Chapter 14
Jason startled at the voice, the sound cutting through his fog of misery like a knife.
Looking up, he saw a middle–aged man with a weathered face and cheap suit gripping Hannah’s arm as she tried to pull away. Even in the dim campus lighting, Jason could see the fear in her eyes, the tight set of her jaw as she struggled against the man’s grip.
Anger surged through Jason, momentarily displacing his despair. The helplessness he’d felt all day transformed instantly into white–hot rage.
“What the hell are you doing?” he shouted, rushing forward and grabbing the man by his collar. Without hesitation, he drove his fist into the stranger’s face, feeling a grim satisfaction as his knuckles connected with bone.
Hannah panicked, quickly grabbing Jason’s arm before he could land another blow. Her fingers dug into his skin with surprising strength.
“Jason, stop!” Her voice cracked with emotion. “He’s–he’s my father.”
Jason froze, turning to Hannah in disbelief. “Your father?”
Hannah lowered her head, a curtain of hair falling to hide her face. Shame radiated from her posture–shoulders hunched, arms wrapped protectively around herself. It was a side of Hannah he’d never seen before. The confident, composed dancer had vanished, replaced by someone smaller, more vulnerable.
Meanwhile, her father seemed to recognize Jason, his demeanor instantly changing. Blood trickled from his nose as his face transformed into a sycophantic grin.
“Yes, yes, I’m Hannah’s dad. And you must be Jason Stan!” His eyes darted between them, calculating. “Well, well, what an honor! We’re practically family now. Nothing like a good punch to break the ice, right?” He laughed nervously, touching his bruised jaw, his eyes never losing their predatory gleam.
Hannah glared at him, revulsion evident in every line of her face. “Just leave! Now!” The command in her voice was unmistakable–a glimpse of the steel beneath her grace.
Worried he might have ruined his daughter’s prospects, her father slunk away with an awkward smile, but not before casting a meaningful look at Hannah that made Jason’s skin crawl.
Once he was gone, Jason turned to Hannah, still stunned by the encounter. “That’s really your father?”
Hannah kept her eyes downcast, one hand absently rubbing the spot on her arm where her father had gripped her. A red mark was already forming.
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My Hockey Prince’s Too Late Roover
Chapter 14
“Yes,” she finally said, her voice hoarse with emotion. “My dad physically abused my mom for years. She finally ran away when I was five. Then he was arrested for assault and sent to prison. He just got out recently and won’t stop harassing me.” Her words came faster now, as though a dam had broken. “He
wants money. He wants connections. He wants to use me however he can.”
She’d never shared any of this with Jason before, but she knew it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. In the cold night air, her breath formed small clouds as she spoke, her confession hanging visible between them.
She looked up at him, vulnerability and defiance mingling in her expression. “So? Are you disgusted with me now? Does knowing where I come from change how you see me?”
Jason snapped out of his shock. The hardness in her eyes reminded him of Kelsey in those final days–wary, prepared for rejection. “How could I be? Whatever your parents did has nothing to do with you.”
Hannah gave a small, sad laugh, a sound caught between relief and bitterness. “You’re even better than I imagined.” She stepped closer, her perfume–expensive and familiar–enveloping him.
Jason blinked, caught off guard by the warmth in her voice and the sudden intimacy. Before he could respond, Hannah continued, her eyes taking on a hopeful shine.
“I used to think I wasn’t good enough for you, which is why I pushed you away. I was afraid you’d find out about my family, about where I really come from.” Her voice softened. “But now that I’ve been honest with you, and you don’t think less of me…” Hannah gathered her courage and looked directly into his eyes, reaching for his hand. “Jason… can we get back together?”
Jason stood frozen in place, her fingers cold against his palm. Her question hung in the air between them, the very thing he had schemed and manipulated for months to hear.
Hannah’s smile faded as the silence stretched. Her hand withdrew slowly. “What’s wrong? Is my background still too shameful for you after all?”
“No, that’s not it,” Jason blurted out. “I don’t care about your background. I just…”
His words trailed off abruptly. The image of Kelsey’s face flashed unbidden in his mind–her smile, her grace, the way she had looked at him with such genuine affection before he destroyed it all.
He genuinely didn’t know what was wrong with him.
He had spent months orchestrating an elaborate scheme to ensure Hannah would get the Juilliard nomination. He had manipulated Kelsey, hurt her, all for Hannah’s sake. This moment–Hannah asking to get back together–should have been his victory.
So why did it leave him feeling so… empty?
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My Hockey Prince’s Too Late D
Chapter 14
“I just…” Jason tried again, aware of Hannah’s growing confusion. “I just need some time to process everything. Is that okay?”
Hannah’s face drained of color, hurt flashing across her features before she quickly masked it. She had bared her soul, made herself vulnerable, only to be met with hesitation.
But she forced a smile anyway, years of performing on stage making it almost believable. “Sure.”
Jason walked Hannah back to her dorm before returning to his own room. The moment he opened the door-
POP!
Confetti exploded in his face, the sudden noise making him flinch.
He frowned, brushing the colorful paper from his hair, irritation replacing the confusion that had plagued him since Hannah’s revelation. “What are you guys doing?”
His teammates crowded around him with mischievous grins. Derek held an empty confetti popper while Bryce and Tyler stood behind him with knowing smiles.
“Celebrating, of course!” Tyler exclaimed, slapping Jason’s back. “We overheard everything. Hannah wants to get back together with you, right? Mission accomplished, bro!”
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