Chapter 65

Chapter 65
Katherine did not move for a long time after Liam left.

The door stayed closed. The room stayed quiet. Isabel’s crying faded into soft, broken sounds from the couch, but Katherine barely heard it. Her eyes were fixed on the spot where Liam had stood, like if she stared long enough, he might come back and say something different. Something that gave her control again.

But he did not.

She walked to the window slowly, like her body weighed more than usual. Outside, the city looked normal. Cars moved. People laughed somewhere below. Nothing looked broken. That made it worse.

She pressed her forehead against the glass and closed her eyes.

This was not how it was supposed to go.

She had planned everything carefully. Always had. She knew when to speak, when to stay quiet, when to push and when to step back. She had survived worse situations than this. Men who underestimated her. Women who hated her. Rooms where she was the only one standing alone. She always found a way to walk out stronger.

But this time felt different.

Because this time, people were not reacting the way she expected.

Julian had gone cold. Liam had stopped playing along. Isabel was breaking right in front of her. Even Adele, who she thought was weak and easy to shake, had not disappeared the way she should have.

Nothing was aligning anymore.

Behind her, Isabel sniffed and wiped her face, trying to pull herself together. Her voice came out small. “You didn’t have to say all that.”

Katherine did not turn around. “You did that yourself.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Isabel said. “I just… I panicked.”

“You always panic,” Katherine replied. Her tone was sharp now, brittle. “That’s the problem. You let emotions run your decisions.”

Isabel stood slowly, her legs unsteady. “You told me it would be fine.”

Katherine laughed under her breath. “And you believed me because it suited you.”

That stung.

Isabel hugged her arms around herself. “I trusted you.”

“You trusted what I offered,” Katherine said. “Those are not the same thing.”

Isabel shook her head. “You used me.”

Katherine turned then, eyes blazing. “No. You used me. You wanted permission to do what you already wanted. I just gave it to you.”

The silence that followed felt thick.

Isabel’s voice dropped. “He hates me now.”

Katherine scoffed. “He is confused. Men always are when control slips.”

“No,” Isabel whispered. “He looked at me like I disgusted him.”

That made Katherine pause.

Because she knew that look.

She had seen it on Julian’s face before. That quiet withdrawal. That distance that no apology could fix.

Isabel wiped her eyes again. “I can’t live with this anymore.”

“Then don’t,” Katherine snapped. “But don’t pretend this is my fault.”

Isabel looked up. “I’m thinking of telling the truth.”

The words landed hard.

Katherine felt something inside her crack, sharp and sudden. “What?”

“Everything,” Isabel said quietly. “To Selene. Or Eva. Or whoever will listen. I can’t keep lying. I can’t keep pretending I didn’t know what I was doing.”

“You do that,” Katherine said slowly, “and you ruin us both.”

“There is no us anymore,” Isabel replied. “You made that clear.”

Katherine stepped closer, her voice lowering. “You think confessing will save you. It won’t. Liam won’t forgive you. Adele won’t understand you. You will just become the villain without the power.”

“I already am,” Isabel said. “At least I’ll be honest.”

Katherine stared at her. For the first time, she could not find the right words to bend the situation back.

“You’re making a mistake,” she said.

Isabel shook her head. “I made the mistake already. I’m just trying to stop making more.”

She grabbed her bag and moved toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Katherine asked.

“Somewhere I can breathe,” Isabel replied.

She hesitated at the door, her hand on the handle. “You should have stopped, Katherine. You went too far.”

Katherine said nothing.

The door closed behind Isabel with a soft click.

And just like that, Katherine was alone.

The silence felt louder now.

She walked back to the couch and sat down heavily. Her hands were shaking. She clenched them together, then released them, trying to calm herself.

Think.

She needed to think.

Confession meant exposure. Exposure meant Julian would know everything. Adele would know. Liam would connect every dot. Selene would take sides she could not control.

She stood and paced the room.

No. She could not let Isabel talk.

She grabbed her phone and scrolled, her finger moving too fast. She stopped on Isabel’s name, then hesitated. Calling would look desperate.

She deleted the number from the screen and opened Julian’s instead.

She stared at it.

Then she called.

It rang once.

Twice.

Her heart pounded.

He answered, but did not speak.

“Julian,” she said quietly.

Silence.

“I know you’re angry,” she continued. “But we need to talk. Not about work. About us.”

“You resigned,” he finally said. His voice was flat.

“Yes.”

“You didn’t explain.”

“I needed space.”

“You always need space when things go wrong,” he replied.

That cut deeper than she expected.

“I didn’t plan for any of this,” she said. “Things just… spiraled.”

“Funny,” Julian said. “That’s what you accused Adele of.”

Katherine closed her eyes. “I never meant to hurt anyone.”

“That’s a lie,” he replied. “You just didn’t mean to get caught.”

Her grip tightened on the phone. “You don’t know everything.”

“I know enough,” Julian said. “And I’m tired.”

She felt panic rise. “Don’t shut me out.”

“I already have,” he replied.

The line went dead.

Katherine lowered the phone slowly.

Something inside her collapsed.

She sank back onto the couch, staring at nothing. For the first time, there was no one left to manipulate. No angle to play. No reaction to control.

She felt exposed. Small.

And scared.

Across the city, Isabel sat in her car, parked on a quiet street with no destination in mind. Her hands rested in her lap. Her breathing was uneven.

She replayed everything in her head. Katherine’s voice. Liam’s eyes. Adele’s face in the hospital.

The guilt felt unbearable now that she was not pushing it away.

She thought about Selene. How steady she always seemed. How she had warned her gently before things got bad.

Her phone buzzed.

A message from Katherine.

Do not do this.

Isabel stared at it.

Her hands shook as she typed, then erased, then typed again.

I can’t keep lying.

Three dots appeared. Then disappeared.

No reply.

Isabel leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.

She was terrified.

But for the first time in weeks, the fear felt clean.

Because this time, it was her choice.

She opened her phone again and scrolled to Selene’s name.

Her thumb hovered.

She whispered to herself, “Just tell the truth.”

Then she pressed call.

Somewhere else, Katherine sat alone in her spotless apartment, staring at her phone, watching the screen stay silent.

For the first time, there was nothing she could do but wait.

And waiting had never been her strength.