Page 65 of Pucking my Enemy Boss

A sick feeling starts to creep up. “What do you mean by that? And how do you know I’m holding an event at the Peninsula.”

“Well, it’s just interesting how much I know.” He pauses, letting the word linger like some sort of sleazy aftertaste. “And that includes how I know your event’s looking a little ...quiet.”

There’s a split second where everything freezes. The question hangs in the air like smoke from a fire Ireallydon’t want todeal with right now. “What are you talking about? How did you know?”

“Oh, I’m not a mage yet, you know?” The smirk in his voice is so thick, it’s practically dripping through the phone. “I’m doing a meet and greet with fans. Just in the same building.”

And there it is. The gut punch. The absolute nerve of this guy.

“You—” My voice tightens, somewhere between anger and disbelief. “You’re siphoning my crowd for your own pathetic ego trip?”

Jake chuckles, completely unbothered. “Relax, Holly. I could swing by, help you out if you want. Maybe draw in some of the crowd?—"

The phone is almost flung across the room. Almost. Instead, I tighten my fingers around it like a lifeline, knuckles white. “Absolutely not,” I snap. “I don’t needyourhelp.”

“Well, suit yourself.” The smirk lingers. “Good luck with your little event.”

And with that, the call is over. Just like that. As if my world isn’tcrashingdown around me, and Jake’s just merrily walking away, unscathed.

Face drops into hands, the overwhelming urge to scream bubbling up from somewhere deep. Lauren, sensing the absolute meltdown brewing, comes over, her voice firm now. “Okay, what was that about?”

My frustration spills out in one breathless rush. “Jake’s doing a meet and greet nearby. That’s why no one’s here. He’s pulling my crowd, and heknowsit.”

Lauren frowns, her lips pressing into a thin line. “That sleazy—okay, look. We can fix this.”

“How?” The word practically shouts itself. “By some miracle, can we magically conjure up a new crowd?”

Lauren’s grin is almost wicked. “We don’t need magic. We’ve got our hockey players. We just need one of them to pull some of the crowd—and you know the perfect guy for this.”

My eyes almost pop out of my head. “No, no, no. We arenotpulling Ethan into this.”

But Lauren’s already pulling out her phone. “This isexactlywhat we’re going to do.”

Before any further protests can spill out, Lauren’s fingers fly over her phone, and within minutes, she’s on the line with Ethan. The words are exchanged too fast to follow, but soon enough, her grin grows wider.

“He’s coming,” she says, slipping her phone back into her pocket. “And he’s bringing back-up.”

“Back-up?” I blink, still processing. “As in...?”

“As in theentire team.”

“What?” The word bursts out like a firecracker, a mix of disbelief and something dangerously close to excitement. “The whole team?”

“Yup. Ethan’s going to tweet about it, and trust me, fans will be here before you can blink.” Lauren smirks, arms crossed like she’s just solved world peace.

True to her word, not even five minutes pass before the first buzz hits my phone. A notification.

EthanCarter

Hey, Blizzards fans! The team’s at the charity event today at the Peninsula. Swing by to grab some signed merch and support the community!

That single tweetsends the floodgates open. Fans start to pour in like an ocean wave. Within moments, the empty roomtransforms, filled with eager faces, excitement buzzing in the air, cameras flashing as they pose with players.

I watch in awe, my heart swelling with a gratitude so overwhelming, it almost knocks the breath out of my lungs. Ethan—myEthan—has saved the day. Again.

He arrives soon, too, slipping through the crowd, his usual brooding aura a little lighter, a small smile tugging at his lips. I find myself drifting toward him, and before I can stop myself, I’m pulling him into a quiet corner, away from the madness. I don’t know whether to cry or kiss Ethan on the spot. Obviously, I settle for a mental scream ofthank you, thank you, thank you.

“How did you do it?” The words are soft, filled with the wonder churning inside me.

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