Delia’s POV
From the moment Katia stepped into the Windsor estate, something shifted.
I couldn’t name it at first. I told myself it was nerves, that strange flutter that comes when a life milestone is unfolding in real time and everyone around you seems to be watching, measuring, and waiting for you to step into the role you’ve been rehearsing since your sister decided to have a baby. This was my engagement, my future, my moment.
And yet, my stomach wouldn’t settle.
Julian had been polite to me all evening. Attentive, even. He stood beside me when expected, answered questions when spoken to, and nodded at the right moments. He did everything a fiancé should do on paper.
But it was the things he didn’t do that bothered me.
He didn’t linger.
He didn’t touch me unless it was necessary.
