Page 189 of Until We Burn
“If you’re trying to blackmail us, it’s useless,” Bàba seethes. “I will keep hunting down Kai, Matthias will have his way with the NHL,and no one will want anything to do with either of you. Your hands are tied.”
I chuckle. “So are yours.”
The doors burst open.
“President Huang!”Bàba’s assistant hurries in, panting hard. “President Huang, y-your conversation—it’s all over our radio!”
“What?” Bàba snaps to his feet, fists banging against his desk. “That’s impossible!”
“I-I don’t know either,” she stammers. “We tried to come in and tell you, but these boys were interfering!”
Behind her, I can see the boys being pushed back by security with mischievous grins on their faces.
“We’re too late now,” the assistant laments. “Our listeners heard everything you’ve just said.”
She plays back the last couple minutes of the HMG radio broadcast on her laptop. In crisp and clear voices, bàba and Matthias come clean about their crimes.
They go white with shock.
I smile, removing Kai’s old earpiece that Stella had hacked and connected to the HMG radio news.
“I’ll always be grateful for what you’ve taught and given me, bàba. But I'm not going to let you use that to manipulate and control me anymore.” I take a white stone and set it down, claiming the last bit of territory bàba built. “I am done being your pawn and I am done playing your games.”
I rise onto my feet. Kai’s hand weaves through mine. Together with Andrea, they stand at my side as I walk away from the HMG for good.
CHAPTER 75
KAI
There’s a sayingI’ve heard: When the storm blows over, the world goes quiet.
Well, it’s bullshit.
“Diana! Did you know about your father’s crimes?”
“Kai! Kai! Did you expose Matthias Valdis to work your way back into the NHL?”
I push the reporters aside. I wrap Diana into my chest as we push through the crowd to head into the hockey club for the last practice of the season.
A photographer snaps a photo of me. I flinch against the flash. Diana smacks the camera away and pulls us towards the doors.
“Diana, can you please?—”
“—Kai, why do you think?—”
The doors of the hockey club slam shut behind us.
I slump onto the wall as Diana flops her head against my chest.
I blow out a breath. “Is bolting out of town and changing our faces still out of the question?”
Diana huffs. “One thing I know for sure is that we were absolutely delusional for thinking everything would be better after we exposed Matthias and my father.”
“I mean…” I shrug.“Somethings did get better.”
Simon has been suspended from the NHL. Matthias is blacklisted. The authorities are investigating Edward Huang, Diana’s mother, and her brothers. The HMG has been shut down.
Any threat lingering over our heads is gone.
