In Paris after the French Grand Prix, Katarina steps onto the hotel terrace so she will not wake Heath and calls Sheila back. Sheila answers immediately and, in her usual calm tone, scolds Katarina for making a public spectacle of herself, not only through the provocative way she and Heath skated but through their behavior around the city afterward.

As Sheila criticizes her, Katarina realizes how quickly details of their private night have reached the other side of the world. That realization, combined with Veronika Volkova’s earlier warning about how the sport works, makes Katarina suspect Sheila is not merely reacting to media coverage but helping shape it. Katarina reflects that Sheila has never ignored the press; instead, Sheila uses publicity to control narratives and protect her own interests.

Katarina then reinterprets Heath and her return to the Lin Ice Academy. She understands that Sheila never truly welcomed them back after they derailed Bella and Garrett’s Olympic path. By keeping Katarina and Heath under her authority, Sheila could contain them as a threat and, if necessary, damage their image so her own children would stand out more favorably.

Angry at Sheila’s control and at herself for missing it, Katarina tells Sheila that she and Heath have learned all they can at the Lin Ice Academy. Though Katarina wants the words to sound forceful, she feels exposed and vulnerable as she says them. Sheila responds coldly that it is Katarina’s life, and then ends the call.

When Heath appears in the doorway, Katarina only says that she spoke to Sheila, but Heath immediately understands from her expression that something has changed. He brings Katarina back to bed and comforts her, insisting that they do not need Sheila and that they only need each other. Katarina clings to that reassurance, even if only for the moment.