Catherine saw the concern in Alexander's eyes immediately. It was the same look he had always given her throughout her life—the steady, protective gaze of the older brother she had relied on more times than she could count.
And that was exactly why she wanted to keep him away from all of this.
Because the last time, Dorian had torn every precious person away from her one by one.
This time, she had even more people she loved.
Even more people to protect.
"We're handling it," she said, bringing out a practiced smile. "It's going well. Maximilian arranged a lab for me, and I'm planning to release my complete research before they can move first. Even if they try to accuse me of stealing anything, we can deal with it. His mother is Dr. Morcant, after all."
She sounded convincing.
Too convincing.
Alexander looked into her eyes quietly.
"You know," he said after a moment, "you're still my baby sister. That's never going to change."
His voice softened.
