His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 633 Pact

She stared at his fingers. "I’ve never done this before. Where I grew up, we had rain, we had cold winters, but no snow. No ice. Just mountains and forests."

He blinked. "Never?"

"Never."

His expression softened. He glided closer, his skates silent, and held out his hand again. "Then I’ll teach you."

"I’ll fall."

"I won’t let you."

"I’m serious. I have no balance. I will take us both down."

He grinned, and it was like watching the sun break through clouds. "Then we’ll fall together. I’ve fallen plenty of times. First time I tried to skate, I was five. My mom put me on the ice and I just—" He mimed a spectacular wipeout. "Face-first. Right there. Everyone saw."

She almost smiled. "What did you do?"

"Cried. Then got back up." He shrugged. "My mom said, ’Either you learn or you keep falling.’ So I learned."

She took a breath. Let go of the railing. Grabbed his hand.

Her blades slid. Her arms flew out. Her whole body tilted—

And Dom caught her. Both hands on her waist, steady, solid, pulling her upright before she could hit the ice. His reflexes were quick, effortless, like he’d done this a thousand times.

"Got you," he said, close enough that she could see the gold flecks in his dark blue eyes. They were a rare shade of blue, and if you looked even closer, there was a hint of dark green.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. "I told you."

"You’re standing." He didn’t let go. "That’s a start."

He kept one hand on her waist, the other holding her hand, and guided her slowly across the ice. His movements were fluid, natural, every shift of his weight pulling her along. She moved stiffly, her legs locked, her grip tight enough to bruise.

"Relax," he said. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"I am relaxed."

"Your shoulders are up by your ears. You look like you’re about to fight someone."

She forced them down. Her blades wobbled. He adjusted instantly, pulling her closer, steadying her.

"The first time I ever tried to skate," she said, focusing on her feet, "was in a dream. I was maybe ten. I dreamed I was flying over a frozen lake. Woke up convinced I could do it. Walked outside, stepped on a patch of ice, and fell flat on my back."

Dom laughed. "How old were you?"

"Ten. It was the middle of winter. The ground was hard. My mother found me lying there, staring at the sky, and asked what I was doing." A small smile tugged at her lips. "I told her I was learning to fly."

He squeezed her hand. "And now you’re here. Learning to skate."

"With a professional."

"Obviously." He spun them gently, his blades tracing a perfect circle, and she gasped, gripping his arms. The ice curved beneath them, smooth and fast, and when they stopped, he was still holding her, still steady, still looking at her like she was the only one in the room.

"See? You’re already better than five-year-old me."

She laughed and her blades wobbled again. Dom steadied her, his hand warm on her waist.

"There," he said. "That’s better."

"What?"

"You relaxed. You laughed. Your legs unlocked."

She hadn’t noticed. But he was right. She was moving easier, her fear loosening, her body finding the rhythm.

They circled the rink slowly, Dom never letting go, his voice low and patient as he guided her. Her confidence grew with each lap. Her grip loosened. Her feet moved without her having to think.

"I’m doing it," she breathed.

"You’re doing it."

She looked up at him, surprised. He was watching her intently.

"What?" she asked.

He smiled. "Nothing. You’re just... glowing."

Her cheeks warmed. She looked away, focusing on the ice.

Behind them, a teenager whistled. Someone else laughed. Hazel felt a rush of satisfaction she couldn’t explain.

They skated until her legs burned, until the rink emptied around them, until it was just the two of them under the blue lights. Dom still hadn’t let go. His hand was warm on her waist, his fingers laced with hers, and she didn’t want him to.

"One more lap?" he asked.

She looked at his hand. The way his thumb was tracing small circles on her skin. The way he was standing so close she could feel his warmth.

"One more," she said.

He pulled her forward, and she followed.

After skating, they found a small restaurant tucked into the corner of the shopping complex. It was warm inside, the windows fogged up from the cold outside, and the smell of fried food and coffee wrapped around them like a blanket.

Hazel slid into a booth near the window, her cheeks still pink from the ice. Dom sat across from her, still buzzing with energy, his jacket unzipped, his hair slightly messy from the wind.

"I’m so hungry!" he announced, grabbing the menu. "I could eat everything on this menu. Twice."

Hazel chuckled, reaching for her own menu. "Me too. I didn’t realize skating would make me this hungry."

"That’s the magic of ice," Dom said seriously. "It steals your energy. Also your ability to feel your toes."

They ordered quickly, Dom got a burger, fries, onion rings, and a milkshake. Hazel raised an eyebrow. He shrugged. "I told you. I’m hungry."

The food came fast, steam rising from the plates, and they both dove in. For a few minutes, the only sounds were chewing and the occasional satisfied sigh.

Hazel wiped her mouth with a napkin, watching Dom demolish his burger with surprising elegance for someone eating so fast. "You and Jason have been friends since school?"

Dom paused mid-bite, his eyes lighting up. "No, no, since way before school. We’re childhood friends." He set down his burger, grinning. "I don’t know how my life would be without him, honestly. Our moms are best friends. Like, inseparable. When we were in their tummies, they were pregnant at the same time. So technically, we’ve been friends since before we were born."

Hazel leaned her chin on her hand, watching him. His whole face changed when he talked about Jason. Softer. Happier.

"That’s sweet," she said.

"It’s the best." Dom picked up an onion ring, pointing it at her. "Actually, we made a pact. Me and Jason. A very serious pact."

"What kind of pact?"p