Contract Love with the Hockey Mafia King

Chapter 1 The first thing Elena Hart noticed when she woke up that morning was that the rain had finally stopped. For three days, Boston had been drowning beneath dark clouds and endless showers. The streets had flooded, traffic had become unbearable, and the old pipes in her apartment building had groaned like they were preparing for their final moments. But this morning, sunlight streamed through the cracked blinds. For the first time in weeks, she smiled before opening her eyes completely. The thought alone was enough to make her laugh. Not because it was funny but because hope felt ridiculous after everything life had thrown at her. Yet somehow she still refused to let go of it. Elena rolled out of bed and immediately stepped on a squeaky floorboard. The familiar sound echoed through her tiny apartment. "Good morning to you too," she muttered. The apartment wasn't much, one bedroom, old bathroom, Old furniture and a peeling wallpaper. A refrigerator that sounded like it was fighting for survival every night. But it was hers. Well... Technically it had belonged to her father and after his death, it became the only thing she had left of him. At least that was what she kept telling herself. She pulled on an oversized sweater and headed toward the kitchen. The first thing she saw was a stack of unpaid bills. The second thing she saw was the orange cat sitting outside her window. The cat stared at her expectantly. "You again?" The cat meowed. Elena sighed. "You know, normal cats have owners." The cat meowed again. "You're a very cute freeloader." Five minutes later, she was standing outside feeding him pieces of tuna and the cat devoured everything. Traitor. Elena watched him with amusement and for a brief moment, life felt normal and simple. Just a girl and a cat enjoying a quiet morning, Unfortunately, reality didn't stay away for long. Her phone buzzed. A reminder notification appeared. MONROE MEDIA INTERVIEW - 11:00 AM Elena's stomach fluttered instantly with excitement and nervousness. After six months of applications, interviews, rejection emails, and disappointment, she finally had a chance. A real chance. Monroe Media wasn't just another company. It was one of the biggest media agencies in Massachusetts. Getting hired there could change everything. Maybe she could finally stop worrying about rent, stop calculating every dollar before spending it and she could finally have a future. Elena glanced at the photograph sitting on the shelf. Her father smiled back at her. His arm wrapped around a much younger version of herself. The picture had been taken at a carnival years ago. Before everything changed. "I got the interview, Dad." Her voice came out softer than expected. "I wish you were here." The silence that followed felt familiar and painful. She swallowed hard and forced herself to move. There would be time to cry later. Today was important so she needed confidence. An hour later, Elena stood outside Monroe Media's headquarters.The building was beautiful, Tall glass windows and modern architecture. Expensive cars parked outside. People walking in and out wearing designer clothing she couldn't afford in three lifetimes. For a moment, she felt out of place. Like someone who had accidentally wandered into the wrong movie. Then she straightened her shoulders. She belonged here. She had worked too hard not to. Taking a deep breath, she entered the building. The reception area buzzed with activity. Employees hurried through the lobby carrying folders and coffee cups. Everyone looked busy, Important and Successful. She approached the front desk. "Hi. I'm Elena Hart. I have an interview scheduled for eleven." The receptionist's smile faltered, only slightly. But Elena noticed. "Oh." The woman looked confused. "You're Elena?" The question felt strange. "Yes." The receptionist blinked, then quickly looked away. "You sure about that? Anyways, just go in to confirm." Something wasn't right. Elena could feel it. The excitement she'd carried all morning began to crack. A knot formed in her stomach. The receptionist pointed toward a conference room."They're waiting inside." Elena nodded and her heartbeat quickened, so this was it. The opportunity she had prayed for. She reached for the door handle and the first thing Elena noticed was her boyfriend, Ethan's hand. It rested possessively on Vanessa's waist. The second thing she noticed was the folder in Vanessa's hand. MONROE MEDIA AGENCY. WELCOME TO THE TEAM VANESSA HART. For a moment, Elena couldn't understand what she was looking at until every began to fall in place as to why the receptionist was acting weird. The words stopped making sense and the room stopped making sense because yesterday she had received an email inviting her to an interview. Yesterday she had called Ethan crying from happiness and he had wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "You deserve this, go for it Lena." Those were his exact words, yet here he was, standing beside Vanessa. Holding and smiling at her. While Vanessa held the job Elena had spent six months fighting for. She stole her place again. The realization hit so hard that she physically staggered backward. "No." The whisper escaped before she could stop it and Vanessa's smile widened as she stared at her. There was no guilt in her expression, no shame or embarrassment, only pure satisfaction as though she had been waiting for this exact moment. "Ethan." His name cracked apart inside her throat and finally, Ethan