Chapter 310: She Shut The Door

Catherine woke with a gasp. Her chest rose sharply as she stared into the darkness, her heart pounding.

For a moment, she didn’t know where she was.

Then she looked ahead.

“Maximilian!”

She immediately sat up and threw her arms around him. Maximilian caught her with a quiet laugh as Catherine giggled and rubbed her cheek against his chest.

That was a strange dream.

She could still remember it, even after waking. The flames. Dorian’s voice. The door.

She didn’t want to think about him.

Not now.

“My love…”

She lifted her face and kissed Maximilian on the lips.

He kissed her back, unable to resist the warmth of her sudden affection.

She had gone to sleep after an intense battle, knowing there was still so much left to deal with. And yet, the moment she woke, none of it seemed to matter.

Her first thought had been him.

Maximilian’s heart softened. She was so terribly cute. He kissed her deeply, pulling her a little closer before finally letting her breathe.

Catherine glanced around the room.

The curtains were drawn tightly, leaving only a dim glow inside. She picked up her phone and saw that it was still on silent. She only checked the time.

“I slept for five hours,” she murmured.

Maximilian leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“Try adding twenty-four hours to it.”

“What?”

Catherine blinked.

She immediately checked the date. Her eyes widened.

“I slept for more than a day?”

Maximilian smiled faintly.

He had a confession to make.

He had no idea how she would take it, but he didn’t want to delay it any longer. Whatever happened, it would be better for Catherine to hear it from him than from someone else.

“Catherine…”

“One second.”

She pressed her lips against his again.

“You’re feeling better, right? Any discomfort? Did you see a doctor yet?”

Maximilian paused.

Again, she wasn’t even thinking about anything else. Even after sleeping for more than a day, her first concern was him.

He couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.

He had not allowed her to witness Dorian’s final end herself. Perhaps she would have wanted that closure.

But Maximilian had already made the decision for her. And he would make it again if it meant keeping her away from another piece of darkness.

“I’ll have to use the bathroom.”

Catherine pushed the blankets aside and jumped down from the bed.

She took one step… Then staggered. Her entire body protested.

She had never slept this long before, and apparently her body had no intention of pretending it hadn’t happened.

Maximilian immediately caught her. “Careful…”

His expression softened as he steadied her. Then, with a hint of teasing in his voice, he asked, “Want some help?”

Catherine looked up at him and smiled.

“My hero.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’m fine, though.”

She patted his cheek affectionately before making her way toward the bathroom. Maximilian watched her walk away, a quiet chuckle escaping him.

She could barely walk after sleeping for more than a day, yet she still insisted she was fine.

He shook his head fondly.

My adorable wife.

Maximilian pulled out his phone.

Bobby had asked him to inform him the moment Catherine woke up. His thumb hovered over the screen as he glanced toward the bathroom door.

Then he put the phone away.

It was over.

For once, he didn’t want to think about what came next. He wanted to enjoy the calm while it lasted.

Just him and her. Alone.

Catherine soon came out of the bathroom, and somehow, in the few minutes she’d been gone, food had appeared.

She stared at the table, then at Maximilian, who was waiting for her with a smile.

Ah… This is enough.

She didn’t need anything else.

Catherine ate her dinner while Maximilian sat beside her near the window. Outside, the night sky stretched peacefully over the city, the darkness broken only by distant lights.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Then Maximilian turned toward her. “There’s something I need to tell you, Catherine.”

Catherine looked at him.

“I know you wanted to make Dorian helpless and strip away everything he valued. But…”

“Is he dead?”

The question came so suddenly that Maximilian stopped.

Catherine didn’t know how she knew. She simply had a feeling.

Maximilian swallowed. This was it.

“Yes.”

Catherine looked away.

His heart clenched.

Then she turned back and leaned closer. “Are you responsible in some way?”

“Yes.”

“Will it come back to bite you?”

Maximilian fell silent. He had expected anger. Disappointment, perhaps. Instead, she was looking at him with concern.

“You’re not mad at me?” he asked quietly.

He had thought she would be furious that he had gone against her wishes. That she would ask why he hadn’t allowed her to decide Dorian’s fate herself.

Catherine smiled. “I’d never get mad at you.” She leaned against his shoulder. “I don’t know why, but I feel so peaceful.”

Maximilian’s expression softened.

There was no anger in her eyes. No need to know exactly how Dorian had died. She simply seemed… free.

“The bracelet!” Catherine suddenly lifted her head and looked at her hand. “Where is it?”

Maximilian told her everything.

“Sebastian and Bernice regained their memories. Then the bracelet turned to dust. I sent that dust away with Dorian’s assistant.”

“Arthur?” Catherine raised her eyebrows. “I had a feeling he wasn’t loyal to Dorian.”

She leaned over and kissed Maximilian. “But I’ll leave it to you to figure out the rest.”

Maximilian stared at her, dumbfounded. “Sebastian investigated his past and realized Arthur might be useful.”

Catherine merely shrugged. She wasn’t surprised.

Maximilian studied her face. “You truly aren’t disappointed in me?”

Catherine turned toward him. “Why would I be?”

She reached up and gently touched his cheek.

“In our past life, you were the one who understood war better than I did. I saw you come out of impossible situations, victorious. If you believed this was the right tactic, I’d rather trust your wisdom than assume I know better.”

Maximilian’s eyes softened. He hadn’t realized how badly he needed to hear that. He pulled her into his arms.

“He’s really dead?” Catherine asked quietly. She pulled back just enough to look at him. “Confirmed dead?”

Maximilian nodded.

“I received the message just before you woke up. He was pronounced dead.”

He hesitated.

“They said he was delirious near the end. He kept talking about fire… the powder… the bracelet. And then the bracelet disappeared.”

Maximilian frowned slightly.

“I don’t know exactly what happened.” His fingers gently brushed Catherine’s hair away from her face. “Maybe this was simply what was supposed to happen.”

Catherine was quiet for a moment. Then she smiled. “It’s funny.”

“What?”

“I had a strange dream.”

She told him about the deep water, the door, and Dorian burning on the other side.

“I shut the door on him, Maximilian.”

Her voice was soft. She understood now. She hadn’t merely shut a door in a dream.

She had closed one in herself.

The past was behind it. Dorian was behind it. And she no longer wanted to look back.

Maximilian wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. “Then we shall never open it again.”

Catherine rested her head against his chest. For a long moment, they simply held each other.

Two people who had lost each other once… Two people who had found each other again.

And now, finally, there was nothing standing between them.

“Let’s get married, Maximilian.”

He went still.

Catherine lifted her head. “I don’t even want a big wedding. Just a beautiful ceremony with our loved ones. You and me… married.”

Her fingers curled gently around his.

“We don’t have to make it public for however long you wish to. I don’t care about that.”

She meant it.

Maximilian looked down at her. For once, he had no doubt about what she wanted. He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Before he could answer…

**Knock**Knock**Knock**

They both froze.

A voice came from the other side of the door.

“FBI! Open the door!”

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