Catherine clutched the bracelet at her wrist, half-expecting it to react.
Nothing happened.
No warmth. No pulse. No warning hum beneath her skin.
At least for now.
So his emotions hadn't affected it. That woman had been right about this, at least.
What Maximilian felt, however, remained sealed behind iron doors.
***
Maximilian himself was still caught in the aftermath.
He couldn't decide what unsettled him more: her utter disregard for authority, or her complete absence of self-doubt.
She had no identification. No official standing. No rightful place in this university. And yet she occupied space as if the world naturally bent to make room for her. She spoke without fear, without hesitation, and commanded a hostile room as though it were hers by birthright.
It wasn't arrogance. He would have recognized that instantly.
This was simply… who she was.
Was it the residue of her previous life? Was she too stuck in the past?
