All Chapters of Claimed By My Ex's Rival Hockey Captain: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Bailey POVNolan steps aside, his smile widening as he gestures for me to enter. "Please, come in." He offers.I hesitate for just a moment before stepping into the condo. It looks exactly the same as the house we lived in Chicago, only that this is upscale.Every surface is perfectly clean, every piece of furniture carefully arranged. It feels more like a showroom than a home.The door clicks shut behind me, and I fight the urge to flinch."I have to say, Bailey, this is unexpected. But not unwelcome." Nolan says, moving around me in a slow circle."I need to talk to you," I say, trying to keep my voice steady."Of course," he says smoothly. "But first…” He holds out his hand. "Give me your phone."My stomach drops. "What?""Your phone," he repeats, his smile never wavering but his eyes hardening. "I'm not stupid, Bailey. You recorded me once before. I'm not giving you the chance to do it again."I swallow hard. If I refuse, he'll know I planned to record this conversation. If I give

Bailey POVI can't sleep. How could I possibly sleep?Nolan's apartment feels like a prison, I feel like a caged bird, a doll.The sheets smell like him, a scent that once meant comfort and I was obsessed with but now makes my stomach turn.He is lying next to me, one arm draped possessively across my waist even in sleep.I've been staring at the ceiling for hours. I can't sleep.Every time I close my eyes, I see Orion's face.The way he looked before I left, how he kissed my forehead and told me to be safe. The way he held me on the yacht on our vacation, promising we would get through this together.I can't help but wonder if he knows where I am yet or if he has tried calling.My phone is somewhere in Nolan's possession.I haven't seen it since he took it from me hours ago.The night has been a special kind of torture.After I agreed to his terms, Nolan insisted on celebrating our "reunion." He ordered dinner from my old favorite restaurant, the Italian place we used to go to on ann

Bailey POV"Besides, I want to show you off. Let everyone see that you're mine again."Mine again, like I am a fucking possession he reclaimed."I need to shower first," I say, desperate for any excuse to be alone again."Of course," Nolan says, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. "Take your time. I want you to look beautiful for our first public appearance as a couple." He informs me.His thumb strokes my cheekbone, and I have to use every ounce of willpower not to flinch away."Nolan," I say quietly. "When are you going to handle Orion's case? You promised…""Since I promised, I will handle it." he interrupts me impatiently."Tese things take time, Bailey. I need to make some calls and pull some strings. It can't happen overnight." He answers.Make calls and pull strings my ass. If he wasn't an asshole and framed Orion, would I be in this mess?"How long?" Despite the anger, I force myself to calm down and ask.Something flickers in his eyes.“ A few days.” He answers.“ How fast de

Bailey "Stay away from my woman, Hayes."Nolan's voice cuts through the air like a knife, sharp and possessive.I turn to see him striding toward us, his expression dark with anger. He must have noticed I was gone and came looking for me.My heart sinks."Nolan…" I start, but he's already closing the distance between us."I said, stay away from her," Nolan repeats, positioning himself between Orion and me. His hand immediately finds my waist, pulling me against his side with bruising force.I see Orion's jaw clench and his hands curl into fists."We were just talking," Orion says, his voice tight as if he is controlling himself."Talking?" Nolan repeats , laughing but there's no humor in it. “ To me, it looked like more than talking to me. It looked like you were harassing my girlfriend." He declares."I wasn't…" Orion tries to defend himself but Nolan ignores him."Bailey, let's go," Nolan interrupts, his grip on my waist tightening in warning. "Practice is almost over anyway." He

"I do trust you…" I start to explain but Orion doesn't give me the chance to."Then why didn't you let me fight for us?" he asks, pain lacing every word. "Why didn't you let me be the one to protect you for once?" He adds and I have to hold myself back from breaking down again."Orion, you've protected me for so long," I say, my hands cupping his face. "You've fought for me, defended me, stood by me through everything. I wanted to protect you this time. I wanted to be the one who saved you." I reply, hoping he can understand my reasons."Save me by sacrificing yourself?" Orion's voice cracks. "Bailey, that's not saving me. That's destroying us both.""I didn't know what else to do. Nolan said he would destroy you. He said you wouldn't survive prison, that he would make sure…""I don't care," Orion interrupts fiercely. "I don't care about prison. I don't care about my career. I don't care about any of it if it means losing you." He declares with so much pain."Orion…""Don't go back to