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2025-11-11 19:23:19
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SHATTERED ICE:One rink, bound by betrayal 116.
Celeste’s POVThe phone rang like an alarm cutting through the quiet of my apartment, shrill and unwelcome. I glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall, late afternoon, and for a suspended second I let myself imagine it was Lena calling with another pep talk, a text about next steps, anything that would keep me rooted to something other than the slow, grinding panic that had lived under my ribs since the appointment.“Celeste Hart,” I answered, voice smaller than I intended. My voice sounded foreign in my own ears.“Miss Hart, it’s Parker.” My lawyer’s voice was brisk, professional. “I need to see you at the office. It’s urgent.”Urgent. The word landed like a stone. I felt the air leave me for a breath. “Is everything all right?” I asked, trying to keep my tone steady even as my stomach constricted.“No… well, there’s been movement on Anthony Vale’s side. He’s engaged counsel. There are a few things we need to discuss in person. Can you come in within the hour?”My hands went suddenl
SHATTERED ICE:One rink, bound by betrayal 115.
Celeste’s POV I stared at the X-ray on the screen, the faint ghost of my ankle bone glowing in shades of white and gray. “It doesn’t even look broken,” I said bitterly. “Looks perfect.”“Bones heal,” he said gently. “Cartilage doesn’t always.”I swallowed hard, blinking fast. “So what? I’m supposed to just… accept that I’ll never skate the same again?”He didn’t answer right away. His silence was the kindest and cruelest thing in the room.“Celeste,” he said finally, his tone careful, “if anyone could defy the odds, it’s you. But I need you to understand the reality before you decide how to move forward.”I let out a shaky breath, blinking back the tears burning my eyes. “So that’s it? My career’s just… over?”The words sounded foreign in my mouth, like I was asking about someone else’s life, not my own. But the moment they left my lips, the reality behind them hit like a blade twisting in my chest.Dr. Green shook his head gently, his expression soft but guarded, the kind doctors us
SHATTERED ICE:One rink, bound by betrayal 114.
Celeste's POVThe radiology room was cold, the kind of sterile chill that crept under your skin and made you feel exposed even though you were fully clothed. The hum of the machine filled the silence as the technician, a middle-aged man with kind eyes, motioned for me to settle on the metal table.“Alright, Ms. Celeste,” he said gently, adjusting the height of the X-ray arm. “We’ll just take a few images of your ankle today. Shouldn’t take more than ten minutes.”I nodded, forcing a thin smile. My palms were damp. “Okay… um, will it hurt?”He shook his head, smiling faintly. “Not at all. You might just feel a bit of discomfort from holding the position still for a while. That’s all.” he said.I exhaled slowly. My ankle throbbed faintly as he carefully positioned my leg, rotating it at just the right angle. “Like that?” I asked, glancing at him.“Perfect,” he said. “Now, just stay completely still for me. I’m going to take a few shots, one from the top, one from the side, and one at a
SHATTERED ICE:One rink, bound by betrayal 113.
Celeste's POVThe smell of antiseptic always made me uneasy. It wasn’t sharp or suffocating, it was just… familiar. Too familiar. The polished white floors, the soft hum of the fluorescent lights above, the faint echo of footsteps down the hallway, it all brought me back to that first night in the emergency room, when pain had clawed up my leg and the doctor’s voice had been the only thing tethering me to reality.Three months had passed since then. Three long, exhausting months. And yet, my heart was still pounding in my chest as I sat in the waiting room, my fingers fidgeting with the zipper of my jacket.The nurse at the desk glanced up with a smile. “Dr. Green will see you shortly, Celeste.”“Thank you,” I murmured, forcing a small smile back.I’d told myself to stay calm all morning. The last checkup had been encouraging, the swelling had gone down, my range of motion had improved, and the physiotherapy sessions were working. I had dared to hope that this would be the appointm
SHATTERED ICE:One rink, bound by betrayal 112.
Anthony’s POV “Thank you,” I said quietly, my voice catching slightly on the words.“Don’t thank me yet,” she said with a half-smile, tightening her grip before letting go. “You still have to face scrutiny from the board, the federation… and the press.” Her expression sobered a little. “It’s not gonna be an easy ride.”A low groan escaped me as I ran a hand through my hair. I wanted to tell her that it wasn’t going to be easy for her either, that if she stayed beside me, she’d get dragged into the same storm. But I stopped myself before the words could slip out. She already knew. And she’d already chosen to stay. No need to keep reminding her about that decision.“Don’t remind me,” I said instead, giving a tired smile.“Oh, I’ll remind you,” she teased, arching a brow. “Someone has to keep your head straight before you spiral again.”I let out a soft snort. “You think I spiral?”She shot me a look. “You brood,” she corrected. “There’s a difference. One makes you quiet, the other mak
SHATTERED ICE:One rink, bound by betrayal 111.
Anthony’s POV “Anthony…”“I’m serious,” I cut in. “This isn’t a few gossip columns anymore. This is my name, my career, everything I’ve worked for since I was a kid. And when this lawsuit goes public, the headlines will be brutal. They’ll pick apart my condition, my medical history, my partnership with Celeste, and when they’re done with me, they’ll go after you.”She didn’t even flinch. “I don’t care,” she said simply. “Let them talk.”Her words hung there, quiet and steady, like a vow.I stared at her, really stared, this small, stubborn woman standing her ground in front of me, ready to weather a storm that wasn’t even hers. My throat tightened, the words I wanted to say tangling somewhere between guilt and awe. “Sam… this isn’t your fight.”She crossed her arms, chin lifting in challenge. “Then make me believe that.”A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. That was so her. Always calling my bluff, always refusing to back down, even when she should. The same stubbor
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