**Face-Off**

The lights of the Madison Square Garden illuminated the ice rink, casting a bright glow over the packed stadium. The air was electric, charged with the excitement of a New York Nighthawks game. Ethan Blackwood, the team's star player, skated onto the ice, his eyes fixed on the puck as he prepared for the face-off. His rugged features and chiseled physique made him a fan favorite, but beneath the surface, a complex web of emotions and demons drove him to succeed. As he took his position, a flurry of camera clicks and shouts erupted from the press box. Ethan's gaze swept across the crowded room, his eyes locking onto a striking woman with piercing green eyes and raven-black hair. Ava Moretti, a sports journalist for the New York Times, was known for her tenacious reporting style and sharp tongue. Ethan had heard of her, but their paths had never crossed until now. The game began, and Ethan's focus shifted to the action on the ice. He played with a ferocity that left the opposing team reeling, his stick handling and passing precision drawing cheers from the crowd. As the period drew to a close, Ethan and Ava crossed paths in the tunnel leading to the locker room. Ava, notebook and pen in hand, intercepted Ethan as he jogged off the ice, sweat-drenched and breathing heavily. "Ethan, can I get a word?" she asked, her voice firm but her eyes sparkling with curiosity. Ethan slowed to a stop, his gaze narrowing as he assessed the journalist. "What do you want, Moretti?" he replied, his tone gruff. Ava smiled, a glint in her eye. "I'm here to do my job, Blackwood. And right now, that means getting a quote from you about the game." Ethan snorted, shaking his head. "You think I'm going to give you some sound bite, Moretti? Think again." The tension between them was palpable, a spark of electricity that neither seemed willing to extinguish. Ava's eyes flashed with annoyance, but she refused to back down. "I'm not looking for a sound bite, Blackwood. I'm looking for the truth. And I always get what I want." Ethan raised an eyebrow, his expression darkening. "Is that a threat, Moretti?" Ava's smile grew wider. "Just a statement of fact, Blackwood. You'd do well to remember that." As they stood there, locked in a silent challenge, the air seemed to vibrate with anticipation. Ethan knew that this was just the beginning of a complicated, potentially explosive relationship with the feisty journalist. Little did he know, Ava was about to become the catalyst for a journey into the very heart of his darkness.