INICIAR SESIÓNLOGAN'S POV"Shiet!"I paced across the room, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles hurt. My jaw ached from grinding my teeth, but I couldn't stop. The burning in my heart was worse than anything I had felt recently.I hadn't expected things to turn out like this.Not in a million years.When I first saw Mia at the Michigan National Team's welcoming party, I thought she was pretending. I thought she was trying to make me jealous because I had chosen Nyra over her. After all, she was head over heels for me.I thought she would eventually come crawling back.But she hadn't.Instead, she had stood beside Ryan Hayes as if she belonged there.And now the entire world seemed determined to remind me of it.My phone was still filled with pictures and videos of them.Ryan protecting her.Ryan holding her hand.Ryan defending her online.Ryan looking at her like she was the only woman in the room.My stomach twisted every time I saw it."No, they are only trying to make me jealous, thats it.
NYRA'S POV"LOOK AT THE WAY HE'S LOOKING AT HER!""He's completely gone.""Our hockey king is in love!""I've never seen Ryan smile like that.""He looks at her like she's his whole world.""Shit!" I screamed as I glared at the comments flooding my phone. My fingers tightened around it until my knuckles turned white. My chest rose and fell heavily. My face twisted with disgust.This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen. Ryan was supposed to be embarrassed and ashamed for being with a whore. Mia was supposed to be hated. The entire world was supposed to turn against her. Instead, Ryan had done the exact opposite. He had defended her. He had claimed her publicly. And now thousands of people were talking about how much he loved her.My chest tightened. Hatred crawled through my veins, mixing with jealousy and something far more painful."What's wrong?"I looked up. Jina was standing in front of me, staring at me as if she couldn't see what was happening on my ph
MIA'S POVMason glanced toward Ryan before looking back at me."You know the arrangement.""Yes.""But there's something you haven't considered, Mia."My brows pulled together."What?"He hesitated, as though weighing whether he should continue."You know Ryan is a playboy, right?"I nodded slowly."Then ask yourself something."He lowered his voice."Why would a man like Ryan announce to the entire world that he has a girlfriend because of a small scandal?"My heart skipped.I opened my mouth, but no words came.Mason leaned slightly closer."Ryan comes from money, Mia. Real money."His eyes flicked toward the crowd before returning to me."Do you honestly think repairing his reputation would be difficult for him?"I frowned."He could have handled that club video differently."My fingers tightened around the edge of my dress."Then why did he choose you?"My heart stopped.I stared at him.For a moment, I couldn't breathe.Why had Ryan chosen me?I had asked myself that question bef
MIA'S POVI swallowed hard.No.I shouldn't even think about it.Shiet, why was I even thinking about that?The thought was so disturbing that I almost felt like throwing up."If you're so sure Ryan loves you, why are you doing all this?" I finally asked, forcing myself to push the disgusting thoughts away.Rebecca's expression changed."Why are you willing to spend all that money just to get rid of me?"Clara immediately stepped forward."What an ungrateful bitch you are."Her eyes flashed with anger. Her fists clenched at her sides, and the veins on her neck became visible as she struggled to control herself."Miss Lodrigo is offering you a chance to completely change your life, and you're still acting like you're some kind of queen."I stared at her.Really stared at her.And suddenly, I saw what I had been looking for.Fear.It was there beneath all that anger.Clara wasn't only angry because of Rebecca.She was afraid.And suddenly, everything started making sense.She was scared
MIA'S POVI remembered her name. Clara. Ryan spoke about her."You will be working under me."My fingers tightened around the bouquet."I see." She took a sip from the glass in her hand."Being without experience can be difficult."Her eyes moved over me."But don't worry. I'll teach you what you need to know."Her smile looked polite. But her eyes were anything but warm."I just hope you have a good memory because this job is not...""Stop it, Clara." Loise's voice cut through the room. Clara's smile disappeared."Why?" Clara asked,"I am simply trying to get along with her. She will be working under me.""You should be grateful Mia agreed to become Ryan's assistant," Loise replied."Otherwise, you would be kissing your position goodbye."The glass in Clara's hand almost shook."Besides, Ryan had already fired you once before he reconsidered.""That isn't true." Clara's voice came out sharper than she intended. Several people turned toward us. She immediately smiled."Sorry. I misun
MIA'S POVI couldn't believe the sight before me. The lights were now on, unlike when Ryan and I had first entered the room. My eyes moved slowly around the huge hall, taking in every little detail. Then I saw the enormous board standing beside the entrance.CONGRATULATIONS, MIA CARTER, ON YOUR NEW ROLE AS THE ASSISTANT MANAGER TO HOCKEY STAR RYAN HAYES.My mouth fell open. Before I could even process what I was seeing, tiny pieces of silver foil confetti floated down from the ceiling, catching the light as they fell around me. Balloons were tied around the enormous chandelier, some floating above us while others were arranged beautifully around the hall. Fresh flowers decorated the tables and corners, filling the air with a sweet fragrance. Music played softly in the background as people laughed and talked. This was nothing like what I had expected when Ryan told me he wanted to introduce me to his friends.I slowly turned to him."Do you like it?"Ryan asked. There was a wide smile







