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I was mindlessly jogging around the block and I didn't noticed when I reached almost around the outskirts of it until a very familiar area came into view.

But what shocked me more was seeing him.

I didn’t expect to see him there.

Nate Valenko, stepping out of that building like it was nothing. The ease in his stride, the calm look on his face—it was like he had no idea what kind of place he had just walked out of.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat, as the past, buried for years, surged back to the surface.

That building wasn’t just any place. It was a den of criminals—a hub for money laundering, underground deals, and worse. Guns, drugs, people—they traded lives in there.

It was a place I had sworn never to go near again, never to even think about. A place that had stolen everything from me.

And now, Nate Valenko, the golden boy of hockey, the man everyone adored, was walking out of it like it was just another day.

My heart pounded in my chest, my vision narrowing as memories crashed into me. I had buried those memories, forced myself to forget them, shoved them down so deep I thought they’d never resurface.

But they came rushing back now with a vengeance—the day my parents died, the police standing in front of me, delivering the news.

Wrong place, wrong time, they had said. Caught in the crossfire of some dirty deal they had nothing to do with.

A stray bullet. That’s all it took to destroy my world.

I had never forgiven the people responsible. And now Nate was mixed up with them too, just another person who thought they could walk in and out of that world without consequences.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as the anger bubbled up inside me. I had spent years trying to move past the pain, trying to leave it all behind. But seeing Nate there, stepping out of that place, brought it all back, sharper and more painful than ever.

I couldn’t let it go. I wouldn’t. He needed to know what kind of people he was dealing with, what kind of world he was walking into. A world that didn’t care who you were. A world that destroyed lives.

I was done giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The next time I saw him, I was ready.

I waited for him outside the arena, my heart racing with anticipation. He came out after practice, looking relaxed, laughing with his teammates like he didn’t have a care in the world. The contrast between his easy smile and the darkness I knew he was involved in made my blood boil.

I stepped in front of him, cutting off his path, my body trembling with rage.

“You’re really something, aren’t you?” I spat, my voice sharp and unsteady.

He looked down at me, surprised, his smile fading. “Samaira? What’s going on?”

“Do you even know what you’re getting yourself into?” I snapped, my eyes locking with his. “Do you even care?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” I said, my voice rising. “I saw you. I saw you coming out of that building downtown. You think I don’t know what goes on there? You think I don’t know who you’re dealing with?”

He looked taken aback, his confusion deepening. “That building? Samaira, I—”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses,” I cut him off, stepping closer. “You’re just like them. Just like the people who took everything from me. My parents died because of people like that—because of people like you. People who think they can play with other people’s lives, get involved in things they shouldn’t. And for what? Money? Power? Is that what you want, Nate? What’s your excuse? Why are you even doing this?”

His eyes widened at the mention of my parents, but I was too far gone to stop. The anger, the grief, the years of pent-up emotion came pouring out of me, and I didn’t care if he understood or not.

“You think just because you’re a hockey star, you’re untouchable? That you can walk into a place like that and come out clean? Let me tell you something—you can’t. No one does. That world swallows people whole, and you’re not any different.”

My voice cracked, but I didn’t care. The pain was too much, too raw, and for the first time in years, I let it show.

Nate stood there, staring at me, his expression unreadable. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off again.

“I hate you,” I said quietly, my voice trembling. “I hate everything you stand for. You’re nothing but a spoiled, arrogant jerk who thinks the rules don’t apply to him. But they do, Nate. They apply to everyone. And one day, you’re going to realize that. One day, you’ll see just how deep you’re in, and when that happens, I hope you remember this moment.”

I could feel my throat tightening, my hands shaking, but I held my ground. I wasn’t going to let him see how broken I felt inside.

Without another word, I turned and walked away, my steps quick and determined. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.

The weight of everything I had just said pressed down on me, but I kept walking, forcing myself to focus on the sound of my footsteps, the rhythm of my breath.

But even as I walked away, there was a tiny voice in the back of my mind—a whisper of doubt that maybe, just maybe, I had been too harsh. Maybe I didn’t know the whole story. Maybe Nate wasn’t as bad as I thought.

But I silenced that voice. I couldn’t afford to be wrong about him. Not after everything I had been through.

I hated him. And that was all there was to it.

Nate

The news was everywhere. I couldn’t escape it.

Pictures of me leaving the building downtown were plastered across every headline: Nate Valenko seen leaving a building connected to organized crime.

Rumors swirled online, fans and critics alike speculating about my involvement, whispers of scandal spreading like wildfire.

I had thought it was just another business meeting. A potential sponsor had reached out—a man who seemed legitimate, someone the team could use. I didn’t know anything about his connections or what kind of place he operated out of. How could I have known?

But it didn’t matter now. The damage was done.

Samaira’s words echoed in my head, her face flashing in my mind. I had never seen her like that before, never seen her so angry.

The way she looked at me—like I was the enemy, like I was someone she despised—it had hit me harder than any punch I’d ever taken on the ice.

She talked about her parents. About losing them because of people like the ones I had unknowingly dealt with. I didn’t know the details, but hearing the pain in her voice, seeing the way it tore her apart… it shook me to my core.

I wasn’t the person she thought I was. I wasn’t involved in anything illegal. I didn’t know what that building represented. But now, I was tangled in it, and Samaira… she saw me as just another criminal.

The worst part? I wasn’t sure how to fix it.

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