Page 110 of Cold Feet
When reached for comment, the Slashers' front office declined to address specific allegations but stated that "personal matters between staff and players are handled internally."
My mind raced, trying to identify the source. Who had access to the NDA? Coach Sully, Coach Rocco, Marcus, Ryan Keller, legal... but why would any of them leak this? It made no sense.
"Who else has seen this?" I asked Katie, my PR brain calculating damage control scenarios while my personal life crumbled around me.
"It's everywhere," Katie said quietly, pulling up multiple tabs on her tablet. "ESPN picked it up. So did The Athletic. It's trending on TikTok. #FakeSlashers is the top hashtag in sports right now."
I scrolled through social media, each post like a knife to my gut.
@HockeyTalk79:So the Slashers PR director CREATED Cam Murphy as a player just to "fix" him later? That's some next-level manipulation. #FakeSlashers
@SlashersNation: I feel betrayed. We all bought into their love story. This is why you can't trust anything anymore. #FakeSlashers
@PuckPrincess24: @LanaDecker is a LIAR who used Cam for publicity. No wonder he's looking at Montreal. Get away from her, Cam! #FakeSlashers
I put the phone down, unable to take in any more. Numbly, I dabbed at my shoes with a wad of paper napkins.
"Just got a text from the GM's assistant. He called an emergency meeting in the conference room. Everyone's waiting," Katie said.
I grabbed my tablet and my coffee, taking a deep breath. Professional Lana needed to take over. I couldn't afford to be heartsick Lana right now.
"On my way," I said, squaring my shoulders. Crisis management 101: Acknowledge, Address, Advance. I'd navigated plenty of difficult scandals before, but nothing like this.
As we walked throughthe corridor, I noticed the stares. Staff members who normally greeted me cheerfully suddenly found reasons to look at their phones. A few whispered as I passed.
For over a decade, I had built my reputation in this organization. I'd started with the Slashers as a summer intern after my sophomore year of college. Ten plus years of integrity, hard work, and dedication. And in one morning, it was dissolving before my eyes.
The conference room felt like a war zone. Marcus, our GM, was at the head of the table, phone pressed to his ear. Coach Sully and Coach Rocco sat grim-faced to his right. Ryan Keller, Cam's agent, was pacing by the window, gesturing wildly during his own phone conversation.
And there was Cam, sitting alone at the far end of the table. Our eyes met briefly, his filled with apologies I couldn't accept right now.
I sat as far from him as possible.
"Redline is threatening to pull the entire deal," Ryan announced as he ended his call. "They're claiming potential brand damage. I've got a Zoom with their executive team in an hour."
Marcus hung up his own call. "I've just spoken with ownership. They're concerned, obviously, but they want to know our strategy before making any statements." He turned to me. "Lana, what are we looking at here?"
All eyes in the room turned to me. Despite the circumstances, they still expected me to fix this. It was both comforting and daunting.
"First, we need to identify the source of the leak," I said, falling back on training and experience. "Someone potentially breached the NDA, which gives us legal recourse. Second, we need coordinated messaging – from the team, from Cam, and from me. Third, we need to contact Redline directly and try to get ahead of their public statement."
Coach Sully nodded, "Who had access to the NDA?"
"Everyone in this room," I replied. "Plus legal."
"It obviously wasn't anyone here," Cam spoke up, his voice rough. "It had to be someone else."
"The only other people who knew the details are Logan and Zayne," I said. "And they wouldn't do this."
"Never," said Cam.
"Agreed," said Marcus. "But someone clearly did."
Coco knew too, but neither Cam nor I volunteered that information. She wouldn't betray us.
"Does anyone on your staff know?" Marcus asked me.
"No," I said. "They all assumed it was real."
