Reborn and Engaged To My Ex's Alpha Rival

Chapter 1

Polly’s POV

My heart hammered so hard against my ribs I was sure it would give out before the night ended.

I stood frozen in the dimly lit hallway outside the men’s locker room, my back pressed against the cold concrete wall. The roar of the crowd still echoed from the arena above — thousands of fans chanting Noah’s name after that final, game-winning goal. Confetti was probably still falling. Cameras flashing. The world celebrating the new king of professional hockey.

And here I was, hiding in the shadows like a thief.

I had come backstage to surprise him. Wrap my arms around him and tell him how proud I was. How all the late nights, the sacrificed weekends, the endless negotiations, and the quiet endurance of his pack’s insults had finally paid off. Tonight was supposed to be ours.

Instead, I heard voices drifting through the slightly ajar door.

Noah’s voice. And Seraphine’s.

“…shares have already been transferred,” Noah said, his tone casual. “The documents look perfect. By tomorrow, Polly’s company will be completely under my name. She won’t have a single share left.”

Seraphine let out that soft, melodic laugh I had always hated. “Took you long enough. That woman has been clinging to you like a parasite for years. Did you see the way she looked at you during the press conference? Like some lovesick puppy. Pathetic.”

I pressed a trembling hand over my mouth. My thick curls felt heavy against my neck, and my plus-sized frame suddenly felt too big, too visible, even though no one could see me yet.

No. This can’t be happening.

But it was. Every word sliced deeper than the last.

“She built my image from nothing,” Noah continued. I could almost picture him shrugging, that charming smile he used for the cameras nowhere in sight. “Negotiated every major contract. Kept the scandals buried. She was useful. But let’s be honest; she was never Luna material. The elders have been complaining for months. A plus-sized, outspoken nobody? I need someone who fits the image. Someone like you, Seraphine.”

My knees weakened. I leaned harder against the wall as sharp pain bloomed in my chest, that familiar, terrifying flutter of my ventricular tachycardia acting up again.

Everything I did… every sacrifice… every time I smiled through their insults…

Seraphine’s voice turned colder. “And the framing? Is it ready?”

“Already in motion,” Noah replied. “We’ll leak that she’s been feeding information to Kieran Draven. The rival. By the time the council hears about it, she’ll be labeled a traitor. No one will question when she disappears.”

Tears blurred my vision. My phone suddenly felt like weights in my hand. The same phone I had used to close deals that made Noah a star. The same phone I used to send him good luck messages before every game.

I took one shaky step back and the phone slipped.

It hit the tiled floor with a loud, sharp crack.

Silence instantly fell inside the locker room and the door swung open violently.

Noah stood there, still in his sweaty jersey, his handsome face twisted with irritation rather than surprise. Seraphine leaned against him, her perfect figure pressed close, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

“Polly,” Noah called flatly. “Eavesdropping? Really?”

I couldn’t breathe. My chest heaved as I stared at the man I had given everything to.

“You…you're planning all of this for me?” My voice came out hoarse and broken. “The company…the framing… everything?”

Noah stepped forward, towering over me. His cold eyes scanned me from head to toe, the same eyes that once looked at me with what I thought was love.

“You were never going to last forever,” he said quietly. “You’re useful, but not permanent. And honestly? You embarrass me. The pack tolerates you because of me. But I’m at the top now. I don’t need dead weight. Literally.”

Each word landed like a slap.

I had saved his life once. Donated bone marrow in a risky, illegal procedure when he was injured. I had nearly died for him. I had endured years of being called “the fat human sympathizer” by his pack. I had built his entire brand from the ground up while he took all the glory.

And now this.

“Please…” The word escaped before I could stop it. “Noah, after everything I’ve done for you. For us.”

Seraphine smirked. “Look at her. Still begging. How disgusting.”

Noah waved his hand and four pack enforcers appeared from the end of the hallway, moving fast.

“Take her,” he ordered. “Lock her up. We’ll deal with the rest later.”

“No! Noah...wait!” I screamed as rough hands grabbed my arms, twisting them painfully behind my back. “You can’t do this! I love you! I gave you everything!”

He didn’t even look back as they dragged me away. His arm was already around Seraphine’s waist.

The last thing I heard before they pulled me down the stairs was his indifferent voice:

“She was never going to be Luna anyway.”

They threw me into a dark, damp cell beneath the arena. The heavy metal door slammed shut with a final, echoing bang.

I collapsed onto the freezing concrete floor, my body shaking violently. My chest burned with every heartbeat. Tears streamed down my face as I curled into myself, the reality crashing over me like ice water.

This wasn’t just betrayal.

This was the end of everything I had built.

"But why? Just why…?”

"Why couldn't he be satisfied?"