Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 19

Chapter Twelve: Fighting for YouThe league hearing room felt colder than any ice rink Soren had ever played on.He sat ramrod straight in his navy suit, his hands clasped tightly on the polished table. His agent sat to his left, quietly confident. Across from him were three league executives and a legal representative, all wearing identical expressions of professional disappointment.“Mr. Calder,” the lead executive began, “the leaked messages and timing of your… involvement with Mr. Draven have raised serious concerns about the integrity of the game. Do you have anything to say before we render our decision?”Soren looked down at his hands for a long moment. Then he lifted his head and spoke with quiet conviction.“I take full responsibility for how this has affected the league’s image. But I won’t apologize for caring about Jeremy Draven.” His voice grew stronger. “What started as rivalry became something real, something I didn’t expect and didn’t handle perfectly. But it didn’t af

Chapter Fourteen: Same Game, New Rules***The next two weeks were a whirlwind of adjustments.Soren was cleared to return to optional skates with the Grizzlies. The locker room was still tense, but some of the ice had thawed. Mitch gave him a nod when he walked in, a few veterans clapped him on the shoulder, others kept their distance. It wasn’t forgiveness yet, but it was a start.JR, meanwhile, was dealing with his own chaos in Seattle. The Storm organization loved the publicity their relationship brought, but some veterans grumbled about “distractions.”But through it all, they made time for each other.Every night they could, they were together; sometimes in Vancouver, sometimes in Seattle. The sex remained explosive, but it was the quiet moments that grounded them now: cooking dinner together, watching game film and arguing plays, falling asleep wrapped around each other.One night, after a particularly grueling practice, Soren arrived at JR’s apartment exhausted. JR took one

Chapter 16: New Rival Six months after winning the Stanley Cup and three months after their quiet courthouse wedding, Soren thought life had finally settled into something beautiful.He and JR were the golden couple of the NHL. They played on the same line for the Seattle Storm. The media called them “Ice Husbands.” Sponsors loved them. Their apartment overlooking the water felt like home. Most nights they fell into bed exhausted but happy, still insatiable for each other.But perfection never lasts in professional hockey.The new rival arrived during training camp for the next season.Elias Voss, a 26 years old Finnish superstar winger, acquired in a blockbuster trade. Tall, blond, dangerously charismatic, with sharp cheekbones and an easy smile that made half the team swoon. He was fast, skilled, and had that quiet intensity that reminded Soren of a younger JR.From day one, Elias gravitated toward Soren.“You’re the reason I wanted to come to Seattle,” Elias said during their fi

Soren’s thumb hovered over the delete button for half a second too long. He tapped it quickly, shoving the phone back into his pocket as JR’s question hung in the quiet of the car.The rain pattered steadily against the windshield, the wipers cutting smooth arcs through the Seattle downpour.“Who’s texting you this late?” JR asked, his voice low but edged with that familiar sharpness. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, knuckles paling. “Your face just went white, Soren. Don’t tell me it’s nothing.”Soren swallowed, forcing his expression neutral as the red light ahead glared at them like an accusation. “Just one of the guys from the team. Nothing important. Logistics for tomorrow’s optional skate.” The lie slid out easier than it should have, but it still tasted bitter. He reached over and rested a hand on JR’s thigh, careful of the braced hip. “Really. Let’s just get home. I’m wiped.”JR didn’t look convinced. He glanced sideways, those intense blue eyes scanning Soren’s