All Chapters of Contract Marriage with My Hockey Alpha: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

CHAPTER THIRTY ONEScarlett’s POVThe roar inside the arena grew louder until it felt as though the entire building was shaking beneath my feet.Every seat was occupied, every fan was standing.Blue and white flags filled the air as people chanted the Blackhawks’ name over and over again.The lights slowly brightened until the entire rink was glowing beneath them.I tightened my hands around the railing in front of me.This was it. Everything had come down to this moment. Ryan skated toward the center of the ice with calm, steady movements, his face revealed nothing.If someone looked at him for the first time today, they would never guess that only a few days ago he had disappeared without telling anyone where he was going.They would never guess that he had been fighting an injured shoulder.They would never guess that someone he trusted had betrayed him.He looked exactly like a captain, strong, focused and ready The referee glided toward the center circle with the puck resting

CHAPTER THIRTY THREEScarlett’s POV“No!”The cry escaped my lips before I even realized I had spoken.The Falcons defender threw his entire body toward Ryan.He wasn’t looking at the puck anymore, he wasn’t trying to stop the play.He was aiming straight for Ryan.Everything seemed to slow down.The crowd fell silent.Every pair of eyes followed the same moment.Just before the defender reached him, one of Ryan’s teammates shouted from the other side of the ice. “Ryan!”Ryan reacted instantly.Instead of forcing his way through the defender, he made the quickest pass I had ever seen.The puck left his stick and slid across the ice with perfect speed.At the same moment, Ryan twisted his body.The defender’s shoulder crashed into him, but Ryan had already turned.The hit caught the side of his body instead of landing directly on his injured shoulder.Ryan lost his balance.His skates slipped from beneath him, he crashed onto the ice and slid several feet.A loud gasp swept through t

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVERyan’s POVThe celebration continued around me, but for some reason, I couldn’t enjoy it the way everyone else did.My teammates were laughing so hard that some of them had tears in their eyes.Coach David had been pulled into the middle of the celebration, and the younger players refused to let him leave without taking pictures.Reporters waited impatiently with microphones in their hands.Camera flashes filled every corner of the arena.The championship trophy had already been placed on a table covered with blue cloth, waiting for the official presentation.Everything around me was exactly as I had imagined it would be.We had won. After months of hard work… After weeks of pressure… After everything that had happened… We had actually won.I should have been happy, I was happy but something inside me refused to settle.A strange feeling rested heavily in my chest, It wouldn’t go away.Ethan walked over and threw an arm around my shoulders. “There he is.”He laugh

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVENScarlett’s POVBy the time we finally left the arena, the celebration behind us had become nothing more than a distant sound.The championship trophy had been lifted. Pictures had been taken.The interviews had finally ended. One by one, the players began leaving with their families and friends.The excitement that had filled every corner of the building was slowly fading.The evening air felt cool against my skin as I walked beside Ryan, neither of us spoke.There were so many things I wanted to say, so many things I wanted to ask but every time I opened my mouth, the words disappeared before they could leave my lips.Ryan walked quietly beside me with his hockey bag resting over one shoulder.His pace was slow not because he was tired but because he wasn’t trying to leave me behind.When we reached the parking area, he stopped walking, I stopped too.For a long moment, neither of us looked at the other.I lowered my eyes. “I’m sorry.”The words came out so so

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINEScarlett’s POVI didn’t know how long I had been asleep.For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t haunted by guilt or fear.The tears I had cried earlier seemed to have washed away the heaviness in my heart, if only for a little while.Ryan’s words still echoed in my mind.“Sleep well.”“You’ve cried enough for one lifetime.”A small smile found its way onto my face.No one had ever said something like that to me before.For the first time in a long time… I felt safe.A faint sound pulled me out of my sleep, at first, I thought I had imagined it.I turned over and buried my face deeper into the pillow.The sound came again. Voices.I slowly opened my eyes.The room was dark except for the soft light shining through the curtains.I frowned. Who was talking at this hour? I reached for my phone.It was almost eleven at night. Confusion settled over me.The mansion was usually quiet at this time.I climbed out of bed and quietly walked toward my bedroom