All Chapters of MY HOCKEY HEARTHROB : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

95 Chapters

CHAPTER 1: GHOST IN THE HORIZON

The mid morning sun hung like a polished coin over the city, its heat a familiar weight on my shoulders as I stepped out of the international terminal. Yet, despite the warmth, everything felt foreign. Five years of chasing headlines across Europe and North America had forged me into someone unrecognizable, to the girl who had once called this place home. I wasn't that shadow of a person who had fled with a shattered heart and a suitcase stuffed with what ifs and bitter regrets. I was Valeria, a journalist who had carved her name into the stone of a competitive industry that never handed out favors to the weak. I adjusted my sunglasses, my fingers grazing the gold armlet on my bicep. I had spent five years carefully building this version of myself, the regal bun that pulled my hair back into a crown of professionalism, the sharp, tailored silhouette of my clothes, and the unwavering, sharp gaze I used to keep the world at bay. It was a suit of armor designed to ensure I never felt s

CHAPTER 2: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Ever since I received the news that I was the one assigned to the Julian Vane exclusive, the very air in the Apex Media building seemed to have thinned, leaving me lightheaded and breathless. I sat at my desk in the bustling newsroom, my fingers hovering uselessly over the keyboard of my laptop. Every time I closed my eyes, the high resolution image from that billboard burned into my mind s. I saw the man who had traded our whispered forever for the roar of a stadium and a championship ring. The hum of the newsroom, usually a source of energy for me, had now transformed into a wall of white unbearable noise static that drowned out my ability to think. By the time the clock crawled toward evening, I realized the battle for focus was lost. I gave up on the pre write, packed my bag with trembling hands, and fled. I needed to breathe. I needed space where his face wasn't plastered on every monitor. I retreated to my new apartment, a sleek, well furnished apartment on the twenty second

CHAPTER 3: THE BAD BOY ENFORCER

As I walked through the backstage corridor of the North Am Arena, every rhythmic click of my heels echoed against the walls, sounding less like footsteps and more like a count down to a confrontation five years in the making. My heart was hammering an uneven rhythm against my ribs, but I forced my lungs to remain calm. I had spent the last five years training to handle the most difficult Celebrities in the professional sports industry,I just had to convince myself that Julian Vane was no longer the boy who held my world in his hands, but simply another interview subject.. I reached the heavy, reinforced double doors of the private athlete wing. As they swung open, the scent of the rink hit me like a physical blow,. I paused, smoothing the front of my tailored charcoal suit jacket, ensuring my silhouette was as sharp, untouchable, and armored as the regal bun holding my hair in a grip. I wasn't the girl he had left behind in pain, I was a professional at the absolute zenith of her

CHAPTER 4: THE LION'S DEN

I stood with my back pressed against the heavy door, my fingers still trembling as they let go of the cold handle. The vip lounge was a testament to his wealth, sleek, expensive, and filled with the kind of high end technology that signaled he was no longer the boy from my past, but a global icon with the world at his feet. Julian didn't turn around immediately. He stood by the window, silhouetted against the city lights. He looked like a statue cast in shadow, immovable and silent. I had seen him on the billboards, towering over Times Square, but up close, the transformation was devastating. His face was overly perfect, as if carved from marble by a sculptor who didn't believe in mercy. The soft roundness of his youth had been replaced by sharp, lethal angles,a jawline that could cut glass and a brow that held the weight of a thousand battles. But it was his eyes that stopped my heart,those dangerous, ice cold grey eyes that seemed to strip away my professional blazer and the fi

CHAPTER 5: THE WALLS OF SILENCE

Julian moved and relaxed his body on a plush armchair, the picture of a man in total control, yet every fiber of his being was vibrating with a suppressed, lethal energy. His grey eyes, cold and fixed, remained on Valeria as she sat opposite him. She looked breathtaking, a goddess carved from the memories of his youth and polished by the sophistication of Oxford. Her formal suit jacket hugged her curves in a way that made his pulse beat in a dark, possessive manner, yet she wouldn't even look him in the eye. She was focused entirely on her digital tablet, her fingers moving with precision. "Mr. Vane," she continued, this time a little bolder "The Hawks have had a stellar defensive record this season. To what do you attribute the sudden shift in the team's tactical synergy?" Julian's jaw tightened, a small movement that was the only outward sign of the storm brewing inside him. He had expected,no, he had needed her to come in here and scream. He had waited for the moment the door lo

