Beijing, China – A Woman Lost in Regret

(Third-Person POV)

The bustling streets of Beijing were filled with life—people walking, neon signs flickering, and the faint sounds of traffic humming in the background. But amidst the liveliness of the city, one woman stood alone in the cold, wrapped in an expensive fur coat, her eyes dark with frustration and despair.

Katerina Maa.

The once proud and untouchable CEO, now nothing more than a woman desperately searching for something—for someone.

For Henry Hans.

She had searched everywhere, pulled every connection, hired the best trackers—but there was nothing.

Not a single clue about where Henry had gone.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "Damn it… where are you?"

Inside her luxury penthouse, Katerina sat in silence, staring at the man kneeling before her, bruised, battered, and barely able to breathe.

Oberan.

Her former assistant. The man who had once thought he could replace Henry.

The man who had fed her lust, knowing well that she had been weak, vulnerable, and foolish.

She had let herself fall into temptation. And now?

She was paying the price.

She stepped closer to him, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

"You told him, didn't you?" Her voice was cold, but inside, she was burning with regret.

Oberan coughed, blood dripping from the corner of his lips. "I… I thought I was doing the right thing."

Katerina laughed bitterly. "The right thing? You sent him photos of us together. You destroyed my marriage before I even realized I wanted to fight for it."

Oberan spat blood onto the floor. "You were the one in my bed, Katerina. Not him."

She froze.

Her breath hitched.

He was right.

She had let it happen. She had fallen.

Henry had loved her once. But she? She had let her desires ruin everything.

Katerina turned away, hiding the tears that threatened to fall.

"Leave." Her voice trembled, but she steadied herself. "Before I decide to end you completely."

Oberan chuckled weakly. "You're not the same woman anymore, Katerina."

She closed her eyes. "I know."

After Oberan left, Katerina poured herself a drink, but the whiskey burned differently tonight.

She sat on the couch, her mind haunted by a single memory—

Henry standing in the doorway, looking at her in another man's arms.

She had never seen that look in his eyes before.

Not rage.

Not hate.

Just… pain.

Pure, silent, gut-wrenching pain.

And then?

He had just turned around and walked away.

No screaming. No fighting.

He simply gave up on her.

She gripped the glass tightly, her entire body trembling.

"I was a fool."

She had taken his love for granted. Thought he would always stay, that he would always forgive.

But Henry Hans was not a man to be betrayed.

And now?

She would give anything to take it all back.

But it was too late.

He was gone.

Days turned into weeks, and Katerina used every resource at her disposal to track Henry down.

But no matter how deep she searched, she found nothing.

It was as if he had vanished from the world.

One night, standing on the rooftop of a Beijing skyscraper, she stared at the city lights below, her heart heavy with regret.

She whispered to herself, "Where are you, Henry?"

Katerina stood on the rooftop, the cold wind whipping through her hair as she stared at the endless city lights.

Her thoughts were a mess—regret, frustration, longing.

Then—

A voice behind her.

"Ms. Maa."

She turned sharply, her heart pounding as she saw a familiar face.

Mr. Lin.

Henry's divorce lawyer.

In his hands, he held a neatly bound set of papers.

Her breath hitched.

She already knew what they were.

Mr. Lin adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable. "I was instructed to deliver this to you personally."

He handed her the divorce copy, and as her fingers trembled around the paper, she read the words she had dreaded.

> Official Divorce Declaration

As per the clause originally drafted by Mr. Henry Hans, due to six months of no contact, this divorce is now legally binding and irreversible.

Her chest tightened.

The last thin thread connecting her to Henry… was now gone.

Her vision blurred slightly as she looked up at Mr. Lin.

"No… there has to be something I can do." Her voice shook. "A loophole, an appeal—"

Mr. Lin sighed, shaking his head. "Ms. Maa, Mr. Hans left nothing to chance. The moment six months passed, the document became law."

Her legs felt weak, but she forced herself to stay composed.

Then, a thought hit her.

She straightened, her CEO mindset kicking in.

If she couldn't get Henry back legally—

She would find him herself.

Her eyes locked onto Mr. Lin's. "I'll give you $100 million."

He blinked. "Excuse me?"

She stepped closer, her voice urgent. "No, wait—$200 million."

Mr. Lin looked at her in shock.

"$200 million," she repeated, her fingers gripping the divorce papers. "Just tell me where he is. Where did he go?"

For a moment, silence.

Then—Mr. Lin sighed deeply, rubbing his temple.

"Ms. Maa… even if that money could build me my own law firm, I can't tell you where he is."

Her eyes burned. "Why not?"

He adjusted his tie. "Because I don't know."

She froze.

Mr. Lin's voice was calm but firm. "The last time I spoke to Mr. Hans, he was in Norway. That's all I know."

Norway.

That was her only lead.

Step Three – Acceptance or the Chase?

She looked down at the divorce papers, her hands shaking slightly.

She had never thought this day would come.

She had always assumed that Henry would still be there—no matter what.

But now?

She had lost him. Completely.

And for the first time in her life, Katerina Maa had no idea what to do next.

Beijing – The Isolation of Regret

(Third-Person POV)

Katerina sat alone in her luxurious office cabin, the city skyline stretching endlessly beyond the glass walls.

The divorce papers lay untouched on her desk, the weight of them heavier than any business deal she had ever handled.

Her fingers traced the edge of the documents, her mind spiraling.

She had everything—power, money, influence.

But tonight, it felt like she had nothing.

The room was eerily quiet, save for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall.

Her assistant had left hours ago.

The calls had stopped.

The world was moving on.

But she?

She was stuck—trapped in a moment she could never undo.

Her eyes burned, but she refused to cry.

"Damn you, Henry." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Why did you leave me so easily?"

But she already knew the answer.

She had broken him.

And unlike other men, Henry Hans wasn't someone who stayed after betrayal.

Her gaze drifted to the photo frame on her desk.

A picture from years ago—her and Henry, standing together at a business gala.

She had been laughing, leaning into him. His arm was wrapped protectively around her waist.

They had been happy.

And she had ruined it.

She clenched her fists, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "I was such a fool."

Her eyes closed, and suddenly, she was drowning in memories.

—Henry waiting for her late at night, worried she was overworking herself.

—His rare, genuine smiles meant only for her.

—His eyes darkening the night he found out the truth.

The look of pain.

The way he had turned and walked away without a word.

Step Three – The Realization That Hurts Most

Katerina leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling.

She had thought lust was just a fleeting mistake.

She had convinced herself that Henry would understand.

But she had underestimated how much he truly loved her.

She had been his world.

And she had burned it down.

Now?

She was just another stranger to him.

The thought made her stomach twist in ways she wasn't used to.

For the first time in her life—

Katerina Maa regretted something she couldn't fix.