All Chapters of Accidentally Yours, Hockey Captain: Chapter 131 - Chapter 137

Emily’s POV I sat at the small worktable in my apartment, staring blankly at the canvas propped on my easel, my brush hovering motionless in mid‑air. It had been like this all afternoon—my eyes traced the lines and shapes I’d begun days ago, but my mind was miles away, circling endlessly around the same questions. Paint hockey players. Make them your subject. That is what I require. Will’s words echoed in my head, cold and commanding, refusing to be silenced. Why? That was the question that haunted me most. Why hockey players, of all things? What possible connection could a group of athletes have to my art, to our partnership, to anything he claimed to care about? Was he trying to use my paintings to promote them? To tie my name permanently to his world? Or was there something far darker hidden beneath his demand—something he deliberately hadn’t said, something he was keeping locked away where I would never find it until it was too late? A dull ache throbbed behind my eye

Emily’s POV “Thanks for driving me home, Kael. And thank you… for everything you showed me tonight.” I paused with my hand on the car door, looking back at him. The streetlight above us cast long shadows across his face, and his expression was grave, his brow furrowed with deep, unspoken worry. “No problem at all, Em,” Kael said, his voice serious and low. “But listen to me carefully. I know I don’t have all the facts, and I know I’ve been wrong before—terribly wrong—but I’m telling you now: be extremely careful with this man named Will. Every instinct I have is screaming that something is very wrong here. I don’t get a single good vibe from him. Not one.” He leaned forward slightly, gripping the steering wheel as if gathering his resolve. “I can’t ask Karen about it now—not after everything that happened between us. She won’t speak to me, and honestly… I don’t trust anything she says anymore either. But whatever is going on between them, whatever connection Will has to her… it’

Emily’s POV The air backstage felt thick, smelling of polished wood, fresh paint, and the faint, sweet scent of flowers arranged along the presentation hall. I stood beside my painting, hands clasped tight together to keep them from trembling, my heart beating a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Everywhere I looked there were people—judges in tailored suits, fellow artists clutching their portfolios, gallery owners whispering in quiet corners. And somewhere out there, watching, waiting… was Will. Mrs. Anderson stepped up beside me, her hand resting gently on my shoulder. She turned me toward her and gave me a warm, steady smile, though her eyes held a touch of concern. “Don’t be nervous, Emily,” she said softly, pulling me into a gentle hug. “You’ve poured your heart into this work. That is enough. Just do your best—for yourself, not for anyone else. Let them see what is in your soul, not what anyone else has told you to show.” I nodded, pressing my forehead briefly to her

Emily’s POVThe car rolled to a halt before tall, iron gates that stood like black sentinels against the pale afternoon sky. Beyond them lay a sprawling mansion built of pale stone, its windows glinting coldly in the light, its gardens manicured and silent. I stared up at it, my heart sinking heavy and slow in my chest. I had never been here before. I had never even seen this place. And I had no idea what Will was planning, or why he had brought me to this isolated, imposing house so far from everything I knew.Tears kept streaming silently down my face, hot and endless, as every worst-case scenario played out behind my eyes. What if I say the wrong thing? What if I refuse? What if I don’t paint exactly what he wants? Every question circled back to the same unbearable image—Alex. Alone. Afraid. Hurt. Because of me.I pressed one hand hard against my stomach, beneath the folds of my dress, and breathed in slow, painful gasps. Hold on, I told myself. Hold on just a little longer. Yo