Page 45 of Cold Carnage

I could feel Ryker's gaze burning into the side of my face, but I kept my eyes on Gideon.

"We need to change the narrative," Gideon continued. "We're going to do a last-minute charity event in two weeks."

A murmur rippled through the room, skepticism hanging thick in the air. Barrett shook his head, leaning back in his chair. "That's impossible to coordinate on such short notice."

"I'll handle it," I said, my voice cutting through the noise. The room fell silent, and I finally allowed myself a glance at Ryker. His eyes narrowed, but I held my ground.

Ryker’s lip curled into a smirk. "As long as you don’t set everything up only to leave when we need you the most."

I felt a hot surge of anger but didn’t let it show on my face. Instead, I met his glare head-on. "I won’t," I said firmly.

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, still glaring at me. I didn't flinch, didn't look away.

Gideon cleared his throat, breaking the tension that had wrapped itself around the room like a suffocating blanket. "Good. Paige, you'll have full support from the team for this event. Make it count."

Nodding, I finally looked away from Ryker and focused back on Gideon. "Understood."

Barrett sighed, rubbing his temples as if warding off an impending headache. "All right then, let's make sure this goes off without a hitch."

"Preseason is critical. We can't afford any more distractions. Last year was a mess—Minka and Levi’s relationship, Connor Bradley's antics, Richard Mathers resigning. We've been under a microscope for all the wrong reasons."

He paused, letting the words sink in. I saw heads nodding around the table, everyone feeling the gravity of our situation.

"We cannot let this team go down as just a drama-filled circus with no substance," he emphasized, his gaze piercing through each of us.

Finally, he looked directly at Ryker. "You will be headlining an event."

Ryker stiffened, his eyes narrowing. "What?"

"You heard me," Gideon said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You need to get your act together. You lost control, and now, you're going to make up for it."

Ryker's jaw clenched, but he stayed silent.

"You'll be organizing a back-to-school shopping trip with disadvantaged youth from our hockey affiliation program," Gideon continued. "It's time you showed some genuine accountability."

"I don't understand why I have to keep apologizing," Ryker muttered, frustration lacing his words.

Gideon leaned forward, eyes locked on Ryker. "Because your apologies are just words right now. Until you back them up with action, no one will trust you."

The room fell silent again, tension palpable. Ryker's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and confusion, but he didn't argue further.

Gideon's words hung in the air like a heavy fog, wrapping around each of us and pressing down with an undeniable truth: actions speak louder than words.

"You'll also help Paige with the event," Gideon said, looking directly at Ryker.

"What?" Ryker bellowed, his voice echoing off the glass walls. "That's too much! I already have my hands full with training and now this shopping trip? You can't just dump more on me!"

Gideon's gaze hardened. "No one trusts this team because of these scandals, Ryker. No one has taken real responsibility. We have to lean into this hard and fast so our fans understand we aren't just bullshitting them. As captain, there's even more expectation on you. You will do this, Ryker. This isn't just about you; it's for the team."

Ryker’s jaw clenched tight, his fists curling at his sides. He looked like he wanted to argue but swallowed his words instead.

Gideon’s voice softened slightly but remained firm. "Besides that," he said slowly, scanning the room, "is there anything else, anything anyone can suggest that might take away from this?"

Barrett cleared his throat. "We could increase our community outreach efforts overall. Maybe some hospital visits or reading programs at local schools."

"Good idea," Gideon nodded, jotting it down on his legal pad.

Lena, our media coordinator, spoke up next. "We should also highlight our players' personal stories on social media—show their human side more often."

---