Page 122 of Crossing Lines

“Know what?”

She has an innocent look on her face, but I see right through it. I’m not sure how she knew that I wanted my mom to come to a game, but I’m so grateful that she pushed the issue and made my mom accept her invitation. I feel like the relationship with my mom is changing for the better. Thanks to Nina.

“Thank you,” I say with meaning. “I… It means a lot that she’ll be there.”

“I know,” she says softly.

The front door opens, and Zeki’s voice cuts through the house. “Are you two decent?”

“What the hell are you doing awake at this hour?” I ask.

Zeki strides into the kitchen, grabs a bowl, and pours himself cereal like he’s got all the time in the world. “I’ve got news,” he says, tone somber, almost heavy.

Nina frowns. “What’s going on?”

“I couldn’t understand Harold’s motivation, so Nate and I dug into his past.” Zeki places the cereal bowl onthe table, alongside a thick folder. “Turns out, there’s more to his story than we realized. Were you aware that Harold’s wife forced him to sell the team?”

“No, that’s not right,” I say. “They co-owned it, and when they divorced, they didn’t want to deal with the hassle anymore. They were amicable—friendly, even, every time I met with them.”

“That’s not quite how it went down.” Zeki’s tone hardens. “Harold’s wife knew how much the team meant to him. So much so that when they divorced, she refused to sell him her half. She demanded they sell the entire thing just to spite him.”

“So, what?” I exhale sharply, my frustration rising. “He’s hell-bent on destroying the team now because he lost it? That’s his grand revenge plan?”

“No.” Zeki slides the folder across the table toward me. “It’s worse.”

I glance at Nina, then reach for the folder. As I open it, the weight in Zeki’s voice settles in my chest like a stone.

“These are the transfer documents Harold, his wife, and you signed to finalize the sale,” Zeki explains.

“I know what these are,” I snap, flipping through the pages. “Why are you bringing this up now?”

“Go to the tabbed section.” Zeki points to the yellow sticky note marking one page. “I had to pull some serious strings to get this copy—your lawyers wouldn’t release it to me.”

A fresh surge of unease ripples through me. Mylawyers? Why the hell would they withhold my own documents? I flip to the tabbed section and start reading.

My gaze lands on a clause I’ve never seen before. A buyback option at a severely discounted price after twelve months. And it all hinges on the women’s apparel line performance.

Shock freezes me for a moment, then fury roars to life, burning through the disbelief. “What the fuck is this?”

Nina leans closer, her hand brushing my arm. “What is it?”

“This,” I say, voice tight, holding the contract out to her. “This wasneverin the original agreement. I would never have signed something like this.”

Nina’s eyes scan the page, her expression darkening as she reads. “He snuck it in? How is that even possible?”

The implications hit me like a freight train. My lawyers. They had to be in on this together with Harold. Which means this isn’t just sabotage—it’s a betrayal. One that was meticulously planned and executed from the beginning.

“The twelve months are up in a few weeks.” Zeki’s voice tightens, a note of urgency threading through every word as he leans forward, his gaze locking on mine. “Can you prove that clause wasn’t in the original version?”

I nod, already moving. “Let me grab my computer.”

Every step up the stairs feels like wading through quicksand. My pulse thrums like a war drum, each beat pounding harder than the last. Upstairs, I snatch mylaptop with trembling hands, my breath shallow and sharp, as though the air itself is fighting against me. Back at the table, my fingers race over the keyboard, desperate, until the original document I signed flashes onto the screen.

I reread the section ten times. There’s no mention of the clause. Thank fuck.

“It’s unaltered.” I turn the screen to face Zeki and Nina.

Relief fills Zeki’s face as Nina asks quietly, “But what about Stonehaven? How are they connected to Harold?”

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