002

Serenya's POV

My eyes feel heavy, like something has been pressing on them for days. I force them open but the light stings a little. The ceiling above me is gray and white. For a few seconds, I don’t understand where I am. The room is quiet except for the faint hum of machines.

Where the hell am I?

I close my eyes again, trying to remember. Then it hits me—Jade. My fiancé. The man I thought loved me. The man who stabbed me. My stomach twists. I remember the pain, the blood, the betrayal. My hand moves on instinct to my belly. It’s flat, wrapped in several bandages.

My throat tightens, I try to sit up, anger pushing me, but my body is weak. My arm shakes halfway up before I hear a woman’s voice.

“You might want to rest a bit more before going to fight off some ass,” she says.

Her tone is cold and calm but another footsteps approach. A younger woman in uniform enters as well and places a tray on a table near me and quietly leaves. I look toward the speaker. She walks in with slow steady steps, wearing a white suit that fits her perfectly. Her face is familiar. I know that face. I just can’t place where I’ve seen it.

“Who are you?” I ask, my voice rough.

She gives a faint smile. “Nice to meet you, Serenya. I’m Rosabelle Hyacinth.”

The name echoes in my head. Rosabelle Hyacinth. I know that name. I’ve seen her face on TV, in interviews, on the covers of business magazines. The woman who owns half of Chicago’s ice rinks. The one people call untouchable. I stare at her, speechless. Is this really her? I froze.

She's the woman who built the largest private ice empire in the United States, who dominated a sport ruled by men, whose name was glued into Chicago like fire. CEO of Hyacinth Ice Dominion, owner of The Chicago Vortex, billionaire with a reputation colder than her rinks.

I remember hearing rumors about Rosabelle’s team. They said she had three of the best hockey players in the country under her employ. No one really knew their names because they never showed up on social media, never gave interviews.

People only talked about them in hushed tones like legends

Except that wherever Rosabelle went, they followed. All I know is that they answer to Rosabelle and that’s enough to make me nervous.

“That's her?,” I breathed.

She sits on the edge of the my bed and looks at me, her expression calm but stern.

“What a cruel world,” she says quietly. “Giving your man your all only for him to betray you in the worst possible way.”

I blink, unsure how to respond. “Why did you save me?”

Rosabelle leans back slightly. “Because it’s a win-win for both of us. Don’t worry, it isn’t for free.”

Her tone is sharp but not unkind.

She continues, “Although If I had saved you earlier, you would’ve gone running back to that bastard again. You needed to see what he’s capable of, sometimes pain is the only way people learn.”

Her eyes soften a little. “I’m sorry about your baby. You lost it. But experience is the best teacher, don’t you agree?”

My chest tightens. I swallow hard but I don’t answer.

“What do you want from me?” I finally ask.

Rosabelle studies my face for a long moment. Her gaze moves slowly from my eyes to my hands, to my bandaged stomach, then back to my face.

“You really do look like her,” she says.

I frown. “Look like who?”

“My long-lost daughter,” she replies simply.

I freeze. “You… you had a daughter?”

“Yes.” She nods once. Her expression changes, soft but distant. “She was the best thing that ever happened to me. But I was careless, and I lost her.” Her voice breaks slightly before she straightens again.

“And your daughter looks like me?” I ask quietly.

“Very much. Too much resemblance. Except for one thing—you don’t have the birthmark she had on her neck.”

I sit there, trying to process that. “So, you saved me because I look like your daughter?”

“That’s part of it,” she says. “The other part is because I’m going to make a deal with you. I don’t like it when I see young women broken and left with nothing.”

She crosses her legs and leans slightly forward. “I want a lot, actually. But first, are you willing to get back at your ex?”

Her question cuts through the silence.

I think of Jade again. The lies. The other woman. The stabbing and my baby. I remember running away from my pack four years ago only for me to be with him believing he would be my future husband and hiding my identity. He found out what I was and he still killed me.

“Yes,” I say quietly at first then louder. “I want him to pay for everything.”

Rosabelle nods. “Then you’ll have to change from who you are to who you need to become.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you’re no longer going to be Serenya Lopes,” she says. “The change will start with your name.”

“My name?” I blink, clearly confused. “What are you saying?”

“Instead of Serenya Lopes, you’ll be Reese Hyacinth.”

“What?”

“Yes.” She says as she reaches into her blazer and takes out a folded document. “This is the contract terms. Read it.”

She hands it to me. My fingers tremble a little as I take it. The paper feels thick and official. I open it and read.

