Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 31 - Chapitre 40

KILLIAN'S POVThe moment the doorknob began to turn, I reacted entirely on instinct, my movements silent and immediate. I caught Maya by the waist, gently but firmly pulling her deep into the narrow shadow behind one of the tall mahogany bookshelves just as the heavy library door slowly swung open. Both of us remained perfectly still, pressed flush against each other in the tight space. My heart was thudding so violently against my ribs I was certain it would give us away, and Maya's fingers dug hard into the fabric of my shirt, her wide eyes locked onto mine in the darkness. We barely dared to breathe.Through the small gap between the shelves, I watched as one of the overnight housekeepers stepped into the room, a small silver tray balanced in her hand. She was muttering softly to herself about returning a leather-bound book Dad had left behind in the study after dinner. She placed the book neatly on a nearby side table, adjusted a stack of magazines, and then reached over to sw

KILLIAN'S POVThe photograph of Carter and Maya lingered at the edge of my mind like a stubborn, phantom ache, long after our breathless, frantic conversation in the shadows of the old library. No matter how many times I told myself to focus on my career, I couldn't shake the image of her smiling up at him outside the university gates, looking so painfully safe in his world.It was a visual loop that kept playing against the back of my eyelids, a constant reminder of the ticking clock we were living on.Determined not to let my complicated personal life bleed into the locker room or compromise the team's momentum again, I arrived at the campus arena long before sunrise for an extra, unscheduled practice session. At 4:30 AM, the empty rink was almost peaceful. The air was biting and crisp, and the ice stretched out before me pristine, smooth, and completely unmarred under the dim, buzzing stadium lights. For a solid hour, the only sound in the entire building was the sharp, rhythmic

KILLIAN'S POVI barely had enough time to throw myself under a steaming shower in the locker room, scrub the scent of sweat and ice off my skin, and change into a tailored charcoal suit before I was heading across the city.The heavy, metallic hum of Toronto traffic blurred past my window, but my mind remained entirely elsewhere. Although the fashion networking event was primarily reserved for industry executives and luxury investors, several major corporate sponsors, who heavily backed both the Toronto Wolves and the upcoming charity banquet, had requested a few of the team's star players make brief promotional appearances.The coach had practically ordered me to go. “It's about the bigger picture, Killian,” his voice had rumbled in my head during the drive. “Building relationships off the ice with these executives is just as important as performing on it. Especially now that those international scouts are breathing down your neck.”By the time I arrived at the luxury hotel and hand

KILLIAN'S POVWe didn't have to hit the ice for our usual morning training session.Right after we finished our team meeting, Coach stood at the front of the room and announced that the university had scheduled a community outreach day. We were heading to the Toronto Children’s Hospital. It was a major part of the charity drive leading up to the big banquet.A few of the guys groaned and joked about swapping their hockey skates for quiet hospital hallways, but Coach didn't let them slide. He shut down the grumbling with a single, sharp look."Representing this university means a lot more than just winning games, men," he said, his voice firm. "We show up, we show respect, and we put smiles on those kids' faces. Understood?"As the team captain, I had to set an example. I arrived at the hospital early, waiting in the lobby with the rest of the guys. We were all dressed in our official, matching Toronto Wolves tracksuits—deep navy blue with our silver wolf crest stamped over our heart

KILLIAN'S POVWe returned to our regular training schedule the very next morning, but the entire arena felt completely different.The quiet, focused energy of our usual practices was gone, replaced by absolute chaos. With the charity banquet only a few days away and our massive rivalry game fast approaching, the facility was crawling with people. Sports reporters with cameras, corporate sponsors in expensive suits, and university public relations staff seemed to be around every single corner.Before we could even lace up our skates, Coach blew his whistle and gathered the entire squad at center ice."Listen up, men," Coach said, his deep voice echoing off the empty rafters. "First off, I want to congratulate all of you on how you handled yourselves at the children's hospital yesterday. The university has already received some incredible press from it. You represented the Wolves with class."He paused, looking at each of us, his expression turning serious. "But the work isn't done. Th