로그인CHAPTER THIRTY One – The Girl From Years AgoStella’s POVThe road back to the pack house was quieter than I expected.The excitement from the championship was slowly fading behind us, but I could still hear the cheers inside my head.Ryan drove with one hand resting on the steering wheel while soft music played in the background.For the first time in a long while, my heart felt lighter.Telling him the truth about my father had taken away a burden I had carried for years.I had expected him to look at me differently, I had expected him to ask endless questions.Instead, he had simply listened.That alone meant more than I could explain.Ryan glanced at me before smiling. “You’ve been quiet for almost ten minutes.”I smiled back. “I was thinking.”“That sounds dangerous.”I laughed. “It is.”He chuckled.“Should I be worried?”“Maybe.”He pretended to sigh. “I knew winning one match wouldn’t make my life any easier.”I folded my arms. “So you’re saying I’m the difficult part of your
Chapter ThirtyWhat He Does Not knowThe championship victory was all anyone talked about the next morning.News channels replayed Ryan’s winning goal over and over again.Sports reporters discussed Chase’s penalty and questioned whether his reckless challenge had cost his team the match.Some defended him, many did not.Chase ignored every report.He sat alone inside his apartment, staring at the television without really watching it.Only one thought refused to leave his mind.Why had the Commissioner called Stella? The question had followed him home.It had followed him into bed.It had even followed him into his dreams.Nothing about yesterday had made sense.The Commissioner had always treated him kindly.Whenever they met, he offered advice.Sometimes he even praised his progress.Chase had always believed the older man saw him as someone worth supporting.Yesterday had changed everything.When the referees reviewed the foul, the Commissioner had not spoken for him.He had not q
CHAPTER Twenty Nine – The Truth I Could No Longer HideStella’s POVThe celebration inside the arena continued long after the final whistle.Ryan’s teammates surrounded him one after another, laughing, cheering, and talking excitedly about the victory.Reporters waited outside the locker room.Cameras followed every movement.Questions came from every direction.Ryan answered only a few before politely excusing himself.He had never been someone who enjoyed standing in front of cameras longer than necessary.I stayed a few steps behind him as we walked toward the parking lot.Neither of us spoke.The cool evening air wrapped around us as we reached his car.Ryan unlocked the doors without saying a word.I climbed into the passenger seat while he settled behind the steering wheel.The engine came to life.For several minutes, the only sound inside the car was the quiet hum of the tires rolling over the road.The city outside was still alive.Fans filled the streets, some wore Ryan’s
CHAPTER TWENTY Eight – CracksStella’s POVThe entire arena remained silent.Ryan was still lying against the boards where Chase had slammed into him.My heart pounded so hard that I could barely hear anything else.The referee skated toward the scene while several players rushed between Ryan and Chase before the situation could become even worse.“What was that?”“You weren’t even going for the puck!”Chase pulled his gloves tighter and threw both hands into the air.“It was clean.”“No, it wasn’t.”“It was part of the game.”Ryan slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.The team’s medical staff hurried onto the ice.One of them knelt beside him. “Ryan, stay still.”“I’m fine.”“You don’t know that yet.”The doctor carefully checked his shoulder before helping him to his feet. The crowd applauded as Ryan stood, even from where I was standing, I could see the pain he was trying so hard to hide.He rolled his shoulder once before picking up his hockey stick.The referee skated t
Chapter Twenty SevenStella’s POVMy legs felt heavier with every step I took.The official walked ahead of me without saying a word, leading me through a quiet hallway that was separated from the rest of the arena.The cheers from the crowd became softer the farther we walked.Soon, they were nothing more than distant echoes.We stopped in front of a large wooden door.The official knocked gently.A calm voice came from inside. “Come in.”The official opened the door before stepping aside. “The player is here, Commissioner.”“Thank you.”I stood at the entrance without moving. The room was larger than I expected.Several officials stood around a long table covered with documents and tablets displaying match statistics.The Commissioner stood beside the large glass window overlooking the rink.His hands rested behind his back.For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.He finally turned toward the others. “Leave us.”The officials exchanged surprised looks. “Sir?”“I said leave us.”Nobo
CHAPTER TWENTY Six – Championship DayStella’s POVSleep never came.I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling while the clock beside me seemed to move slower than usual.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same things. Chase’s confident smile.Amber’s warning.Ryan standing in front of me without hesitation.Tomorrow had finally become today.The championship was here, I gave up trying to sleep and slowly sat up.The room was still dark, the rest of the pack house was completely silent.I changed into my training clothes, tied my hair into a ponytail, and quietly walked downstairs.The kitchen was empty, I poured myself a glass of water and stood by the window.The sky outside was only beginning to brighten, my stomach felt tight.I had played hockey before, I had competed before but never like this.Never with thousands of people watching.Never with cameras following every move.Never with Chase waiting on the other side.I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.“You’ve been awake







