CHAPTER 23: HE’S AN EYESORE

Katherine stormed into her chamber in the Veila building, her stilettos crashing against the wall with fury.

The sound echoed sharply, but she didn’t care. She was fuming—boiling with humiliation, her blood simmering beneath her flawless skin.

She had never felt so embarrassed in her entire life. Not once. The only person who’d come close to making her feel this degraded had been Evangeline, and Katherine had made sure to erase her from existence.

She had stolen everything from her.

Evangeline’s crown, her career, her title as Nathan’s wife. All of it now belonged to Katherine. She had clawed her way to the top. Rage quaked through her as she yanked her bun loose, fingers tugging at her hair until strands fell like wild flames around her shoulders. She barely recognized herself in the mirror—eyes wide and crazed, lips curled in anger.

Alisha might think Megan was sweet and kind, Katherine wasn’t fooled.

In the world of entertainment, where stars were born and discarded in the blink of an eye, Katherine knew better than anyone what a threat looked like.

Alisha was it.

Katherine could already see the headlines: Alisha De Rossi steals the stage

Rising star replaces fashion mogul

And worst of all was comments comparing them.

Mocking her.

Laughing at her.

She clenched her fists and reached for her phone, dialing without hesitation. There was only one person who could stop this before she had to do it herself.

Nathan picked up on the first ring.

"Hello, my love," he said groggily.

A smile almost played on Katherine’s lips at the sound of his voice. But she shoved the softness aside.

"I need you to do something for me," she said sharply, skipping past pleasantries.

He straightened in his office chair. He could hear the urgency in her voice

"What happened?" he asked calmly.

Katherine let out a shaky breath, quickly painting the story, carefully twisting it to her favor. She made Alisha sound like a disrespectful nobody who had crossed all the lines. And she made sure to sound as fragile and betrayed as possible. Nathan was always protective when he thought she’d been hurt.

Nathan was a major sponsor of the show and the Veila company. His support alone kept some of the lights running, and Katherine knew that if he told Megan he didn’t want Alisha on the show, Megan would have no choice but to obey, unless she was ready to lose one of her biggest sponsors.

"I’ll talk to Megan. Don’t worry, Alisha De Rossi will be out of your way before you know it," he assured her.

A wave of relief surged through her.

Alisha was about to disappear from her path.

Later that day...

Back at Dante’s mansion, Alisha and Maxine had finally returned from Veila. The day had been exhausting, but Alisha’s mind was far from rest.

"Do you have it?" Alisha asked, her voice low and urgent.

Maxine shot her a look. "Of course I do."

She pulled out a folder from her bag. A few photos peeked out from the edge—one glance was enough to send a chill up Alisha’s spine.

Alisha grabbed the folder and flipped through its contents. Inside was everything Maxine had managed to dig up on Katherine. Her background, her past projects, her connections. But one photo made Alisha freeze.

Katherine stood in a quiet alley, wrapped in a designer trench coat and scarf that covered half her face. But even with the disguise, Alisha could recognize her.

Her hand was clasped tightly around that of a small boy.

A boy with her exact eyes.

"She has a son?" Alisha asked, stunned.

Maxine nodded. "Looks that way. And here’s the thing—I don’t think Nathan’s the father."

A heavy silence fell between them.

The boy looked no older than five. Five years ago, Alisha hadn’t even met Katherine yet. And if Nathan had fathered a child with her back then, it would’ve been major news. Yet, this child had been hidden from the public eye.

"Do you think... she cheated on him?" Alisha murmured, her thoughts spinning out of control.

Maxine shrugged. "Could be. Or maybe Nathan knows and they’re just hiding the child. You know how powerful people can be about keeping their secrets."

Alisha frowned deeply, her hand tightening around the folder.

Katherine had practically slaughtered Eva for Nathan, claiming she’d do anything to protect their love. She wore devotion like a crown. Could that same woman really have been pregnant by another man? Or was it Nathan’s son, hidden to avoid scandal?

Alisha’s head started to pound.

If it was a secret child and Nathan didn’t know, it could destroy everything Katherine had built. Everything she had stolen. It could bring her down faster than a falling star.

She groaned and reached for her painkillers, popping two pills before collapsing into the couch beside Maxine.

"You shouldn’t overthink this," Maxine whispered, placing a gentle hand on hers. "I’ll dig deeper. I promise."

But Alisha’s thoughts wouldn’t stop racing. If what they’d just uncovered was true, it meant she held the upper hand. Finally.

This was real leverage. The kind that could end Katherine’s carefully curated life.

Suddenly, the soft sound of footsteps interrupted her thoughts. She jerked her head toward the entrance of the mansion and saw him.

It was Dante.

He didn’t say a word. His eyes flicked between her and Maxine, his expression unreadable. Then, just as quietly, he ascended the stairs, disappearing around the corner.

Maxine leaned closer, smirking. "Oh my God, Eva, you didn’t tell me Dante was that handsome in person."

Alisha scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Handsome? Girl, wash your eyes with bleach during your next shower. That man’s the definition of an eyesore. The distance between him and handsome is like the distance between his head and feet—miles apart."

Maxine gasped and covered her mouth, struggling not to laugh. "You’re horrible!"

But upstairs, Dante hadn’t walked away completely. He stood just out of sight, listening.

"She doesn’t think I’m handsome?" he muttered to himself, his brows drawing together.

For some reason... that stung.