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Lahat ng Kabanata ng SHATTERED ICE:One rink, bound by betrayal : Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

205 Kabanata

1.

Samantha’s POV“Son of a bitch!” I cursed, my voice cutting through the stillness of the hallway like a whip.I stood just outside the locker rooms, gripping the edge of the bench like it was the only thing keeping me from collapsing. Actually, it was.The words in the voicemail still rang in my head, Logan’s withdrawn from the competition. He’s signed with Tasha Lin. Just like that, my season was over. No warning. No apology. Just betrayal, cold and clean.My skates were still laced tightly on my feet, but the ice felt like a distant memory.After everything. After the rehearsals, the brutal early mornings, the bloodied ankles, the trust I’d built, gone in a single message.My chest rose and fell in short, shallow breaths. This wasn’t just a bad day. This was career-ending. Without a partner, I couldn’t compete. And without competition, I couldn’t rank. And without a ranking… well, I was done.Finished.Erased.“He’s leaving you for Tasha Lin.”The words echoed again in my ears. Spok

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 ca

3.

Logan’s POVI’d stared at my agent, Rick’s text, for what felt like an hour.“Make the move. This is it. Your chance.”Simple. Cold. Strategic. Just like Rick always was.And for once, I didn’t fight him, because I knew it was the truth.Samantha deserved better than this though, better than being dropped a day before Nationals. But I wasn’t doing this for her. Not anymore.I took a breath and pushed open the door to the private lounge Tasha Lin had booked for her press meet. She sat like a queen in silver colored leggings, sipping an iced espresso like it was liquid gold, sunglasses still on indoors. Of course.“Logan Pierre,” she said, without looking up. “Took you long enough.”I closed the door behind me. “I was tying loose ends.” I replied.“Or untangling guilt?”I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.Tasha finally looked at me, pulling off her sunglasses with a flourish. “Let me guess. Your conscience is screaming, your agent is dancing at this once in a lifetime opportunity, and somewher

4.

Samantha’s POVI’d been skating since I was six, but never had the ice felt as cold as it did that morning.Westview Arena was nearly empty, save for the sound of blades slicing across ice, echoing like thunder in the stillness.I tightened the straps of my practice top, eyes narrowing as I watched Anthony glide in smooth circles near the center of the rink, warming up like it was just another Tuesday. Effortless. Arrogant.I stepped onto the ice with a sharp breath, the sting of cold rushing through my socks and straight into my spine. My body knew the drill, posture, poise, balance,but my mind was buzzing.I hadn’t slept. Not really. Not with the memory of Anthony’s words from yesterday echoing through my head like an old injury that wouldn’t stop throbbing.“You’re just a replacement.”He hadn’t even tried to be civil. And the more I thought about it, the more I wondered why he hated me that much in the first place. If anyone should be pissed and angry about the arrangement, it sho

5.

Anthony’s POVWe moved into position, and the music started,sharp violins, layered percussion. It was the same track Celeste and I picked together months ago. Fast. Dramatic. Difficult. Perfect for us.Now, skating it with someone else felt like wearing someone else’s skin.Samantha did her best to keep up, I’ll give her that. She had decent instincts. But every time she matched my movement, I changed it. Every time she found the rhythm, I pushed faster. I couldn’t help it. Something in me rebelled at the idea of syncing with her.Halfway through the sequence, I grabbed her for the first lift, spun hard, then lowered her faster than I should have. The landing was messy, I knew. Her foot scraped the ice. She winced. So did I.I skated back, arms stiff. “You’re going to need to adjust your center of gravity. I can’t do all the work,” I muttered.She skated forward and got in my face. “Maybe if you stopped changing the counts mid-routine, I wouldn’t be improvising every five seconds! Wha

6.

