All Chapters of The Ice Between Us : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

DERICK'S POVThe drive to my father's estate took forty minutes. Forty minutes of silence, of Ciel's hand resting on my thigh, of Leo's eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror every few miles. We'd left Tracy with Jess back at the dorm, locked in Leo's room with instructions not to open the door for anyone. We'd left the police still crawling over the rink, their lights painting the snow in restless colors. We'd left everything behind except the one thing that mattered now.The truth.The gates of the Blackwood estate swung open as we approached, almost like he was expecting us. The long driveway curved through frozen gardens and past a fountain that had been drained for winter. The house loomed at the end, all glass and stone and cold ambition. I'd grown up inside those walls, but I'd never once called it home."You don't have to do this," Ciel said quietly."Yes, I do." I pulled the car to a stop and killed the engine. "He's been pulling strings since before we met. It's time he lo

DERICK'S POVThe first thing I noticed when I woke up was the cold. Not the sharp, clean cold of the rink, but the creeping kind that seeps through thin blankets and settles into your bones. Leo's dorm had a radiator that clanked all night but didn't actually produce any heat. I'd learned that the hard way, tossing and turning on the floor until my back ached and my fingers went numb.The second thing I noticed was that my phone wouldn't stop buzzing.I reached for it, squinting at the screen. A dozen notifications. My banking app, my credit card company, my investment portfolio. All saying the same thing in different ways.Account frozen. Card declined. Access denied.My father hadn't wasted any time.I sat up slowly, my body stiff from the floor. Leo was still asleep in his bed, his face peaceful, his breathing steady. I envied him. I hadn't slept more than a few hours, my mind spinning with everything that had happened.I checked my wallet. Forty-three dollars. That was it. The ent

CIEL'S POVThe campus was a nest of whispers. Everywhere I looked, students huddled in groups, their phones raised, their eyes darting toward us as we walked past. The article about Derick's disownment had spread like wildfire, and the gossip was vicious."Did you hear? His father cut him off completely.""No money. No car. No nothing.""Serves him right. He was always a spoiled brat."I felt Derick tense beside me, his hand tightening around mine. He didn't say anything, but I could see the way his jaw clenched, the way his eyes stayed fixed on the path ahead. He was trying to be strong. Trying not to let them see how much it hurt.I stopped walking."Ciel?" He looked at me, confused. "What are you doing?"I didn't answer. I just turned to face the crowd that had gathered behind us, their whispers dying as they realized I was looking at them."You want to talk about Derick?" My voice carried across the courtyard, sharp and clear. "Then talk to me."A few students shifted uncomfortabl

CIEL'S POVThe car ride to the cabin took longer than expected. The roads were slick with ice, and my father drove slowly, his hands gripping the wheel like he was afraid the car might disappear if he let go. I sat in the back seat with Derick, my hand in his, my mind still reeling from everything he'd told us.A sister. A twin. Dead before I could even remember her.I wanted to ask more questions. I wanted to demand answers. But every time I opened my mouth, the words caught in my throat. So I just stared out the window, watching the frozen landscape blur past, and tried to process the impossible.Derick squeezed my hand. "You okay?""No." I looked at him. "But I will be."He didn't push. He just held on.We stopped at a small motel about an hour from Lake Placid. My father said we needed rest before facing Eli. I didn't argue. I was too tired to fight, too hollow to think.The room was small and cold, with two beds and a radiator that barely worked. Leo and Jess took one bed. Derick

DERICK'S POVWarren's finger hovered over the remote.The rink was silent except for the hum of the old compressor and the distant sound of that engine getting closer. Ciel's hand was cold in mine, his body pressed against my back like he was trying to shield me from what was coming."You have ten seconds," Warren said. "Give me the evidence, and I'll let you walk away. Refuse, and your father and Eli become collateral damage."I could feel Ciel trembling against me. Not from fear. From rage."You're lying," Ciel said. "You wouldn't blow up the cabin. The evidence is in there. You need it."Warren's smile didn't waver. "I don't need the evidence. I need it destroyed. There's a difference."The engine outside grew louder. Headlights swept across the rink windows, cutting through the dim light. Warren's eyes flicked toward the sound, just for a second.That was all I needed.I lunged.My shoulder caught Warren in the chest, sending us both crashing onto the ice. The remote flew from his