One

CHAPTER ONE

Avery’s POV

The cold air inside the arena wrapped around me as I stepped onto the ice. My skates glided

smoothly across the surface while I adjusted my gloves and tried to calm the nervous feeling in

my stomach.

This was the biggest match of my career.

I had played many games before, but none of them carried the same weight as this one.

Everything depended on today, my future, my career , my right to remain in this country. All of it

rested on the outcome of this championship.

I tightened my grip around my hockey stick and slowly released a breath.

The bright lights above reflected against the ice, making everything shine. The stands were

already packed with people, and their voices echoed through the arena. Some were waving

banners while others were chanting the names of their favorite teams.

Normally, I loved moments like this. Normally, the energy of the crowd made me excited. Today,

it only made me nervous.

I glanced toward my teammates. Everyone looked focused and ready. They were talking

among themselves and preparing for the game ahead.

I tried to do the same, I tried to focus.

But my thoughts kept drifting to the same thing. What would happen if we lost?

The management had not said it directly, but I understood the situation very clearly. My

contract renewal depended heavily on this season. This championship was my chance to prove

that I deserved to stay.

Without hockey, I had nothing. Without a contract, my visa would become a problem and if I

could not stay in this country, there was only one place left for me to go.Home, the thought

alone made my chest tighten, I did not want to go home.

There was nothing waiting for me there except pressure, disappointment, and a future I never

wanted.

My family had already made their plans for me. According to them, hockey was a childish

dream that should have ended years ago.

They wanted me to settle down, they wanted me to marry to someone they have collected

bride price from, they wanted to sold me out ta wealthy billionaire whose name alone seemed to

impress everyone around me except myself, I had met him only a few times. An abusive CEO,

my family adored him.

I could barely stand being near him. The thought of spending the rest of my life with him felt like

a prison sentence, that was one of the reasons I had fought so hard to build a life here.

I wanted freedom, I wanted my own future, I wanted the chance to become something more

than someone’s wife.

A loud whistle pulled me from my thoughts. The game would begin soon.

I looked toward the entrance where our opponents would appear.

Strangely, nobody had officially announced which team would be facing us until the final

moment.

There had been rumors all week, but nothing confirmed, I rolled my shoulders and tried to

prepare myself mentally.

Whoever it was, I would give everything I had.

Then suddenly the arena erupted, the sound was so loud that it startled me. Thousands of

voices exploded into cheers at the same time. The noise grew louder and louder until it felt like

the entire building was shaking.

Confused, I turned toward the entrance. The opposing team was finally stepping onto the ice.

At first, I only noticed the uniforms.

Then I noticed the player at the front.My breath caught.

For a moment, I genuinely thought I was imagining things. No, It couldn’t be but it was, Jordan

Carter.

My heart nearly stopped, the Jordan Carter. The greatest hockey player in the country. The

man whose posters had covered my bedroom walls when I was younger, the player whose

matches I never missed, the athlete who inspired me to start playing hockey in the first place.

I stared at him, everything around me seemed to disappear.

The crowd, the lights, the noise, all of it faded into the background.

Jordan skated confidently onto the ice, completely comfortable under the attention of thousands

of people.

The crowd screamed his name, some people were already standing, others held signs with his

face on them.

He looked exactly like he always did on television.

For years, he had existed only through screens and magazine covers. Now he was standing

right in front of me and he was my opponent.

A strange feeling settled inside me because use I already knew what everyone else knew.

Jordan Carter almost never lost.

The realization hit me harder than I expected, my excitement quickly disappeared. In its place

came a sinking feeling.

I swallowed hard of all the teams, of all the players, why did it have to be him?

I looked down at the ice. The hope I had carried into the arena suddenly felt much smaller.

Jordan was not just another player.He was a legend and somehow fate had decided that the

biggest game of my life would be against the man I had admired for years.

The whistle blew again, the game was about to start. I forced myself to focus, I had not worked

this hard just to give up before the match even began.Still, it was difficult.

Every time I looked across the ice and saw Jordan, part of me felt like a fan instead of a

competitor.

The game finally started, the pace was intense from the beginning both teams pushed hard.

The crowd reacted to every movement, I did my best to stay focused and contribute to the

game, several times I managed to break through the defense, several times I created

opportunities but Jordan was everywhere.

Every time his team needed him, he appeared, every time we built momentum, he found a way

to stop it.

Watching him on television had been impressive.

Playing against him was something completely different.

Now I understood why people called him the best.

His movements seemed effortless, his decisions were always correct.nIt felt like he could see

the game several steps ahead of everyone else as the match continued, my frustration grew

not because I was playing badly but because no matter how hard we worked, Jordan always

seemed to have an answer.

The score remained close, neither side wanted to give up.

By the final period, my entire body ached from exhaustion, sweat clung to my skin beneath my

uniform, my breathing had become heavier but I kept pushing.

I had to, this was my future, my career, my freedom, everything depended on this.

The final minutes arrived, the tension inside the arena became unbearable.

The score was tied, one goal could change everything, one goal could save my future.

The puck came toward me, my heart pounded.

This was my chance, I moved forward as fast as I could.

The crowd rose from their seats, I could see the goal, I could see the opening.

For one beautiful second, victory felt possible, then Jordan appeared.

His timing was perfect, his stick intercepted the play before I could react.

The opportunity vanished instantly before I even understood what had happened, he had

already launched a counterattack.

The crowd exploded, my stomach dropped.

I chased after him desperately, it was useless.

Jordan moved with complete control.

Seconds later, the puck slammed into the net, the arena erupted, the sound was deafening.

I stopped skating, my body froze.

Around me, Jordan’s teammates rushed toward him in celebration. The championship was over

by we had lost and with that loss, my future suddenly felt uncertain.

I stood there while everyone celebrated around me.

Very slowly, I looked toward Jordan, his teammates surrounded him, the crowd chanted his name, people cheered, people celebrated, people admired the hero who had won another

championship.

Meanwhile, I could barely breathe, tears burned behind my eyes.

I tried to hold them back. I really tried but the moment I thought about everything I might lose,

my control broke.

I turned away before anyone could notice.

Then I walked toward the locker room, the second the door closed behind me, tears slid down

my face.