All Chapters of Hooked on the NHL Star: He Came Back for Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The departures hall of Milan Malpensa hummed with the electric energy of departures.Mia Conti watched the flickering screens, her fingers drumming a restless rhythm against the counter."The arnica cream is in the outer pocket," her mother, Alice Conti, says for the third time, glasses pushed up on her head. "Toronto gets damp in the fall. Don't strain your wrists. And I packed the supplements Dr. Ferrara prescribed—the real ones, not that pharmacy brand rubbish.""Momma." Mia's voice is steady even though her chest isn't. "I know."Her father, Ethan Conti, returns with the boarding pass. He rests a hand on Alice's shoulder, calm and composed as always."Everything's confirmed," he says. "Someone will be waiting for you at arrivals. Watch your things on the plane, and don't rush."Mia takes the pass, her gaze catching on the scar tissue between her father's thumb and forefinger.That hand rebuilt her wrist after the fracture at fifteen. That same hand, three years later, had left a m

"Save some energy for the rest of us, man."Lucas leans against the boards, energy bar hanging from his lip, watching Elias run backhand passing drills with the focus of someone who genuinely enjoys suffering.His curly hair is a mess, his grin is enormous, and he has absolutely no filter."Half the women in Toronto would pay good money to watch you train like this," he adds cheerfully.Elias doesn't look up. He repositions, lines up the angle, and sends the puck snapping off the boards with clean precision.Full-contact practice starts minutes later.Tyler Grant—left wing, notorious flirt, walking highlight reel of bad decisions—skates up and deliberately shoulder-checks Elias in the chest.The impact bounces right back.Tyler stumbles, grabs the boards, and stares at his own arm like it betrayed him."What the hell, Weston. Do you even have body fat?""You're one to talk," Lucas calls over. "You look like a bear in skates."Tyler rolls up his sleeve and starts skating toward Lucas w

Coach Danny Wilson walks into the locker room at 4:30 PM, a tablet gripped in his hand."Listen up." He raps the tactics board sharply. "Next Saturday. International Cultural Showcase. The organizers want us there as featured guests."The room goes briefly quiet before everyone starts talking at once."A cultural showcase? So we're mascots now?""Half the crowd won't even know what icing is."Danny lets them run for a moment, then swipes to the next screen. "It's being broadcast live. ESPN. Full cultural segment, dedicated interview block, and—" He lets the weight of it land, "—national exposure for the franchise."The room goes quiet in a different way.A low voice comes from the direction of the showers. "What kind of broadcast?"Elias walks out toweling his hair, his eyes already locked on the tablet. Danny turns the screen toward him."ESPN cultural special. They're building a segment around the team's presence, plus a post-event interview." Danny swipes again. "New sponsorship ey

Sunday evening, Ellie explodes back into the apartment like she's running late for war."Change your clothes," she announces through Mia's half-open door, already tearing through her own wardrobe. "The Blade has a dress code and we are not showing up looking like grad students."Mia opens her closet. She reaches for a camel turtleneck and dark jeans, which is when Ellie appears in the doorway, takes one look, and physically blocks her hand."Absolutely not." She disappears and returns thirty seconds later holding a forest-green velvet dress. "Christmas party, last year. I never wear anything twice—it's yours tonight."The fabric is cool and smooth in Mia's hands. Fitted bodice, elegant square neckline, an open-back panel."Ellie, it's a bar visit, not a gala—""Trust me." Ellie is already steering her toward the bathroom. "Go."When Mia steps out, Ellie goes quiet for a full three seconds.The velvet traces every line of her—the narrow waist, the curve of her back, the pale column of

When Mia slides back into her seat, Ellie is already there. And a broad-shouldered man in his forties sits beside her."Ben, this is my roommate Mia," Ellie announces, squeezing Mia's arm. "Brilliant. Medical student. From Italy. Basically a genius. Please take care of her whenever she comes in."Mia considers sliding under the table.Ben laughs and waves off the formality. "Any friend of Ellie's drinks free tonight. Welcome to The Blade, Mia."“Thank you and really nice to meet you, Ben—”Suddenly, Mia noticed the energy in the VIP lounge hitting a fever pitch, a chaotic blur of rowdy cheers and the deafening pulse of the music.Ellie followed her gaze and smirked."See? Our hockey gods don't do anything half-hearted, especially not partying. Don't worry, though; most of them are relatively house-trained. Well, except for a select few who treat the club like their personal hunting ground."Ellie leans in after Ben excuses himself. "Elias has old money, by the way. Like, old old. The