One
CHAPTER ONE - Cole, Help Me
Mila’s POV
The moment Cole stepped onto the ice, the entire arena erupted.
“Cole! Cole! Cole!”
I smiled from the upper section, watching him skate across the rink.
He looked confident.
He had no idea how much work had gone into getting him here.
Three days ago, his name had been left off the list for this game.
I had made one phone call.
One conversation with my father.
One quiet request.
Now Cole was standing on the ice with thousands of people chanting his name.
And he thought it was all because of his talent.
I didn’t blame him for thinking that.
That was exactly how I wanted it.
To Cole, I was just his girlfriend. The quiet girl who waited for him after every match, smiled when he won, kissed him when he scored, and told him how proud she was.
He didn’t know that when people stopped believing in him, I was the one who kept opening doors for him.
He didn’t know how many times I had used my father’s influence without ever letting him find out.
And he certainly didn’t know who my father was.
No one knew that my father was the commissioner of the National Hockey League.
His face appeared on television every season. Coaches answered to him, team owners respected him, and officials were careful around him.
If I wanted to use his name, I could.
One phone call from my father could change how people looked at a player. One recommendation could open doors that would otherwise remain closed.
That was exactly why I kept my identity a secret.
I wanted people to see Mila, not the commissioner’s daughter.
But when it came to Cole, my rules became flexible.
Whenever he struggled, I found myself stepping in.
A quiet conversation with my father, a suggestion passed to the right coach, a word placed in the right ear at the right time.
I stayed invisible because I couldn’t afford to hear what they would say.
“She only got close because of her father.”
“That fat girl thinks she belongs here.”
The word never stopped sticking.
Fat.
Like it defined everything I was before I even spoke.
My weight was the first thing they saw and the only thing they remembered, so I learned to ignore it, to accept the looks, the whispers, the laughter, and still stand where I wanted to stand.
Cole wasn’t a bad player. He was just inconsistent.
He tried hard, but pressure got into his head. One mistake and everything collapsed. I had seen it too many times.
Whenever he struggled, I found myself helping him. A quiet conversation with my father, a recommendation for a training camp, an introduction to the right coach, a chance to prove himself when others had already written him off.
Cole still had to step onto the ice and earn his victories himself. I simply made sure people gave him the chance.
And every time he smiled after a win, I convinced myself it was worth it.
Everything to make sure Cole won.
Everything to make sure he stayed happy.
I leaned forward slightly as the crowd began chanting again.
“Cole! Cole! Cole!”
I smiled.
“He’s going to win today,” I whispered.
Then it faded.
“Mason.”
The name came through the announcer’s system as the opposing captain stepped onto the ice.
My expression changed immediately.
Mason wasn’t just another player.
He was dangerous, fast, controlled, and observant, the kind of player who noticed things other people missed.
I exhaled slowly.
“Stay focused,” I murmured. “I’ve got this.”
Just then, something hit my leg.
It was hard.
“Ah—!”
I lost my balance and fell forward.
“Ow! Ow!” I hissed, gripping the railing as pain shot through me.
The stadium noise shifted as people noticed.
Then I heard the laughter.
I looked up sharply.
Freya.
She sat a few seats away, smirking like nothing had happened.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Did you just throw that at me?”
She tilted her head.
“Relax… it was an accident.”
But she was smiling.
Around her, more laughter started, and soon the attention turned fully toward me.
Whispers spread instantly.
“Isn’t she the fat one dating Cole?”
“She’s embarrassing.”
“She shouldn’t even be here.”
My throat tightened.
I pushed myself up slowly.
“No…” I whispered. “Stop it.”
That was when I felt it.
My trousers had torn slightly during the fall.
When they all looked at me, the laughter grew louder.
My face burned.
“Please…” I muttered, pulling at my clothes and trying to cover myself.
“Cole…” I called softly.
He was still on the ice.
I stared at him, waiting for him to come.
He turned.
Our eyes met.
For a second, I thought he would come to help me.
Then he shook his head slightly and skated away.
My breath caught.
“…Cole?” I whispered, as if maybe I had seen it wrong.
But he didn’t look back.
Something inside me cracked quietly.
Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
I just needed to get out.
Then…
Footsteps sounded behind me.
Slowly, I raised my head.
Mason?
He stood there, his expression unreadable.
The noise behind me felt far away now.
He didn’t look at me like I was something to be laughed at.
Without a word, he took off his jacket and placed it over my shoulders.
I froze.
“Ma..Ma… Mason, thank you,” I whispered.
