Chapter 156: The World finally Saw
Rhys
The rest of the ride to the hospital passed in a blur of high-pitched sirens and the rhythmic, terrifying hiss of the oxygen mask covering Kayden’s face.
Now that he was stabilized, thanks to my soothing pheromones and the paramedics’ intervention, his body was finally still after that violent seizure.
I took a moment to look at my phone. My hands were still stained with Julius’s blood, the dark smears drying on the screen as I swiped it open.
The internet was on fire; we were trending on every single social media platform. As expected, the investigator had done exactly what I asked. He had released the full video—the one Julius had used to frame Kayden.
It showed everything Kayden had been forced to face during his time with the Westbridge Falcons: the verbal abuse, the way Julius had cornered him, and the exact moment Kayden had fought back after being pushed to his absolute limit.
The tables had turned not only against Julius but against the entire Westbridge Falcons team which they truly deserved.
I scrolled through my feed on X, watching thousands of hashtags multiply every second.
One post from a major Kayden fan account was currently the epicenter of the internet’s rage. It was already at 10.5 million views and climbing with every refresh.
Kayden Vale Defense Squad ⛸️ | @valeupdatesglobal
(30 mins ago)
[VIDEO ATTACHED: THE FULL, UNEDITED WESTBRIDGE LOCKER ROOM FOOTAGE + PAPARAZZI CLIP OF RHYS CARRYING KAYDEN OUT OF THE WAREHOUSE]
I am literally shaking. 😭💔 THE TRUTH IS OUT. Julius Gerald edited the video to make Kayden look like the bully while HE was the one tormenting him for years!
And look at the second clip... Rhys carrying Kayden through the reporters. Kayden is pale as a ghost, he’s barely breathing, and he looks so small in Rhys’s arms. 🥺 This isn’t just a scandal. This is an ATTEMPTED MURDER.
WE OWE KAYDEN VALE THE BIGGEST APOLOGY IN HOCKEY HISTORY. 🕊️✨
#JusticeForKayden #PrayForKaydenVale #JuliusGeraldIsFinished #NorthernAvalanche #HockeyTwitter #ExposeWestbridge
💬 48.9K Comments | 🔁 210K Retweets | ❤️ 300K Likes
I stared at the screen, clenching my fist tight on the ambulance bench as I read through the thousands of supportive messages. I was relieved that he was finally getting the support he deserved after everything they had done to him.
The lead paramedic stood up from her chair to adjust a fresh IV bag, and it was at that moment I raised my eyes from my phone.
According to her, they were administering high-dose anticonvulsants and fluids to keep his blood pressure from bottoming out.
A true Alpha wouldn’t normally need such a high dose, but they didn’t question it because of the severity of Kayden’s wounds. It terrified me; now that he was being taken to a public hospital, his secret could be revealed to the world through a single blood test.
I quickly texted Leo: What do we do? The ambulance is heading to Langose City Hospital.
I fidgeted with my fingers while waiting for his reply. I heaved a deep sigh and rubbed my hands together, expecting an immediate response, but I got nothing.
"What..." I shifted on the bench, staring at my phone again, waiting patiently. Seconds bled into minutes. Just as I was losing hope, my phone beeped.
He had sent only one word: Ok.
That was it? I thought, reading the message again.
Wasn’t he worried that they’d find out about Kayden’s true identity? I began to type a frantic follow-up, but then Miller nudged my shoulder and pointed toward Kayden.
"He’s stable for now, Rhys," Miller whispered, his face illuminated by the blue light of his own phone. "But the internet... it’s a bloodbath. Westbridge’s sponsors are dropping them in real-time. Julius’s fathers are being grilled by the press. It’s over for them."
I clenched my fists around my phone and shook my head. I knew it wasn’t over at all.
