Between The Secrets

Katalina’s POV The Leclerc mansion glows under chandeliers , a glittering cage for Texas City’s elite . My engagement party buzzes ; men in tuxedos clink glasses , women in gowns laugh too loudly. I’m supposed to shine in my silver dress , the future Mrs. Zephan Cade, but my sketchbook , tucked under my arm, feels like my only friend . Every pencil stroke I hide from my family ; Helen’s sharp commands, Eliot’s cold dismissals , Phoebe’s smug taunts ; is a scream I can’t let out. I’m the eldest Leclerc , but Phoebe, my younger sister , gets the spotlight, the praise, the love. Zephan’s my way out , my chance to breathe. I weave through the crowd , smiling at strangers, searching for him . My heels sink into the plush carpet as I head toward the study , where it’s quieter . Voices slip through the half-open door—Phoebe’s giggle , low and wrong. “ She’s so clueless ,” Phoebe says , her tone sharp. “ You’ve got her wrapped around your finger .” My heart stumbles . I nudge the door , just a crack. Zephan’s there , his tie loosened, a smudge of Phoebe’s red lipstick on his cheek . Her dress clings too tightly , one strap slipping, his hand brushing her arm. It’s not blatant , but it’s a knife to my chest. “Zephan?” My voice trembles , barely audible. He jerks back , eyes wide. “Kat! This isn’t what it looks like!” “ Then what is it ?” I push the door open , my sketchbook clutched tight . “Why’s my sister practically in your lap ?” Phoebe smirks , fixing her strap . “Oh, Kat , don’t be so dramatic . You always overreact.” “Overreact?” I step closer , my pulse hammering . “ You’re sneaking around with my fiancé !” “ It’s not sneaking ,” she says , tossing her blonde hair . “ You’re just too naive to see the truth .” “What truth?” I snap, turning to Zephan. “Tell me, Zephan. What’s going on?” He rubs his neck , his charm crumbling . “Kat , I swear, I didn’t mean to hurt you . It just… happened.” “Happened?” My voice rises, drawing eyes from the hall. “You’re engaged to me! This is our night!” “ Keep it down ,” Helen hisses , appearing in her emerald gown , eyes like daggers. “ You’re making a scene .” “ A scene ?” I whirl on her . “ My sister’s all over my fiancé , and you’re worried about a scene ?” Eliot , my father steps in , his face hard as granite . “ Katalina , you’re embarrassing the family .” “Embarrassing?” I laugh , bitter, my sketchbook shaking in my hands . “You’re all in on this , aren’t you ? What’s the plan ? Use me to look good for the company ?” “ Don’t be ridiculous ,” Helen says , her voice ice . “ You’re not well , Katalina. You need help.” “Help?” I back away , heart racing . “ I’m not crazy !” Eliot pulls out his phone . “She’s having an episode,” he says into it. “Send the van. Now.” “An episode?” I choke out . “ You’re locking me up to shut me up ?” “ Enough ,” Eliot snaps . “ You’re out of control .” The room spins ; guests staring, Phoebe smirking , Zephan’s eyes flickering with guilt . “Kat , wait,” he says , reaching for me . “I’m sorry , okay? Let’s talk.” I slap his hand away . “ Don’t touch me !” My sketchbook falls , pages fluttering open to a half-drawn dress . I snatch it up and run , shoving through the crowd , out the glass doors, into the storm . Rain slams against me , soaking my gown , my sketches. Thunder cracks , drowning my sobs . I stumble into the woods behind the mansion , my dress getting caught by the branches . My world’s collapsing ; Zephan’s betrayal , my family’s lies. I trip , falling into mud, my sketchbook slipping into a puddle . Ink spreads , my dreams dissolving . “ Get up ,” a deep voice says , cutting through the rain. I squint , shivering. A man stands over me , tall, his dark coat flapping in the wind . His eyes are intense , unyielding . “ Who are you ?” I ask , voice shaking as I grab my sketchbook. “ Adil Sharif ,” he