เข้าสู่ระบบAva’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 POVThe silk of my emerald green dress felt like ice against my skin, but my face was burning hot.The high school gymnasium was completely transformed into a fancy ballroom for the Winter Classic Charity Mixer. Soft jazz music played through the speakers, and fairy lights hung from the ceiling. I stood by the punch bowl, my hand wrapped tightly around Ethan’s arm. He looked handsome in his dark suit, but I could barely focus on what he was saying.Every time I moved my head, I felt her eyes on me.Iris was standing across the room, wearing a tight crimson dress that screamed for attention. Her arm was locked with Ryan’s. Every few minutes, she would look over at me, her eyes narrowing into a sharp sneer before she turned back to laugh at something a hockey scout said. But Ryan wasn't looking at her. His dark eyes kept drifting across the crowded floor, finding mine through the sea of fancy suits and dresses.It was a
Ava’s POV"Ava... what the hell did she say to you in the bathroom?"Ryan’s voice cut through the quiet room, his thumb pressing lightly against my jaw. I wanted to lie to him. I wanted to protect my mom's wedding from any more drama, but looking into his dark, worried eyes, the truth just slipped out."She threatened to ruin the wedding, Ryan," I whispered, my voice shaking. "She said if your hockey deals get ruined because of these pictures and Daniel's rumours, she'll make sure my mom’s life becomes a living hell."Ryan's body went stiff. The muscle in his jaw clenched hard, he slowly let go of my jaw, taking a step back as if he couldn't bear the weight of what he heard."I'm sorry, Ava," he said, his voice dropping into a murmur. "I never wanted my mess to touch your family. I'm sorry I let her get close enough to threaten you.""It's not your fault," I said quickly, reaching out to touch his arm before I could stop myself.
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 was kissing the most popular person in school, and I couldn't stop.I had expected him to push me away. I expected him to laugh or look at me with the same boredom Daniel did. Instead, I felt his hand slide from my waist to the back of my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair with a g







