the careless words, but before he could turn, Catherine’s grip on his hand tightened—firm, grounding.
She didn’t stop. Didn’t react. She just kept walking.
Behind them, Alexander’s voice called out, "Catherine—"
But she didn’t turn back, not even for a second.
Maximilian glanced over his shoulder. Alexander stood there, worry written plainly across his face, as if he had only just realized what his announcement had cost.
Maximilian met his eyes for a brief moment and gave a small, understanding nod.
He was happy for him.
But he understood her too.
Alexander shouldn’t have done it this way. Marriage wasn’t something small, not in this family, not to Catherine. He could have called. Could have told her. At the very least, he could have answered when she reached out.
She loved her brother deeply. And to be left out of something like this...
Of course, it would hurt.
Maximilian looked ahead again, at Catherine walking beside him, her silence louder than any outburst.
She would forgive him. He knew that.
But she was allowed this moment too... this quiet, stubborn ache that came from loving someone a little too much.
Miranda made sure Catherine’s abrupt departure did not sour the atmosphere. By the time the initial commotion settled, Alexander was already surrounded by laughing relatives, cousins crowding around him with drinks in hand while Sophia and Miranda practically dragged Roxana away for a "little talk" that everyone knew would last at least an hour.
Only when the noise softened did William hook an arm around Alexander’s shoulder and pull him aside.
"Is Catherine mad at me?" Alexander asked almost immediately.
The question had clearly been clawing at him from the moment she walked out without even looking back.
William let out a slow breath. "Out of all of us, she’s closest to you."
Alexander nodded faintly. That had always been true.
"She got engaged," William continued, "and you didn’t answer her calls. Then you disappeared and came back married without telling her a thing. You tell me, Alex. Do you think she’s upset?"
Alexander rubbed the back of his neck, finally realizing how badly this must have looked from Catherine’s side.
"I was..." He stopped halfway.
Too happy.
Too consumed by finally finding Roxana in this life and wanting to hold onto her before fate could take her away again.
For the first time in years, he had allowed himself to stop worrying constantly about Catherine because she had Maximilian now. He trusted Maximilian completely. He knew she was safe, loved, protected.
But safety was not the point.
He was still her brother.
And somewhere along the way, in his rush toward his own happiness, he had unknowingly left her behind, when all she wanted was to share their happiness.
Alexander lowered his gaze. "I didn’t mean to hurt her."
William’s expression softened slightly. "I know. But Catherine isn’t angry because you got married. She’s hurt because you shut her out of it."
That struck harder than Alexander expected.
He had always been independent by nature. Once he focused on something, the rest of the world faded into the background. But Catherine... she loved differently. Deeply. Completely. She held onto people with her whole heart.
To her, this probably felt like the ground beneath her feet had shifted without warning.
"Clear it up with her," William said. "And do it fast. You know your sisters-in-law are already siding with Catherine. You don’t want your new wife caught in the crossfire."
Alexander frowned immediately. "Catherine wouldn’t do that."
His sister was not petty. If anything, she would swallow her hurt before making someone else uncomfortable.
William shrugged lightly. "Maybe not intentionally. But women remember feelings longer than facts."
Alexander exhaled quietly.
"And now," William said, his tone turning serious, "tell me the real reason you eloped."
Alexander looked up.
William’s eyes narrowed. "She’s from the Holliser family, isn’t she? The one I’m thinking about?"
A silence stretched between them.
Then Alexander sighed.
"Her father hates me."
William’s brows lifted.
"And not the normal ’protective father’ kind of hate," Alexander muttered. "The man would genuinely prefer my funeral over our wedding."
William folded his arms. "That bad?"
Alexander gave a dry laugh. "Worse."
And for the next several minutes, he told his brother everything—how he met Roxana again, how her family reacted, the pressure behind closed doors, the threats hidden beneath polite smiles, and why he chose to marry her before someone could tear them apart.
Because deep down...
Alexander already knew.
This problem would not stay buried for long.
Sooner or later, it would arrive at the Prestons’ doorstep.
-----
Meanwhile, Maximilian watched Catherine in silence as she poured herself a glass of wine and gulped it down.
"I don’t like her... There is something about her..." Catherine said.
Maximilian pressed his lips, holding back his smile.
There she is... the petty Katerina from the past... emerging from slumber.
