INICIAR SESIÓNRyan’s POV*Two hours earlier...*"She’s going to take the blame, Ryan! You have to stop her!"Lily’s voice was shaking as she pulled me into the shadows behind the empty bleachers. Her eyes were red, her breathing fast and panicked.I gripped my hockey stick so hard the wood creaked in my hand. "What are you talking about, Lily? Speak clearly.""Iris has a video," Lily cried, wiping her face. "From some time ago. Something about a staircase. I don't know if it's fake, but It's a video of you and Ava. Iris told Ava that if she doesn't publicly confess to leaking the playbook before the end of the game today, she’s going to send that video to everyone. To the whole school, the news, and your dad and her mom."The blood in my veins went completely cold.So that's why she lied to my face last night. ."She made me promise not to tell you," Lily sobbed. "She’s going to do it during the match. Iris set a countdo
Ava’s POVThe icy air of the crowded arena hit my face like a slap, but my skin was burning hot with terror.I looked down at my phone screen. The timer was ticking down fast: *00:14:32*. Fourteen minutes until the final whistle. Fourteen minutes until Iris ruined my mother’s life.Out on the ice, the game was pure violence.Ryan was playing like a man possessed. He slammed a rival player straight into the plexiglass wall, the loud thud echoing through the packed arena. He was fast, ruthless, and cold, but his eyes were completely dead. On the bench, two NHL scouts in dark coats were taking notes, but Coach looked like he was about to have a heart attack. Leo was skating hard beside Ryan, constantly trying to calm him down, but Ryan pushed right past everyone.Near the front row of the bleachers, Iris sat in a white coat, her phone held loosely in her manicured hand. She caught my eye across the crowded stands, raised her wrist, and tapped her watch with a fake, sweet smile.My stomac
Ava’s POV"Ava!" Lily grabbed my arm, her face red with rage. "We are going straight to the principal right now! We have the IP address! We can prove she did it!""No," I choked out. "No, Lily. We can't.""Are you insane?" Lily hissed, shaking my shoulders. "She just admitted it! She set Ryan up, she paid Daniel, and she leaked the playbook! We can ruin her right now!""Did you hear what she said?" I looked at Lily, tears blurring my vision. "She has the video from the staircase. The one where Ryan had his mouth on my neck. My mom was crying in the kitchen tonight, Lily. She said I was ruining her entire future. If that video comes out, my mom's life is destroyed. Her marriage is over before it even starts.""She’s bluffing, Ava!""She isn't bluffing!" I begged, holding Lily’s hands tightly. "You know how she is. She has been a snake ever since she came back. If I expose her, she will post that video on every social media page in town. I can't let my mom see that. I'd rather take the
Ava’s POVRyan’s hand wrapped tight around my wrist, pulling me out of the locker room before Coach or anyone could say another word."Ryan, stop," I begged, pulling against his grip as we hit the quiet hallway near the exit. "You can't just quit! The scouts are coming tomorrow! You worked your entire life for this!"Ryan stopped, turning around to face me. His dark eyes were burning, his chest heaving under his gray hoodie. "I don't give a damn about the scouts, Ava," he growled, his voice deep and rough. "I'm not sitting on a bench for a team that treats you like garbage. If they want to throw dirt on your name, they can play without me.""It was my fault!" I cried, tears pricking the corners of my eyes. "If my mom and I never moved into your house, none of this would be happening to you!""Don't ever say that," Ryan snapped softly. He reached out, his long fingers cupping the side of my neck. His palm was warm against my cold skin, his thumb lightly pressing against my jawline. "Y
Ava’s POVThe click of steel locking around Ryan’s wrists echoed down the dead-silent hallway.Students pressed against the lockers, their phones held high to catch every single second on video, but Ryan didn't fight back. The moment the doors slammed shut behind them, the entire hall exploded into loud chatter.I stood frozen by my open locker, my chest tight and my hands trembling. Before I could even make a move toward the exit, Lily grabbed my elbow and dragged me straight into the empty girls' locker room, shutting the door behind us."Iris did this, Ava!" Lily hissed, her eyes wide with panic. "She’s setting him up so he misses the scouting match and blames you for it!""I know," I breathed, pressing my back against the cold tiles. "I know."Before we could say another word, the locker room door swung open again. Leo jogged in, looking completely out of breath, his face pale and sweat glistening on his forehead."Victor is already at the police station," Leo said quickly, catch
Ava’s POVMy phone buzzed in my dress pocket, the vibration cutting straight through my skin.I pulled it out, my thumb swiping the screen open. It was a text from an unknown number. My stomach dropped into a freezing pit the second the image loaded.It was a fresh picture from yesterday, taken right through the bakery window. In the photo, Ryan was leaning close, wiping a bit of white frosting off my chin with his thumb. The caption underneath was short and cruel: “Sweeter than cake. Does the Captain know his secrets aren't safe outside of school either?”Before I could even breathe, my phone buzzed again with a group chat alert. Then another. And another.I looked up from the screen. Across the space, people were already staring at their phones, then looking up at me and Ryan. The quiet murmurs spread like wildfire. By midnight, the picture had gone viral across the entire school.And just like that, I was popular.... again!By Wednesday morning, the whole town was talking about us
Ava’s POV"You look beautiful, honey," my mother said, her voice tight with a nervous kind of excitement I hadn't seen in years. "Victor is so excited to finally have us all together. His son is joining us, too. I’ve heard he’s... well, he’s a bit intense, but I’m sure you’ll get along.""I'm s
Ava’s POV"Are you two... actually together?"The question came from a girl in the hallway who had her phone angled perfectly to catch the answer. The crowd had slowed waiting for the punchline.I opened my mouth to say something, anything to lower the heat, but a heavy arm went over my shoulde
Ava’s POVThe weekend went by in a blur of avoided phone calls. I knew I should have stayed home.I woke up to the sound of a dozen notifications on my nightstand. I reached for the phone, squinting at the harsh light of the lock screen. The school confessions post from the party was still at the
Ava’s POVI didn’t know my boyfriend was cheating on me until someone handed me the video."Ava… don’t freak out, okay?" Lily whispered as she handed me the phone."Why would I—""Just… watch."It was a livestream. The comments were pouring in and the views kept rising. When I saw the username







