Chapter: Chapter 29 - VictoryPost-game, the treatment room is quieter than the arena outside.Mia works through the shoulder assessment methodically—range of motion, muscle response, the scar tissue that's been her primary concern for weeks. It holds. Everything holds.She exhales without meaning to make a sound."Good recovery," she says, noting it in the file. "You followed the protocol this time. If you drink tonight and feel any stiffness in the joint, contact me immediately." She's already reaching for her pen. "And one more thing—"His hand closes around her forearm.Not a grip—more like a question, his palm warm against her skin, the calluses she knows by touch now.She goes still.He can wrap his whole hand around her arm, he thinks. How is she this small and this relentless at the same time."Thank you," he says. Direct, unhurried, his gray-blue eyes finding hers without deflection. "Not just for today. For every session since the first one."Her lashes move. The warmth travels up her face before she can
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-13
Chapter: Chapter 28 - Attack and DefenseThe treatment room is quiet this morning. When Mia's fingers have barely touched Elias's shoulder blade, she hears the faint shuffle of movement in the corridor.Two of the ball staff, angled to catch the line of his back in the morning light.Since the Instagram post, there have been visitors. She's learned to close the blinds now—a habit she's developed without examining why it bothers her, because the answer to that question is inconvenient.She reaches for the cupping set."Traditional sports therapy," she says, placing the first glass with precise suction against his trapezius. "Improves muscle elasticity. We haven't tried this yet."Elias's gray-blue eyes flicker. He doesn't object."You're bruised." He's looking at her forearm—the purple bloom where she walked into a desk corner yesterday, thinking about Lisa, not watching where she was going."I wasn't paying attention. Stay still. You ask more questions than my patients at home.""I'm curious about you specifically." He says
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-13
Chapter: Chapter 27 - What We Don't Say"Look at this." Lisa slides her phone across the lunch table before Mia has finished her first bite.The arena's official account has posted the treatment session footage—dry needling, Elias's shoulder, Mia's hands moving with careful precision across the muscle.It's already trending.Mia reads the comments.@GoldBall: Why does she look so familiar? I've seen her somewhere before.@HoneyHockeyBoy: Is it just me or does our hockey robot look like he's enjoying this.......The comment sections are, as it turns out, extraordinary.She nearly doesn't make it to the training observation session on time because of it.Lisa drags her away from her phone.They watch the training from the viewing area, Lisa filming the session highlights for the pre-match promotion reel, Mia noting shoulder mechanics and rotation angles with the part of her brain that doesn't get distracted by Instagram comment sections.Elias moves through drills with the particular focus that settles over him on the ice—ev
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-13
Chapter: Chapter 26 - SweetThe activity room smells like butter and warm sugar before they're even through the door.Mia stands at her station in a daisy-print apron, hands in gloves, staring at the ingredients arranged in front of her.Back home, her territory was pasta and whatever her mother left in the fridge. Baked goods require a precision she respects but does not possess.The children at her table watch her with patient, enormous eyes.She picks up the flour bag. The seal is industrial-grade and her gloves are slippery and she is getting absolutely nowhere with this."Is that bag giving you trouble?"She turns.Elias has rolled his sleeves to the elbow and is wearing a shark-print apron, and he's walking toward her with the expression of someone who has been watching this unfold for a moment and found it endearing."The gloves make it difficult," she says, holding the bag up.Elias opens the bag in one motion and hands it back.The children watch this exchange with the silent intensity of an audience th
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-13
Chapter: Chapter 25 - Team EventOctober arrives in Toronto. Temperature is dropping daily, the maples are going red and gold in a way that feels slightly aggressive about it.Mia wears a cream knit sweater to the office, soft and fitted, her hair in a low bun with a few strands loose at the nape.She's been cross-referencing her treatment schedule with her academic timetable, which is the kind of problem she finds satisfying, when Lisa arrives at speed."Children's home visit tomorrow," Lisa announces, pushing through the door with the energy of someone delivering excellent news. "Team outreach. Every department sends a few people. It's a baking activity."Mia looks up. "Baking.""Don't panic. There will be groups." Lisa drops into the chair across from her. "Lunch first? I'll brief you fully.""I need to let Ellie know I can't make dinner." Mia is already reaching for her phone. She types quickly, apologizes thoroughly, promises a rescheduled date with Lisa included.Ellie's response arrives in forty seconds.[Elli
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-10
Chapter: Chapter 24 - Three DaysThe treatment room light is warm and amber, and Mia pushes the door open with the private hope that the room will be empty.It isn't.Elias is already there, face-down on the table, forearms crossed under his head.His right shoulder sits visibly higher than the left—swollen, faintly red in the lamplight, undoing a week of careful progress in what she estimates was approximately two days of reckless training."You overdid it," she says, setting her kit down. The metal instruments make a clean sound in the quiet room.He lifts his head. There are shadows under his eyes. "Post-season starts next week.""Which is exactly why you should have listened to me." She pulls on gloves and presses two fingers to the swollen area—the heat coming off it is immediate, almost aggressive. He makes a sound low in his throat. "You promised.""I remember.""Muscle overload before a playoff run is how careers end early." She keeps her voice clinical, which requires more effort than usual."If this progres
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-10
Nothing But Pretend
Three years into her marriage, Claire finally asks for a divorce.
