Chapter 523 The Statement

Katia’s POV

I woke before sunrise. Julian was still asleep beside me, one arm stretched toward my side of the bed even though I had already moved. The house was quiet, with Clara still asleep and Aiden’s bedroom door closed. I reached for my phone on the nightstand, and the screen lit up with notifications. Tessa’s livestream was still trending, with people quoting parts of it and asking where I was.

Others had already started deciding what the kiss meant. I opened the video and watched it again with the volume turned down. Tessa’s face filled the screen as she talked about Monaco, sounding as though she had been waiting years to say those words out loud. She held up the photograph, mentioned my name, and claimed Gail had lied. When the video ended, I locked my phone and placed it face down. Julian shifted beside me but didn’t wake, so I stayed there for a while, listening to him breathe, before getting up and heading downstairs.

Sam called while I was making coffee, and I answered on the second ring.

“You saw it,” she said.

“I saw it,” I confirmed.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I’m going to record a statement,” I told her. “Something short, with no interview and no questions.”

Sam was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “Gail is going to want to hear it from you before it goes up.”

“I know. I’ll call her next,” I assured her.

“And the lawyer?” she asked.

“I already sent him the clip last night,” I explained. “He said if I post anything, I should keep it under a minute and not mention Tessa by name. He’s drafting something for the company in case this turns into a formal complaint.”

“Good,” Sam replied. “Call me when you’re ready to post. I’ll make sure the right people see it first.”

I hung up and called Gail, who answered on the first ring.

“Katia,” she greeted me.

“You saw the live,” I said.

“I did,” Gail confirmed.

“I’m recording a statement this morning,” I told her. “I’m not going to let her keep talking about you without saying something.”

Gail exhaled before answering. “You don’t have to protect me.”

“I’m not protecting you. I’m telling the truth about what you did,” I explained. “You stood up there because you thought it would help. She’s turning that into a lie, and I’m not letting that stand.”

There was a brief pause before Gail asked, “What are you going to say?”

“That you told the truth as you knew it at the time,” I answered. “That the rest will be handled properly, not on a livestream, and that I’m not answering questions about my marriage on the internet.”

“Okay,” Gail said. “Post it. I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll send it to you before it goes up,” I promised.

“Thank you,” she replied.

I ended the call and poured a second cup of coffee. Julian came downstairs while I was still standing at the counter, glancing at my phone before looking at me.

“You watched it again,” he said.

“Yes,” I admitted.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“I’m recording a statement,” I explained. “Not about the kiss, but about Gail and the photo. About the fact that Tessa doesn’t get to decide the whole story.”

He nodded before asking, “Do you want me in the room when you do it?”

“No. I want to do it alone,” I told him. “Then I’ll show it to you before I post.”

“All right.” He poured himself some coffee and leaned against the counter. “She’s going to keep talking about Monaco.”

“I know,” I replied.

“I meant what I said last night,” Julian continued. “It was one kiss. It doesn’t get to be more than that.”

“I heard you.” I looked at him over the rim of my cup. “I’m still angry, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let her turn it into the only thing people remember about us.”

Julian set his cup down. “Then say what you need to say. I’ll be right here when you’re done.”

I went into the small office off the kitchen and closed the door. The wall behind the desk was plain, so I placed my phone on a stack of books to keep it level and pressed record. I looked into the camera for a moment before speaking.

“My name is Katia Windsor,” I began. “Yesterday, a livestream named me as Catwoman and claimed that Gail Windsor lied when she stood in front of the cameras. Gail told the truth as she understood it at the time. She did what she did because she’s family. The rest of this will be addressed through the proper channels, not on someone else’s stream. I won’t be answering questions about my private life or my marriage online. Thank you.”

I stopped recording and checked the length. It was under a minute, just as the lawyer had advised. I watched it once, noticing that my voice was even and that although I looked tired, I didn’t appear shaken. I sent the recording to Julian and Gail. A few minutes later, Julian came into the office and watched it on my phone without sitting down.

“It’s good,” he said after watching it. “Short and clear.”

“I’m posting it now,” I told him.

He stayed beside me while I uploaded the recording. The notifications started coming in almost immediately, but I turned my phone face down and left it on the desk. Julian rested his hand on the back of my neck for a moment.

“People are going to keep talking,” he reminded me.

“I know,” I answered.

“Let them,” he said.

I nodded, and we stood there for a while with the door closed and the rest of the house quiet. When Clara started fussing upstairs, Julian went to get her while I remained in the office a little longer, staring at the wall I had just spoken to. The city had wanted a confession. People wanted me to stand in front of a camera and explain the kiss, the races, and the years of silence. Instead, they got a minute of me telling them that the rest would be handled somewhere they couldn’t comment on it. I switched off the light and went to find my family.

Julian was in the kitchen with Clara on his hip, already heating a bottle. Aiden had come downstairs and was sitting at the table with his tablet. He looked up when I walked in.

“Is that lady still talking about you?” he asked.

“Not anymore,” I assured him. “I answered her.”

He nodded as though that settled everything and returned to his game. Julian handed me Clara, and I held her against my chest, feeling her small weight settle against me. My phone remained face down on the desk in the office, and for the first time since the livestream, the house felt quiet again.