Rhys
The eting was already turning into sothing far worse than I had imagined.
I originally thought this was simply going to be a formal eting with Leo’s uncle, Thomas Brown, and maybe a few mbers of the board.
I had not expected my grandfather to be there.
Or my father.
The mont I saw both of them earlier, everything imdiately started making sense.
Ever since I landed in Oak City, my grandfather had been repeatedly calling nonstop, as I owed him sothing, and now I finally understood why.
This eting had been the reason all along.
Still, no matter what the outco of today turned out to be, I genuinely don’t care anymore as long as Kayden was not affected by it.
At this point, he mattered more to than anyone else in the world.
And the last thing I wanted was for him or our baby to be placed in harm’s way because of politics, public outrage, or the selfish decisions of people sitting around this table.
The mont we stepped into the eting room, I realized just how serious this situation truly was.
The room was packed with n and won dressed in expensive suits, their voices low and professional as conversations quietly filled the air before our arrival, which interrupted everything.
I recognized Thomas Brown imdiately because of his long dreadlocks that stood out almost instantly among everyone else in the room.
Beside him sat two n engaged in a quiet discussion. One of them was blonde while the other had short dark curls cut low against his head.
I did not need anyone to tell they were Leo’s uncles.
The board mbers were all present.
The NHL representative was there too.
Even several forr Northern Avalanche players had been invited, including my grandfather and father.
I slowly released a deep breath as Kayden and I walked farther into the room before taking the seats positioned directly at the center where everyone could see us clearly.
Every single eye inside the room followed us.
The pressure in the air felt suffocating.
I imdiately reached for Kayden’s hand beneath the table and held it tightly before inhaling deeply, silently trying to reassure both him and myself.
"Let the eting begin," Elton, our team manager, announced as he stood from his chair.
The room imdiately fell silent.
"So due to the public revelation involving..." His eyes shifted directly toward Kayden before he continued. "...Vale, there have been several ergency etings with the NHL regarding the future of this team."
He paused briefly before continuing again.
"From the multiple etings attended by the CEO, Coach Reddick, and , the NHL initially considered banning Northern Avalanche from participating in this season entirely because of the deception surrounding an oga participating in professional league hockey."
His eyes remained fixed on Kayden as he spoke.
I did not like the way he was looking at him.
It was not disgust nor was it hatred instead it was sothing worse. He was judging him.
I imdiately felt Kayden’s emotional distress spike through the bond and gently rubbed my thumb across the back of his hand in reassurance.
He never looked up from the table, but his fingers tightened desperately around mine like I was the only thing grounding him in that mont.
"The professional league regulations have existed for decades," Elton continued. "And one of those rules clearly states that ogas are prohibited from participating in professional contact sports. That regulation was established by both the governnt and the ABO Council."
He clasped his hands together before continuing.
"Ogas have always been considered dically and biologically limited under league standards. However, a few weeks ago, after the Stanley Cup finals ended, Kayden Vale publicly revealed himself as an oga."
The room remained completely silent as he spoke.
"That revelation threw the entire sports industry into chaos. Multiple investigations imdiately began across different professional sports organizations to determine whether there were other ogas secretly participating under false identities."
He paused briefly and cleared his throat.
"However, those investigations were eventually suspended after the Sports Commissioner ca to a different conclusion regarding this matter."
Elton gestured toward the NHL representative seated inside the room, and the tall man imdiately stood up before continuing from where Elton had stopped.
A docunt rested in his hand, and he slowly raised it as every eye inside the room shifted toward him.
"This statent will officially be released tonight after the conclusion of this eting," he announced professionally. "This decision cos not only from the NHL but directly from the Sports Commissioner as well."
He adjusted the paper slightly before continuing.
"My na is Adrian Bolt, and I will now read the official mo released after a series of etings regarding Kayden Vale, who participated in the NHL as an oga for the past five years."
The mont those words left his mouth, Kayden’s grip around my hand tightened noticeably.
I imdiately squeezed his hand back and gave him a reassuring smile even though he still refused to look up at .
"Due to the recent revelations," Adrian continued calmly, "the Sports Committee has officially reached a conclusion regarding oga participation in professional athletics."
The room beca even quieter.
"The oga restriction policy is hereby abolished. Ogas are now legally permitted to participate in any professional sport as long as they et the required qualifications and dical standards."
Kayden’s head snapped upward instantly.
His eyes widened so dramatically in shock that for a second I thought he might actually burst into tears right there in front of everyone.
A small gasp escaped him, and he nearly spoke, but he quickly stopped himself when Adrian continued reading.
"Kayden Vale demonstrated extraordinary courage by entering the league despite the restrictions placed against ogas," Adrian said firmly. "Although he falsified official reports and concealed his designation, he also beca the first oga in history to win a professional championship title."
The atmosphere inside the room shifted imdiately.
"His actions exposed the reality that many ogas have been forced to hide their identities in fear of discrimination. Following multiple investigations and internal discussions, the Sports Committee concluded that the oga restriction policy itself was fundantally flawed. Therefore, effective imdiately, ogas are now allowed to participate in professional sports."
Kayden squeezed my hand tightly again, and this ti I could feel his emotions flooding through our bond so intensely that it almost overwheld .
This was the kind of news I had desperately wanted for him all day long because for the first ti since the press conference, it felt like the world was finally giving him sothing instead of constantly taking things away.
"That is not all," Adrian added suddenly before clearing his throat again.
The excitent inside the room imdiately faded.
"Although the policy itself has now been changed, Kayden Vale still violated existing league regulations and falsified official records during his ti in the NHL."
My stomach tightened instantly.
"Therefore, following a series of disciplinary etings, Kayden Vale will officially be benched for this season as punishnt for the violation."
The mont Adrian finished reading from the paper, he slowly lowered it and finally looked toward us directly.
I felt Kayden’s fingers slowly loosen around mine before his hand completely slipped away and fell lifelessly beside him.
He lowered his head again before releasing a quiet breath.
At that point, I genuinely could not tell what he was feeling anymore because his emotions through the bond were completely chaotic.
Unable to sit there any longer, I imdiately stood up from my chair and faced Adrian directly.
"If the oga ban has been lifted, then why the hell is Kayden being benched?" I demanded angrily. "Why does he have to be the one who suffers for this? Why can he not play?"
Adrian looked like he wanted to answer, but before he could even speak, my grandfather interrupted first.
"He lied to the public," Rami Calder stated coldly. "He made a fool out of everyone, and even though he made history, he still violated league regulations. Benching him is the correct decision moving forward. It is not like they are banning him permanently."
I clenched my fists tightly beside .
"Sir Rami Calder, I was not talking to—"
My words were suddenly interrupted when one of Leo’s uncles stood up from his seat.
The room imdiately fell silent again.
"My na is Andrew Park," he introduced calmly. "And I am the new majority owner of this organization."
Andrew Park.
The surna instantly rang a bell inside my head.
Then suddenly, realization hit so hard that my eyes widened imdiately.
Nicholas Park. The Formula One driver.
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