Step 2: Do not show weakness

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Katherine’s heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the backdrop of the grand ballroom. The air thrummed with the orchestrated buzz of an elite gathering, a symphony of champagne flutes clinking and the murmur of hushed conversations.  She had infiltrated the soirée, a carefully crafted masquerade ball thrown by Castiel Mikaelson, the man who held the key to unlocking the secrets that plagued her family's legacy. 

Her phone, a lifeline to her confidante and co-conspirator, Hailey, felt heavy in her clutch. The mission, as Hailey had emphasized, wasn't about meticulously following a plan; it was about navigating a field of shifting sands, adjusting her approach with each unexpected gust of wind. 

Castiel's voice, a baritone smooth as velvet, sliced through the chatter. Katherine's gaze darted across the ballroom, landing on him at the center of the room. He stood beside a makeshift stage, a microphone clutched in his hand, his piercing grey eyes scanning the faces of the assembled guests. The man radiating power and control, exuding an aura of authority.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Castiel began, his voice a low rumble that resonated through the room. "I'm Castiel Mikaelson, as you all already know." 

He paused, allowing his words to settle. Katherine’s breath hitched. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be doing, what she was supposed to be feeling. She was not standing paralyzed by a familiar voice. 

“This party," Castiel continued, "is not about business or celebrating a holiday. It's to celebrate a very special person, who was there for me when no one was.” 

"You see, when I first inherited my grandfather's companies at the age of eighteen, I had no one to turn to for help or guidance. I was pretty much alone, until he showed up." 

Katherine’s anger escalated.  He was saying he was alone?  How could he say that when she was right here?  How could he forget about her?  But he was so focused on his speech, so caught up in the moment, that he didn't seem to notice her, didn't seem to remember her.

“Without this special person, I’m pretty sure the companies wouldn’t have been as successful as they are today. And I’m really grateful for that. He’s not only been a great advisor and confidant, he’s also been a friend who I trust so much, which is rare to come by these days.”  

Katherine felt a pang of self-pity, a familiar feeling of being invisible.  It was as though she had been no one to him.  

“Happy birthday, Zayn Hogan. I wish you many more years ahead of you, you’re a true brother,”  Castiel concluded, raising his glass in a toast. 

The crowd erupted in a flurry of polite claps and cheers, a symphony of social approval that seemed to echo the sentiment Castiel had expressed.  Zayn Hogan, the man who had apparently been a pillar of support, a true brother.  Katherine couldn't help but wonder who this man was, how he had woven himself so deeply into Castiel’s life.

Had she been so deep in depression that she hadn't realized that Cas had a friend like this at the time?

How was she so busy wallowing in self pity and grief over her unborn children to that point? 

Katherine sighed and turned away from him.

Katherine snatched her phone from her purse, her fingers fumbling with the buttons as she dialed Hailey’s number.  She needed to know what to do, how to proceed. 

“Sup, Kat?” Hailey’s voice, chipper and optimistic, was a stark contrast to the churning emotions churning inside Katherine.

“What next?”  Katherine asked, her voice tight with a mixture of frustration and uncertainty.  She couldn’t believe that she had actually gotten into the party, but now she was lost, adrift in a sea of unfamiliar faces and unfamiliar emotions.

“Huh?”  Hailey’s voice held a note of amusement. 

“What do I do now?” Katherine insisted. “I’m at the party.  What next?”

She could practically hear Hailey sigh on the other end of the line.  “And here I was thinking you’d actually get through the evening without calling me.”

Katherine bristled.  “Come on, Hailey, this was all your idea!”

“Well, do you see Castiel and Caroline?” Hailey asked, switching gears as she honed in on the mission’s objective.

Katherine quickly scanned the crowd, but Castiel was the only familiar face. “Just Castiel.”

“Go up to him and start a conversation,” Hailey instructed, her voice firm yet encouraging.  “Remember to be witty and sarcastic, do not show weakness!”

Katherine nodded, even though Hailey couldn’t see her. “Yes, yes,” she murmured. 

“Be confident,” Hailey continued, her voice filled with a quiet authority that Katherine found reassuring. “Caroline might say some bullshit to try and tear you down, but you’re literally a queen right now. Don’t let her get to you.”

Katherine gripped the phone tighter, the familiar sting of Caroline’s passive-aggressive barbs resonating deep within her.  She could almost feel those cutting words aimed at her, her weaknesses exposed, her vulnerabilities laid bare. “Of course,” she said, her voice stronger than she felt.

“You can do this, Kat.” Hailey’s voice was a gentle affirmation, a voice of support in a world that often felt hostile.

“Yes,” Katherine whispered, “I can.”  She felt a surge of confidence, a determination to prove Hailey right, to prove to herself that she could do this, that she could navigate this complex labyrinth of deceit and secrets. 

As the phone call ended, Katherine straightened her shoulders, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.  She moved towards the bar, her gaze fixed on Castiel, who was now engaged in a conversation with a group of guests.   She needed a drink, a little liquid confidence, to steel her nerves before she confronted the man who had, without realizing it,  become the object of her most desperate and determined quest.  

Katherine sipped her second glass and knew she would have to stop her before she got more intoxicated than she needed to be, when she was done she stood up an

d made her way to where Castiel stood now with his future wife.