Page 27 of Cold Carnage

I stepped into Paige's office, my eyes scanning the room. The walls were adorned with framed newspaper clippings and photographs, a testament to her career in sports PR. A large wooden desk sat in the center, cluttered with papers, pens, and a laptop. A bookshelf in the corner held an assortment of books on marketing, public relations, and sports management.

Paige shut the door behind me and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before moving to her desk. She gestured for me to take a seat in one of the chairs facing her.

"I just want to go over what you can expect from the press conference," she said, her voice calm and professional.

"I've had a press conference before," I grumbled, feeling a surge of irritation.

She stopped and looked at me, her expression softening. "Of course, I know that," she said with a smile. "I'm not trying to talk down to you. I just wanted to make sure we're on the same page."

I sighed and leaned back in the chair, trying to shake off the irritation. "Fine, let's go over it."

Paige nodded and opened a folder on her desk. "Great. So, first things first, we want to keep the focus on the team and the positive aspects of the off-season so far. We don't want to dwell on the recent... incident."

I stared at her, waiting.

"We also want to make sure we address any questions about the team's morale and how we plan to move forward," she continued. "I've prepared some talking points for you to use, but feel free to add your own thoughts as well."

She handed me a sheet of paper with bullet points outlining the team's accomplishments, our commitment to the community, and our plans for the of the season.

"This looks… adequate."

She smiled. "I'm glad you think so. Now, let's talk about how to handle any difficult questions that might come up."

"Such as?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, for example, someone might ask about what caused you to go off," she said, her voice steady. "Considering you're The Ghost, right? Completely unflappable."

I felt a flicker of annoyance. "What about it?"

"I just want you to be prepared," she said. "You don't have to answer directly if you don't want to, but it's important to have a response ready. Because they will go out of their way to try to needle you, especially now that they know they can."

"I can handle it," I said, trying to sound confident.

"I'm sure you can," she said with a smile. "But it's always good to have a plan. And if you're ever unsure, just remember to stay calm and focused on the message we want to convey."

I nodded, feeling a grudging respect for Paige. Fuck, she was better at this than I thought, and I hated her for it.

"Okay, I think that's everything," she said, closing the folder. "Do you have any questions?"

"No," I said, standing up.

"Great," she said, standing up as well. "I'll see you at the press conference."

I nodded and turned to leave, but before I could reach the door, Paige spoke up again.

"Ryker?"

I turned back to face her. "Yeah?"

"Just remember, I'm here to help," she said, her eyes meeting mine. "We're on the same team."

I arched a brow. We'd see about that, but so far…

Fuck.

"Why do you do that?" I asked.

She cocked her head to the side. "Do what?"

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