Catherine's eyes drifted to the ICU door. She took a step toward it. William caught her wrist.
"It's… Catherine…" His voice faltered.
She turned slowly.
"Dad found out," he said quietly. "Jeremiah Calhoun called him last night."
The words settled heavily between them.
She had been right to ask her brothers not to tell their father. But it hadn't mattered. It had reached him anyway.
Catherine stepped forward and pulled William into a tight hug.
"It's not your fault, Billy," she whispered against his shoulder. She knew that look on his face — the self-blame, the guilt. But this wasn't the time for that. "None of this is your fault."
He exhaled shakily.
"We stay strong," she murmured.
Bobby joined them, wrapping his arms around both of them. The three of them stood like that for a moment, not heirs to an empire, not powerful adults, just siblings trying not to fall apart.
"Jon and Alex will be here in ten minutes," Bobby said quietly.
Just then, the ICU door opened.
