All Chapters of CROWN OF ICE: My Rival Captain Forgot Our Bond(MM ROMANCE): Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Adrian POVThe main tunnel beneath the United Center sat quiet, far removed from the media circus at the exit gates.Dozens of players from both the New York Titans and the Chicago Wolves filled the wide concrete corridor. Stripped of their helmets and heavy gear, they stood shoulder-to-shoulder in their sweat-soaked under-armor and travel suits. The old bitterness of the Eastern Conference Finals had melted into an intense, heavy solidarity that filled every corner of the space.I stood near the central broadcast van, my dark blue Titans shirt unbuttoned over my bandaged chest. The air still carried the sharp smell of ice, sweat, and cold concrete, but underneath it all sat a new kind of calm that had never existed in this building before.Noah stood right beside me, his bare hand locked tight in mine. His sea-salt scent blended with my cedar aura, creating a calm, grounded warmth that filled the narrow space and settled over the entire group of men watching us.Jax Miller stepped th

Noah POVThe roar inside the United Center reached a deafening frequency.Twenty thousand fans stood on their feet, the sound crashing off the concrete walls and vibrating through the ice sheet beneath my boots. High above our heads, the jumbotron screens displayed the live broadcast, showing Adrian and me standing hand-in-hand at center ice.I looked down at my left hand. The heavy silver championship ring sat broad over my knuckle, gleaming under the stadium spotlights.For three years, I had tucked this ring under my hockey gloves. For three years, I had walked past Adrian in arena corridors, pretending we were nothing more than bitter rivals fighting for a playoff spot.My throat felt tight, but the heavy weight in my chest was gone."Look at them," I murmured, my voice barely carrying over the noise of the crowd.Adrian’s grip tightened around my fingers. He pulled me half an inch closer, his dark amber eyes burning down into mine with a fierce, quiet pride."Let them look," Adri

Adrian POVThe glass wall of the federal courthouse conference room looked out over Manhattan.Rain slicked the tall office buildings, reflecting the red and blue emergency lights flashing five floors below. On the large mounted screen at the front of the room, the live feed of the NHL Board of Governors emergency convention played in high definition.I stood near the mahogany table, my dark blue Titans blazer unbuttoned.My right hand stayed locked in Noah’s grip, my thumb tracing the silver band on his finger. The constant, warm pulse of his sea-salt scent filled my lungs, perfectly intertwined with my dark cedar aura.Jax Miller sat on the arm of a leather sofa, his heavy arm draped over Leo Vance’s shoulders. Leo leaned back into Jax’s side, his eyes fixed on the television screen."They've been in executive session for two hours," Jax said, his voice a low rumble. "If they try to stall this—""They won't stall," Noah interrupted softly. "They don't have the leverage anymore."On

Adrian POVThe morning skate before Game 2 felt different than any skate in my ten years of professional hockey.The air inside the United Center was crisp, cold, and clean. There were no syndicate enforcers standing near the tunnels. There were no compromised doctors sitting in the medical wing.I stood by the New York Titans bench, leaning over the wooden boards to fasten my skate guards.My dark blue Titans jersey sat loose over my shoulder pads. For the first time in three years, the collar of my shirt was wide open. No black leather scent-suppressant band hugged my neck.My dark cedar scent rolled off my skin in a warm, steady tide, completely unmasked.Jax Miller skated up beside me, stopping his steel blades with a sharp spray of ice shavings against the glass. He had his blue jersey unbuttoned at the throat too."Referees just finished their pre-game brief," Jax said, wiping sweat from his forehead with his glove. "Interim league office brought in an officiating crew from the

Noah POVDr. Sarah Hayes set a stainless-steel tray down on the desk with a sharp metal clatter.I sat on the edge of the examination table, my legs dangling over the white paper lining. Cold air blew straight out of the ceiling vent overhead, making the paper crinkle every time I shifted my hips."I don't need a blood draw, Sarah," I said, pulling my black Chicago Wolves jersey down over my waist. "Game 4 starts in four hours. The team needs me on the ice for the pre-game meeting.""Sit still, Noah," Adrian said.He didn't sit in the vinyl guest chair. He stood right beside the examination table, his broad frame blocking the doorway like a solid brick wall. His dark blue Titans hoodie was unbuttoned at the neck, his unmasked cedar scent rolling off his chest in thick, heavy waves that filled the small office.His large, calloused hand reached out, wrapping firm around my left wrist. His thumb pressed straight into my palm, right over the heavy silver championship ring taped beneath m