(Third-Person POV)
Katerina sat alone in her luxurious penthouse, the glow from the massive TV screen illuminating her otherwise dimly lit living room.
She had been distracting herself with business reports, stock updates, anything to keep her mind occupied.
But then—
She saw the basketball ga.
Her hand froze over her wine glass.
Henry loved basketball.
Even back when they were together, he would always find ti to watch gas, sotis even dragging her to matches she didn't care about.
She had teased him for being so invested in it.
And now?
She was sitting here, watching alone.
The ga had ended, and the news anchor was on the screen, standing courtside with a microphone, ready to take audience reactions.
"Now let's hear what the fans think about today's performance!"
The cara panned to the crowd. Fans in jerseys, cheering, talking excitedly—
Then her breath caught in her throat.
Step One – The Man She Lost
Among the crowd, laughing and carefree, stood a man she would recognize anywhere.
Henry.
But not the man she rembered.
No, this Henry looked... different.
His dark hair was slightly longer, effortlessly tousled. His usual cold, sharp expression? Gone.
Instead, he was grinning, his golden eyes glinting with genuine enjoynt.
And then—he laughed.
Not a smirk.
Not a bitter chuckle.
A real, carefree laugh.
Sothing she hadn't heard in years.
Sothing he had never shown her.
Her grip tightened around her wine glass.
The news anchor, noticing Henry's commanding presence, turned the mic toward him.
"Hey, you! You look like you hit the gym every day! What's your na?"
Henry grinned, shaking his head. "No nas, man. Just a fan here to enjoy the ga."
Katerina's heart ached.
He didn't even want his na known.
The anchor laughed. "Alright, mystery man! But seriously, tell us—how big are those biceps? People are saying you look like you live in the gym."
Henry chuckled, rolling up his black compression sleeves slightly, revealing arms even more defined than she rembered.
Katerina's eyes widened.
He had always been strong, but now?
It was like he had been chiseled from stone.
Then ca the words that hit her like a slap.
Henry smirked, casually running a hand through his hair.
"I'm single, got nothing better to do, so I work out a lot."
Katerina froze.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Single.
Nothing better to do.
Nothing better to do?
Their entire marriage, she had thought Henry was just a man of few words, soone who didn't express emotions easily.
But here he was—carefree, laughing, joking around with strangers.
He had been capable of this all along.
Just never with her.
The screen flashed to another fan speaking, but Katerina wasn't listening anymore.
Her mind spun.
Her heart ached.
She had spent months trying to find him, to fix what was broken.
But the man on that screen?
He didn't need fixing.
He had already moved on.
And she?
She was the one stuck in the past.
(Henry's POV)
The crisp winter air filled my lungs as I walked through the busy streets of Oslo, hands tucked in my pockets. The city was alive with activity—people chatting, tourists snapping pictures, street vendors selling warm pastries.
And yet, my mind was still stuck on basketball.
I chuckled to myself. "Damn, I never thought I'd actually love the ga this much."
Before rging with Henry, I never even cared about it. But now? It was like a part of had awakened, and I couldn't get enough.
The adrenaline. The fast plays. The competition.
It was thrilling.
I smirked. "Guess I really did change."
Then, just as I turned a corner—
I froze.
Katerina.
Standing across the street, dressed in an elegant black trench coat, her long hair cascading down her shoulders, her eyes scanning the crowd.
For a mont, I wondered if she had seen .
Then her gaze landed on .
Her entire body stiffened.
I exhaled slowly, adjusting the scarf around my neck.
I knew what I had to do.
Because I wasn't Henry Hans anymore.
At least, not to her.
Before I left my old identity behind, past Henry had planned an escape route.
New na. New passport. New life.
And I was going to use it.
As far as the world was concerned, I wasn't Henry Hans.
I was Liberty.
And Liberty had no history with Katerina Maa.
So, I did what I planned from the beginning.
I ignored her.
Katerina's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to call out—
But I was already walking away.
No hesitation. No acknowledgnt.
Just another stranger passing by.
I could feel her staring at , searching for sothing, for any kind of reaction.
But she would get nothing.
I smirked slightly, pulling my scarf higher as I blended into the crowd.
I was just about to disappear into the crowd, my plan working perfectly—
Until I felt a hand wrap around my waist.
Katerina.
Her grip was tight, almost desperate. Like she was afraid I would slip away forever.
For a split second, I considered shaking her off roughly.
But no.
That's not what past Henry planned.
That's not what I planned.
I stopped in my tracks, took a slow breath, and then—
I turned.
My golden eyes t hers, but they held no warmth, no recognition.
Just calm indifference.
Her lips parted, her breathing uneven. "Henry—"
I gently, but firmly, removed her hand from my waist.
"I'm sorry, miss." My voice was smooth, polite, yet distant. "I believe you're mistaken."
Her eyes widened. "Henry, stop this. I know it's you."
I tilted my head slightly, my expression unreadable.
"I'm afraid you must have confused with soone else. My na is Liberty."
Her fingers trembled slightly, but she refused to let go completely.
"Don't do this," she whispered, her voice barely above the noise of the street.
I exhaled softly, my expression gentle but unyielding.
"Miss, I truly don't know who you are."
She flinched, as if I had physically struck her.
For a mont, she just stared at , searching my face for sothing—anything—that resembled the man she once knew.
But she wouldn't find it.
Because Henry Hans was gone.
And I would never give her the satisfaction of knowing otherwise.
With a polite nod, I stepped back.
"Have a good evening."
And with that—
I turned around and walked away.
Without looking back.
Without hesitation.
I kept walking, my pace steady, my expression calm.
Behind , I could still feel her presence, still sense her standing frozen in place, watching go.
She wouldn't chase after .
Not after that.
Because Katerina Maa was a smart woman.
She knew what I had done just now.
I hadn't just ignored her.
I had erased her.
I smirked slightly, adjusting my scarf as I stepped further into the city.
"That should put an end to it."
Or at least, it should have.
(Third-Person POV)
Katerina stood there, her hand still slightly raised, as if reaching for sothing already long gone.
Her heart pounded in her chest, but not from excitent.
From pure disbelief.
He had looked her straight in the eyes and told her he didn't know her.
Not coldly.
Not angrily.
Just politely. Calmly.
Like she was nothing.
Like she had never been his wife.
Her fingers curled into fists as a bitter laugh escaped her lips.
"So that's how far you're willing to go, Henry?" she whispered to herself.
She had expected resentnt.
She had even been ready for him to curse her, mock her, or hate her.
But this?
This was worse.
This was complete erasure.
As if she had never even been part of his story.
She turned away slowly, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from shaking.
He was gone.
And maybe, just maybe—
he wasn't coming back.
(Henry's POV)
I reached a quiet alley, finally stepping out of the crowd.
For a brief mont, I closed my eyes and exhaled.
It was done.
The final tie to my past had been severed.
Now, I had nothing left to hold back.
And that was exactly how I wanted it.
I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.
After a few rings, a familiar voice answered.
"You finally done dealing with ghosts?"
I smirked. "Yeah, Samuel. I'm done."
There was a short pause before he chuckled.
"Good. Then let's get back to business."
I glanced back at the city one last ti before walking forward.
"Yeah. Let's do it."
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