CONTRACT AGREEMENT

Party A: Serenya Lopes

Party B: Rosabelle Hyacinth, CEO of Hyacinth Ice Dominion

Terms and Conditions:

1. Party A agrees to assume a new identity as

Reese Hyacinth, under the guardianship and mentorship of Party B.

2. Party A will undergo three months of physical, psychological, and professional training at a private facility in Minnesota.

3. Upon completion, Party A will be appointed as an assistant coach under the Hyacinth Ice Division, with the responsibility of managing and coordinating training schedules for the elite hockey team known as *The Chicago Vortex*.

4. Party A will live under the Hyacinth family name and will be recognized publicly as an adopted member of the Hyacinth household.

5. Party A will maintain confidentiality regarding her past identity, events prior to this agreement, and any personal association with Party B’s family prior to this contract.

6. Party A must show loyalty, discipline, and obedience to the directives given by Party B.

7. Party A will act as a caretaker and personal assistant to Party B’s sons when required, ensuring their physical and emotional well-being within reasonable boundaries.

8. Any breach of confidentiality or loyalty will result in immediate termination of this contract and legal consequences under the Hyacinth Corporation’s protection law.

9. Upon successful completion of this agreement, Party A will receive full financial independence, personal security, and permanent legal documentation as *Reese Hyacinth*.

**Signed:**

Party A: ___________________

Party B: Rosabelle Hyacinth

My hand shakes as I finish reading. I look up at her. “You have sons?”

“Yes,” she says calmly. “You’ll meet them soon. But not yet. First, you’ll train. You’ll become what I want you to become.”

She reaches into her pocket again, pulls out a pen, and holds it toward me. “Here.”

I stare at the pen. My name is right there—Serenya Lopes. The name Jade used to call me. The name that no longer means anything. My throat feels dry.

“What happens if I don’t sign it?” I ask quietly.

Rosabelle’s expression doesn’t change. “You’ll go back to nothing. Back to pain. Back to running. And next time, there might not be anyone to save you.”

Her words are calm but final.

I look down at the contract again. The letters blur a little as my eyes sting. This is it. If I sign this, Serenya dies for good. Maybe that’s what I need. Maybe the only way to survive is to stop being her.

I take the pen. My fingers are cold. I press it down and sign *Serenya Lopes*.

Rosabelle takes the paper, folds it neatly, and slips it back into her blazer.

“That finalizes it,” she says, standing up. “After your treatment, you’ll leave for Minnesota. Welcome to the Hyacinth family, Reese.”

I watch her move to the door. Her voice is calm but there’s an aura to it like she’s already decided my future for me.

When she leaves, the room feels different. I stare at the door long after it closes.

My name is gone. My baby is gone. My past is gone. All that’s left is what she’s turning me into.

I lie back, staring at the gray and white ceiling again.

---

The next day, doctors come in to check my wounds. Rosabelle’s people handle everything with precision. No one speaks much. Every face is professional, distant. When they’re done, a woman named Clara brings me a set of documents and a new phone.

“This is your ID,” she says. “Reese Hyacinth. Date of birth adjusted. Background verified. You’re officially part of the family now.”

I look at the ID. My new name looks strange. I don’t recognize the woman in the photo. My hair is slightly darker, my eyes edited to look colder.

“Rosabelle doesn’t waste time,” Clara says, setting the phone on the table. “You leave in two days.”

I nod slowly. “And Minnesota?”

“Private facility. No press, no visitors. You’ll have a schedule waiting when you arrive.”

Clara leaves and I’m alone again. I stare at the ID for a long time. Reese Hyacinth.

It feels strange, but maybe that’s the point.

I hear a knock on the door and just then Rosabelle returns. She walks in and stands by the window, her hands in her pockets.

“Do you regret signing it?” she asks.

I shake my head. “No.”

“Good. Regret wastes time. You’ll have a lot to learn. The training won’t be an easy one.”

“I don’t care. I just want to move forward.”

She looks at me for a moment, studying my face. “That’s what I like to hear.”

There’s silence between us that feels almost comfortable.

“Why me?” I ask finally. “Out of everyone, why did you choose me?”

She sighs. “Because you remind me of who I used to be. And maybe… because I see so

mething in you that’s worth saving.”

Her honesty surprises me. For a second, I almost forget who she is.

She turns to leave but stops at the door. “Rest well, Reese. You’ll need your strength.”

When she’s gone, I sit up slowly and look out of at the window. I murmur to myself, “Reese Hyacinth.”

The name still feels foreign but something about it clicks in my chest. Maybe this is what I needed. A new start. A new name. A new war to fight.