Auction
776 Words
Two weeks later, Katheryne and Henrik attended a high-profile charity auction at the city’s art museum. The place was all marble arches, gold accents, and the faint murmur of old money conversations.
Katheryne wore a crimson gown with an open back, the kind that turned heads without trying. Henrik, in a black suit and crisp white shirt, looked as though he belonged in a glossy magazine.
They had been there less than twenty minutes when Katheryne spotted him—Daniel Mercer. Her ex. A man the press once called “the perfect match” for her, until his betrayal had taught her that perfection was often a performance.
And he was walking toward her.
“Stay close,” she murmured to Henrik without breaking her smile.
Daniel stopped in front of them, his eyes flicking briefly over Henrik before settling on her. “Katheryne. You look… stunning.”
“Daniel,” she replied, polite but cool. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“I’m on the auction committee,” he said, then turned to Henrik with a faint smirk. “And you are…?”
Henrik’s expression didn’t change. “Her husband.”
Daniel’s smirk faltered. “Husband?”
Henrik stepped closer, resting his hand lightly at Katheryne’s waist. The touch was warm, steady, and—if she were honest—far too convincing. “Yes. And she looks even more stunning when you’re not around.”
Katheryne almost laughed, but Daniel’s jaw tightened. “I see. Well, I wish you both… happiness.”
When he walked away, Henrik kept his hand at her waist. “Did I overdo it?” he asked quietly.
She turned to him, intending to say yes, but instead found herself caught in his gaze. The noise of the auction faded, and suddenly, it didn’t feel like acting.
“You did fine,” she said, her voice softer than she meant.
They were still standing close when a photographer passed by, camera clicking. Henrik didn’t move away. Instead, he leaned down, his lips brushing her temple in a gesture so natural it almost undid her.
The flash went off again. Somewhere, she knew, that photo would end up in the morning papers.
And for the first time, she wasn’t sure if she cared.
The morning headlines screamed from every newsstand and social media feed:
“Katheryne Hart and Henrik Orava: The New Power Couple?”
“Is This Billionaire Romance for Real?”
“Photos Reveal Intimate Moments Between Hart Heiress and Janitor-Turned-Husband”
Katheryne sat at her kitchen table, scrolling through the endless flood of comments and articles. The carefully constructed barrier between her private life and the public eye was cracking fast.
Henrik appeared behind her, a quiet presence. “They’re going to keep pushing the story,” he said, sipping his coffee. “How do you want to handle it?”
She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “We have to play along. The board is already on edge, and if we don’t control the narrative, they’ll tear us apart.”
Before Henrik could respond, her phone buzzed sharply. The caller ID made her heart skip—Stanley.
Stanley Grant. Her ex-boyfriend, once the brightest star in her life, now a lingering shadow she had tried to forget.
She hesitated, then answered. “Hello?”
“Katheryne,” his voice was smooth, confident, just like old times. “I saw the pictures. Looks like you’ve got quite the new partner.”
She kept her voice steady. “Yes. It’s complicated.”
“Maybe I can help with that,” he said, the underlying challenge unmistakable. “I want to see you. Talk. Like we used to.”
Katheryne’s pulse quickened, memories flooding back. But this time, she was stronger.
“Stanley,” she said firmly, “I’m married now—to Henrik. And I don’t want you in my life anymore.”
There was a pause, then his voice lowered, edged with bitterness. “You don’t want me… when you need me the most.”
Her voice was unwavering. “I don’t need someone who only shows up when it’s convenient. I’m done with that chapter. Please don’t call again.”
The line went dead before she could say more.
Henrik appeared beside her, concern in his eyes. “Stanley?”
She nodded. “An old chapter I thought was closed.”
Henrik reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. “Whatever comes next, we face it together.”
Katheryne looked at him, the man who had entered her life as a contract but was quickly becoming so much more.
“Together,” she agreed.
- Writer
