Page 86 of Expose on the Ice

I nod numbly, trying to process it all. The cover-up, the article, the league’s stance – it’s all too much. And where the hell is Lily? I need her now more than ever, and I don’t have a goddamn clue where she is, nor is she answering my calls.

"What about the team?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. "Does this change anything for me on the ice?"

Mark sighs. "We’re standing behind you, Carter. But this is big. There’s going to be an investigation... legal ramifications...."

He doesn’t need to finish the sentence. I know what he means. My career, everything I’ve worked for, is hanging by a thread. A league star covering up his involvement in a road accident that led to a death, then threatening the media with a boycott if it was reported, is a big deal.

As we reach Mark’s office, I feel a wave of loneliness wash over me. I’ve always kept people at arm’s length, afraid of getting too close, afraid of them discovering my secrets. But in the last few weeks, I’d let people in, and now, when I need support the most, I feel utterly alone.

I sink into a chair, my mind racing. How had it all fallen apart so quickly? Just minutes ago, I’d been on top of the world, having been out for a delicious dinner with Lily before hitting the ice for a game we’d won easily. And now…

"Carter?" Mark’s voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. "We need to plan our next move."

"Do I have a choice?" I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Just tell me what I need to do..."

LILY

As I scroll through the article that has just shattered Carter’s world, my heart sinks. Every secret, every painful detail we’d fought so hard to protect, is now splashed across the screen for all to see.

My stomach churns with a sickening mix of guilt and dread. We’d been so sure we’d kept a lid on things with the threat of the player boycott, but the hammer has dropped, and now his world is on fire. I reach for my phone to call him, to be there for him, and–

My phone buzzes in my hand, startling me out of my spiraling thoughts. Frank’s name flashes on the screen, and I feel a surge of anger. Before I can decide whether to answer, my thumb has already swiped to accept the call.

"What do you want?" I snap, my voice trembling with barely contained fury.

Frank’s gravelly chuckle grates on my nerves. "Is that any way to greet your old boss?"

"Cut the crap, Frank. Why are you calling me?"

"I thought you’d like a heads-up on our next big story," he says, his tone dripping with smug satisfaction. "We’re going to dive deep into how the Frost Giants tried to squashthisstory. Conspiracy to cover up a crime, attempted commercial extortion, all coordinated by your lover boy Carter Knox, his teammates, and the coaches and management of the Frost Giants – it’s juicy stuff."

My blood runs cold. "You can’t do that."

"Oh, but I can. Unless…"

"Unless what?" I ask, already dreading the answer.

"Unless you stay away from Knox," Frank growls, all pretense of civility gone. "No more playing house. You’re done with him, understand?"

A second later, my phone pings. He’s silent, even as I open the text message he’s sent me and read it, the story that woulddo even more harm to Carter than the one about the cover-up. It would destroy him and the team, who’d only tried to protect him.

If I allow it to be printed.

I grip the phone tighter, my knuckles turning white. "Why are you doing this, Frank? Haven’t you done enough damage?"

There’s a pause, and when Frank speaks again, his voice is menacing. "Because I’m a vindictive old bastard, Lily. And I don’t like being played for a fool."

The line goes dead, leaving me standing there, my mind reeling. I sink onto the couch, my legs suddenly unable to support me. Frank’s threat echoes in my ears, mixing with the guilt and fear already churning inside me.

I know what I have to do. The thought of it makes me feel physically ill, but I can’t see any other way. To protect Carter, to shield him from any more pain and public scrutiny, I have to distance myself and leave him to face this storm alone.

My vision blurs with unshed tears as I stare at Carter’s name in my contacts. My finger hovers over the ‘delete’ button, but I can’t do it. Not yet. Instead, I type out a message, each word feeling like a knife to my heart:

"Carter, I’m so sorry. I can’t be part of this anymore. Please don’t contact me. I hope you’ll understand, some day. Goodbye."

I hit send before I can change my mind, then curl up on the couch, letting the tears finally fall. The weight of what I’ve just done crashes over me like a tidal wave. I’ve walked away from the man I love, all to protect him from further harm.

But as I lay there, my body wracked with sobs, I can’t shake the nagging feeling that I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life.

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