LOGINThree years ago, NHL golden boy Ward Bennett publicly dumped Aria Vance, calling their secret engagement a “publicity stunt” and leaving her humiliated and jobless. Now, Aria is the strong, respected Head of Performance for the new team she finally works for until Ward suddenly signs with her team. Forced to treat his career-ending hip injury in private daily sessions, Aria must face the ex who shattered her heart.
View More~~WARD~~She still walked away, even after everything.Even after she broke down in my arms, soaked my suit with tears, and let me hold her for the first time in three years, she still refused to let me back into her life.She refused to stay with me in her apartment and even refused the villa.She refused me, she didn't want me. She has told me several times but when she sent that message to me everything drained out of me.I stood alone in the empty medical office long after she had left, staring at the closed door as if she might come back.She didn't and I deserved that. No amount of apologies could erase three years of silence.No amount of protection could erase the fact that I had been the one who broke her heart.With a slow exhale, I adjusted my jacket and left the medical wing.The sound of skates echoed through the arena as I walked toward the rink. Practice had already resumed after the medical evaluations, and the players were running drills with the intensity expected
~~ARIA~~The bloody photograph lay on my palm like a curse, the smeared red staring back at me with vicious intent. My hands shook so violently I nearly knocked the box to the floor again. A scream tore from my throat, guttural, and louder than I had intended. It echoed throughout.Footsteps thundered toward me almost immediately. A couple of assistant trainers burst in, eyes wide with alarm. “Dr. Vance? What happened? Are you okay?”I swallowed hard, forcing my face into a mask of calm even as my heart tried to claw its way out of my chest. “Nothing’s wrong,” I lied, my voice cracking only slightly. “Just… startled by a spider. Big one. I am fine. Really.”They exchanged doubtful glances but didn’t push. One of them muttered something about calling maintenance before they left. I didn't even bother to check the players before making my way back to the office.The second the door closed, I shoved the gruesome photo back inside and hid it deep in my bottom drawer. My legs felt like
~~ARIA~~My fists still tingled from where I had hit his chest, my tears drying into salty tracks on my cheeks. I felt utterly exhausted by the constant push and pull between us.Ward exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. The movement made him wince slightly, his waist injury clearly still bothering him but he didn’t complain. He never did. “If that’s how you feel, Aria… the ball is in your court. I am not forcing this. But I’m giving you until this evening to decide. The downtown apartment is ready. Security is already in place. I will be giving you till evening.” His voice was low, but I caught the undercurrent of fear beneath the command. He searched my face one last time, those piercing eyes softening with the regret I had heard through the door last night. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind him like a period at the end of a sentence I wasn’t ready to finish.I sank into my desk chair, staring at the spot where he’d be
~~ARIA~~My head was still ringing continuously from his words.“You won’t be alone,” he continued, like he had already made the decision and was simply informing me of it. “You will have your space. I won’t push you. I won’t ask for anything. But I will be there, to know you are safe.”I let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking my head. “You can’t be serious.”“I am.”“You?” I pushed away from the desk, staring up at him. “In a regular apartment, sharing a kitchen and a living room like a normal person? Giving up the villa and all your privacy and whatever billionaire schedule you have because I am too stubborn to let you babysit me from a distance?”“For you,” he said, without even blinking, “yes.”He stepped into my space then, not enough to touch me, but enough that I could feel the heat of him, enough that the air between us felt dangerously thin.“I would get used to it,” he said, his voice lower now, quieter, like the words were meant only for me. “I want to get used to it. For y
~~ARIA~~I drove home with tears burning my eyes. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking on the steering wheel. I kept hearing my own voice shouting at Ward in the parking lot all the pain I had carried for three years pouring out at once. Part of me felt good for finally saying it while another part felt
~~ARIA~~I arrived at the arena even earlier than usual, hoping the quiet would calm the storm in my head. Sleep had been impossible. Ward’s face kept appearing every time I closed my eyes, the regret in his voice, the way his shoulders had tensed when I pushed him away. My chest feels tight at e
~~WARD~~The locker room lights were dimmed low, casting long shadows across the benches. I sat alone, elbows braced on my knees, head bowed so low my forehead nearly touched my clasped hands. The tape on my fingers felt too tight, snipping into my skin, but I didn’t loosen it. Pain was good, it
~~ARIA~~I stayed in the treatment room long after Ward left, trying to pull myself together. My hands still trembled slightly as I wiped down the table. I hated how easily he got under my skin after just two short meetings. Three years of building walls, and one look from those blue eyes threate






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