She admits it—she got the better end of the deal. From nothing to something, she's the one who leveled up.
And that's exactly why Ethan has been cold, distant, almost wishing she'd just walk away.
She's human, not iron. This loveless marriage has left her drained, and the idea of ending it should feel freeing—but then he starts showing up.
Every day, sharp, confident, strutting around like he owns the place. Clattering in the kitchen, attempting to cook. Even bringing home a Samoyed puppy she's always adored.
Claire watches, equal parts exasperated and fascinated. Every time the divorce seems inevitable, he finds an excuse—sick, busy, a last-minute trip.
Everyone assumes his heart belongs to someone else. But all along, it's been hers.
A stubborn, prideful man, completely undone by the one woman he can't let go.
Baca
Chapter: Chapter 41 - A Lifetime ChaseThe euphoria of revenge fades quickly, replaced by the stinging reality of family.When Claire finally told her mother about the divorce, she expected anger. She didn't expect the venom."You've been married for three years! Why divorce now?" Her mother's voice had screeched over the phone, sharp enough to cut glass. "Ethan is rich, handsome, and decent. You threw away a golden ticket because you're spoiled!""I was unhappy!" Claire had screamed back, tears hot in her eyes. "Don't you care about my happiness?""Happiness? You married him for his face and his money! You chose this! You are just ungrateful!"The call ended with a slam.Claire sits in the dim light of the hotel bar, the bitter words echoing in her mind. Ungrateful. Spoiled.She grips her wine glass. Maybe her mother is right. Maybe she is just a vain woman who wanted a shiny trophy and then threw it away when it got too heavy.The alcohol burns her throat, but it doesn't numb the pain. Just as she reaches for the bottle
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-26
Chapter: Chapter 40 - She Is The PrizeTen days pass in a blink.Ethan is finally discharged from the hospital. As his health improves, the barrage of frantic, obsessive text messages begins to slow down.The man who used to send [Babe, look at me] every ten minutes now sends concise, robotic reports.[Breakfast finished. Taking medication now.] [Meeting with the board. Will be late.] [Goodnight, Miss Reed.]It is polite. It is distant. It is...normal.Claire sits in her office, staring at her silent phone. She tells herself she is relieved. The "madness period" is over. The stray dog has wandered off, back to his high-rise tower and his trillion-dollar empire.The farce is over. They are returning to their own lanes.But why does the silence feel so loud?She taps her fingernail against the screen. She remembers his feverish eyes. She remembers him barking for her without hesitation. She remembers the weight of his head on her stomach.Now, he has vanished."Good," Claire whispers to the empty room, tossing her phone onto
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-26
Chapter: Chapter 39 - Bark For MeClaire is stuffed.She leans back against the velvet sofa, letting out a soft, satisfied sigh. "Did you eat?" Claire asks lazily, finally noticing his intense gaze.Ethan's eyes light up instantly, like a switch has been flipped. "Are you worried about me?"Claire rolls her eyes. "I'm just asking. Don't be narcissistic."Ethan's smile dims slightly, but he doesn't look away. "I sent you messages," he says, his voice lowering into a husky register. "Did you see them?""I saw them," Claire admits, pulling out her phone and scrolling idly. "You talk too much."Ethan frowns. His brows knit together in a look of genuine grievance. "But I was restraining myself. I wanted to send a hundred more.""Don't look for excuses." Claire sneers playfully, enjoying the upper hand. "If you annoy me, I'll block you. If you don't want to be blocked, be obedient."Ethan purses his lips. He falls silent, looking at her with large, dark, wet eyes. He looks like a mute child who has been scolded.Claire cros
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-26
Chapter: Chapter 38 - Beg Me, Mr. LoweThe VIP suite at the hospital is larger than most apartments.Claire leans back on that sofa, scrolling through her phone, her legs crossed comfortably. The room is quiet, save for the hum of the air purifier. But the air feels heavy, charged with a sticky, palpable tension.She can feel it.Across the room, Ethan is watching her. He isn't reading. He isn't sleeping. He is just staring. His dark eyes trace every movement of her fingers, every shift of her hair, greedily drinking her in like a man dying of thirst.At 11:30 PM, Claire stands up."Where are you going?" Ethan's voice cuts through the silence instantly—low, tight, and laced with panic. He sits up straighter, his knuckles gripping the white sheets.Claire doesn't look back. She keeps walking toward the ensuite bathroom, her tone indifferent. "Shower."Ethan lets out a long exhale, his shoulders dropping. "Oh. Okay." It sounds like a sigh of relief. As if he was terrified she would vanish into thin air the moment she stood u
