Catherine didn't so much as glance at Vanessa as she passed the altar. Her eyes were fixed on the small figure crying on the stone steps at the edge of the courtyard. She quickened her pace, her heels clicking sharply against the ground, until she reached Lily and knelt down beside her without hesitation, the fabric of her expensive suit brushing against the cold stone without a single thought for the cost.
"Hey there," Catherine said softly, her voice gentle and warm despite the commanding presence she carried moments earlier. "Are you Lily? Lily Bennett?"
Lily looked up through tear-filled eyes, startled by the sudden kindness after the harsh words she had endured. She nodded slowly, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. "That's me," she whispered.
Catherine smiled gently, reaching into her jacket to retrieve a small folded letter, one she had carried with her for months, waiting for the right moment. "Your mother asked me to give you something, when the time was right. I think that time is now."
Vanessa, unable to ignore the strange scene unfolding just feet from her own ceremony, stormed over with her jaw tight and her patience gone. "Excuse me, who let you in here?" she demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut through the quiet murmurs of the crowd.
Catherine rose slowly, unbothered by the hostility directed at her, and turned to face Vanessa with calm, unshakable composure. "The owner of this estate did," she said simply.
Vanessa let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "I am the bride. This is my venue for the day. My in-laws paid for exclusive use of these grounds."
Catherine tilted her head slightly, her expression never wavering. "They paid a rental company for a booking, yes. But they don't own this land, Vanessa. And neither do your in-laws."
The crowd, once murmuring quietly, had gone almost completely silent, sensing that whatever was about to be said would matter far more than any vow exchanged that day. Daniel stepped closer, his brow furrowed with confusion, glancing between his bride and the composed stranger holding his family's entire wedding day in the palm of her hand.
"Then who does?" Daniel asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.
Catherine looked down at Lily, still seated on the stone steps, her small hands now clutching the folded letter Catherine had just placed in them. "She does," Catherine said. "This entire estate belongs to her."