Knot me on ice, Captain(BL) Chapter 215: Broadcasted Betrayal

Rhys

I groaned and tried to push myself up with my right hand, but my left arm was dead weight, throbbing with a rhythm that told sothing was seriously wrong.

Even when the referees, the dical team, and my teammates rushed towards , all I could focus on was how we were down by one.

Then the comntator’s voice sounded as I was being lifted onto a stretcher.

"And a devastating turn of events for the North Avalanche!" the comntator’s voice bood over the PA system. "Rhys Calder is down, and he is not moving. That was a thunderous, bone-jarring hit by the Bears. The captain is in serious trouble, folks. Will he be able to play in the next period?"

"Of course I can still play," I said through gritted teeth, even as the movent of the stretcher sent another sharp wave of pain through my shoulder.

Leo scoffed, his voice dropping into that pragmatic dical tone. "Rhys, stop. You have an acute subluxation with significant soft-tissue trauma. The integrity of the joint is compromised. If you go back out there, you’re looking at a complete labral tear or permanent nerve damage. You are done for tonight."

I tried to argue with him, but Kayden took my hand in his and shook his head firmly. "Calm down, Rhys. Let’s solve this first. Your shoulder doesn’t look good."

Of course I knew that, because my shoulder was burning like hell. I shut my eyes and gritted my teeth again, trying to steady my breathing despite the pain, and then suddenly, the comntator’s voice sounded again.

"Wait, we are receiving a breaking video feed," the announcer’s voice dropped an octave, dripping with manufactured drama. "This appears to be a pre-recorded ssage just sent in from the Blackwood State Correctional Facility. It’s a ssage for Kayden Vale."

At the ntion of Kayden, I yelled at the dical team to stop moving.

"What is happening?" I demanded, looking from Leo to Kayden. I watched the way their bodies suddenly went stiff, the shift imdiate and impossible to miss.

Before I could ask any other questions, a man appeared on the screen. He had dark hair shot through with grey and a full, unkempt beard. He looked directly into the cara, his eyes already welling with tears.

There was a resemblance in his face that I recognized imdiately, even before he spoke.

Kayden’s father.

The shape of his face and Kayden’s were practically the sa, just older, worn down, and harder.

"My na is Kelvin Hamilton, and I am the father of Derek Hamilton—who goes by the na Kayden Vale now," Kelvin began.

The arena went silent almost instantly, the massive crowd falling into an eerie hush as everyone focused on the screen. He pressed his hands against the plexiglass of what looked like a prison visiting room, his expression desperate as he spoke.

"I am sitting here in this cell, rotting away, and I have to find out from a guard that my own flesh and blood is now a huge hockey star playing for a championship? An oga at that! Have the rules changed? If so then I am happy for you but son, you abandoned . You changed your na and ran away while I was at my lowest. I got here because I was trying to protect you, yet you didn’t reach out to even when I tried so many tis," he paused and wiped a tear from his face, his voice breaking just enough to sound convincing.

"This crazy man!" Leo muttered under his breath. "How the hell did he find out about Kayden and why is he lying?"

I already knew how.

It was all my grandfather’s handiwork. This was his surprise, after all.

It was ant to make Kayden seem like a bad person in front of everyone, to drag his past into the light in the worst possible way, at the worst possible mont.

"I still love you, Derek," Kelvin continued, piling on more lies with every word.

My eyes turned towards Kayden, whose fists were tightly clenched at his sides, his entire body rigid with tension. I couldn’t help but feel guilty because, yet again, this was my fault. If it weren’t for , no one would have found out about this—at least not like this.

"Kayden..." I tried to speak to him, but he held a hand up to stop without even looking in my direction as Kelvin continued speaking.

"Derek... I’m telling the world because it’s the only way you’ll hear . I hope you win that cup as the first oga, but please... don’t forget the man who gave you everything before you turned your back on . Co see . Don’t let your father die in here without seeing his boy one last ti."

The video ended, and the screen cut back to the booth. The silence that had filled the entire arena shattered instantly, replaced by frantic murmurs and rising noise as the crowd reacted all at once.

"A bombshell revelation," the comntator continued, sounding stunned but still feeding into the spectacle. "Kayden Vale has never spoken about his biological family. We all thought he was an orphan who had been adopted, and now we find out his father is a convict who claims he was abandoned. And also, Kayden Vale might be an oga! How is that possible? It seems the rookie’s golden-boy image is fracturing right before our eyes."

"Oh, good heavens!" I almost scread, the frustration and disbelief slipping into my voice despite everything else. "Kayden..." I tried to call his na again, but he just turned around and ran off the ice without saying a single word.

Leo turned towards , his eyes blazing with fury. "What the hell just happened? Was this done by your grandfather?" he demanded, the accusation sharp and imdiate. Before I could say anything else, he turned around and left the rink after Kayden.

The dical team started moving again, lifting the stretcher and continuing down the tunnel, but I barely noticed.

I looked towards the VIP section one last ti.

I saw my grandfather’s eyes fixed on , that sa knowing smirk playing on his face as if telling , I told you so.