Rhys

I groaned and tried to push myself up with my right hand, but my left arm was dead weight, throbbing with a rhythm that told me something was seriously wrong.

Even when the referees, the medical team, and my teammates rushed towards me, all I could focus on was how we were down by one.

Then the commentator’s voice sounded as I was being lifted onto a stretcher.

"And a devastating turn of events for the North Avalanche!" the commentator’s voice boomed over the PA system. "Rhys Calder is down, and he is not moving. That was a thunderous, bone-jarring hit by the Bears. The captain is in serious trouble, folks. Will he be able to play in the next period?"

"Of course I can still play," I said through gritted teeth, even as the movement of the stretcher sent another sharp wave of pain through my shoulder.

Leo scoffed, his voice dropping into that pragmatic medical tone. "Rhys, stop. You have an acute subluxation with significant soft-tissue trauma. The integrity of the joint is compromised. If you go back out there, you’re looking at a complete labral tear or permanent nerve damage. You are done for tonight."

I tried to argue with him, but Kayden took my hand in his and shook his head firmly. "Calm down, Rhys. Let’s solve this first. Your shoulder doesn’t look good."

Of course I knew that, because my shoulder was burning like hell. I shut my eyes and gritted my teeth again, trying to steady my breathing despite the pain, and then suddenly, the commentator’s voice sounded again.

"Wait, we are receiving a breaking video feed," the announcer’s voice dropped an octave, dripping with manufactured drama. "This appears to be a pre-recorded message just sent in from the Blackwood State Correctional Facility. It’s a message for Kayden Vale."

At the mention of Kayden, I yelled at the medical team to stop moving.

"What is happening?" I demanded, looking from Leo to Kayden. I watched the way their bodies suddenly went stiff, the shift immediate and impossible to miss.

Before I could ask any other questions, a man appeared on the screen. He had dark hair shot through with grey and a full, unkempt beard. He looked directly into the camera, his eyes already welling with tears.

There was a resemblance in his face that I recognized immediately, even before he spoke.

Kayden’s father.

The shape of his face and Kayden’s were practically the same, just older, worn down, and harder.

"My name is Kelvin Hamilton, and I am the father of Derek Hamilton—who goes by the name Kayden Vale now," Kelvin began.

The arena went silent almost instantly, the massive crowd falling into an eerie hush as everyone focused on the screen. He pressed his hands against the plexiglass of what looked like a prison visiting room, his expression desperate as he spoke.

"I am sitting here in this cell, rotting away, and I have to find out from a guard that my own flesh and blood is now a huge hockey star playing for a championship? An omega at that! Have the rules changed? If so then I am happy for you but son, you abandoned me. You changed your name and ran away while I was at my lowest. I got here because I was trying to protect you, yet you didn’t reach out to me even when I tried so many times," he paused and wiped a tear from his face, his voice breaking just enough to sound convincing.

"This crazy man!" Leo muttered under his breath. "How the hell did he find out about Kayden and why is he lying?"

I already knew how.

It was all my grandfather’s handiwork. This was his surprise, after all.

It was meant to make Kayden seem like a bad person in front of everyone, to drag his past into the light in the worst possible way, at the worst possible moment.

"I still love you, Derek," Kelvin continued, piling on more lies with every word. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

My eyes turned towards Kayden, whose fists were tightly clenched at his sides, his entire body rigid with tension. I couldn’t help but feel guilty because, yet again, this was my fault. If it weren’t for me, no one would have found out about this—at least not like this.

"Kayden..." I tried to speak to him, but he held a hand up to stop me without even looking in my direction as Kelvin continued speaking.

"Derek... I’m telling the world because it’s the only way you’ll hear me. I hope you win that cup as the first omega, but please... don’t forget the man who gave you everything before you turned your back on me. Come see me. Don’t let your father die in here without seeing his boy one last time."

The video ended, and the screen cut back to the booth. The silence that had filled the entire arena shattered instantly, replaced by frantic murmurs and rising noise as the crowd reacted all at once.

"A bombshell revelation," the commentator continued, sounding stunned but still feeding into the spectacle. "Kayden Vale has never spoken about his biological family. We all thought he was an orphan who had been adopted, and now we find out his father is a convict who claims he was abandoned. And also, Kayden Vale might be an omega! How is that possible? It seems the rookie’s golden-boy image is fracturing right before our eyes."

"Oh, good heavens!" I almost screamed, the frustration and disbelief slipping into my voice despite everything else. "Kayden..." I tried to call his name again, but he just turned around and ran off the ice without saying a single word.

Leo turned towards me, his eyes blazing with fury. "What the hell just happened? Was this done by your grandfather?" he demanded, the accusation sharp and immediate. Before I could say anything else, he turned around and left the rink after Kayden.

The medical team started moving again, lifting the stretcher and continuing down the tunnel, but I barely noticed.

I looked towards the VIP section one last time.

I saw my grandfather’s eyes fixed on me, that same knowing smirk playing on his face as if telling me, I told you so.