The Ice King's Forbidden Heir

POV: Ava Bennett"Are you sure you want to stand right here near the center ice ?" my friend Sarah asked as the final horn sounded, and thousands of fans started shouting and throwing confetti into the air around us."Yes, because Noah explicitly told me to wait right here near the tunnel as soon as the game finished," I replied, holding the railing while watching Noah drop his stick, raise his hands, and hug his teammates in the middle of the rink."I still cannot believe how much time and energy you put into helping him reach this exact moment," Sarah said, shaking her head while we stepped through the side gate on the ice. "It was six long years, but every single hard choice was worth it to see him succeed," I told her, remembering how I worked two separate jobs to pay our monthly rent after he injured his knee, skipped meals so he could buy better training gear, and even sold the engagement ring my mother left me so he could pay for his second surgery."Well, he promised you that

POV: Noah Callahan"Did you hear anything about who bought the franchise from Sterling?" my teammate Dylan asked as we walked down the carpeted hallway toward the boardroom, holding our paper coffee cups."Nobody knows anything solid, but the news said some massive technology company from overseas acquired the whole organization yesterday," I replied, adjusting the collar of my suit coat while stepping up to the double doors."Well, whoever it is, they called this emergency meeting with all the senior players and management staff, so we better just listen and keep our heads down," Dylan said, pushing the handle and leading the way inside the room where twelve other people were already sitting around the long conference table."Good morning, everyone, please take your seats so we can begin the meeting on time," the team general manager said, standing near the head of the table while looking down at a stack of folders.I pulled out a chair on the right side of the room, sat down, and to

POV: Ava Bennett"Are you sure you want to meet him at the community rink?" Sarah asked as she handed me my car keys across the kitchen counter in my apartment."Yes, because that is where everything started between us, and that is where I am going to end it once and for all," I said, taking the keys and stepping toward the front door while grabbing my coat."He has been sending red flowers to your office every single morning for three weeks, and he even did that television interview yesterday where he donated his whole game paycheck to local bakeries," Sarah noted, following me out into the hallway."Sending flowers and giving money to charity does not erase six years of silence, Sarah, and he only cares now because he knows the entire truth about what Vanessa did," I replied, pressing the button for the elevator and stepping inside.For three straight weeks, Noah had tried every gesture he could think of to get my attention, calling my assistant fifty times a day, standing outside m