looked at her. This time around he stared at her with exhaustion like he was tired of pretending, like seeing her had become a chore. Elena's chest tightened painfully. Where did that face from? it's been three years of them together, birthdays, shared dreams, of surviving every storm life threw at them and believing she wasn't alone. Had all of it been a lie? "Tell me this isn't what it looks like." I asked as I got closer to them. Vanessa laughed. "Oh, Elena." The sound made Elena want to scream. "Still doing that?" "Doing what?" Elena asked shakily, hating that her voice shook. "Making yourself the victim." The words slapped harder than any physical blow as Elena stared at her. "What?" Vanessa rolled her eyes dramatically. "You always act like life only happens to you." The room grew increasingly uncomfortable. Several employees exchanged awkward glances but nobody intervened. Vanessa stepped closer, holding the folder. Holding Elena's future. "You want to know how I got the position?" A smile curved across her lips. "The same way I get everything else." Elena's stomach dropped. Vanessa couldn't mean— "I saw your interview email at Mom's house." Every muscle in Elena's body froze. "I used the information." She gave another smile. "Turns out Monroe Media liked me more." The room vanished around her, her hearing dulled. Her heartbeat thundered inside her skull. Vanessa had stolen it, she stole what belonged to her again and Ethan knew. He had known the entire time. Elena slowly turned toward him, waiting, praying and begging silently for him to deny it. For him to tell her Vanessa was lying. For him to choose her just one time. Instead, Ethan sighed a long, tired sigh. "Enough, Vanessa." Relief flooded Elena's chest and for one beautiful second Ethan looked directly at her. "I was going to tell you." The world tilted. "You knew?" His silence answered. "You knew she stole my interview?" "Elena, listen—" "No..." Her voice shook. "No, you don't get to say my name right now." The room became painfully still, Ethan rubbed the back of his neck and the gesture felt familiar. He always did it when he wanted sympathy and suddenly it disgusted her. "I didn't plan this." He sounded annoyed as if he were the victim. "It just happened and you know your sister has been in a tight space for a while." Elena laughed. "She stole my opportunity." "Elena—" "She stole it." I yelled! "I know and you slept with her while you told me all that bullshit last night." The tears finally came hotly but Ethan's expression hardened. The softness disappeared completely and for the first time, Elena saw a stranger standing where her boyfriend used to be. "You want the truth?" The question chilled her because she suddenly realized she didn't. But it was too late. "I stayed because I felt responsible." The room spun. "You were grieving, your father died and you were drowning in debt." Another. "I couldn't leave." Elena felt every eye in the room on her, watching her break apart, watching the humiliation unfold. "I pitied you." Those three words ended everything, Three years reduced to pity and obligation and somehow Ethan wasn't finished. "You don't need a boyfriend, Elena." His voice became colder. "You need a miracle and I'm not ready to share in that." The tears stopped because she had reached a point beyond crying. She looked at Ethan, then Vanessa and the folder, the future they had stolen. Very quietly, she said: "Then you should have left three years ago instead of pretending you loved me. I'm sorry for being a burden but I don't need your pity.... it's over between us." Elena turned and walked away, head high with her heart shattered. The moment she reached the parking lot, her phone rang and it's an Unknown Number. She almost ignored it. "Miss Hart?" "Yes." "My name is Rebecca Lawson from Silverwood Financial Holdings."The name meant nothing to her at first. Then the woman continued. "We've been attempting to contact you regarding your father's outstanding debt." Elena stopped walking and the world suddenly felt very cold. "What debt?" "The debt attached to the property your father left behind." Her blood ran cold. "The apartment?" "Yes." No....No...Not the apartment. Not the last thing she had left of him. "If you fail to report to our offices Monday morning, repossession proceedings will begin immediately." Elena gripped her phone harder. "You can't do that." "We can." The woman sounded apologetic which somehow made it worse. "You have one final opportunity to work off a portion of the debt." Elena closed her eyes, Everything hurt. "What do I have to do?" The answer came instantly. "Work for us till you pay it off." A tear slipped down her cheek. "Doing what?" "Your first assignment is simple." There's nothing simple about this call! She doubted that. "You will secure an exclusive interview with Adrian Davenport." Elena frowned in confusion with exhaustion clouding her thoughts. "Who the hell is that?" She groaned but there was silence until she replied "Miss Hart..." The woman sounded genuinely shocked. "Adrian Davenport is the most famous hockey player in America. All you need to do is join the company in making sure he secures an exclusive interview with us " Elena stared at the darkening Boston sky. Wonderful. Just wonderful. Because she knew absolutely nothing about hockey. "And if I fail?" The answer came immediately. "Then you'll lose the house." The call ended. And for the first time that day, Elena truly understood how quickly a life could fall apart.