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-26
Chapter: Chapter 37 - The Stray Dog on a LeashClaire used to think Ethan Lowe was a block of ice. She never knew that beneath the ice lived a shameless, obsessive beast."Does the outside world know you act like this?" Claire gasps, trying to pry his iron arms from her waist. "Like a clingy child?""I don't care," Ethan mumbles, burying his face deeper into the fabric of her shirt, inhaling her scent like a drug."Hey," Claire warns, grabbing her phone. "I'm recording a video. If I post this, your reputation as the cold CEO is ruined."Ethan finally lifts his head. He doesn't hide. He looks straight into the camera lens, his eyes dark and heavy with feverish desire."Record it," he rasps, a smirk playing on his pale lips. "Let the whole world know I'm with you. Let them know you are my wife."Claire's heart skips a beat. He is insane."I need to remarry someday!" she snaps, panicking. "If people see my ex-husband clinging to me like an octopus, who will dare to marry me?""No one," Ethan growls, his grip tightening painfully. "Yo
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-26
Chapter: Chapter 36 - On His Knees for HerEthan walks into the VIP ward, expecting a quiet lecture.Whoosh.A hardback book flies through the air, slamming into his chest with a dull thud."Get out!"Ethan, usually the picture of untouchable grace, steps back instinctively. His polished leather sole slips on a stray grape that had been thrown earlier.Crash.Ethan Lowe, the terrifying CEO of Lowe Group, loses his balance. He hits the floor hard, his custom-made Italian suit instantly stained with crushed fruit juice.For a heartbeat, there is silence. Ethan pushes himself up, his jaw clenched so hard a vein throbs in his temple. He feels ridiculous. Humiliated."Old man," he hisses, his voice low and dangerous. "Have you gone crazy?""You're the crazy one!" The old man gasps, pointing a trembling finger at him. "Claire told me everything! You let a woman like that go? You useless thing! You deserve to be alone! You deserve to suffer!"She told him.The words hit Ethan harder than the book. He stands up, brushing off his ruine
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-26
Chapter: Chapter 48: JealousShe steps aside to let me through the door.Hilbert is in the doorway.He finds my hand without looking for it, and we walk past her together without ceremony."Your speech, Professor Hilbert," she says. "You haven't given it yet.""The other faculty can manage." He glances briefly at the bodies on the ground, registers them, says nothing about them.His thumb moves once across my knuckles. "We're leaving early."I feel her gaze on our backs all the way to the path.---His bathroom has exactly one mirror and very good lighting, which I appreciate.I'm out of the shower and into his white shirt before he's finished putting the gift bag on the bed, and when I turn around he goes very still in the way that means I've successfully recalibrated his evening.The shirt is doing what I bought it to do.Half-sheer, buttoned just enough to be technically compliant with the concept of coverage.I hold up a glass of ice water, take a slow sip, and watch him watch me."You like it," I say.He doe
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-31
Chapter: Chapter 47: The RomanticS has a small mole beside his throat.It's a very pretty detail on a very pretty person.I tap his cheek twice, light and proprietary. "You're genuinely attractive, you know."S stares at the sky and says nothing, which is the most dignified response available to him.I collect myself off the garden floor, and then I step over Roko on my way out and nudge him with my foot."Tonight stays in this garden. If it doesn't, the embarrassing story is yours to carry, not mine."I pause at the gate."Save up your credits. Come find me when you're ready to do this properly."I turn back one last time and make a heart with my fingers at all of them."Love ya."The walk back to the ballroom takes longer than it should.The succubus pheromones don't clear the way a smell clears. They dissipate from the inside out, leaving a warm residue that makes colors slightly brighter and thoughts slightly slower.I want something sweet. Something substantive.The refreshment table has those little strawberry
