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Chapter 2: The Setup

Nyra's Pov 

I did not go home immediately after leaving the rink.

I stayed in the parking lot for a while, sitting in the car with the engine off while I watched people walk out of the building. The noise from inside followed them out, and most of them were still talking about the game like it was the only thing that mattered. Some of them were laughing, others were arguing about certain plays, and a few were still calling Jace’s name like he could hear them from outside.

I paid attention, but not to what they were saying.

I was watching how easily people reacted to him.

It was not just about how well he played. It was about how quickly people attached themselves to him, how they looked at him like he was already ahead of everyone else. That kind of attention did not disappear on its own. It had to be redirected.

That was the part most people did not understand.

I leaned back in my seat and let out a slow breath, going over everything again in my head. I had already made the call, so there was nothing left to decide, but I still needed to make sure everything stayed where it was supposed to be.

Timing was the only thing that mattered now.

If it happened too early, people would question it. If it happened too late, it would not change anything. It had to happen at a point where it would take him out of the final match without drawing unnecessary attention.

Three days was enough.

It gave just enough space for everything to shift naturally without forcing it.

I picked up my phone and checked the time before opening my messages. Most of them were from people I did not need to respond to, but one stood out immediately.

Soren.

He had only sent one message.

‘Call me when you are done’.

I stared at it for a moment before locking my phone again. I did not feel like explaining anything yet. I already knew what he was going to say, and I was not interested in hearing it right away.

I started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, joining the line of cars moving slowly out of the area. The road was still busy, but I kept my focus steady and drove without rushing.

By the time I reached a quieter part of the road, I picked up my phone again and called him.

He answered quickly.

“You made your decision,” he said.

“Yes,” I replied.

There was a short pause on the line, but it was not uncertain. He was just waiting for me to continue.

“It is already in motion,” I added.

Another pause followed, longer this time.

“Are you sure about him?” he asked.

“I am,” I said.

Soren let out a quiet breath, like he was thinking it through even though he already knew I would not change my mind.

“You could have picked someone easier,” he said.

“I do not need it easy,” I replied. “I need someone who will matter after this.”

“You are choosing someone people are already watching,” he said. “When this changes, it will not go unnoticed.”

“It is not supposed to go unnoticed,” I said calmly. “That is the point.”

There was another pause, and this time it felt heavier.

“You are putting yourself in the middle of it,” he said. “You know how your father handles things when he feels like he is not in control.”

“I am aware,” I replied.

“That does not sound like a concern,” he said.

“It is not,” I answered.

Soren was quiet for a few seconds, and I could tell he was trying to decide how far to push the conversation.

“Then at least keep it controlled,” he said finally. “If this gets out of hand, it will not just affect you.”

“It will not get out of hand,” I said.

“You cannot guarantee that,” he replied.

“I can manage it,” I said, and that was enough for me.

I ended the call before the conversation could go any further.

I placed my phone back down and kept driving, letting the silence settle around me again. The rest of the drive home passed without anything important happening, which was exactly how I preferred it.

When I arrived, the house was quiet.

That was normal.

My father was rarely home at that time, and even when he was, he did not involve himself in anything unless it directly concerned him. The house was large, but it never felt full. Everything in it was placed with purpose, but nothing felt personal.

I stepped inside and closed the door behind me before heading upstairs to my room. I placed my phone on the desk and sat down, letting the silence settle properly this time.

I was not thinking about the game anymore.

I was thinking about what came next.

The accident would happen soon, and when it did, everything around Jace would begin to change. People would react at first, but they would not stay focused on it for long. They would talk about it, question it, and then move on as soon as something else demanded their attention.

That was how it always worked.

Someone else would step into his place, and the focus would follow without hesitation. The team would adjust, the scouts would shift their attention, and everything that once surrounded him would slowly move on without him.

That part was predictable.

What mattered was what happened after that.

I leaned forward slightly, resting my arms on the desk as I focused on that part of the plan. Jace would not accept it easily. Someone like him would not know how to deal with losing control over something that defined him.

He would try to fight it.

Then he would start to feel it.

The frustration would come first, followed by anger, and eventually he would reach a point where he would not know what to do next.

That was the moment I needed.

Not when he was strong.

Not when everything was working in his favor.

But when he had nothing left to rely on.

That was when people listened.

I stood up after a while and walked over to the window. I pulled the curtain slightly and looked outside, taking in how quiet everything had become. There were only a few cars passing by, and nothing about the night suggested that anything had changed.

That was what made it effective.

Everything stayed normal until it was not.

I let the curtain fall back into place and stepped away. By this time next week, Jace’s life would look completely different, and he would not understand why.

I picked up my phone again and opened a blank note. I did not write much, just a few lines to keep things clear in my head.

There was no space for mistakes.

I stared at the words for a moment before locking the screen and setting the phone back down.

Everything had already been set, now all that remained was waiting and I had never had a problem with that.