Chapter 237: To Possess Her
Within an hour, they received a message that Samantha was returning home.
Maximilian stared at the notification for a moment before looking at Catherine. Considering how drunk Samantha had sounded, and how passionately opposed she had been to the idea of going home, he found himself genuinely curious.
"So... how did Bobby convince Samantha to return?"
Catherine looked up from the suitcase she was packing.
"He smoked."
Maximilian raised an eyebrow.
"He smoked?"
"A brisket," Catherine clarified. "He’s smoking a brisket, and of course, the whole family would return for Bobby’s brisket. It’s the rule in the Preston family. When Bobby smokes a brisket, we return."
She said it with such seriousness that Maximilian waited for the punchline.
None came.
Instead, Catherine continued folding clothes and placing them neatly into her luggage.
"And maybe we can get you some proper pairs of jeans, matching boots, and a few hats, Professor."
Maximilian stared at her.
She was serious.
Again.
He supposed he should not have been surprised. By now, he had learned that almost every unbelievable story involving the Prestons eventually turned out to be true.
"Will you be okay?" he asked softly, moving closer and rubbing her back.
She had cried for a long time. Long enough for him to understand that Samantha’s words had wounded her far more deeply than she wanted to admit. Beneath all her logic and composure, Catherine was terrified of losing her family.
Catherine paused and looked at him.
"Well, nothing will be resolved if I hide here, will it?"
She looked away thoughtfully.
"Smoked meat, beer, and the whole family gathered together..." She let out a slow breath. "I can handle it. I should handle it. They’re family."
"And you have me by your side," Maximilian said.
A smile touched her lips.
"Remember not to throw the first punch."
Maximilian blinked.
"You guys fight?"
Catherine merely smirked.
"Do we?"
Maximilian shook his head, laughing quietly.
Perhaps he still hadn’t seen the full Preston family experience.
Considering the overwhelming number of male relatives compared to female ones, he could easily imagine how disagreements occasionally became physical.
"On the way, we’ll have to stop by The Rose & Elm and pick up a Grand Cru Chocolate Opera Cake," Catherine said as she zipped up her suitcase. "And we’ll need to make a pit stop at Horton."
Maximilian immediately looked confused.
"Can you even get one on such short notice? Have you already ordered it? And Horton?"
He had many questions.
"Ah, that." Catherine smiled. "Sophia’s niece is pregnant and craving it. I was originally planning to send it to her, but since we’re going home anyway, we can deliver it ourselves."
Maximilian stared at her.
Then he shook his head.
"Oh, look at you, filthy rich heiress."
Catherine laughed.
"You’re sending a jet because a relative wants cake."
"That’s not what I’m doing."
"That’s exactly what you’re doing."
Her laughter grew brighter.
The sound eased something inside him.
Moving behind her, Maximilian wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"By the way..." he said. "Why am I still not included in your family group chat?"
Catherine turned her head slightly, a playful smile appearing on her face.
"You are still not my husband, Mister." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Aren’t you being a little hasty?"
Maximilian immediately pouted. "But we’re engaged." His arms tightened around her. "Why should I be excluded from all the fun?"
"Your family doesn’t have a family group chat?" Catherine asked.
"The Whitmore family?"
Maximilian scoffed. "We barely store each other’s phone numbers unless absolutely necessary. A family group chat?"
The very concept sounded absurd to him.
Catherine tilted her head thoughtfully. "Maybe they do have one."
Maximilian narrowed his eyes.
"And?"
"Maybe they excluded you."
Maximilian immediately let go of her and glared.
Catherine laughed. That was a low blow. A very low blow.
"It’s okay, Baby." She stepped closer and kissed him lightly. "You have me."
The irritation vanished almost immediately. It always did.
Maximilian chuckled and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss briefly before reluctantly letting her go.
As they separated, Catherine patted his chest.
"Maybe I should talk to them and have them add you to the group they have without me."
Maximilian folded his arms.
"Oh?"
"That way I’ll finally know everything they say about me behind my back."
"What makes you think I’d let you see any of it?"
Catherine laughed.
Maximilian laughed too.
And by the time they left for the airport, the heaviness that had settled between them after Samantha’s call had eased considerably. The drive was filled with teasing, jokes, and plans for the family gathering ahead, and for the first time that day, Catherine felt as though she could breathe again.
-----
Dorian’s home office was quiet.
Dark wood paneling covered the walls from floor to ceiling. The heavy furniture, antique bookshelves, and dim lighting should have made the room feel luxurious, yet there was something oppressive about it. The air itself seemed heavier inside these walls.
Several men dressed in black stood before the desk.
Another stood behind Dorian.
The younger man kept his head lowered, hiding the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
He still hadn’t gotten used to this.
Every meeting felt like stepping into some alternate reality where modern civilization had somehow been replaced by an empire that existed only in Dorian Blackwood’s mind.
One of the men stepped forward.
"Her Majesty is on her way, Your Majesty."
The younger man’s shoulders shook ever so slightly.
He disguised it as a cough.
Millions.
They were paying him millions.
He could tolerate being part of a royal roleplay for millions.
At the desk, Dorian remained completely serious.
His fingers tapped rhythmically against the polished wood surface.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The sound echoed through the room.
His expression remained calm, but beneath that calmness was something darker, something simmering.
If Maximilian believed he could surpass him... If Maximilian believed he could steal what belonged to him... Then he would learn exactly who he was challenging.
Dorian slowly lifted his gaze. The room instantly became still. Every man straightened. Every breath seemed quieter.
"I want this plan executed without a single deviation."
His voice was soft. That somehow made it worse.
"If any of you fail..."
The tapping stopped. Silence settled over the room.
"...you’ll meet your entire family in hell."
No one doubted he meant it. The men immediately bowed their heads.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Dorian leaned back in his chair. For a moment, his eyes drifted toward the window. Toward the night beyond the glass... Toward the woman who should have been beside him...
His Queen.
The only person he had ever wanted. The only person he had ever failed to possess this lifetime.
A faint smile appeared on his face. Then he looked back at the men before him.
"She’ll be by my side, where she belongs."
The declaration hung in the air.
And not a single person in the room dared question it.