Page 116 of Sven

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

“Tell her the car is on its way,” Hillary said, putting her phone down to her side.

“The car should be there soon.”

“Okay, I’ll see you at Conner’s.”

“Bye,” he said before sliding his phone into his pocket and dropping down on the bench with his head in his hands. “Fuck.”

“Is everything okay?” Conner McPhee asked as he came into the room.

Sven closed his eyes tight. He would not cry in this room, but, damn, was he on the verge.

“I’ll explain on the way home. Sven and his family are coming to our house tonight.” He heard Sasha say.

Conner came and tapped him on the shoulder. “You good?”

Sven nodded, but his head did not leave his hands.

“Sven, listen to me,” Sasha said in a voice he hadn’t heard before.

He looked up at her.

“We have cleared the hallway of press, and they won’t be able to get to you in the player’s lot, but they might tail you. You need to have your head on straight.”

Sven nodded. She was right. He could only imagine what Natalie had gone through all while having Winnie. That thought made him seethe. He needed to get to them.

“Why don’t you just ride with us?” said Conner.

“That’s not a bad idea,” said Hillary.

“Okay, give me a minute, and I’ll get dressed,” said Conner.

Before he knew it, he was headed down the hallway with Conner and Sasha. This hallway was usually full of reporters and other people milling around, but it was quiet with only some staff and security. His phone vibrated in his pocket.

Natalie: The car is here. Leaving now.

Sven: We are leaving the arena now. See you soon.

“That was Natalie. The car is picking her up now.”

Once they made it out to Conner’s car, he started it up, and they were on their way.

“Okay, can someone explain to me what is going on?” Conner asked.

“Well, the article about Winnie came out yesterday, but it landed well... but then some news broke about Natalie,” she said carefully.

“Your nanny?” Conner asked, making eye contact with him in the rearview mirror.

“The media are going nuts on some of the stuff being reported. I’m not even sure what is all true... but it’s bad. I think I’ll let Sven start because I’m not one-hundred-percent clear on that myself,” Sasha said, turning in her seat to him.

Sven ran his hand through his hair and blew out a breath, and he told them all of it. From who her grandfather was to the disgusting Moms Fighting For Freedom and the real reason she was fired.

“That’s fucked,” Conner said plainly as he turned into his subdivision.

“And her grandfather did nothing?” Sasha asked. “I’ve always loved Mr. Roper,” Sasha said, sounding a little sad.

“I’ll let Natalie explain more because I don’t want to speak out of turn, but she adores her grandfather, so I don’t think you need to worry about a childhood hero being sullied.”

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