Page 179 of Game Misconduct
The horn blows minutes later. Final score: 3–2, Vipers.
I don’t throw my gloves. I don’t celebrate like the rookies.
I skate off slow, taking it all in—like it might be the last time.
Because win or not, I know what’s coming.
And if I’m going down…
I’ll go down as a Viper.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Sloane
The boardroom smellslike old money and fresh blood.
Every chair is filled. Phones silenced. Suits pressed to perfection.
No one speaks above a whisper, but the tension could fracture bone.
I sit at the head of the table, hands folded in front of me, expression carved from stone.
My heart is a thunderclap in my chest.
They know.
Tessa sent the recording to the board’s general counsel last night. By midnight, the chair called an emergency meeting. No time for strategy. No space for spin. Just damage control with teeth.
The glass door hisses open.
Dean walks in like he owns the room. Shoulders square, jaw tight, expression unreadable.
He doesn't even glance at me as he takes his seat, like we’re on the same team.
God, he’s smug.
Chairman Weatherby clears his throat. “Thank you all forcoming on short notice. We have a serious matter to address regarding a violation of trust at the executive level.”
He nods to the compliance officer, who clicks a button on her laptop.
My heart’s pounding in my ears knowing what’s coming next. I flex my fingers around the handle of my chair, the fury I felt the night I heard it coming back to me.
The audio plays.
Dean’s voice crackles over the speaker system. “It’s already in motion, Joshua. The moment it hits, they’ll both be radioactive. Carrington loses her leverage, and Maddox takes the hit. Exactly what we wanted.”
Murmurs ripple through the room.
“Unbelievable.”
“Jesus Christ, what next?”
Dean’s still, feigning composure.
The recording continues, Joshua Leonard’s voice next. Arrogant. Cruel. “So we both get what we want. The vet spot opens back up, and your boss gets dragged down by her sins. Perfect, huh?”
The file ends in silence.
