Page 87 of Boards & Betrayal

A photo on the floor caught my eye—a shot of Nick in his early playing days. His face was full of hope and promise before our relationship turned cold and distant. I picked it up; the glass cutting into my hand unnoticed as blood smeared across the image.

I wanted to be a better man for Ally, to show her that I could be more than just a harsh coach or a bitter father. But what good was wanting if it always ended up like this? A room full of broken things, and another person hurt by my inability to let go of the past?

The sorrow weighed heavy on my chest, mingling with the anger until I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. All that remained was an overwhelming sense of loss—for what could have been and for what was irreparably damaged.

I closed my eyes and leaned back in the chair, letting the silence fill the room as I grappled with emotions too tangled to sort out.

I hated that I couldn’t do anything to fix it. I felt helpless, and that was a feeling I despised more than anything. The anger, the sorrow—they were emotions I could deal with, but helplessness? That was a different beast entirely.

Just as I was about to spiral further into my thoughts, my phone rang. The screen showed an unknown number. For amoment, I considered letting it go to voicemail. But then, with a resigned sigh, I answered.

"Morgan," I said gruffly.

"Mr. Morgan? My name is Seraphina Hanson," came the voice on the other end. "I'm the owner of the Newport Seagulls. Is this a bad time?"

I straightened in my chair, pushing away the chaos around me. "No," I replied, curiosity piqued.

"Good," she continued. "I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in having a conversation about your future."

The word hit me hard, carrying weight it shouldn’t have. Future—something I'd barely considered beyond the next game or training session. Yet here it was, being thrust into my lap when everything else seemed to be falling apart.

"I would love to fly you out and show you around our facilities so you can see them yourself," she said. "Maybe discuss your plans about where you see yourself next season. Would you be open to that?"

At this point, anything seemed better than sitting in this room filled with broken memories and shattered dreams. "I'd be open to anything," I admitted.

"Great," Seraphina said, her tone warm and inviting. "I'll have my assistant coordinate the details with you shortly."

As the call ended, I sat back and stared at the phone in my hand. An opportunity—a potential escape from everything that had gone wrong here. But even as the prospect of a new beginning hovered in front of me, the weight of what I'd lost lingered heavily on my shoulders.

For now, though, it was something—a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark landscape. And maybe that was enough to start pulling myself out of this pit I'd dug for myself.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling some of the tension ease from my muscles.

For now, it was enough just to have an option on the table.

At that moment, the door to my office creaked open.

Janet strolled in like she owned the place, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. She took in the mess with a frown, then turned her icy gaze on me.

"Another one of your tantrums?" she remarked callously.

Seeing her reminded me of everything Ally had suffered, including the blackmail not only from Nick but from Janet. The bile rose in my throat.

"You have a lot of fucking nerve coming here," I said in a low voice, every word dripping with barely-contained rage as I stood up.

Janet cocked her head to the side, a smirk playing on her lips. "I'm here to get what's owed to me. Since your little flavor of the week refuses to play, I thought I'd go directly to you myself. She got rid of your?—"

"She lost the baby," I cut in through clenched teeth. "Mybaby. And if you're here to get money out of me, you can fuck right the fuck off. Your games are done now."

Janet's eyes widened for a split second before she regained her composure. She opened her mouth to speak, but my glare intensified, cutting her off before she could start.

"Don't fuck with me, Janet," I warned, my voice dropping even lower. "I'm not in the mood."

Janet sneered, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "Oh, you actually care now? Funny, when I was pregnant and lost the baby, you didn't seem to care at all. I had to suffer through that alone."

I opened my mouth, ready to fire back, but the words stuck in my throat. Instead, I swallowed hard and forced myself to meet her gaze. "You shouldn't have had to."

Her eyes widened in genuine surprise. "What?"

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