Chapter 63

Chapter 63
The office was quieter than usual that afternoon. Not silent, but every sound seemed sharper — the click of keyboards, the low hum of the printer, the shuffle of papers. Liam had stopped pretending to work hours ago. His mind kept running over the same thoughts, the same questions he didn’t have answers for.
He’d seen Isabel earlier that morning, seen the weight in her eyes, the way her hands trembled when she tried to hide it. And he’d seen Katherine pulling her strings, quietly, skillfully, like she always did. But Liam was done guessing.
He rubbed his face with one hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a long exhale. He needed to think, to plan. To make sure Adele stayed out of this mess. That was all that mattered right now. Everything else could wait.
His phone buzzed on the desk. Selene.
“Liam,” she said, her voice low, tense. “We need to move fast. Katherine’s not done. I just heard from someone — she’s asking around about Adele again.”
Liam tightened his grip on the phone. “What do you mean, asking around?”
“She’s trying to find a way back in. She’s smart. She doesn’t make moves without a plan. And Isabel…” Her voice dropped. “Isabel’s panicking. She’s not thinking straight. She’s slipping.”
He didn’t reply immediately. His mind turned over every little interaction he’d had with Isabel, every hesitation, every forced smile. He’d given her a chance to be honest. She hadn’t taken it.
“Alright,” he said finally, voice flat. “Keep me posted. And… if she shows up anywhere near Adele, you call me first.”
“I will,” Selene replied.
The line went dead, and Liam leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. He had a lot of moving pieces, and none of them made sense unless he was willing to play a long game.
Isabel was sitting in her car outside Katherine’s apartment. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly it left white marks in her palms. She had left the office early, because she couldn’t handle Liam’s silence anymore, couldn’t handle the look in his eyes, the quiet disappointment that burned more than any argument could.
She wanted to call him, to explain, to tell him everything wasn’t what it looked like. But the words felt useless. He wouldn’t believe her. He didn’t want to hear her excuses. And Katherine… Katherine’s voice echoed in her head, the sharp edge in it that had left her feeling trapped.
She pressed her head against the steering wheel for a long moment.
“You’re fine,” she whispered to herself. “You’re fine.”
Then she remembered Katherine waiting inside, and the sense of dread returned. Taking a shaky breath, she got out of the car and walked up to the door, her heels clicking softly against the pavement.
Katherine opened the door almost immediately, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
“You left early,” Katherine said. “What is it now?”
“I… I can’t do this,” Isabel said quickly. “I can’t lie to him anymore. He… he’s suspicious. He looks at me like he’s figured something out, and I can’t handle it.”
Katherine’s eyes narrowed. “And you think walking to me crying will solve it?”
“I… I don’t know what to do,” Isabel admitted. Her voice shook. “I love him, Katherine. I didn’t mean to, not like this. I didn’t want it to get personal. But it did. And now… I’m scared. He’s pulling away, and I can’t fix it.”
Katherine stepped closer, her tone calm, unnervingly calm. “And that’s your problem, not mine?”
Isabel’s hands fisted in front of her. “I don’t want to be part of this anymore.”
Katherine’s laugh was quiet, almost soft, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You really think you can walk away from this, Isabel?” she asked. “After everything we’ve done? You think Liam will believe you had nothing to do with it?”
Isabel shook her head, tears brimming. “I don’t care. I’m done. I can’t keep pretending.”
Katherine’s face hardened. “You’ll regret saying that.”
Meanwhile, across the city, Liam was standing at his apartment window, hands buried in his pockets. The streets below were busy, people moving without care, and yet everything felt like it existed in a bubble he couldn’t reach.
His thoughts kept drifting back to Isabel — to the subtle ways she had tried to manipulate situations, the hesitation in her words, the forced smiles. And Katherine — always Katherine — the one who orchestrated everything, the one who made sure chaos followed.
He had to get ahead of this. He couldn’t let them touch Adele, couldn’t let them hurt her again. Not after what had happened.
His phone buzzed. Selene again.
“They’re meeting,” she said immediately, urgency in her voice. “Isabel went to Katherine. They’re talking. I don’t know what they’re planning, but it’s not good.”
Liam exhaled, long and steady. “Where?”
Selene gave him the address.
“I’m on my way,” he said.
Katherine and Isabel sat across from each other in the apartment, the air heavy with unspoken tension. Isabel’s hands shook slightly on her lap. Katherine leaned back, arms folded, a faint smirk playing on her lips.
“You think Liam doesn’t see through you,” Katherine said finally. “You’re wrong. He’s too smart for that. And once he starts asking questions…”
Isabel’s eyes widened. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“You’ve already done it,” Katherine replied sharply. “You can’t erase what’s been done. You can’t pretend you were innocent. And now… Liam’s on the edge. He’s suspicious. One wrong move, and it all falls apart.”
Isabel swallowed. “I… I just don’t want to hurt him anymore.”
Katherine leaned forward, voice low, sharp. “And that’s exactly why you can’t stop. Because if you try to walk away now, he’ll see it. And then everything we’ve built… gone.”
Isabel’s lips trembled. “I can’t… I don’t… I love him.”
Katherine’s eyes darkened. “Love? That’s irrelevant. He’s not yours to love anymore. You’re a player in a game you never wanted to play, and now you’re scared to lose. That’s all it is.”
A tense silence filled the room. Isabel’s chest rose and fell rapidly. She wanted to argue, to run, to hide. But she didn’t.
Katherine finally leaned back, a faint smile appearing. “Good,” she said. “Fear keeps people sharp. Remember that.”

Outside, Liam’s car pulled up quietly. He stepped out, hands in his pockets, scanning the building. His eyes narrowed. He could feel it , the tension inside. Something was happening. He could feel it in the air.
He didn’t knock. He didn’t call. He walked straight to the door and pressed the buzzer.
Inside, Isabel froze. Katherine’s eyes flicked toward the door.
Liam’s voice was calm, low, but carried an unmistakable edge. “Isabel. Katherine. I think we need to talk.”
The air between them crackled. Something had shifted. And for the first time, none of them were in control.