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-31
Chapter: Chapter 46: Surprise, DarlingI spend the first three songs eating cake near the refreshment table and waiting to be ambushed.A Goblin finds me during the fourth, approaching with the body language of a man walking toward something he isn't sure he should be walking toward.He's been somewhere else since the ball started, and now he's back, eyes darting.I finish the last strawberry on my plate."Rea," he says, too carefully, "can I talk to you? Privately. The back garden—""Sure." I dust off my hands. "Lead the way."He stares at me.I gesture forward pleasantly.---The garden is pretty at night, but the nearest ground lights conveniently dead.The kind of atmospheric corner someone selected deliberately.I can hear breathing before we reach it.They've positioned themselves with their backs to the entrance—facing the far side, presumably for dramatic reveal purposes—which means they don't notice when I circle wide and come at them from the other direction.I wait until Goblin's footsteps slow to a halt. Until
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-31
Chapter: Chapter 45: What the shirt stay Is ForThe stockings go on first.Dark, bow-trimmed, and nobody's business but mine.They sit well under the cloak, which is the point—practical coverage for the two sedative syringes and the suppression collars I've got strapped to my thigh.Functional and pretty.Two knocks at the door, then Liviel, "Roommate. Professor Hilbert is here for you."I open the door.Liviel is in a puff-skirted gown with her twin tails pinned up, which is a look.But I'm not looking at Liviel.Hilbert is standing in the corridor outside Room 306, and the lighting out there is doing something genuinely criminal.He always looks like this—the composed, unhurried beauty of something that grew rather than was made.But tonight there's a quality to it that's harder to look away from. His gold hair catches the hall light and holds it. His clothes fit the way clothes fit on people who have never had to think about whether they fit.He sees me and goes very still for exactly one second.Then he extends his hand.I walk
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-30
Chapter: Chapter 44: Type II SedativeThe ten-thousand-meter warm-up lap has barely started when someone falls into step behind me."Grim Reaper, are you going to the ball? Do you have a partner?"The question lands like a stone in still water.I keep my pace steady. "Of course I'm going. Good for business. And yes, I have a partner.""Is it Professor Hilbert?" The voice tips into excitement. "I heard he never dances at these things—""You'll get to find out," I say.Someone else cuts in from my left, joking, "What about me? You take bookings, right? Could you put me on your dance card?"I glance back at him. "How many credits?"He hesitates. "...Two?"I face forward again."Five?""Physical contact is priced separately," I call back, and accelerate.Behind me, Medusa passes the boy at a clipping pace. "Five credits. Who do you think you're dealing with.""I wasn't talking to you—""She beat me," Medusa says, without breaking stride. "Insult her price and you're insulting my loss record. Think about that."Ahead, Liviel i
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-30
Chapter: Chapter 43: Drug ToleranceI spend the night in Hilbert's bed, and technically speaking, I'm on my best behavior.I make him a solemn, wide-eyed promise to be a "good student," then immediately proceed to use his chest as a pillow.I burrow into his side, hooking a leg over his hip to anchor myself, and fall asleep with a speed that is frankly insulting to his internal turmoil.When I wake up, I feel spectacular.I am glowing, refreshed, and fueled by the divine energy humming through the house.Hilbert, on the other hand, looks like he's just survived a war of attrition.He's composed after all, but there are faint, bruised shadows under his eyes that weren't there yesterday.His hair is a fraction less than perfect, a few strands falling over his forehead in a way that makes him look devastatingly human.I find both of these things deeply satisfying.He's a mature man who previously had no use for "needs" of the flesh, and yet he spent the night acting as a human weighted blanket because he refused to move me
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-30
Masuk
