Chapter 74: Damage Control
Kayden
I shouldn’t have said those words to Rhys, especially the ones about his family. He didn’t deserve to hear that from me. But I also didn’t deserve to be treated the way he was treating me. We were both carrying shitty pasts, yet we had allowed our words to weaponize that pain and turn it on each other.
The walk to the meeting room was suffocating.
Miller tried his best to engage both of us, but every word he spoke was met with a dead, heavy silence.
Leo had stayed behind in the clinic to watch over Starlight. I wished more than anything that he had come with me for support, but this was something I had to face alone.
"Rhys..." I whispered, trying to start a conversation before we reached the executive wing. I just wanted to breathe.
"Shut up, Kayden," he said without turning to face me. "You’ve already done enough damage to my life, so please, just shut up."
As we passed the massive floor-to-ceiling windows leading to the executive suite, I caught a glimpse of the main entrance to the Dome.
Outside the gates, it looked like a riot. Dozens of news vans idled in place, their satellite dishes pointed toward the sky like hungry metal flowers. Beyond them was a sea of fans pressed against the perimeter fences.
Camera flashes burst relentlessly, and hundreds of phones glowed as they caught sight of us walking past. Some people held signs, some with my jersey, others with Rhys’s, while a few held a banner that read: #VALDERFOREVER.
"I’ve never seen this crazy amount of fans interested in a ship that isn’t—" Miller stopped mid-sentence, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Anyway, I truly hope everything works out today, because the Coach said the CEO is pissed. And also," he stepped ahead of us, pointing between us, "what’s with the cold attitude? Why do you both look like you’re about to kill each other? Is everything alright?"
"Mind your business, Miller," Rhys snapped angrily as he reached the door and shoved it open.
Miller glanced back at me, clearly looking for answers. I only shrugged and followed Rhys inside.
The boardroom felt less like an office and more like a courtroom where the sentence had already been decided. At the head of the massive dark mahogany table sat Thomas Brown, the CEO. He commanded the room without saying a word. His long, impeccably groomed dreadlocks were pulled back from a face that looked carved out of granite. He didn’t resemble a typical corporate suit. He looked like a king guarding his throne.
To his right sat the Board of Directors: gray-haired men and sharp-eyed women who looked at us like malfunctioning equipment rather than human beings.
The head of Marketing was there too, tapping nervously on her tablet, her eyes fixed on the plummeting stock ticker projected onto the wall.
"Sit," Thomas Brown commanded.
He didn’t waste time once we took the empty chairs beside Coach Reddick.
Thomas leaned forward, his dreadlocks shifting over his shoulders as his brown eyes locked onto mine.
"So tell me, what the hell is this news spreading around?" he demanded, his fingers drumming a dangerous rhythm on the table. "The news that made me cancel a vacation with my family and come here today! I’m sure you’ve seen it."
We both nodded.
"Then tell me what the hell is happening!"
He exhaled sharply and rounded on Rhys. "Do you have any idea what you’ve done, Rhys? What your recklessness has done to the branding you share with Kayden? To the stocks of the Avalanche’s parent company?" He slammed a folder onto the table. "They dropped four percent the moment those pictures hit the internet."
I lowered my head, unable to meet Rhys’s eyes. Everything happening to him was because of me. He wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for my secret.
"I came here because multi-billion-dollar brands invested in this team based on your chemistry with Kayden. And now they’re asking questions, because fans are speculating. Why did you choose this moment to be caught with an Omega? Why?"
"There is no Omega," Rhys snapped. "I just helped someone."
I felt his gaze burn into the side of my head, my heart pounding as I thought he might expose me, but he said nothing more.
"The brands don’t care about the truth!" Thomas roared, rising to his feet and pacing toward the window. "They care about perception. Now is not the time for a dating scandal. The duo campaign hasn’t even launched yet and now..." He groaned, rubbing his forehead. "What the hell were you thinking?"
He turned back and slammed his hands on the table. "You are signed as a duo. If anything interferes with that image, it’s a violation, and you will suffer for it."
Rhys let out a low groan. "It wasn’t a scandal. It was an emergency."
"Nobody cares!" Thomas shouted.
One of the board members, a sharp-featured woman, spoke up. "The series is still ongoing, and the last thing we want is the agency going bankrupt trying to pay back billions. Which is why we’re countering it."
I lifted my head and met Rhys’s eyes. He was glaring down at me. If looks could kill, I’d be dead on the floor.
"Tell them the plan, Reddick," Thomas ordered.
Coach Reddick stood. "We’ve decided to do what we must to calm both the fans and the brands. You will prove you’re still the perfect duo. A speech has been prepared. Elton will hand it over. Read it and prepare for the press conference in one hour."
"One hour?" Rhys shouted, shock lacing his voice.
"Exactly," Thomas replied. "You’ll maintain that image until your contract ends, until the series is over. After that, fuck whoever you want. I don’t care. Just don’t jeopardize this company’s investment. We’re bringing in new players, raising rookies, and we don’t have time for scandals. Play your part."
He turned and walked out. One by one, the board members followed, along with Coach Reddick and Miller, leaving us alone.
The Silence settled in and it was Thick, Toxic, andsuffocating.
I was desperate to speak, but Rhys beat me to it. Bitter laughter broke free from his chest, echoing off the cold walls.
"Are you happy now, Kayden?" he yelled, kicking his chair back as he stood. "Isn’t this what you wanted? The CEO, the Board, the entire agency breathing down our necks?"
My eyes widened. "This has nothing to do with me. Rhys, I—"
"Just shut up." He kicked the table. "I don’t want your excuses. Congratulations, Kayden Vale. You turned my life into a circus with your lies. I hate myself for ever thinking you’d be different, for falling for someone like you."
He headed for the door, stopping just short of it without turning around.
"We’ll go out there and pretend everything’s fine. I’ll play the devoted Captain. You play my perfect duo.’ I’ll lie if I have to, to save the agency. But make no mistake, Kayden. The moment this series ends, I’m done with you. I refuse to lead a fraud."
The color drained from my face. My heart slammed painfully against my ribs, each word striking like a physical blow.
"Until the season ends, you belong to the team’s image," he continued. "You go where I say. You do what I say. You don’t even breathe in public without my permission." He turned slightly, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips. "You started this game, Kayden. Now you’ll play it by my rules."
He walked out, slamming the door so hard the glass vibrated.
My legs gave out. I collapsed to the floor, silent sobs tearing through my chest as I clutched myself together. The door was soundproof. No one could hear me.
I was utterly alone.