Chapter 4
~~MILA~~
A slow smirk broke across my face, washing away the last remnants of my grief and replacing them with an intoxicating thrill of satisfaction.
I reached for the silver pen resting beside the folder, then paused, my fingers hovering just above it.
“Well… for your information, I know exactly how Kelvin’s team operates.”
I lifted my eyes to Bryant.
“Since I built half of it.”
A huge smirk appeared on Bryant’s face the moment his eyes locked onto mine.
There was something almost amused in his expression, as if he had just realized exactly what kind of woman had walked into his office.
Before he could respond, his phone suddenly buzzed against the table.
Bryant glanced down at the screen, and his entire expression changed.
His jaw tightened, and his eyes hardened as he read whatever had appeared.
“What is it?” I asked, my instincts immediately snapping to attention.
Without saying a word, he slid the phone across the glass table toward me.
A breaking news alert glared back at me.
KELVIN ANNOUNCES MILA’S VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE FROM RAVENCREST DUE TO PERSONAL INSTABILITY.
My brow furrowed instantly as hot wave of fury rushed through me.
He was striking first.
He was publicly branding me as unstable and erratic, twisting the story before I could even take my first step toward freedom.
He wanted everyone to believe I had walked away because I was incapable of handling the pressure.
He wanted to destroy my reputation before I could tell anyone the truth.
My fist tightened against the table.
I looked up and found Bryant watching me closely.
His hawkish eyes followed every movement I made, clearly expecting me to break down in anger, heartbreak, or tears.
Instead, a strange calm settled over me.
The fog that had clouded my mind for so long suddenly disappeared.
Everything became clear.
And then a slow, terrifying smile spread across my face.
Bryant frowned, giving me a weird look that asked if I was really okay in the head.
“Why the hell are you smiling?”
“Because…” I whispered, my voice steady as glass.
“He just made my revenge easier.”
Bryant stared at me for another second before the corner of his mouth lifted.
I grabbed the silver pen without another moment of hesitation and slammed my signature onto the dotted line.
The sound of the pen scratching against the paper felt strangely satisfying.
I had made my choice.
Bryant’s eyes dropped to the signed contract.
A satisfied gleam flashed through his gaze as he took the folder from me and closed it with a soft snap.
“Good.”
He leaned back in his chair.
“Because from now on, you live here.” My eyes widened.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
He said calmly as he placed the contract beside him.
“You have permission to return to your family home and collect your belongings. After that, you are staying at Frostbite.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“I can’t live here. This isn’t even my pack or my home.” Bryant raised an eyebrow.
“You signed the contract, Mila.”
“That doesn’t mean I agreed to move into your house.” A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
“It does now.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he continued before I could say anything.
“If you actually want your revenge, you need to be close enough to make it happen.”
His words made me pause. I hated that he was right.
Before I could respond, his phone buzzed again on the table.
Bryant glanced at it, and this time, something almost amused appeared in his eyes.
He turned the screen toward me.
A new message from the league had just come through.
My eyes moved across the schedule.
FROSTBITE VS. RAVENCREST.
My heart stopped as I stared at the words.
“No…” Bryant watched my reaction.
“When is it?” I asked quietly.
“Seven days.”
My fingers curled slowly against my palm.
In seven days, I would be standing behind a different bench.
And Kelvin would be standing on the other side of the ice.
The same man who had just told the entire world that I was too unstable to remain with Ravencrest would see me wearing Frostbite’s colors.
Bryant leaned back, studying me.
“Well, think about it from the bright side,” Bryant said, a teasing smirk spreading across his face.
“After Kelvin ditched you, you became the head coach of his biggest rival. And not just any rival. One of the most powerful teams in the league, the very team that gives him nightmares.”
He let out a chuckle, clearly enjoying the look on my face.
I slowly looked at him, narrowing my eyes.
“What?”
“That you are their new head coach.”
A smile slowly returned to my face.
For the first time in three years, I felt like I was finally holding the knife instead of standing beneath it.
“Then let’s keep it that way.”
Bryant’s smile widened.
Even though clearly I don't want to stay in another pack but it was the right thing to do for now.
If I wanted to have any chance of burning the Ravencrest team to the ground.
I was going to have to do it from right here, inside the wolf’s den.”