CHAPTER 6: SHATTERED MASK

Valeria's POV The heavy door clicked shut behind me, and for three seconds, I leaned against it, the cold wood the only thing keeping my knees from giving away. The professional mask I had spent five years perfecting was cracking. My vision blurred instantly, the tears weren't just welling, they were a flood, hot and stinging, threatening to spill over and ruin the perfection of my beautiful appearance. But I didn't let them fall. Not here. Not in his territory. I took off at a hurried pace, my heels clicking against the concrete with a desperate, uneven rhythm. I wasn't walking, I was fleeing. I was like a wounded animal retreating from the lion's den, my breath coming in jagged hitches that burned in my throat. Every shadow in the hallway seemed to take the shape of him . I needed air. I needed distance. I needed to be anywhere that didn't smell like ice and the suffocatingly familiar scent of Julian Vane. As I burst through the final set of security doors toward the arena entr

CHAPTER 7: THE GRAVITY OF GHOST

Inside the sedan was pure silence, the kind that rang in ones ears until it becomes a physical weight. I stared out the window watching the lights of the arena disappear but I could still feel the heat of Julian's presence that refused to cool off."Valeria," Adrian said softly, his voice cutting through my thoughts. He didn't look away from the road, his hands were steady on the wheel. "I've been in this business for ten years. I know a standard interview, and I know a battlefield and so I can easily tell whatever happened in that room... it wasn't just about hockey."I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the window. "It was just a difficult subject, Mr Adrian. Julian Vane isn't exactly known for his hospitality.""It's not his hostility I'm worried about," Adrian countered, his tone gentle but probing. "It's the way you looked when you came out. You didn't look like a journalist who just landed the interview of the year. You looked like someone who had just seen a ghost."Wo

CHAPTER 8: THE GLIDED CAGE

Valeria's POV The door to my apartment clicked shut, and with it, the last of my professional composure crumbled. I didn't even make it to the bedroom. I slumped against the doorway wall as I finally let the tears fall. They weren't the quiet, cinematic tears of a heartbroken heroine,they were loud,ugly sobs that made my chest ache and my lungs burn.I had spent every day since his departure building a life that didn't require him,a life of deadlines, high profile interviews, and a reputation that was supposed to make me untouchable. But ten minutes in a room with Julian Vane had proven that my armor was made of nothing but glass.I looked around my apartment filled with books and minimalist furniture, the kind of place a top tier journalist was supposed to live in. Yet, it felt like a tomb. I could still smell him, that scent of cold ice and expensive cologne. I hated him for coming back. I hated him for being so devastatingly handsome. But mostly, I hated myself for the way my hear

CHAPTER 9: THE GOD OF THE ARENA

The morning sun rose through the floor to the roofs of the Julian's house, casting long, shadows acrosd Julian Vane's bedroom. Most athletes at twenty six were still finding their footing, but Julian had already conquered his world. He stood before a triptych of mirrors that cost more than a luxury sedan, his expression that of calculated intentions Today wasn't a game day, but it was a battle. He had an elite youth development gala to attend by noon, a high society event where the city's wealthiest and most influential would gather to see the Ice King in the flesh. Normally, he would have thrown on an Italian suit and let his stylist handle the rest. But today was different. Today, he was dressing for a specific set of eyes.He discarded three different silk shirts before settling on a look that was intentionally raw, yet impossibly expensive. He had chosen a high end denim on denim wear, a vintage , rugged jacket over a simple form fitting black tee that clung to the muscles of hi

CHAPTER 10: THE O'BRIANS

To Julian, it was a humiliating realization. He had spent hours in front of the mirror, stressing over the shade of his shirt and the placement of his watch, all for a girl who hadn't even showed up. He felt like a schoolboy who had dressed in his best clothes to impress his crush, only to find her seat empty. The "Ice King" was usually made of stone, but right now, he felt like glass. And he was cracking. With a look of cold disappointment, Julian turned on his heel. He didn't care about the youth gala, the million-dollar donations, or the waiting board members. He just wanted to disappear. He wanted to shed this fancy look, crawl into the backseat of his SUV, and drive until the city lights were far behind him. He had just reached the heavy glass exit doors when a hand clamped onto his arm. "Julian! Where the hell are you going?" Silas hissed. His face was a mask of pure panic. He had to jog just to keep up with Julian’s long, angry strides. "We just got here, man! You haven't ta

1 2 3 4 5 6

...

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP