Emily POVSix months after Dmitri Volkov's visit, I stood in my childhood bedroom wearing mymother's wedding dress preserved for decades, carefully altered and upgraded to modern fashion by a designer to fit me, in case I want it, just to honor her memories. The ivory silk felt like history and hope combined, connecting me to Catherine's legacy while stepping toward my own future."You look beautiful, Em," Richard said from the doorway. "Mother would be so proudI wish she were here," I admitted, adjusting the veil. "To see me finally marrying for the right reasons. To meet her grandchildren. To know we survived everything Margaret threw at us.""She is here," Father said, appearing behind Richard. "In this dress, in your strength, in theway you're raising Lily and Ethan with the same love she showed you. Catherine's notgone, Emily, she's woven into everything good about this family."I turned to my father and brother, these two men who'd protected me through impossiblecircumstan
Last Updated : 2026-01-12 Read more