Semua Bab SHOOTING A SHOT AT THE ICE KING : Bab 11 - Bab 20

Brielle’s POV.I sat cross-legged on his leather sofa, my laptop balanced on my knees. Chase paced behind me like a caged predator, his tuxedo jacket discarded on the floor, the top three buttons of his white shirt undone."I pulled the exact IP trace from the remote access breach," I said, typing rapidly as the diagnostic code ran across the screen. "The hacker didn't just leak the medical files tonight, they used an encrypted spoofing application to route the upload directly through my press credentials while I was standing on the red carpet."Chase stopped pacing, he walked over, leaning over the back of the couch, his broad chest terrifyingly close to my shoulder. His gaze scanned the glowing lines of code."Can you trace the originating device?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous."I couldn't before, but the hacker made a mistake during tonight's upload," I explained, pointing to a string of numbers. "They uploaded the PDF directly from a local cloud folder synced to a specifi

Brielle’s POV.Chase hadn't let go of my hand. His fingers were laced tightly through mine, warm and unyielding, as if anchoring himself to the real world after walking out of a living nightmare."You did it," I whispered, turning to look at him.The tense, agonizing line of his shoulders had finally relaxed. The cold, impenetrable mask of the Ice King was nowhere to be seen. In its place was just Chase, exhausted, victorious, and looking at me with an intensity that made my pulse jump."We did it," Chase corrected softly, his thumb gently tracing the back of my hand. "If you hadn't stayed, if you hadn't chased down that IP log or faced down Nate in that locker room... I’d be facing a lifetime ban right now."Before I could reply, his legal representative stepped up beside us, holding a tablet. "The league has officially issued a public retraction, Chase. The suspension is lifted. Nate Bryant is currently in police custody being questioned for reckless endangerment and corporate espio

Brielle’s POV.The ring of the championship defense banner ceremony had barely faded when the real trouble started, It was two months after the season opener, and while the team was dominating the standings, the corporate boardrooms of professional sports were shifting under our feet. Taking total operational control of a multi-billion-dollar franchise meant Chase wasn't just dealing with power plays on the ice, he was wading through sharks in tailored suits.I sat in the high-walled corner office of the arena’s executive suite, my laptop open beside a stack of raw high-resolution prints from last night’s game against Chicago. Across the massive oak desk, Chase was leaning back, his dark tie loosened, staring at a set of projected financial audits on the wall."They're stalling the stadium expansion lease," Chase said, his voice flat, carrying that controlled, icy edge that used to intimidate the hell out of me. "My father's old board loyalists are trying to force a minority buy-out b

Brielle’s POV.Dozens of reporters shoved against the velvet barrier, their microphones thrust forward like weapons. The room was buzzing with tension following Toronto's devastating home loss and the fallout from the viral clip of Miller’s dirty hit.Chase sat at the center of the dais, still in his official team tracksuit. Underneath the heavy navy fabric, I knew his ribs were heavily taped, every breath a quiet, hidden battle against sheer physical agony, but sitting under the blinding white studio lights, his posture was immaculate, his jaw locked like carved granite."Chase! Over here!" a local Toronto reporter shouted, waving his notepad. "The league just announced a five-game suspension for Miller based on the high-definition video footage released by your media partner, Miss Hopkins. Critics are saying your team is using exclusive media access to influence league disciplinary boards. How do you respond?"Chase leaned into the microphone, his piercing blue eyes tracking across

Brielle’s POV. The echoes of the chanting crowd and the heavy thrum of post-game adrenaline melted into the quiet sanctuary of the empty hallway.When Chase finally pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, his dark blue eyes burning with an intense, quiet heat. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps, every movement still guarded by the heavy tape bound tight around his ribs."You played like a man possessed tonight," I whispered, my fingers resting lightly over his chest, feeling the heavy, steady thud of his heart. "Fluent French, an assist on the breakaway, and you silenced twenty thousand people before the second period even started.""I had good motivation," Chase murmured, a slow, breathtaking smirk touching his lips. He reached down, taking the heavy camera bag off my shoulder and setting it on the bench behind us without breaking eye contact. "I knew who was watching through the glass.""I'm always watching, Kensington. It’s my job.""No," he corrected softly, his hand