Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

MiaThe candlelight flickered across the table, casting a warm glow over Noah Brooks’ face. I couldn’t stop smiling. Our first real date after weeks of flirty texts, rink-side banter, and him making me laugh during the youth clinic felt surprisingly easy. No pressure. Just good food, better company, and the kind of butterflies I hadn’t felt in years.Noah was charming without trying too hard. Funny in that quick, self-deprecating way that made him impossible to resist. And unexpectedly thoughtful. He’d remembered I hated mushrooms and had the waiter remove them from my pasta before it even arrived. Little things like that made my chest feel warm.“You’re staring,” he teased, leaning back in his chair with that playful grin. “Do I have sauce on my face or something?”I laughed, twirling my fork. “No. Just thinking how different this feels from the usual hockey guy stereotype.”He clutched his chest dramatically. “Ouch. Stereotype? I’m wounded. I’ll have you know I own more than three s

LoganThe file sat open on the table in front of me.I had been staring at it for nearly twenty minutes, and every new page made my mood worse.Chase Ryder.The name alone was enough to irritate me.His photograph was clipped to the first page. A clean professional headshot. Dark hair. Serious eyes. That same controlled expression he wore whenever cameras were around.Perfect Chase.Golden boy Chase.The man who had spent his entire life standing exactly one step ahead of me.I turned the page.The investigator had done a thorough job. School records. Financial reports. Medical history. Former teammates. Old relationships. Charity work. Family connections.Everything.And somehow, there was nothing useful.“No affairs,” I muttered.I flipped another page.No women claiming he had mistreated them. No secret hotel visits. No late-night messages sent to married influencers. No ex-girlfriends willing to sell stories.His romantic history was boring.A few short relationships in college. O

ChaseMy mother believed every family problem could be solved with food.A bad game required roast chicken.An injury required homemade soup.A breakup required enough dessert to feed the entire team.And if one of her children had not visited recently enough, she prepared everything at once and called it a casual family dinner.The smell of grilled meat and baked bread reached me before I opened the front door of my parents’ house.I stepped inside and immediately heard my father laughing from the back garden.“Chase?” Mom called from the kitchen.“It’s me.”“You’re late.”I checked my watch. “By four minutes.”“Late is late.”I smiled as I entered the kitchen.My mother, Evelyn Ryder, stood at the counter arranging roasted vegetables on a serving dish. At fifty-two, she still carried herself like the sports therapist she had been before Missy and I were born. Her dark hair was pulled into a neat bun, and she wore an apron over a simple blue dress.She looked me over carefully.Not a

MissyThe first thing I did when I returned to my room was lock the door.Not because I expected anyone dangerous to enter.Because I had an older brother named Chase Ryder.A locked door did not always stop him, but at least it forced him to pause before invading my privacy.Usually.I placed my laptop on the desk and moved the small ring light closer. The video footage from earlier filled the screen. Rows of lemon cupcakes sat neatly on the cooling rack, topped with pale yellow frosting and thin curls of lemon zest.They had turned out better than I expected.I had filmed the entire process before dinner, but I still needed to cut the clips, add text, choose music, and record the final voice-over. Editing always took longer than baking, especially because I refused to upload anything that felt careless.My baking page might have been small, but it was mine.Nearly thirty thousand people followed because they liked my recipes, not because I was Chase Ryder’s younger sister.At least,

ChaseGame days always carried a different kind of weight.The arena smelled sharper. The lights seemed brighter. Even the sound of skates cutting across fresh ice felt louder than usual.By seven that morning, I was already inside the locker room.Most of the team would not arrive for another hour, but I had never been good at waiting at home before important games. The match tonight could affect our position in the standings. One loss would not destroy the season, but it would give Logan’s team the advantage everyone had been talking about for weeks.The media had turned the game into another battle between us.Chase Ryder versus Logan Carter.First place versus second.The disciplined captain against the fallen golden boy.I hated most of the headlines.Not because they were entirely wrong.Because they made it sound as though the rest of the players did not matter.I tightened the laces on my training shoes and checked my phone.No new message from Allie.I told myself I was only