Semua Bab SHATTERED ICE:One rink, bound by betrayal : Bab 161 - Bab 170

Anthony’s POVMorning came too quickly.Sunlight filtered through the tall restaurant windows of the hotel, soft and pale, reflecting off polished marble floors and white tablecloths. The place was already alive with quiet movement. Cutlery clinked. Coffee machines hissed. Conversations murmured in different languages, like everyone here understood this was a day that mattered.Performance day.I spotted Samantha immediately.She sat at a small table near the windows, a cup of tea cradled between her hands. Her hair was loose this morning, falling over her shoulders in soft waves. She wore a simple sweater and jeans, nothing dramatic, nothing that hinted at emerald gowns or red carpets or the way she had looked at me last night when I finally kissed her.She looked up, noticed me, and froze. Just for a second. Barely noticeable. But I saw it.Her cheeks flushed faintly as she looked back down at her cup.Yes. It was awkward.I grabbed a tray and joined her, setting my plate down acr

Samantha’s POV“Okay, Vale et Meadows, you are up next.”The announcement echoed through the dressing room, calm and very professional, like this was any other routine, any other night, and not the moment my body had been moving toward since we landed in Paris.I did not jump or flinch. I only closed my eyes for half a second.Finally.At this point, I did not even feel excitement anymore. I just wanted to be done. My muscles were tired in that deep way that did not go away with stretching. Even worse because we didn’t get to rehearse earlier, since the festival organizer messed up our schedule.Paris had been beautiful, but loud, crowded, relentless. I wanted a shower. I wanted silence. I wanted my bed.I rolled my shoulders once and checked my skates again, even though I already knew they were perfect. The laces were tight. The blades were clean. Everything was ready.Anthony walked toward me from across the room.He looked calm. Too calm, actually, like he always did right before

Anthony’s POVI thought the worst part of the day was already behind us when the plane touched down.The private flight had been quiet, almost unreal in how calm it felt compared to everything that had happened earlier. Samantha had slept through most of it, curled up on the wide seat with her injured ankle elevated on pillows, ice wrapped carefully around it. I barely slept at all. Every time she shifted or winced in her sleep, my chest tightened. I kept watching the swelling, kept counting her breaths, kept telling myself that if Cole and Isaac said we needed to get home fast, then we had done the right thing.I was grateful that it was a private jet. At least on the plane, she could rest. At least no one could see her limp. At least there were no cameras or anyone watching.That illusion shattered the moment we stepped outside the airport.The walk from the hangar into the terminal had been fine. Quiet. Controlled. Almost boring. I remember thinking that maybe we would get lucky

Anthony’s POV The clinic was quiet when we arrived, tucked away from the main road, clean and discreet, exactly the kind of place Isaac trusted. No waiting room full of strangers. No curious eyes. Isaac’s friend, the doctor, was already waiting for us. He greeted Isaac with a nod and guided us straight into a private exam room without asking unnecessary questions.Samantha sat on the exam table, her posture straight, her hands clenched tightly in her lap like she was holding herself together by force alone. I stood nearby, trying not to hover, trying not to let my worry show too much even though it was crawling under my skin.“I am fine,” she said again, even as the doctor gently pressed around her ankle, his fingers careful but firm.She hissed before she could stop herself, her breath catching sharply.I felt my stomach drop.The doctor glanced up at her, not unkind, but knowing. “That spot hurts,” he said.“It is nothing,” she insisted, her voice tight. “Just sore.”He did not a

Anthony’s POV “You are,” I admitted. “And you are right. I will be okay. Because I have you reminding me.”He gave me a small, satisfied nod. “See? I told you.”I pressed my hand to his back, feeling the steady warmth of him. “You are a smart little man, Jaden. Really smart.”“Yeah,” he said, leaning closer, “and I can be even smarter. I will make sure you never feel alone. Ever.”The certainty in his voice made my chest ache in a good way, and I held him a little tighter. “I will try not to feel alone either, buddy. I promise.”He hummed, thoughtful, then muttered, “Maybe I should get a notebook, write down all the smart stuff I notice.”I laughed, shaking my head. “You probably should. You might end up teaching me a few things.”He smiled, proud of himself, and snuggled closer against my side. “I will. Because I am smart like that.”We lay there quietly for a few minutes. His breathing was slow and even, relaxed in a way I envied. He did not know what was happening. He only knew t