Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Hope’s POV

35 vouche

The moment the door shut behind Margaret Tundra, her expensive icy perfume lingering faintly in the air, the room fell into silence.

I stared blankly at the closed door, my mind still trying to process everything that had just happened.

Two weeks.

Two weeks to get Levi back into top condition.

Or Beth and I could both lose our jobs.

The silence only lasted a few seconds before a chair scraped harshly against the floor.

Levi stood abruptly. The look on his face immediately made my chest tighten.

“You just had to speak, didn’t you?” he snapped.

I frowned and quickly stood as well.

“I didn’t know it would turn into this,” I defended immediately. “I just wanted her to understand that you really need to rest

“If you didn’t know,” he interrupted coldly, “then maybe you shouldn’t have spoken at all.”

The sharpness in his voice made me unable to speak back. Before I could respond, he turned toward the door.

“Levi…”

However, he was already walking away. The door slammed shut behind him loudly, making me flinch. Just like that, the room felt even colder after he left. Like a snowstorm had swept through and frozen everything in its path.

I slowly sat back down in the chair, suddenly feeling exhausted.

I glanced toward Beth, who had also slumped into her seat like the life had temporarily left her body.

“Sorry, Beth,” I muttered quietly. “Now you got dragged into this too.”

Beth sighed tiredly and leaned back against her chair.

“It’s okay, Hope,” she said softly. “You couldn’t have known. Mrs. Tundra is just… like that.”

! I frowned slightly.

“There’s something weird about her and Levi,” I admitted carefully.

Beth’s expression shifted slightly. For a moment, it looked like she wanted to say something.

“Her and Levi…” she started slowly, capturing my full attention. “They have a very complicated relationship.”

Then, just as quickly, she stopped herself. She shook her head lightly like she regretted even bringing it up.

“Anyway,” she sighed, changing the topic. “It’s not your fault.”

She rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly.

1.4

15

O

2

O

m

|||

O

Chapter 27

“She’s probably acting worse than usual because Apollo is threatening to pull out as a sponsor.”

My brows furrowed.

“They’re that important?”

Beth laughed weakly.

“That important?” she repeated. “Hope, Apollo throws money at this franchise.”

She gestured helplessly.

35 voucher

“They’re our biggest sponsor. And ever since they partnered with the team, they’ve always wanted Levi as the face of everything.”

“If Apollo backs out,” Beth continued quietly, “there’s a chance other sponsors will follow.”

The seriousness in her tone made my stomach sink again.

“I should’ve stopped the article before it spread,” she muttered frustratedly. “But it completely slipped past me.”

She sighed heavily, leaning against her chair.

“I haven’t even had proper time with my son lately.”

I blinked in surprise.

“You’re married?”

Beth laughed softly before shaking her head.

“No.”

“But I do have a son.”

A small smile appeared on her lips.

“A very feisty three-year-old, to be exact.”

I bit my lip, feeling guilty for asking her the first question. Along with that, the situation felt even more real. There was an actual child involved. A little boy who depended on Beth. And now her job was suddenly hanging by a thread because of this

mess.

I bit my lip. “I’m sorry,” I said again.

Beth immediately shook her head.

“Seriously, stop apologizing.”

She rested both arms against the desk before looking at me with tired but kind eyes.

“I’ve worked here for ten years,” she admitted. “And Mrs. Tundra still hasn’t warmed up to me.”

“But that’s just how she is,” Beth continued with another sigh. “She doesn’t care about emotional attachments.”

Her smile turned bitter.

“If someone stops being useful to her, she cuts them off immediately.”

11:46 Wed, Jul A

Chapter 27

I looked down at my hands.

35 voucher

The guilt only grew worse. Because no matter how much Beth reassured me, this still wouldn’t have happened if I’d just kept my mouth shut.

She must’ve noticed my expression because she immediately held up a hand.

“Don’t even start again, Hope.”

I looked up.

“It’s not your fault,” she repeated firmly. “It’s only your first week here, and honestly, you’re doing much better than I expected.”

“So relax, okay?” she said gently. “I’ll handle it.”

1

Beth said she would handle it, but I knew I couldn’t stay still.

I sat in one of the chairs, absentmindedly tapping my fingers against the table while thinking through every possible

solution.

Two weeks. How was I supposed to fix years of accumulated damage in two weeks? Especially when Levi clearly had no intention of slowing down?

I sighed heavily. I then glanced at the clock and realized what the time meant.

He had to be at the ice rink again, huh? That stubborn man.

I stood and headed toward the arena. The closer I got, the more the familiar sounds echoed through the hallway.

Skates cutting through ice.

Sticks striking pucks.

The sharp slam of shots hitting the boards.

I slowed my steps instinctively once I reached the entrance. I carefully peeked inside and found him there—Levi, alone on the ice.

I stayed partially hidden near one of the pillars, watching him silently from afar.

He was already pushing his body hard despite everything I’d told him earlier.

His movements remained sharp. But now that I’d assessed his injuries personally, I could see the tiny differences more clearly.

Levi skated aggressively across the rink before sending another puck flying cleanly into the net. The sound echoed loudly. His expression never changed. That determined glare stayed fixed in his eyes the entire time.

Watching him made me wonder about something-what exactly was he fighting so hard for?

Another harsh stop against the ice. At this rate, he was only going to get worse. In two weeks, if he kept forcing his body like this, I could already picture the disaster waiting to happen.

I thought about Beth then, about her three-year-old son I’d never met. I knew what it felt like to suddenly struggle financially. To watch adults panic over losing work. To feel helpless because circumstances changed overnight.

34

15

O

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify