Heath intercepts Katarina and Garrett outside the party and pointedly remarks on seeing them alone together. Garrett starts to explain, but Katarina realizes Garrett is about to reveal the truth about his sexuality and stops him by taking Garrett’s hand and acting as if Heath has no claim on her. Katarina chooses to protect Garrett, even though it means escalating the confrontation with Heath.

Fueled by champagne and years of hurt, Katarina lashes out at Heath for disappearing for three years and then acting jealous and possessive. Heath answers that they can never return to the past because Katarina destroyed that possibility, which deepens the fight instead of clarifying what happened. Katarina demands to know where Heath was, making clear that his absence has remained an open wound.

Bella arrives from the party to summon the skaters for the midnight toast and walks into the standoff. When Bella assumes the tension is about her kiss with Heath, Katarina snaps that not everything is about Bella and then throws Heath’s past hostility toward Bella back at both of them. Heath denies hating Bella and says he hated who Katarina became around her, exposing how much resentment still surrounds their old triangle.

As the New Year’s countdown begins, Katarina steps close to Heath and deliberately tries to wound him. She whispers that Heath hated her success, hated that she did not need him, and knew he was never enough for her. When midnight arrives, the crowd celebrates around them, but Katarina experiences the moment as a private declaration of war: the Olympic year has begun, and she vows to make Heath regret everything.