2.

Samantha’s POV

Westview Arena was nothing short of legendary. The pristine white complex gleamed under the afternoon sun, towering like a fortress of ice royalty.

The top teams trained here. The best of the best. I’d only skated here once, years ago, for a junior invitational. Even then, I’d felt like an outsider.

Now, stepping through the main doors with Graham by my side, it felt even more surreal.

We were greeted by a sharply dressed man with a headset and clipboard, clearly someone from the agency. “Mr. Graham? Ms. Meadows? Right this way,” he said without so much as sparing us a glance.

We followed him as he led us down a glass corridor overlooking the rink where another pair was practicing, their blades slicing effortlessly across the ice.

I couldn’t look too long. It hurt. I wanted to be out there.

We stopped outside an office marked “Agency Executive Room – Private.” The man knocked once before opening it slowly and sneaking a peep inside.

“Isaac is not inside yet, but you can wait in here. He’ll be joining you shortly.” He told us without a care in the world, then turned and walked the opposite direction.

I sighed at the lack of hospitality and stepped inside. The office was modern and cold, with minimalist furniture and a giant window overlooking the ice. There was only one chair, so I stayed standing while Graham chose to sit.

We waited.

Five minutes turned into fifteen. Then twenty. At one point, Graham stood from the chair and began pacing the length of the office.

I crossed my arms, my nerves clenching tighter with each tick of the clock as we waited.

Why were they keeping us this long? Already fed up by the thirty-minute mark, I scoffed. “Maybe this was a mistake,” I mumbled. “Maybe they found someone else.”

Graham opened his mouth to say something, but then the door opened.

And my world stopped.

Anthony Vale walked in, effortlessly composed, dressed in his black and silver training gear like the ice prince he was.

Behind him trailed another man, taller and a bit older, whose face made it clear he’d rather be anywhere else than in a room with us, saving my career.

The room shrank.

My breath caught.

No. No, no, no. This wasn’t happening.

Anthony Vale. Five-time world champion. Media darling. The nation’s heartthrob. Heartbreaker on and off the ice. And the man who kissed me once eight years ago and then shattered me with one careless comment.

He stopped a few steps in, glancing at me with unreadable eyes. No warmth. No recognition. Like I was a stranger to him.

“Graham! It’s been a long while…” the man behind Anthony said, crossing over to exchange a brief handshake with my manager.

“Yeah, Isaac. This is Samantha Meadows, the skater I told you about,” Graham said simply, his tone flat as he gestured at me.

Isaac gazed at me briefly and sighed. “There’s not much to know about her online…” he started to say, but I tuned him out.

My legs moved before my mind did. “I can’t do this,” I snapped, spinning toward the door.

“Samantha!” Graham called after me, chasing me into the hallway.

I turned on him, fire flashing through my chest. “You didn’t tell me it was him!” I shouted, my voice cracking under the weight of shock and fury.

My hands trembled at my sides, balled into fists I barely restrained. “You let me walk into that room blind!” I added.

Graham halted, guilt flickering across his face. “I didn’t know until five minutes ago. His agent kept it quiet, until I texted. I swear.”

“You still should’ve warned me,” I snapped. “Of all the damn skaters on the planet, him? You knew what happened, Graham. You knew.”

He exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think it’d matter anymore. That was years ago. I thought maybe you could handle it.”

I laughed bitterly. “Handle it? You’re asking me to team up with the man who humiliated me in front of a full rink and acted like I didn’t exist afterward. I kissed him, Graham. I was fifteen, and he made me believe I was something… I don’t know… real to him. Then he ghosted me like I was some rookie crush.”

Graham looked away, jaw clenched.

“This isn’t some professional pairing,” I continued, voice low and cutting. “It’s personal. You’ve just thrown me into a fire I thought I’d already survived.”

“Samantha…” He stepped toward me, gentler now. “You don’t have to like it. But you do have to decide. Because like I said, this is a temporary opening.”

“I can’t skate with him, Graham. I won’t.”

“You promised,” he said firmly. “You said you’d go all in. And I put my reputation on the line for you. Your words, Samantha.”

Was he trying to guilt-trip me? I had made that promise without knowing who it was. Now I did. I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off.

“I get it. You have history. But you’re not here for friendship or romance. You’re here because you want to stay in the game. Your past with Vale doesn’t matter,this is an opportunity. You blink, someone else takes it.”

My lips trembled. “I don’t trust him,” I mumbled, already losing my case.

He shrugged. “You don’t have to trust him. You just have to skate.” His voice softened. “Samantha… he’s Anthony Vale. Even one month with him could change your whole career. People train their whole lives for a tenth of the exposure he brings.”

I bit my lower lip and looked away.

“He doesn’t have to like you. You don’t have to like him either. But he can give you the spotlight you’ve been chasing since you were twelve. Are you really going to throw that away?” Graham said, staring at me straight in the eyes.

Silence.

I stood there, breathing hard, staring past him as the sting of my past collided with the uncertainty of my future.

And the worst part?

He was right. I hated him for being right again.

After a long moment, I nodded, and we walked back into the office.

Anthony stood by the window, hands tucked casually into the pockets of his jacket, the late afternoon light casting a sharp line across his jaw. He spoke without turning, his tone smooth and laced with quiet authority,the kind that didn’t need volume to dominate a room.

“If you’re not quick on your feet, don’t waste my time. I’m not here to train anyone.”

I froze in the doorway, the heat rising in my chest like a slow burn.

“This is temporary,” he added, still facing the glass. “You leave once Celeste is back. That’s the deal.”

Then, finally, he turned to me.

His eyes met mine, cool and expressionless, as if seeing a stranger. No flicker of recognition. No hint of our past. Just ice. Didn’t he remember me at all?

“I’m not looking for a partner,” Anthony said flatly. “I’m looking for a stand-in.”

And in that moment, every bruise on my pride felt fresh again.

Then, without another word, he walked out, leaving me frozen in place.

I stared at the door long after it shut, my heart pounding in the echo of silence.

Maybe I’d just made the biggest mistake of my life.

Or maybe… the biggest leap.