Chapter 5

Anna’s POV

The moment I stepped fully into the stadium, it felt like the world tilted.

Noise crashed over me—cheers, laughter, the thud of skates against ice—but beneath it all was something sharper. A shift. A ripple. Like I’d dropped a stone into still water and everyone felt the waves.

Heads turned.

Not one or two. Dozens. Conversations stuttered. Whispers followed in my wake like shadows.

“Is that—?”

“No way…”

“Anna Moon?”

My name floated through the air, disbelief clinging to every syllable. I kept my chin lifted even as my heart slammed violently against my ribs. Every instinct screamed at me to shrink, to pull my coat tighter, to apologize for existing.

But I didn’t.

I walked forward.

The stadium lights gleamed off the ice, bright enough to hurt my eyes. Students packed the stands, dressed in Willow-Hills colors, faces flushed with excitement. This place had always intimidated me—too loud, too full of people who never looked twice at me unless it was to laugh.

Tonight, they were looking.

Really looking.

I felt naked under it. Exposed. Like they could peel back the black dress and diamonds and see the girl who’d cried on a bathroom floor not even twenty-four hours ago.

My steps slowed as anxiety clawed up my spine.

Then I saw her.

Enid stood near the front row, draped in Willow-Hills colors, her blonde hair perfectly styled, her laughter ringing sharp and rehearsed. She was mid-sentence, smiling brightly at a group of girls clustered around her.

Until her eyes landed on me.

The smile froze.

It didn’t fade immediately—no, that would’ve been too obvious. Instead, it stiffened, the corners of her mouth trembling as her gaze swept over me from head to toe. Her eyes narrowed, something dark and ugly flashing beneath the surface.

Jealousy.

The realization sent a strange, guilty thrill through me. Enid had always been effortlessly beautiful, always admired. Seeing her shaken—just a little—felt surreal.

She leaned closer to one of her friends, whispering furiously, eyes never leaving me. The girl glanced over, then back at Enid, confusion etched across her face.

I looked away.

I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing how much power she still held over me. Tonight wasn’t about Enid.

It was about him.

Ryder stood near the bench, surrounded by his teammates, his captain’s jacket unmistakable. He was laughing—head thrown back, confidence radiating from him like heat.

Then his eyes met mine.

Everything stopped.

His laughter cut off mid-breath. His mouth parted slightly, disbelief flashing across his face before hardening into something darker. His gaze locked onto me, unblinking, like he couldn’t quite process what he was seeing.

I saw it all in real time—the confusion, the shock, the slow crawl of anger.

He took a step forward without realizing it.

One of his teammates tapped him on the shoulder, saying something I couldn’t hear. Ryder didn’t respond. His attention was entirely on me, like the rest of the world had blurred into irrelevance.

My chest tightened.

For a split second, old instincts surged. The urge to explain. To defend myself. To prove that I hadn’t been pretending, that I’d loved him, that I wasn’t disposable.

I felt small again. Vulnerable.

A scent wrapped around me—cool, rich, unmistakably male. Snow and pine and something sharp and intoxicating that cut straight through my panic.

Winterveil.

Relief hit me so hard my knees nearly buckled.

I didn’t have to turn around to know they were there.

Liam stepped into my peripheral vision first, tall and composed, his presence commanding without effort. His eyes were locked on Ryder, expression unreadable, jaw tight. He didn’t blink.

Tyler slid in on my other side, close enough that his warmth seeped through my dress. His arm draped casually around my waist, fingers resting possessively against my hip. The contact sent a jolt through me—unexpected, grounding.

Kyle leaned in slightly, his shoulder brushing mine, his voice low as he murmured, “You okay?”

I nodded, even though my pulse was racing.

Henry smiled at me—soft, reassuring, like he could see the war waging inside my chest and wanted to calm it without words.

They flanked me seamlessly, like they’d practiced this moment.

Like they belonged there.

The whispers exploded.

“Oh my God.”

“That’s them.”

“The Winterveil quadruplets.”

“With her?”

My heart pounded, but something steadier settled beneath it. Confidence. Or maybe defiance.

Tyler’s grip tightened just enough to remind me I wasn’t alone. Kyle’s presence was a solid wall at my side. Henry’s calm smile anchored me. And Liam—Liam never took his eyes off Ryder, a silent challenge burning between them.

I lifted my chin higher.

Ryder’s face darkened. His hands curled slowly into fists at his sides, knuckles whitening. His jaw clenched, a muscle jumping as his gaze flicked from Tyler’s arm around me to Liam’s unyielding stare.

I didn’t look at him.

Not once.

I walked past him without a glance, surrounded by Winterveil, my heels clicking softly against the concrete.

Behind me, I felt his stare burn like fire.