says , kneeling beside me . “ I was at your party . Heard the commotion.” “ Why are you here ?” I clutch my book , rain stinging my face. “ I know a runner when I see one ,” he says , his tone firm but not cruel . “Where can I take you ? Somewhere safe.” I hesitate , trust a fragile thing . But his steady gaze feels like an anchor . “ Claudia’s ,” I whisper . “ My friend .” He nods , helping me up, his arm strong , protective . “ Let’s go .” ********** Claudia’s apartment is warm , a contrast to the storm raging outside . I’m in her oversized sweater , my wet gown in a heap . My sketchbook lies open on her coffee table , the smudged dress staring back at me ; a reminder of everything I’ve lost . Claudia , her brown curls messy , hands me tea , her eyes wide with worry. “Kat , what happened?” she asks , sitting beside me . “ You look like a drowned cat .” I laugh , but it’s hollow. “ Zephan’s cheating with Phoebe . At our engagement party .” Her jaw drops . “ Phoebe ? Your sister ? That’s low , even for her.” “Yeah.” I trace the ruined sketch , my fingers trembling . “And Helen and Eliot — they’re in on it. They called a hospital to lock me up, Claudia. Said I’m unstable.” “ That’s insane !” she says , slamming her mug down . “ They’re covering something up .” “Like what?” I ask, my voice small. Phoebe’s always been the golden child, despite me being older. But this ? It’s a new kind of betrayal . “ I don’t know ,” Claudia says , her eyes darting to the window . “ But you can’t go back there .” Adil stands by the door, his suit still damp, watching us. He was at the party, he said—a business rival of Eliot’s, there to network. He heard my fight, saw me run. I don’t know why he followed , but his presence feels solid , like he’s ready to stand between me and the world . “ You okay ?” he asks , his voice low. “ No ,” I say , meeting his gaze . “My family just sold me out. My fiancé’s a liar. And my sketches….” I gesture to the soaked book . “ They’re all I have left .” Claudia squeezes my hand . “You’re more than their pawn, Kat. You’re a Leclerc.” “Am I?” I ask, bitterness creeping in. “Phoebe’s the one they love. I’m just… in the way.” Adil steps closer, his eyes narrowing. “They’re using you,” he says. “I’ve seen families like yours. They play games with power.” “How do you know?” I snap, suspicion flaring. Trust is a minefield now. “I’m in the game too,” he says, unfazed. “Real estate. My company’s under fire…. my mother, my board , they want my cousin to take over . I know what it’s like to fight for what’s yours .” I study him , his jaw tight, his posture protective . There’s a story behind his words , but he’s not sharing . My phone buzzes — Zephan again: Kat, I’m sorry. Please talk to me. I shove it away , my chest aching. “ What do I do now ?” I ask Claudia, my voice cracking. “I can’t go home.” “Stay here,” she says firmly. “We’ll figure it out.” Adil crosses his arms. “You need more than a hiding spot, Katalina. You need a plan.” “A plan?” I laugh, sharp. “My plan was marrying Zephan. Look how that turned out.” “Then make a new one,” he says, his voice steady. “Your family’s playing dirty. You need someone who can play dirtier.” “Like you?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. “Why help me?” He pauses , his eyes softening just a fraction . “ Let’s just say I don’t like seeing people cornered .” Claudia glances between us . “Kat , he got you out of that storm. Maybe listen.” I trace the smudged dress in my sketchbook, its lines blurred but defiant. My art’s all I’ve got ; my voice, my fight. Zephan’s betrayal, Phoebe’s smirk, Eliot’s cold voice—they want to silence me. But I’m not done. “What are you offering?” I ask Adil, my voice steadier. He leans in, his presence commanding. “A deal. Marry me…. one year, no strings. I keep my company, you get the power to take yours back.”