chapter 6: THE HOCKEY CAPTAIN'S Obsession

VALENTINA’S POV

If someone had told me that attending a hockey game would involve screaming girls, shirtless boys, overpriced snacks, and a fight before the first period ended, I would have stayed in my dormitory and studied.

But Chloe had other plans.

“Move your legs, Reyes!” she shouted, dragging me through the crowded entrance of Blackwood University's hockey arena. “We're late!”

“It's a game, Chloe. The players aren't going to disappear.”

“You clearly haven't met Adrian Blackwood's fan club.”

I glanced at the enormous screen above the entrance. Adrian's face appeared beside his name, followed by a list of impressive statistics.

Underneath it, someone had written in glittering letters: BLACKWOOD RULES THE ICE.

I snorted.

“Does he own the ice too?”

Chloe stopped walking.

“Please don't say that where his fans can hear you.”

“Why? Will they arrest me?”

“Worse. They'll put you on the university gossip page.”

“Again? At this point, I deserve a monthly salary.”

Chloe burst out laughing.

The arena was packed. Students waved banners while wealthy parents occupied the private seating section above us. A group of girls near the rink wore matching jerseys with Adrian's number printed across their backs.

One of them noticed me.

“Isn't that the scholarship girl?” she whispered loudly.

Another giggled. “The one who thinks she's smarter than Adrian?”

I turned toward them.

“I'm standing right here. You don't have to whisper.”

Their smiles disappeared.

Chloe grabbed my arm. “Please. Not before the game.”

I shrugged. “I'm being friendly.”

“You have a very dangerous definition of friendly.”

We found two seats near the middle rows. A moment later, Daniel Brooks appeared beside us, carrying three drinks.

“Ladies,” he announced, handing Chloe hers. “And one for the most intimidating woman on campus.”

He offered me a drink.

I raised an eyebrow. “Have you met my professors?”

“Not personally. But I'm beginning to understand why they look frightened.”

I laughed.

Then the arena erupted.

The players skated onto the ice.

And there he was.

Adrian Blackwood.

He looked different in his hockey gear. The usual expensive suit and arrogant posture had been replaced by a black jersey, protective equipment, and an expression that could freeze the entire arena.

His eyes swept across the crowd.

They stopped on me.

For a moment, neither of us looked away.

Then he noticed Daniel sitting beside me.

Adrian's jaw tightened.

Oh, this was going to be entertaining.

I lifted my drink toward him in a little salute.

His expression darkened.

I smiled sweetly.

Let the game begin.

ADRIAN'S POV

I hated losing.

I hated being second.

And I particularly hated seeing Valentina Reyes laughing with another man while wearing that innocent expression she used whenever she was about to insult me.

“Mate, you're staring,” Mason muttered beside me as we waited for the referee's whistle.

“I'm not.”

“Of course. You're studying her face for academic purposes.”

“Shut up, Carter.”

Mason grinned. “Whatever you say, Captain Obsession.”

The whistle blew before I could punch him.

The game began brutally.

I drove across the ice, stealing the puck and sending it straight into the net within minutes. The crowd exploded.

I barely heard them.

My father was sitting in the private section.

Richard Blackwood never missed an opportunity to remind me that my performance reflected his name.

Even from across the arena, I could imagine his expression if I made a mistake.

My phone had been buzzing all morning with his messages.

Win tonight.

Don't embarrass this family again.

Your brother would never have tolerated mediocrity.

Alexander.

My older brother's name always appeared when my father wanted to hurt me.

My mother used to tell me that I didn't have to earn the right to be loved. After she died, those words became a memory I couldn't quite hold onto.

Alexander had left, my mother was gone, and my father had turned our home into a place where affection was a reward for obedience.

I learned to win.

I learned to hide.

And somewhere along the way, I learned to hurt people before they could discover what hurt me.

Then Valentina Reyes arrived and beat me by two points.

Two stupid points.

The opposing captain slammed into me near the boards.

“What's wrong, Blackwood?” he sneered. “Distracted by your new girlfriend?”

I shoved him away.

“Keep my name out of your mouth.”

He laughed and struck me again after the whistle.

Something inside me snapped.

I grabbed his jersey, driving him against the boards. He swung at me. I retaliated before the referees could separate us.

The arena erupted into chaos.

Mason hauled me backward while officials dragged the other player away.

“Have you lost your damn mind?” Mason yelled.

I ripped my arm free.

Then I looked toward the stands.

Valentina wasn't cheering.

She was staring at me with a strange expression—not admiration, not fear.

Disappointment.

For some reason, that bothered me more than my father's disapproval.

We won the game three–one.

My father congratulated me with a single nod.

“Acceptable,” he said before walking away.

Acceptable.

I had scored twice, helped secure the win, and fought through half the game.

Still, it wasn't enough.

It was never enough.

“Great game,” a voice said behind me.

I turned.

Valentina stood near the players' exit with Chloe and Daniel.

“Did you enjoy watching me win?” I asked.

She looked at the scoreboard.

“Was that what happened? I thought I was watching a wrestling match with ice.”

Mason choked on his water.

I ignored him.

“Why are you here, Reyes?”

“Because apparently, students are allowed to attend university sporting events.”

“You came to watch me.”

“I came because Chloe wanted to come. Don't flatter yourself.”

“And Brooks?”

She glanced at Daniel, who was smiling like an idiot.

“He brought us drinks. You should try being pleasant to people sometime. It's surprisingly affordable.”

My teammates burst out laughing.

I stepped closer.

“You think you're clever.”

“No. I think you're rude. There's a difference.”

“You've been enjoying embarrassing me since you arrived here.”

I almost told her she had no idea what it felt like to have everyone waiting for you to fail.

Instead, I said, “You should remember that this is my university.”

Her expression changed.

“Really? Did you buy the classrooms too, or just the hockey rink?”

Mason turned away, shaking with laughter.

I leaned toward her, lowering my voice.

“You don't know anything about me.”

“That's true,” she replied. “But I know what I see.”

“And what do you see?”

“A spoiled boy who throws tantrums whenever the world doesn't obey him.”

The words struck harder than they should have.

My smile disappeared.

“Careful, Reyes.”

“Or what? You'll have Daddy buy my scholarship?”

Silence fell between us.

She didn't know how close she'd come to something real.

She didn't know that my father had spent my entire life making sure I understood exactly how little I mattered whenever I failed him.

And I wasn't about to tell her.

I stepped aside.

“Enjoy your little victory, princess.”

She frowned. “What victory?”

“Getting under my skin.”

She laughed once, without humour.

“Adrian, if I wanted to get under your skin, you'd know.”

Then she walked away with Daniel.

I watched her go.

For the first time that evening, I wasn't thinking about my father, the game, or the brother whose name still haunted our house.

I was thinking about a girl who had looked at everything I owned and remained completely unimpressed.

And I had a terrible feeling that making Valentina Reyes hate me was going to be much easier than making her care about me.