Maximilian walked beside Alexander on the path leading to the main house, the hot wind brushing past them in quiet waves. Gravel crunched beneath their shoes, the silence between them carrying a strange kind of understanding.
After a while, Alexander finally spoke.
"Catherine said you're handling everything well," he said, glancing sideways at him. "You don't need my help?"
Maximilian looked at him for a moment before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"You believed her?"
Alexander sighed through his nose. "She's trying to protect me," he said, and despite himself, his expression softened. "How adorable…"
Maximilian smiled faintly. Of course, Catherine would do that. Even now, with danger closing around her, her instinct was still to shield the people she loved.
Then his gaze sharpened slightly.
"Your wife has connections in the military-industrial world too, doesn't she?" he asked casually.
