Step 5: Become Aphrodite Herself

The air hung heavy with unspoken tension as Katherine stood before Caroline and Castiel, her arrival as unexpected as a rogue wave crashing upon a calm beach. Their faces, etched with shock, were a testament to this fact, expressions Katherine wished she could capture on her phone to show Hailey, her best friend, for a good laugh.

"Why do you guys look so shocked to see me here?" Katherine asked, her voice laced with a playful lilt. "You sent me your wedding invitation, so naturally I came back to good old Willow Haven."

She gestured towards the sprawling estate, its manicured lawns and imposing facade unchanged despite the years. It was a place steeped in memories, both bitter and sweet, a physical manifestation of a past Katherine thought she had left behind.

The silence that followed her statement felt thick with unspoken words, a chasm of emotions Katherine knew she couldn't ignore. "You see," she continued, her voice now laced with a touch of bitterness, "when I caught you two in my matrimonial bed... I knew a divorce was coming. But I never quite expected you to actually get married. You guys surprised me first, so congrats."

Caroline's eyes narrowed, a flicker of barely suppressed rage simmering beneath the surface. "You and I both know you're not here to tell us congrats, what do you want?" she hissed, her voice laced with the venom of a cobra ready to strike.

Katherine's smile remained unwavering, her composure unshakeable. "Not everyone has ulterior motives when doing things, unlike you... sister." The last word, a veiled accusation, hung in the air like a sharp, barbed hook.

She turned to Castiel, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment. He still looked surprised, and slightly bewildered, by her sudden appearance. His face, once so familiar, now seemed distant, a stranger in a landscape of fading memories. "It's been a while, Cas," she said, her voice softer now, almost wistful.

Castiel, as if jolted from a dream, cleared his throat, the sound echoing the unspoken question in the air. "Likewise, Katherine." He struggled to meet her gaze, his eyes flitting back to Caroline as if seeking reassurance. His voice was guarded, the familiarity she had once known replaced by a formality that spoke of a distance carefully constructed. "Welcome back."

She inwardly scoffed as Castiel's response.

Katherine caught the shift in his demeanor, a subtle shift in his body language that betrayed his inner turmoil. She smiled, a radiant, confident smile that was at odds with the icy words she had spoken. "I see the news," she said, her voice now laced with a calculated nonchalance. "How people say that Caroline is just a replacement for me. I want to help by taking part in the wedding planning process... so rumors of such kind will end."

Caroline scoffed, her icy gaze piercing Katherine. "Absolutely not." She leaned against Castiel, her hand resting on his arm, a possessive gesture that left Katherine with a bitter taste in her mouth. "I appreciate your offer, but the media will soon discover that a jewel can't be a substitute for a useless rock. It'll only be a matter of time."

Katherine's smile remained, unwavering and unsettling in its self-assurance. "I suppose so," she countered, her voice deceptively innocent. She glanced at Castiel again, a flicker of something in her eyes that sent shivers down Caroline's spine. "Then again, it'll be a stretch to consider yourself a jewel."

Caroline's eyes flashed, her composure cracking like a fragile vase. "What did you say to me?" she snarled, her voice edged with fury.

If Katherine had been the same timid teenager who had once trembled before Caroline's rage, she might have cowered. But the years had transformed her, forging her into a woman of steel. The fear she had once felt was replaced by a cool resolve.

"How dare you-" Caroline lunged forward, her hand raised to strike Katherine, her fury making her movements as swift as a viper. But her attack was abruptly halted, a strong hand grabbing her arm and pulling her back, preventing her from unleashing the torrent of anger she had bottled up.

"Nope, definitely not on my birthday." The man's voice, deep and resonant, cut through the tension. He stood beside Castiel, his presence as imposing as the oak trees lining the driveway. He was just as tall as Castiel, around six foot two, and built with a similar athletic grace, the muscles beneath his fitted shirt hinting at a strength that could be both intimidating and reassuring. His hair, a light shade of brown, framed a face that was both handsome and rugged, and his eyes, hazel with flecks of green, held a warmth that contrasted sharply with Caroline's icy glare.

Katherine's heart, which had spiked with a mixture of fear and adrenaline as Caroline had moved towards her, now plummeted. She had momentarily believed that she could stand her ground, but the reality was that despite the facade of strength, her insides were a fragile, quivering mess. Her salvation had come not from her own strength but from the intervention of a stranger.

Katherine stared back at him, trying to decipher the emotions hidden beneath the surface of his calmness. There was a strength in his gaze, a determination that both intrigued and frightened her. He was an unknown variable in this complex equation, a force that she knew nothing about.

"Zayn?" Caroline said with dumbfounded blink.

The man released Caroline's arm-or rather, she wrestled with him to get her arm out of his grip, and he let her go, albeit reluctantly. Her eyes blazed with defiance, a stark contrast to the golden surroundings of the grand ballroom. Chandeliers glittered overhead, casting shimmering light across the room filled with elegantly dressed guests. The faint hum of classical music still played in the background, setting a sophisticated, yet tense atmosphere.

"Control your woman, Castiel," the man sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "The last thing I want is a bunch of headlines about your wife going around slapping people on my birthday gala." He adjusted his cufflinks, his demeanor exuding arrogance and authority.

Caroline's chest heaved with frustration as she glanced around, taking in the sea of curious onlookers who pretended to be engrossed in their conversations and drinks. Her pulse raced, the adrenaline from the confront

ation making her feel somewhat vulnerable.