Chapter 1

Ava Hayes opened her eyes.

The ceiling fan spun slow, a familiar rhythm in her wealthy Colorado bedroom.

But nothing felt familiar.

Her head hurt, a dull throb.

Not from a fall on the ice.

This was different.

This was the ache of remembering.

Remembering everything.

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships qualifying event. Sectionals.

The disastrous flameout.

Ethan Vance, her pairs partner, his face a mask of polite concern that didn't reach his eyes.

Chloe Sanders, smug, already tasting victory with Ethan.

And her mother, Victoria Hayes, orchestrating it all.

Victoria wanted Ava to keep the lucrative partnership with Ethan.

Ethan wanted Chloe.

So they sabotaged her. Publicly. Humiliatingly.

Ava had quit skating. Quit everything.

Now, she was awake. Weeks before that disaster.

The memory was sharp, a fresh wound.

Betrayal. Shock. Hurt. Disbelief.

It all flooded back.

Ava got out of bed, her legs unsteady.

She looked in the mirror.

Twenty years old. Talented. Struggling.

No, not struggling anymore.

Resolute.

She knew what was coming. She knew who to blame.

Practice was later. Ethan and Chloe would be there.

Her mother would be there, watching, planning.

Ava felt a cold knot in her stomach.

This time would be different.

She wouldn't be a pawn.

The thought of Victoria's calculating eyes, her smooth justifications, made Ava sick.

Victoria always said it was for Ava's own good.

For the family's prestige.

For the lucrative sponsorships Ethan brought.

Ethan, who was supposed to be her partner, her friend, maybe more.

He chose Chloe, the "naturally gifted" skater.

He chose ambition over loyalty.

Ava remembered the whispers, the shared glances between Ethan and Chloe.

The way Victoria's praise for Chloe had grown, while her critiques of Ava became sharper.

It all made sense now, a cruel, clear picture.

Ava dressed, not in her usual practice gear.

Something simple. Something that said she wasn't playing their game.

She walked to the prestigious Colorado Springs skating club.

The cold air felt good on her face.

She saw them on the ice. Ethan and Chloe.

They were practicing a lift, Chloe laughing, Ethan smiling.

Like nothing was wrong. Like they hadn't destroyed her future life.

Ava walked to the edge of the ice.

"Ethan. Chloe."

Her voice was calm, too calm.

They stopped, surprised to see her there so early, dressed in street clothes.

"Ava? What's up?" Ethan asked, a little too casually.

Chloe just watched, a small, knowing smile on her face.

"I know about your plans," Ava said, looking straight at Ethan. "About how you're going to make sure I fail at Sectionals so you can skate with Chloe."

Ethan's smile vanished. "What are you talking about?"

Chloe's eyes widened slightly.

"Don't play dumb, Ethan. I remember it all."

A beat of silence.

Then Ava turned to Chloe. "And you. So 'naturally gifted.' So eager to take my place."

Chloe scoffed. "If you can't handle the pressure, that's not my problem."

"Oh, I can handle pressure," Ava said. "It's betrayal I have a problem with."

She didn't wait for their response.

She walked towards the viewing area, where Victoria sat, coffee in hand, a pleased expression on her face as she watched Ethan and Chloe.

Victoria looked up, surprised. "Ava, darling, you're early. Not dressed for practice?"

"I'm not practicing," Ava said. "Not with Ethan. Not here."

Victoria's smile tightened. "Don't be dramatic, Ava. We've discussed this. The partnership with Ethan is important."

"Important for who, Mother? For you? For your image?"

Victoria stood up, her voice dropping to a dangerous low. "Don't you dare speak to me like that. I've invested too much in your career."

"My career? Or your project?" Ava shot back.

The memory of her past life's humiliation fueled her. The despair, the heartbreak.

She remembered asking herself then, what was the point of it all? The sacrifices, the pain?

Now, she had an answer. The point was to break free.

"I remember everything, Mother. The pressure. The manipulation. How you and Ethan and Chloe planned my downfall."

Victoria's face was a mask of fury. "You're being hysterical. You're imagining things."

"Am I?" Ava reached up and unclasped the diamond necklace Victoria had given her. A symbol of their toxic bond. "This was for your 'star skater,' wasn't it?"

She held it out. "I don't want it."

Victoria's eyes narrowed. "If you walk away from this, Ava, you walk away from everything. No more funding. No more elite coaches. I'll make sure of it."

"Good," Ava said. She placed the necklace on the railing. "I don't want your money. I don't want your control."

She felt a strange sense of lightness. Determination.

She was no longer a victim.

She turned and walked away.

"Ava! Don't you dare walk out on me!" Victoria's voice was sharp, but Ava didn't look back.

She walked out of the club, out of the life Victoria had planned for her.

The cold air hit her again, but this time it felt like freedom.

Ava went back to the grand, empty house.

She packed a small bag. Her meager savings, hidden away from Victoria's control, wouldn't last long.

She had to leave. Now.

Before Victoria could find a way to force her back.

The thought of staying, of facing her mother's relentless pressure again, was terrifying.

She booked a one-way bus ticket.

To Portland, Oregon.

Why Portland?

A whisper. A name. Julian "Jules" Moreau.

Former Olympic bronze medalist. Career cut short by injury, controversy.

He ran a small, unassuming rink there.

It was a long shot. A desperate hope.

Ava looked around her luxurious room one last time.

It felt like a cage.

She left, closing the door softly behind her.

Uncertainty gnawed at her.

Skating was all she knew. All she had ever focused on.

What if Jules Moreau said no? What if she couldn't make it on her own?

The questions swirled, but she pushed them down.

One step at a time.

At the bus station, waiting, she saw a faded poster on the wall.

An old figure skating show. From years ago.

Jules Moreau's name was on it, smaller than the headliners, but there.

A passerby, an older woman, noticed her looking.

"He was something special, that one," the woman said, nodding at the poster. "Real heart. Shame what happened."

Ava felt a small spark. Serendipity?

Maybe.

The bus arrived.

Ava took a deep breath.

She stepped on, embracing the unknown.

A new path. Her path.