Celeste POVThe cheers hadn’t stopped.I could still hear them, bleeding through the walls, thundering in my ears like a cruel reminder that I didn’t belong out there anymore. The cheers from the arena still echoed faintly, like they were laughing at me from a distance. I knew that applause wasn’t for me. Not anymore.They were cheering for her.Samantha.I sat on the edge of the locker room bench, arms folded tightly, jaw clenched so hard it ached. My skating bag sat by my feet, untouched. I’d come in earlier, hoping to wish him luck, his lucky charm, remember?, but instead I sat here, invisible, forgotten.The door creaked open.And there he was.Anthony stepped in, flushed from the performance, chest rising and falling beneath his costume. There was sweat on his brow and fire in his eyes, eyes that didn’t even see me at first. Not really.Not until I stood. His eyes lit up when he saw me. And for a moment, I hated him for it.“I didn’t think you’d still be here, You didn’t wait fo

7.

Samantha’s POVI didn’t wait to watch him leave. Anthony Vale had this infuriating way of walking into a room and lighting a match to my nerves, then leaving like the fire wasn’t his fault.It wasn’t just his arrogance, or the fact that he skated like a god and acted like a ghost. It was everything about him. The air around him felt like it needed permission to breathe.Still, when I heard footsteps echoing down the hallway, part of me tensed automatically. I would’ve been long gone by now, but I was waiting for Graham.I kept my eyes fixed on my phone, pretending to scroll through my schedule, maybe, just maybe, he’d ignore me like always.Except, it wasn’t Anthony.“Wow,” a familiar voice drawled behind me. “Didn’t think you’d actually go through with it.”I turned slowly, already knowing exactly who it was.Logan Pierre.Polished. Smirking. Every inch the wannabe golden boy, now skating with Tasha Lin like I’d just been a placeholder in his story.He folded his arms and tilted his

8.

Samantha’s POVThe words hit me like a slap. Of everything I had imagined, that wasn’t on the list.“What?” I stammered. “Is this one of your jokes again?”He was staring forward now, or trying to, but his eyes were unfocused, blinking rapidly against the lights. “I can’t see,” he repeated, voice breaking. “This isn’t a joke, Sam. I wouldn’t joke about something that can end my career. I can’t see.”My stomach dropped. He had called me Sam, so he wasn’t joking. But there was no way he was serious, right? We had spoken to each other a few minutes ago. Hell, I had watched him walk off.“Open the door,” I said sharply.When he didn’t move fast enough, I yanked it open myself and crouched next to him. His grip on the steering wheel was tense, his jaw tight.“Jesus, Anthony…” I muttered, narrowing my eyes, trying to meet his.“I left my lenses,” he stuttered in a shaky voice. “Wrong bag. It came on so fast. I didn’t think… I, I couldn’t see the lights. I didn’t want to hit anything.”I exh

9.

Anthony’s POVThe ride home was heavy, thick with things unsaid, like what the hell I was supposed to do now that Samantha knew that I was partially blind. She had been shocked as hell, but I knew that reality was yet to dawn on her, she was yet to fully process the news.My condition, the one thing I’d been keeping buried so deep it hurt to breathe around it, was now exposed, and I had no idea how to handle that. Would she look at me differently now? Would she flinch every time we went in for a lift or a spin, second-guessing whether I could see her clearly enough to catch her? Could I even trust myself on the ice anymore, knowing that every edge, every turn came with the risk of failure, not just for me, but for both of us? And worst of all, would she still want me as her partner now that she knew I was skating blind into a future neither of us had prepared for?That was not all, the ride was also laced with Isaac’s anger and worry, vibrating against the silence I wrapped myself i

10.

Anthony’s POV “Whoa, Jaden.” My voice cracked as I crouched down. “Hey, buddy.” “I missed you!” he said, pulling back to beam up at me with a wide toothy grin. “Did you win? Did you bring me snacks?” he said excited. I would have scoffed at the statement, but I didn’t. Nothing was going to come out of telling Jaden that his dad was actually responsible for that. Isaac has made it his responsibility to ensure that all the vending machines in Westview arena was devoid of any kids snacks. I smiled despite myself, tousling his hair. “Not tonight, champ. Next time.” I muttered. Jaden pouted. “You always say that,” he whined but still hugged me again. “Dad said you were grumpy. But you don’t look grumpy.” When Isaac had had the time to tell Jaden that, was beyond me. Thank goodness that the kid had clear eyes to see through his father’s lie. “I’m not grumpy, just tired,” I murmured. “ And now that I’ve seen you, I think I’m getting my strength back.” Jaden nodded like he unde

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