Chapter 214
pter 219
Madison
“You think you can find Katherine without a last name?” I asked, leaning closer to see her screen. “There must be thousands of Katherines in the world p>
“Oh, sweet summer child.” Hazel cracked her knuckles dramatically before typing her password. “You underestimate the power of gossip networks p>
Her Discord app opened to reveal at least twenty different servers with names like “NYC Elite Tea,” “Billionaire Watchdogs,” and “Rich People Problems p>
“How many of these gossip groups are you in?” I asked, eyes widening.
“Enough to know things I shouldn’t. ” She clicked into a server called “Manhattan’s Finest Mess” and started typing in the search bar. “Katherine… Knight… Alexander… ”
Results started populating immediately.
“See, there might be lots of Katherines,” Hazel explained, scrolling through messages, “but there are only a few Katherines connected to New York’s elite circles. If she dated Alexander Knight, she’d be in here somewhere p>
She switched to another server called “Wall Street Whispers” and repeated her search.
“Think about it,” Hazel continued, her eyes never leaving the screen. “If this Katherine is rich or famous, she’ll be in news articles, social media posts, charity gala photos, the works. But if she’s just a regular person like us… “She paused, giving me a pointed look.
“What?” I asked.
“Well, if Alexander Knight is dating you now, and he dated this Katherine before, maybe she’s also just a normal person who caught his eye. In which case, she won’t be in the spotlight, but someone might have mentioned her in these gossip circles p>
I wanted to correct her, to explain that Alexander and I weren’t actually dating, that we had an agreement, a contract with a clear expiration date, but the words just wouldn’t come out, sticking stubbornly in my throat
instead.
“Just try looking for Katherine,” I said instead.
Hazel switched to a server called “Billionaire Bedroom Tales” and typed in a new search.
“This is where the juiciest stuff gets posted,” she explained, scrolling through messages. “People who work for the rich and famous spill anonymously here. Housekeepers, drivers, assistants p>
“Assistants?” I cut in, suddenly nervous.
“Relax. It’s all anonymous.” She paused, her finger hovering over the trackpad. “Unless you’ve been sharing details about Alexander’s… performance p>
“Hazel p>
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“Just checking!” She laughed, continuing to scroll. “Oh, wait. Here’s something p>
I leaned closer, heart racing as she clicked on a message thread from eight months ago.
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“AlexanderKnight Watcher: Anyone know who Knight is dating these days? Haven’t seen any fresh gossip lately.
“ManhattanMaven: He’s been keeping a low profile. I can’t blame him, though. Have you SEEN him in that navy suit he wore to the charity gala last month? The man is walking sex p>
“WallStreetWench: I’d climb him like a tree, not even gonna lie p>
“FinanceBro69: My sister works at his building. Says he comes in looking like he’s been up all night, if you know what I mean p>
I felt my cheeks burning as I read the descriptions of what these anonymous strangers would do to Alexander if given the chance.
“This is…” I started.
“Entertaining?” Hazel suggested, scrolling further. “Oh wait, here’s more p>
“SocialiteSpotter: He was definitely with that Brazilian supermodel last summer. Saw them at Nobu p>
“CorporateCoffeeGirl: Fake news. That was a business meeting. She’s the face of his South American campaign p>
“UpperEastInsider: What about that redhead from Morgan Stanley? They were definitely hooking up p>
“NYCNightOwl: Please, that was over in like a week. Knight doesn’t do executives. Too messy p>
I shifted uncomfortably as I read about Alexander’s alleged conquests. Models, actresses, executives–the list
seemed endless.
“Why are we doing this again?” I asked, suddenly feeling queasy.
Hazel glanced at me. “You wanted to find Katherine, remember p>
“But all we’re finding is gossip about Alexander’s… extracurricular activities.” I couldn’t help the edge in my
voice.
“Oh my god,” Hazel said, her eyes widening. “You’re jealous p>
“I am not!” I protested too quickly. “I’m just… this is invasive p>
“Says the woman who asked me to find his ex,” Hazel countered, still scrolling. “Look, if it helps, half of these are probably made up. People love to pretend they know things about celebrities p>
“He’s not a celebrity,” I muttered.
“Billionaire, hot, single–close enough,” Hazel replied, switching to another server. “But seriously, I’m not finding anything about Katherine. Not a single mention p>
She tried several more searches, switching between different Discord servers, but came up empty.
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“This is weird,” she said finally, closing her laptop. “If she was important to him, someone would have mentioned her p>
“Maybe she wasn’t public?” I suggested, trying to ignore the relief I felt at not finding anything.
“ Or maybe she doesn’t exist,” Hazel said, giving me a pointed look. “Maybe you misheard p>
“ I didn’t mishear,” I insisted. “He definitely called me Katherine p>
“During sex p>
“Can you stop saying that?” I grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it to my chest.
“I’m just trying to understand the context.” Hazel shrugged. “People say weird things in the heat of the moment p>
“It wasn’t just that. Anthony mentioned her, too p>
“Hmm.” Hazel tapped her fingers against her laptop. “Have you tried just asking Alexander directly p>
I laughed. “Sure, let me just casually bring up how he called me by another woman’s name while we were… you know p>
“While you were having mind–blowing billionaire sex?” Hazel supplied helpfully.
“You’re the worst p>
“I’m the best, and you know it.” She poked my arm. “So what are you going to do p>
I sighed, tugging at a loose thread on the pillow. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s best to forget about Katherine altogether. He probably moved on from her years ago p>
“Maybe,” Hazel said, but her tone suggested she wasn’t convinced. “Or maybe she’s the one who got away, and he’s still hung up on her.” (1
“That’s comforting, thanks p>
“Just saying! Men don’t usually call out another woman’s name during sex unless there’s some unresolved stuff there p>
I winced. “Can we please stop talking about that specific moment p>
“Fine.” Hazel reached for her phone. “But if you want my professional opinion p>
“Since when do you have professional opinions about relationships?” I snorted.
“Excuse me, I’ve been in three long–term relationships. Want to know what I think p>
“Do I have a choice p>
“Nope.” She set her phone down. “I think you should casually bring up the name Katherine and see how he reacts. Just drop it into conversation p>
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I pictured Alexander’s face, those intense eyes narrowing. “That’s the worst idea ever p>
“Better than stalking his ex online,” she countered.
“We weren’t stalking. We were…. researching p>
“Potato, po–tah–to.” Hazel waved dismissively. “Just be like, ‘Hey, I met someone named Katherine today. Isn’t that weird p>
“That’s so obvious!” I buried my face in my hands. “He’d see right through that. ”
“Okay, what about this?” She sat up straighter. “Get him drunk and ask about his exes p>
“Mr. Knight doesn’t get drunk easily p>
“Mr. Knight?” Hazel’s eyebrows shot up. “You call him Mr. Knight? Even when you’re naked p>
My face burned. “I didn’t say that p>
“You didn’t deny it either.” A wicked grin spread across her face. “Oh my god, you totally do! That’s kinky as hell, Madison p>
“Stop it,” I groaned, throwing the pillow at her.
She caught it easily, still grinning. “Does he make you call him ‘sit‘ too? Or ‘daddy p>
“I’m leaving.” I made a show of standing up.
“No, wait!” She grabbed my wrist, laughing. “I’m sorry. Stay. I’ll behave p>
I reluctantly sat back down. “You’re impossible p>
“I’m your best friend. It’s my job to give you shit.” She patted my knee. “But seriously, if you want to know about Katherine, just ask him. What’s the worst that could happen p>
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.