"Until that bastard is locked up and truly suffers, it’s not over. Kayden deserves an apology from him and the rest of the world," I rasped, my voice sounding like it was being pulled through gravel. I leaned forward, my hand hovering over Kayden’s pale, limp fingers. "I don’t care if the whole world apologizes. They let this happen. They let this happen because they didn’t trust you. They cheered while you were being destroyed, but now that the tables have turned, I must make sure that boy pays—no matter what and he will regret everything."
I looked out the back window of the ambulance as we pulled into the hospital’s emergency bay. Even from here, I could see the sea of reporters and fans who had somehow already gathered, their cameras raised high.
As soon as we stepped out, the reporters rushed toward us pushing their microphones towards us but the security officers kept them back.
I jumped out from the back, watching as Kayden’s gurney was lowered.
My eyes roamed the sea of faces until Miller nudged me again, pointing toward Leo. He was standing among the welcoming doctors, but I was shocked by what I saw. He was wearing a dark green lab coat over black scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck.
He had a focused, intense expression I had never seen before—not even on the night I discovered Kayden was an Omega.
What the hell was he doing? I wondered. How did he become a doctor at Langose City Hospital?
"Leo?" I called out. He turned to face me. "What the hell? Since when did you become a Langose doctor?"
Leo simply shrugged. "Since now," he responded, stepping up to the gurney and joining the paramedics to push it. "Get out of the way and leave everything to me. He looks like he hit his head and is under extreme trauma. We have to get him inside now," he explained, already moving. "And don’t worry, I got this already and I will make it right."
I stood there, stunned, as Leo barked orders to the other doctors and nurses. The way he carried himself made me wonder if he had worked at this hospital before.
"Miller," I rasped, turning to him as the doors hissed shut. "Did you know? Did you know Leo was... this? Has he worked at Langose City Hospital before?"
Miller just shook his head, looking just as floored as I was. "I knew he worked in other places before, but I’m not sure where."
It all made sense now. The only reason Leo hadn’t replied was because he already had an alternative plan in motion.
I followed them into the hospital and watched from the ER unit as they rushed around, attending to Kayden.
While I paced anxiously, my eyes landed on two women stepping out from the private waiting wing. They moved quietly, commanding an inherent authority. The taller one, with deep soulful eyes and blonde hair, stepped right in front of me.
"Are you Rhys Calder?"
I exchanged a glance with Miller before nodding. "Yeah," I managed, my hands still shaking. "I am."
"I’m Rhoda," she said, offering a small, sad smile. She placed a hand on the shoulder of the woman beside her—a woman with sharp, intelligent features and a gaze that seemed to read everything in the room. "And this is my partner, Gabriella. We’re Leo’s mothers."
I looked from Rhoda to Gabriella, my eyes widening. "Leo’s mothers?"
They both nodded.
"Pleased to meet you," Miller said excitedly, stretching out both hands to shake theirs. "Wow, you are both beautiful."
I frowned at his compliment—not because it wasn’t true, but because I knew he was only acting that way because they were Leo’s family.
"And you must be...?" Rhoda trailed off, then chuckled lightly, slapping Miller’s shoulder playfully. "You are Miller. Leo sometimes mentions you around me."
Miller pointed to himself and smiled broadly, his face turning red immediately. "Oh wow. That’s... amazing."
Rhoda laughed again, then turned back to me, her sad smile returning. She looked between me and the swinging double doors where Leo had disappeared with Kayden.
Her expression softened as she took in my state—covered in dust, sweat, and the drying blood of the man who had tried to destroy Kayden.
"You look horrible. I am sure you’ve been through a lot, but don’t you worry, Kayden will be fine. Leo will do his best "
She leaned closer and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Tell me, Rhys," Rhoda said, her voice dropping to a low, grounding hum. "How was he? When you finally found him... what did you see?"
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat feeling like a jagged stone. I closed my eyes for a second, and the image flashed back instantly: the cold warehouse, the shadow of the bat that had almost hit him, and Kayden looking so small and broken on that filthy concrete.
"He was... he was giving up," I rasped. "I am just glad that I found him right on time. If anything had happened to him," I ran a hand through my hair. "I don’t know what I would have done. "