Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Katherine’s POV
It had been two days since Liam came to her office.
Two days since his calm, low voice had cut through her like a blade. She just wanted Julian, she couldn’t understand why Liam was getting himself involved. Didn’t they hate each other? He should be happy, she is separating him from Adele she thought.
He hadn’t raised his tone once, but every word had landed sharp and cold , like he could see right through her.
Since then, everything felt off. The office was too quiet, the air too heavy. Even the smallest sounds ,the printer, the clicking of her pen made her flinch. She’d thought she could handle pressure. She’d faced boardrooms full of men who wanted her gone. But this? This was different. Because for the first time, she didn’t feel in control. She felt alone.
She sat at her desk that morning, staring at the resignation letter on her laptop screen. Her finger hovered over the print button. She’d typed it at three in the morning and hadn’t slept since. The words were simple “Thank you for the opportunity, I resign effective immediately” but her chest still felt tight. She wondered if Julian was worth leaving everything behind. For the first time, she felt guilt.
She pushed her chair back, stood, and walked to the window. From up here, she could see the city moving like nothing had changed. Cars, people, light, all rushing forward while her world quietly came apart. She didn’t know what scared her more: losing Julian, or losing the version of herself that had made him her obsession.
Her phone buzzed on the desk. She turned, saw the name flash across the screen ,Isabel and laughed for a second before picking up.
“Katherine,” Isabel’s voice was low, almost trembling. “We need to talk.”
Katherine let out a small sigh and sat down again. “I was wondering when you’d call.”
“Don’t do that,” Isabel said quickly. “This isn’t funny. Liam’s starting to suspect something. He asked me questions I couldn’t answer.”
“What kind of questions?”
“He brought up you. And Adele. And” Isabel’s breath hitched. “He said I never visited her at the hospital. That I’ve been acting strange. I think he knows something.”
Katherine pressed her lips together. So it had begun. Liam was too observant, too calm to be underestimated. “You’re panicking for nothing.”
“I’m not,” Isabel said, her voice cracking. “You don’t understand. He’s been distant. He doesn’t even look at me the same way anymore. I can feel it, Katherine. He’s pulling away. If he finds out…”
“He won’t,” Katherine interrupted, though her tone lacked conviction. “Just keep your head down.”
“I can’t,” Isabel snapped, and the sudden burst of emotion made Katherine go still. “I didn’t sign up for this. You said it would just be a little distraction, that we were helping each other. But this,this isn’t helping me anymore. I’m done.”
Katherine’s pulse spiked. “Don’t say that.”
“I mean it,” Isabel said, sounding close to tears. “I’m not doing this anymore. If anyone asks, I’m out. I don’t care what you say.”
For a long moment, Katherine didn’t respond. She leaned back in her chair, her hand tightening around the phone. Then, slowly, she smiled ,not because she found it funny, but because the alternative was to scream.
“You really think you can walk away that easily?” she said softly.
“Katherine…”
“You forget,” Katherine continued, her voice low, measured. “You’re not clean in this either. You think you can just back out and watch me take the fall? You think Liam will believe you had no part in this? Don’t be naive, Isabel.”
Silence.
Then Isabel whispered, “Are you threatening me?”
Katherine looked at her reflection in the dark glass of the window — the tired eyes, the faint tremor in her fingers. “No,” she said. “I’m reminding you of the truth.”
“I can’t do this anymore,” Isabel said again, weaker this time. “I love him, Katherine. You don’t understand.”
“Love,” Katherine repeated, letting out a small, bitter laugh. “You love him? That’s why you’ve been sneaking behind his back with me? You call that love?”
Isabel didn’t answer. Katherine could hear her quiet breathing on the other end.
“You’ve ruined your chance with him the moment you joined me,” Katherine said, her tone calm now, almost kind. “The least you can do is not make it worse.”
“Katherine, please…”
“Relax,” Katherine cut in. “Just stay quiet. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Let things settle.”
“I’m scared.”
“Good,” Katherine said quietly. “Fear keeps people from making stupid choices.”
Isabel went silent again. Then the line clicked, and she was gone.
Katherine dropped the phone on the desk and closed her eyes. For a moment, the silence felt too loud. The room felt too small. She stood, restless, and crossed to the window again.
She had wanted control. That was all she’d ever wanted,control over how things unfolded, control over who got hurt and who didn’t. But now, everything was slipping away, and she could feel it. Isabel was cracking, Liam was watching, and Julian… Julian hadn’t said a word since that night at the hospital.
She thought of him now and the way he had looked at her in the lobby. Cold, unreadable. As if he already regretted ever knowing her. That look had followed her home, stayed with her through every sleepless hour. She hated that it still hurt.
She pressed her hand against the glass and whispered, “You think you’re better than me, Julian. But you’re not.”
She almost wished she could believe that.
When she finally printed the resignation letter, her hands were steady. She signed it, slid it into an envelope, and walked out of her office. Every step echoed too loudly in the quiet corridor. She passed a few colleagues , they smiled politely, unaware that she was walking away from everything.
At the elevator, she paused. Her reflection in the metal doors looked like someone she didn’t recognize — the perfect posture, the tailored suit, the faint curve of lipstick hiding exhaustion. She almost laughed. She had played her role too well. Even now, she looked like she had it all together.
When the doors opened, she stepped in and pressed the lobby button. As the elevator began to move, she took one last deep breath.
Maybe quitting was weakness. Or maybe it was the only way to start over. She didn’t know anymore.
The ride felt endless. When the doors finally opened, she stepped into the marble lobby. The receptionist greeted her, but she barely heard it. She just kept walking, her heels soft against the floor, the envelope tight in her hand.
Outside, the sky was heavy, gray with evening clouds. She walked down the steps, ignoring the cold air against her skin. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t have a plan. She didn’t know what came next. And that scared her more than she wanted to admit.
Her phone buzzed again. Another message from Isabel.
I’m serious. I can’t keep doing this. Please don’t call me again.
Katherine’s jaw tightened. She typed a reply, then deleted it.
Typed again. Deleted again.
Finally, she just slipped the phone back into her coat pocket and kept walking.
By the time she got home, the sky had gone dark. She left her heels by the door and walked barefoot into the living room. The apartment was spotless, too quiet. It looked like no one lived there. Maybe no one really did. She sat on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen, her resignation envelope still in her hand.
She had thought quitting would make her feel free. It didn’t. It just made her feel empty.
She leaned back, closing her eyes, and for the first time, she let herself think about everything — Adele, Julian, Liam, Isabel. All of them tangled together in a mess she had started. Maybe Selene was right about her all along. Maybe she really was the villain of her own story.
The doorbell rang.
She frowned, set the envelope aside, and walked to the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone. When she opened it, her heart stopped.
Eva stood there.
Her expression was calm, but her eyes said otherwise. She looked at Katherine like she’d already figured her out.
“We need to talk,” Eva said quietly.
Katherine froze in the doorway, her breath catching in her throat. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t have a single word to say.