Almost Caught

I CHAPTER EIGHT — Scarlett's POV

The next morning, I woke up with only one thing on my mind.

Training.

For the first time in days, I was going back to the rink, back to the only place where I had ever truly felt like myself.

Since the league had decided to retain me, I could finally stop thinking about everything that had gone wrong and focus on the one thing I had spent years fighting for.

Hockey, a  small smile found its way onto my face as I climbed out of bed.

No matter how complicated my life became, the moment I stepped onto the ice, everything else disappeared.

The pressure, the  fear, the endless expectations, nonene of them followed me there.

On the ice, there was only the puck, my teammates, and the game I loved more than anything else.

That was enough.

I walked toward the wardrobe and pulled out my training clothes before changing quickly.

After tying my hair into a ponytail, I grabbed my hockey bag and slung it over my shoulder.

Today would be different.

It had to be.

Yesterday had been filled with pack politics, family drama, and an engagement that wasn't even real.

Today...

Today belonged to hockey.

With that thought in mind, I opened my bedroom door and stepped into the hallway.

The mansion was already awake.

A few maids moved quietly through the corridors while others carried breakfast trays toward different parts of the house.

They greeted me politely as I walked past, and I returned each greeting with a small smile before making my way downstairs.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee reached me before I entered the living room.

Ryan was already there.

He sat comfortably on one of the sofas with several files spread across the coffee table, a cup of coffee resting beside him.

He looked up the moment he heard my footsteps.

His gaze immediately dropped to the hockey bag hanging from my shoulder. "Going somewhere?" he asked.

I smiled faintly. "Training."

One of his brows lifted. "I thought they terminated your contract."

My smile faltered. "They...they retained me."

For the first time since I had met him, Ryan looked genuinely surprised. "They retained you?"

"Yes.".He closed the file in front of him and gave me his full attention. "Why?”

Ryan closed the file in front of him and rested it on the coffee table.

"They retained you?" he repeated, his voice calm but carrying a hint of disbelief.

"Yes."

His eyes remained on me, thoughtful and steady. "That's unusual."

I forced a small smile, hoping it looked natural. "I thought so too, guess I was lucky/

He leaned back slightly, folding one arm over the other. "No," he said. "It's more than unusual."

A knot formed in my stomach. "In this league, once a player's contract is terminated, that's usually the end of it. They don't reverse decisions overnight."

My fingers tightened around the strap of my hockey bag.  "I know."

"So..." He paused, studying me carefully. "What changed?"

The question landed like a weight on my chest.

For one terrifying second, I forgot how to breathe.

I couldn't tell him the truth, I couldn't tell him that my coach had called me back because they wanted information about him.

That they believed the easiest way to defeat Ryan Carter wasn't on the ice.

It was through me.

I swallowed before forcing myself to answer. "I'm... not completely sure."

Ryan didn't speak, he  simply waited.

It was somehow worse than being interrupted.

"I think..." I began slowly, choosing every word with care. "Maybe it's because I'm staying here now."

He looked at me, "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." I looked away briefly before meeting his eyes again. "Before, the club had to handle a lot of paperwork to keep me in the country. My visa, my accommodation, everything."

He listened quietly.

"But now..." I continued, "I'm living here. Maybe they decided it would cost them less to keep me on the team than to replace me."

The room fell silent. Ryan didn't answer immediately.

His gaze rested on me, unreadable as always.

I tried not to shift under it.

Please...

Just believe me.

After what felt like forever, he gave a slow nod.

"I suppose that's possible."

The breath I had been holding escaped my lungs so quietly that I hoped he hadn't noticed.

"Either way," he continued, "it's good news."

A small smile appeared on my face. "It is.

“You worked hard for that position."

The words surprised me, he  remembered.

Out of everything happening around him, he had actually noticed how much hockey meant to me. "I don't usually like seeing hard work wasted."

I blinked. "Thank you."

He picked up his coffee again before taking a slow sip. "When will you be back?"

I glanced at the time on my phone.

"Probably around four."

He nodded once. "Good."

I waited, sensing there was more.

"For a brief second, neither of us spoke.

Then he gave a small nod.

"Have a good training session, Scarlett."

Something about hearing my name from him made my heart beat just a little faster.

I quickly looked away before he could notice.

"You too... with your work."

I stepped outside and the cool morning air brushed against my face.

As the mansion disappeared behind me, the smile on my lips slowly faded.

The coach's voice echoed inside my head once again.

"Find his weakness."

My steps became slower.

I had just lied to the man who had given me a place to stay.

The man who had defended me in front of his own parents.

The man who had wished me a good training session without asking for anything in return.

I tightened my grip on my hockey bag.

Was this really worth it?

Was keeping my hockey career alive worth betraying someone who had only shown me kindness?

I didn't know annd somehow...

That frightened me more than the coach's threats ever could.