LOGINCHAPTER TWENTY Four – Why Are You Here?Stella’s POVTraining finally came to an end.The sharp sound of the whistle echoed across the arena, and everyone slowly began skating toward the benches.I bent down to untie my skates, but my hands would not stop shaking, I had tried my best to focus during practice, I had told myself that Amber was only another player. I had told myself that I could ignore her. I had failed.Every time I looked up, I caught her watching me.Every time our eyes met, she smiled as if we shared a wonderful childhood together.Nobody else noticed how fake that smile was.They only saw two sisters who had been reunited.I packed my equipment into my hockey bag and stood up.Around me, the players laughed as they talked about today’s training.Some of them walked over to Amber to welcome her properly.She thanked every one of them politely, she knew exactly how to make people like her.Ryan walked over to the group and exchanged a few words with the assistant coac
CHAPTER TWENT Three – The New PlayerStella’s POVThe ice felt different today.Maybe it was because I had barely slept.Maybe it was because everything that had happened with my diary was still fresh in my mind.Or maybe it was because I had finally decided that I wasn’t going to let fear control me anymore.I tightened the laces on my skates before stepping onto the rink.Cold air rushed against my face as I glided across the ice.Around me, the rest of Ryan’s team had already started warming up.Some players practiced passing while others skated laps around the rink.Ryan stood near the center of the ice, speaking with one of the assistant coaches.Even from a distance, people naturally listened whenever he spoke.He didn’t have to raise his voice, his presence alone demanded attention.I skated slowly toward the boards, picked up a puck, and began practicing my stick handling.My movements were still far from perfect.I lost control of the puck twice before finally managing to ke
CHAPTER TWENTY Two – You Don’t Have to Tell MeStella’s POVSleep refused to come.No matter how many times I closed my eyes, Kelly’s voice continued to echo inside my head.Every word she had read from my diary replayed over and over again, making the embarrassment feel just as fresh as it had a few hours ago.I turned onto my side and pulled the blanket closer around myself.It didn’t help.With a quiet sigh, I climbed out of bed and slipped into a light sweater before leaving my room.The pack house was unusually peaceful.Most of the lights had already been turned off, leaving only the soft glow from the wall lamps to guide my way through the long hallway.I walked downstairs without making a sound and stepped outside.The cool night air brushed gently against my face.For the first time since dinner, I felt as though I could finally breathe.The garden stretched quietly beneath the moonlight.Flowers swayed gently in the breeze, and somewhere in the distance I could hear water fl
CHAPTER TWENTY One – The Page She Never Wanted Him to ReadStella’s POVI really want to avoid him as much as possible, but it’s impossible, he doesn’t want to be apart from me.So I sat with him at the dinning table.Dinner was quieter than usual.The long dining table that had felt so intimidating when I first arrived at the pack house had slowly become familiar. I no longer felt nervous every time I sat there, although I still found myself sitting a little straighter than necessary whenever the servants walked in with another dish.Tonight, however, my mind was somewhere else.Every few seconds, I found myself thinking about my diary.Kelly still had it.I had searched for another chance to speak to her, but she had disappeared shortly after our conversation.She had not returned the diary, she had not changed her mind and the deadline she had given me was growing closer.“Stella.”Jaxon’s voice pulled me back to the present.I looked up quickly.“I’m sorry.”“You’ve barely touche
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE – The DistanceJaxon’s POVI woke earlier than usual the next morning.The sun had only just begun to rise, casting a soft golden light through the tall windows of the pack house. Most of the servants were still moving quietly through the halls, preparing breakfast before everyone else woke up.I stood by the window in my room for a few moments, staring at the training grounds outside.Usually, mornings cleared my thoughts.Today, they only reminded me of Stella.The conversation with the elders.Kelly’s behavior.The championship.Everything seemed to be happening at once.I rubbed the back of my neck before leaving my room.By the time I reached the dining room, breakfast had already been placed on the table.I expected Stella to be sitting there.She wasn’t. I frowned. She was rarely late.Ever since she had moved into the pack house, she had always been awake before everyone else.I glanced toward one of the housekeepers. “Has Stella come downstairs yet?”The wo
CHAPTER Nineteen Y – The Missing DiaryStella’s POVBy the time the tailor finished taking my measurements, almost an hour had passed.I thanked him politely before making my way upstairs.For the first time that afternoon, I felt strangely relaxed.The fitting had gone much better than I expected. The tailor had never once looked at my body with pity or judgment. He had simply done his work, asked a few questions, written down my measurements, and left.It was such a small thing, yet it made me realize how used I had become to expecting people to laugh at me.I slowly climbed the stairs and walked back toward my room.All I wanted now was to finish writing in my diary.Whenever my thoughts became too heavy, writing always helped.It felt as though every fear became a little smaller once it was written on paper.I pushed open my bedroom door and stepped inside.The room looked exactly the way I had left it.The curtains swayed gently in the afternoon breeze.The bed was neatly made.N







