After the shooting in District 11, Peacekeepers force Katniss and Peeta back into the Justice Building. Haymitch quickly pulls them away from microphones and leads them to a hidden, dusty dome where they can speak privately. There, Peeta recounts the whistle, salute, and murder of the old man, and Katniss finally explains President Snow's warning: Panem is unstable, Katniss's berry stunt has become a symbol of resistance, and the Victory Tour was supposed to restore the love story and calm the districts.

Peeta reacts with fury when he realizes Katniss and Haymitch have kept this from him. Peeta argues that his own family and friends are also at risk and that he cannot help unless he knows the truth. Katniss agrees they were wrong, and Peeta also reveals an older hurt: in the arena, Haymitch appeared to support Katniss while giving Peeta nothing. Haymitch admits he chose to invest in Katniss because, before the rules changed, he thought only one tribute could survive and believed Peeta would help bring Katniss home.

Back downstairs, Katniss struggles to compose herself for the evening's dinner while replaying the execution in her mind. Effie complains that District 11 officials have begun treating the team harshly, which reassures Katniss that the regime is tightening control after the unrest. Before their entrance, Peeta apologizes for yelling at Katniss, and the two agree there is no point in hiding things from each other anymore. Peeta then asks whether Katniss kissed Gale only once, reminding Katniss that his feelings remain personal as well as political.

The rest of the Victory Tour becomes a grim routine of ceremonies, speeches, dinners, and train rides. Katniss and Peeta strictly follow the Capitol's script and perform an increasingly intense romance in public, but Katniss sees that rebellion is spreading anyway, especially in Districts 8, 4, and 3. Crowds respond to Katniss with a mix of hope and rage, and Peacekeepers face open resistance. Privately, Katniss stops sleeping, suffers worsening nightmares, and lets Peeta hold her at night as they did in the arena; the intimacy becomes train gossip, but Katniss hopes President Snow hears about it.

By the time they reach the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta are exhausted and desperate. To strengthen their story, Katniss suggests a public marriage proposal, though Haymitch notes Peeta wanted that future to be genuine, not staged. During Caesar Flickerman's interview, Peeta proposes and Katniss accepts, delighting the Capitol and audiences across Panem. But when President Snow appears afterward, Katniss silently asks whether the performance was enough, and Snow answers with a tiny shake of his head, confirming that their efforts have failed to stop what is coming.