Maximilian’s eyes were wide in shock, as if his mind refused to process what he was seeing while his heart struggled to accept it. His hands fell helplessly to his sides. His breathing stuttered. The hall around him blurred until his entire world narrowed to a single point.
He could see Evelyn’s face, smiling from the photograph atop the coffin.
His steps faltered. His body swayed forward on instinct, drawn toward her as if proximity might change what he was seeing, what he didn’t want to believe.
He took one more step only to falter the next.
“Not another step!”
Vincent’s roar cracked through the hall like a whip. Heads instantly turned and conversations died immediately. The weight of his fury slammed into the room with enough force to freeze Maximilian mid-stride.
“You!” Vincent s
