All Chapters of SCORED HER HEART, NOT THE PUCK.: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

MADISON'S POV:His eyes dimmed, shadows crossing his face like clouds veiling the sun. Was it judgment? For a heartbeat I thought so, shame curling tight in my stomach—but then his voice softened.“What about your family?”“I don’t have one. At least not that I know of. I grew up in an orphanage.”His expression shifted, not disgust but regret. “I’m sorry. I never knew that. Have you ever tried to find them? If they’re alive?”I forced a smile that didn’t quite reach my chest. “I would love to, if only I knew where to start.”The conversation had slipped too far into my locked vault of secrets, and I could feel myself teetering on the edge of saying too much. I’d already told him how I was found on the steps of the orphanage in Zambara, the years there, the loneliness. My tongue nearly betrayed me, nearly told him about my adoption journey. But I stopped myself."How did you end up in America then, if you were at an orphanage in Zambara?"Zambara—the little-known West African country

MADISON'S POV:It was afternoon by the time I woke up. I had slept in for so long. The apartment was too quiet but the air was scented with incredible aroma—warm bread, melted butter, which made my stomach practically growl in appreciation. My body felt... different. Lighter. Like someone had lifted a weight I'd been carrying for weeks without realizing it.I padded barefoot to the kitchen, my hair was still messy from sleep, and found a feast waiting for me. My hands moved faster than my brain, fork already in my mouth before I even sat down properly."God, this is heaven," I moaned into my meal.Only after I'd devoured half the plate did I notice the folded paper tucked beside the coffee. Thane's handwriting was bold, confident strokes across cream-colored paper.My cheeks warmed after reading the note and I traced the letters with my fingertip, a strange mixture of relief and unease prickling through me. Everything about last night felt like walking on the edge of a cliff—thrillin

MADISON'S POV:My heart stopped. Just completely stopped beating as I stared down at the ice in absolute shock."That's Thane. My Thane."When he'd brought me here without explanation, securing me this incredible front-row seat, I'd assumed we were just catching a random game. We both were into hockey, so it seemed like the perfect date. But this... this was something else entirely.The New York Sentinels. One of the most elite hockey teams in the world. And there was Thane Slade, number eighteen, gliding across the ice."OH MY GOD!" The scream tore from my throat before I could stop it. "THAT'S HIM! THAT'S MY—" I caught myself before shouting something that would definitely end up on social media, but my excitement was nuclear.He looked magnificent. Absolutely devastating in that black and gold uniform. The helmet couldn't hide those cheekbones or the intense focus in his eyes as he positioned himself for the opening face-off. His shoulders looked impossibly broad beneath the paddin

MADISON’S POV:When he discovered that I was a virgin, panic clawed at me. I was terrified he’d back away, that he’d decide I wasn’t worth the risk. I didn’t want that. My brain was far too clouded and desperate to let him stop now.“Please,” I whispered, pulling him closer. “I want you. All of you.”"No, Madison. I can't take what you can never have back." His eyes searched mine cautiously, as though he was afraid I’d break under his touch. "This..."I refused to let him retreat. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him against me. “Thane, fuck me,” I demanded.He lost his self-control and pushed in slowly, carefully, sliding into me inch by inch. I felt his whole body trembling from the effort of restraint. My nails dug into his back, raking down as pleasure and pain collided in me.“God, you’re so tight,” he groaned, teeth clenched.I clung to him, my lips brushing his ear as I whispered through ragged breaths, “You feel so good… more, Thane. Please, more.”He began to mov

MADISON'S POV:Lately, life has been a dream I didn’t want to wake from. Every moment with Thane felt like floating on a cloud, both of us, wrapped in our own little bubble, a love story I wanted the world to see.The past four months, a symphony of bliss. Concert dates where he'd pull me close during slow songs, his breath warm against my ear as he hummed along. Gallery openings where his hand never left the small of my back. Late-night drives. Therapy sessions that turned into heated make-out sessions against his office wall, both of us forgetting the world existed beyond those four walls.He'd surprised me with a vintage leather journal on a random Tuesday, knowing how I loved to scribble down thoughts. Two weeks ago, he'd shown up with my favorite Thai takeout after a particularly draining day with my hormones. Simple gestures that felt like love letters written in his careful attention to detail.In return I spoiled him with presence, care, and food he always teased me about lear