Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Levi’s POV

Matthias kept bugging me even as we entered the hotel.

“Levi, come on. If I were you, I’d examine my feelings very closely,” he said. “Hope’s a really good catch, and you two match each other well. What if someone snatches her right up?”

I stopped walking, forcing him to stop as well. I turned to him and raised my middle finger before continuing down the hallway.

He cursed behind my back and hurried after me.

We entered the elevator to head to the twentieth floor, and I massaged the bridge of my nose as Matthias continued rambling. Maybe having an actual bodyguard would be better than this.

Still, despite everything he said, one question lodged itself inside my head.

‘What if someone snatches Hope?”

That couldn’t happen.

No, it shouldn’t happen.

The thought irritated me more than it should have.

Why the hell was I even thinking about it?

Hope wasn’t someone who belonged to me. She could spend time with whoever she wanted. She could make her own decisions. I knew that.So why did the mere thought of another man getting close to her leave such a bitter taste in my mouth?

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, snapping me out of my thoughts. I barely took one step outside before we were swarmed by a crowd.

I sighed.

Fuck.

Paparazzi.

I hadn’t even reached the area where the interviews were usually held.

Then again, I rarely answered their questions inside anyway, and security never let them get close once I was there. They must’ve gotten lucky today. A few guards were trying to hold them back, but even they looked overwhelmed.

I clicked my tongue.

The National Hockey League had more than enough money. So why the hell were they scrimping on security?

“Levi! Why didn’t you really play during the practice games?”

“Is your body finally giving up on you, Levi?”

“Have your injuries gotten worse?”

“Will continuing to play for the Glaciers ruin your career?”

15

Chapter 86

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“Shit,” Matthias muttered beside me.

He immediately stepped between me and the reporters, trying to create some distance, but there was only so much one person could do.

“Let’s go,” I said.

We pushed forward toward the entrance, but it felt nearly impossible. The crowd seemed to multiply every second. Questions were fired from every direction, overlapping one another until they became nothing but noise.

“Are you the reason the Glaciers lost against the Pucks during the practice game?”

“Are you retiring this year, Levi?”

“Is your career over?”

“Are the Glaciers looking for your replacement already?”

I ignored every single one of them, just like I always did.

The more they talked, the less I listened.

Then, I felt it. An unfamiliar hand landed on my shoulder. It yanked me backward.

My brows furrowed.

Without thinking, I grabbed the wrist and shoved the person away.

The man stumbled before crashing onto the floor.

Gasps erupted around us. Cameras flashed nonstop, their shutters clicking rapidly as everyone turned toward the fallen

man.

His camera was still pointed straight at me.

Amidst the stunned silence, he laughed bitterly before speaking.

“You think you’re high and mighty because you don’t answer our questions, huh?”

He slowly stood.

“You think you’re above everyone else just because you’ve been called the best player at such a young age?”

The flashes continued.

When he adjusted his bucket hat, I finally got a good look at his face.

Recognition settled in.

I let out a quiet scoff.

He worked for one of those trashy media companies that survived by twisting stories into something scandalous. Facts didn’t matter to them. Neither did the truth.

I had seen enough of his articles to know exactly what kind of person he was.

“Come on,” Matthias whispered beside me. “Beth told me to use the other entrance.”

I gave him a short nod. I was about to leave when the man called out again.

10:50 Thu, Jul 16 d

Chapter 86

“You’ll have your day, Levi Reeve.”

My footsteps stopped. Silence settled over the crowd.

55 vouchers

I slowly turned around until our eyes met. After that, I deliberately shifted my gaze toward the camera still aimed at me.

I made sure it had a perfect shot of my face.

A slow smirk spread across my lips.

“You better pray that day comes soon.”

A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd. Several reporters immediately began shouting more questions, hoping I’ll react again.

I didn’t.

Their voices faded into meaningless background noise.

Behind me, I heard Matthias chuckle.

“Damn,” he muttered. “They’re definitely putting that on the news.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

He laughed again before grabbing my arm and dragging me toward a much narrower hallway. The guards were able to secure it in time, so the media personnel couldn’t come through.

“If there was an entrance like this,” I said flatly, “you should’ve brought me here earlier.”

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