All Chapters of DANGEROUS ICE: MY HOCKEY NEMESIS IS MY SINFUL OBSESSION: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The living room felt too quiet after Coach Gregory slipped out the back exit. I sat on the edge of the sofa with the cold ice pack pressed against my ribs. The brass lock on the front door finally clicked, and the heavy wood swung open. Axel walked inside. He dropped my dark green canvas hockey bag onto the carpet with a loud thud.Relief washed over my chest. I stood up and walked toward him because seeing that bag meant we still had a fighting chance."You actually got it," I said, looking down at the heavy fabric. "Did you see anyone near the arena?"Axel locked the door and turned to face me. "Silas was sitting right next to your bag outside the locker room. He was trying to figure out if he should open it."My jaw tightened, and a sharp spark of anger flared in my chest. "Did he touch the playbooks?""No, because I told him the bag was full of your dirty laundry," Axel answered with a small shrug. "He did not want to touch sweaty jerseys, so he just kicked the bag over to me. We

I pressed the red button on the digital screen and ended the call. The silence in the kitchen felt heavy. I stared at the dark face of my cell phone, trying to process the words Marcus just spoke. My father was not going to the athletic board hearing. He was going to the university hospital to target Axel's nursing program.A cold wave of panic rushed through my chest. I dropped the phone onto the granite counter. I turned away from the kitchen island and started to pace across the small living room. I walked from the edge of the sofa to the front door, and then I turned around to walk back. My heavy boots hit the carpet with a dull thud.The dull ache in my ribs flared into a sharp pain with every step, but I ignored the physical discomfort. The guilt in my mind was much worse than any hockey injury. I brought this corporate war to Axel's doorstep. I rebelled against my father on the West Coast to protect my own pride, and now my rebellion was going to ruin the one thing Axel worked

The morning traffic moved slowly through the busy downtown streets. I gripped the leather steering wheel of my car, and my knuckles turned white from the tight pressure. My dark suit felt heavy and restrictive against my bruised ribs. Every time I pressed the brake pedal to avoid the stopped cars ahead of me, a dull, throbbing pain radiated through my left side. The physical injury served as a constant reminder of the brutal defensive drills yesterday, but I could not focus on the pain right now.I ignored the physical discomfort because the mental stakes were much higher today. I was driving toward the central legal district to claim my grandfather's trust fund. This single meeting represented the key to my true independence. If I signed the injunction papers, my father would lose his financial leverage over my hockey career. He would lose his ability to threaten the university athletic board, and he would lose the power to dictate Gabe's living arrangements.The digital clock on my

I stared at the black numbers printed on the official bank letterhead, and a heavy silence filled the massive boardroom. The zero balance mocked my careful planning. The money represented our only escape route from my family, and my father knew exactly how to block my path."He stole the money," I said, looking up from the paper to meet the eyes of my lawyer. "You told me the principal balance was protected by the estate. You said he only managed the monthly distributions, so how did he manage to empty the entire account overnight?"Mr. Vance held his hand up to stop my rising anger. He leaned back in his dark leather chair and folded his hands on top of the manila folder."Your father did not steal the funds, Michael," Mr. Vance clarified. He kept his voice very calm to counter my obvious stress. "Theft is a severe federal crime, and Richard is far too smart to break the law directly. He used a legal loophole hidden deep inside the original trust language to move the assets.""Moving

The boardroom remained silent after I issued my demand over the speakerphone. I held the silver pen in my hand and waited for the corporate lawyer to answer me. My father wanted to trap me on the campus for another year, and I was willing to accept his terms if he agreed to leave Axel alone."Richard will accept that condition," Sterling finally said through the phone speaker. The lawyer sounded irritated. "He has no interest in a nursing student if you sign the addendum today. The hospital administration will not receive any complaints from our office."I looked at Mr. Vance sitting across the mahogany table. My independent attorney frowned and shook his head, warning me not to throw my professional career away. I ignored his silent advice. I pressed the tip of the pen against the paper and signed my name on the bottom line."The contract is signed," I told Sterling. "Tell the bank to release the funds into my independent account."I pushed the phone away and stood up from the leathe