Chapter 508 The Stream
Katia’s POV
I dropped Aiden off at school first. He hugged me at the gate, his backpack half open, and told me he had a spelling test that morning. I asked him to spell the word courage, but he ran off before I could check whether he knew the answer.
Clara was still asleep in her car seat when I arrived home. She was only six months old, but she was already getting heavy. I carried her inside the Windsor house, where Gail took her from my arms. I kissed the top of Clara’s head and quickly left before she woke up and started crying for me.
After that, I drove to IG Technology, ready to focus on my responsibilities as CEO.
My office smelled of fresh coffee and printer ink. Several contracts were stacked neatly on my desk, alongside three pens and my laptop, which I had left running overnight. I signed the Meridian distribution agreement, approved the supplier terms, and tried to convince myself that it was going to be a normal morning.
But nothing had felt normal since Gail publicly claimed to be Catwoman at the last race.
Sam walked into my office without knocking, as usual.
“Katia, you need to see this,” she announced, looking unusually serious.
She placed a tablet on my desk. Tessa Sterling was broadcasting a live video to her followers, and her face filled the screen. She was wearing a red dress, with her hair perfectly styled and her makeup carefully done. She looked as though she had spent hours preparing for the broadcast.
“Good morning, my loves,” Tessa greeted her viewers cheerfully. “I know I promised I wouldn’t talk about the Windsor family anymore. I also promised to stop discussing what happened at the last race, especially when Gail Windsor stood in front of everyone and claimed to be Catwoman. And believe me, I intended to keep that promise.”
She smiled at the camera, but there was something unpleasant about her expression.
“However, someone recently contacted me with information about what really happened that day,” Tessa continued. “This person was there and witnessed things the rest of us didn’t notice. They’ve been keeping quiet for weeks because they were afraid of what might happen if they spoke up. But I told them they didn’t have to be afraid anymore. If they couldn’t reveal the truth themselves, I would do it for them.”
Tessa moved closer to the camera, lowering her voice as though she was about to reveal a shocking secret.
“Gail Windsor is not Catwoman,” she announced.
My hand froze around the pen I was holding. For a moment, I could barely hear anything except Tessa’s voice coming from the tablet.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Tessa continued. “We all saw Gail Windsor stand in front of everyone after the race and announce that she was Catwoman. She took responsibility for everything, and people believed her. Everyone accepted her explanation and moved on. But what if she wasn’t telling the truth? What if she only made that announcement to protect someone else?”
Tessa paused deliberately, giving her viewers time to think about what she had just said.
“According to my source, Gail Windsor lied about being Catwoman,” she continued. “And that’s not all. This person claims to know the real woman behind that identity.”
Sam sat on the edge of my desk, watching my reaction instead of paying attention to the video. I kept my eyes fixed on the screen, trying not to show how nervous I was becoming.
“Now, I’m not going to reveal anyone’s name just yet,” Tessa announced. “I’m not the kind of woman who makes accusations without giving people a chance to explain themselves. But I can tell you this. The real Catwoman isn’t some mysterious stranger. She’s someone we’ve all seen before. She’s been around us during the races, listening to our conversations while everyone tried to figure out who she was. And all this time, she’s been keeping her identity a secret while the rest of us searched for answers.”
My stomach tightened with fear, but I forced myself to remain calm. I couldn’t let Sam see how much Tessa’s words were affecting me.
“And here’s something else I want everyone to think about,” Tessa continued. “Remember what happened at the last race? Gail Windsor suddenly stepped forward and announced that she was Catwoman before anyone could question her. Why would she do that? Why would a woman publicly claim an identity that doesn’t belong to her? Unless, of course, she was trying to protect someone. And not just anyone. Someone she loves.”
Tessa smiled again, clearly enjoying the attention she was receiving.
“Think about it, everyone. Who are the people closest to Gail Windsor? Who was standing beside her when she made that announcement? And who has been unusually quiet since the race? Someone who normally attracts plenty of attention has suddenly stopped talking about the whole situation. Don’t you find that suspicious?”
Sam reached for my arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“Katia,” she called softly, trying to get my attention.
“I know, Sam,” I replied without looking away from the screen.
“She hasn’t mentioned your name,” Sam reminded me.
“She doesn’t have to,” I answered. “Anyone who knows how close Gail and I are could easily figure out who she’s talking about.”
Tessa continued discussing the last race in detail. She reminded her viewers how Gail had stepped forward after the race and claimed to be Catwoman. She talked about how the real Catwoman had kept her face hidden during the competition, making it difficult for anyone to recognize her. Then she described the surprised expressions of the spectators when Gail made her announcement. According to Tessa, everyone had been so shocked that nobody had bothered to question whether Gail was telling the truth.
“And that’s exactly what bothers me,” Tessa explained. “Nobody questioned Gail. Nobody asked her to prove that she was the woman who had been racing under the name Catwoman. And nobody considered the possibility that she might have been protecting someone else. We simply believed her because it was easier than asking difficult questions.”
She slowly shook her head, pretending to be disappointed.