Chapter 1: *Welcome Back*

Aurora's POV

Liam Harrington smashed the glass in his hand down onto the floor, then seized me by the hair and hauled me up against the mirror, his voice half mockery and half rage.

"Look at yourself, Aurora Vale. You're thirty this year. You are not the queen of hockey who stood at the top of the podium ten years ago."

"You want to go back to the ice? I've kept you for ten years — you've probably forgotten how to lace up a skate. Go back to the ice? And do what?"

I stared at my reflection: muscle tone no longer perfect, fine lines surfacing at the corners of my eyes, my eyes like a pool of standing water.

And I was asking myself the same question. At thirty, if I left Liam and went back to the ice, what was left that I could do?

Could I walk back on and earn fifty thousand dollars a month?

Could I support my mother's medical bills the moment I returned?

Slowly I clenched the fist hanging at my side. My gaze went to Liam's face in the mirror.

But he had betrayed me.

Using his position as owner of the BRC club, he had taken up with Vivienne — eighteen years old, the hottest name in the sport right now, being hyped as the new queen of women's hockey.

I knew because this morning, by accident, I had seen the messages on his phone, the flirty ones he hadn't had time to delete.

Until then I had believed Liam would love me forever, because I had given up so much for him. I retired at the height of my career to marry him. It had never once occurred to me that he might cheat.

Now I felt the danger — the very specific danger that Liam could order me out of this house at any moment and leave me sleeping on the street.

I had to mend the roof before the rain came.

Before he and that woman out there took one step further. Before he decided to throw me away for good.

I had to do something.

I turned and fixed my eyes on Liam. "What's wrong with thirty? Does thirty mean society gets to discard you?"

"At thirty I can still go back to the ice!"

"Back to the ice? Aurora, stop dreaming."

"Your body is already breaking down. Even if you got back on the ice, you'd be a practice body — the kind of cheap labor that works itself half to death for a few dozen dollars an hour."

"I advise you to stay home and be a housewife. You should understand that the moment you leave me, you are nothing. While I am not particularly angry yet, Aurora, take back this ridiculous idea."

With that, Liam let go of my hair and walked off toward the guest room.

I stared at his back, and suddenly the day he proposed flashed before my eyes.

"Aurora, I love you. I will love you all my life. Whatever you want to do from now on, I will support you unconditionally. I will always support your career, I will be your strongest backing. I swear it."

He had not kept that vow — and now he mocked me, saying a housewife was all I could ever be.

I raised my voice and called him back. "And if I insist on going back to the ice?"

Liam stopped mid-step and turned to look at me with contempt. "Then starting today I cut off every card you have. You can see for yourself how hard life out there is. I'll be waiting for you to eat your fill of bitterness and come back and beg my forgiveness."

Then he went into the guest bedroom without a backward glance.

No wonder he had been choosing the guest room lately. He had been feeding himself full on that other bitch out there and had no energy left for me.

...

I was ashamed to be calling Julia Hayes, but apart from her I didn't seem to have a single friend left.

She picked up, and a breathless, throaty moan came down the line. "Aurora, you had better actually have a reason for this."

My grip on the phone faltered. "Sorry. I remember your club is recruiting hockey players? I—"

Julia cut me off. "Liam's club go bankrupt? Is that why you have to crawl to another one?"

I shook my head with a bitter smile. "Not yet. I just want to find something to do behind Liam's back. You know that if I went to his club he would never agree to it."

I still had no hard proof of the affair.

Right now I had to play dumb and get myself back on the ice first, then come away with the evidence of Liam's cheating and split the assets with him.

Until that worked, I absolutely could not tip him off.

Julia dragged out an "Oh" for a very long time. "I'll believe you when hell freezes over. But if you don't want to talk about it, I can't be bothered to ask."

"We are recruiting athletes, but the age limit is twenty. If you wanted to walk straight into a game, that might be difficult..."

Julia paused. "But if you're willing, we're also short a reserve."

"You could start as a reserve, get a feel for it again. When there's a chance, I'll definitely put you into a game — best case, one against Liam's club."

I knew getting back into competition wouldn't be easy. Julia was willing to give me a chance to get into their club, and that alone made me happy.

And a reserve still gets on the ice.

I spoke with gratitude. "Thank you."

"What for? Whether you actually make reserve depends on real ability. All I can give you is a recommendation."

I hung up, and my heart was still hammering.

Could I really do it? The ice, after ten years away — could I really go back?

I didn't sleep all night. At first light I went into the closet to choose what to wear.

To be safe I picked a wool cardigan over a white shirt, wool wide-leg trousers that fell just over the top of the shoe, a pair of black loafers that couldn't go wrong, and I put my hair up in a low, unobtrusive ponytail.

The car stopped in the garage under the club, and Julia looked me over approvingly.

"Clothes like that suit you. Those rich-wife outfits were honestly tacky."

I dropped my eyes and pulled at the corner of my mouth — I was still nervous. "Do you know the head coach? Is he strict? I've never once let my training slide, but it has been so many years, my body feels stiff. What if—"

Julia took my arm. "What are you nervous about? You are the queen of hockey who stood at the top of the podium. The top of the podium."

"If you hadn't let love turn your head and married Liam at the peak of your career, the head coach's job would be yours today — with a little luck, even the national team's. That businessman Liam held you back."

Julia leaned in, nosy. "When are you divorcing Liam? I've got a few younger men on my side..."

She held up a thumb, eyes narrowed as though savoring a memory. "Delicious."

I rolled my eyes at her. "I really am just looking for something to do."

I knew what Julia was like. If she found out Liam had cheated, she would march straight over and confront him, and tearing the mask off with Liam right now would do me no good at all.

Julia pursed her lips. "Suit yourself."

I followed Julia from the underground garage up the elevator to the top floor.

When I saw the sign reading General Manager, I turned to Julia, surprised. "Aren't we going to the head coach for the interview?"

Julia smiled and knocked on the office door. "The general manager said he wanted to see you first."

A voice came from inside. Julia pushed the door open and pulled me in.

The moment I saw him, I froze, and my nose stung.

I had never imagined that the general manager of the famous BKL club would turn out to be the coach I'd had on the national team.

That cold Canadian man, Erik Cole.

When I retired and got married, he had been the one most opposed to it.

He stared at me, face cold, voice serious. "Are you insane? Retiring at the best age of your life for a man?"

"Do you understand that you have only just reached your peak? For the next five years, even ten, you could stand at the top of that podium with your teammates again."

"Family matters, of course. I am not trying to stop you from marrying. But the security a career gives you — that is the one thing that never changes."

I hadn't understood what Erik meant back then.

Now I understood, and it was too late.

Erik crossed the room in a few strides and pulled me into his arms. "When Julia called me last night, I assumed she was joking. I didn't think I would actually be seeing you today."

"Welcome back."