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Chapter 67: The Fall from Grace

Author: Rejoice Ezeh
last update Last Updated: 2025-08-13 06:24:46

Landon's POV

The official statement from the Sacramento Kings arrived on a Tuesday morning, delivered by certified mail like a death certificate for my professional hockey career. I sat in my cramped studio apartment, holding the letter with hands that had once been steady enough to score winning goals, and read the words that made my downfall complete and permanent.

"The Sacramento Kings organization hereby terminates the contract of Landon Hayes, effective immediately. Mr. Hayes' association with individuals currently facing federal criminal charges, combined with conduct detrimental to the sport of professional hockey, makes continued employment impossible. Mr. Hayes has been added to the league's exclusion list, barring him from participation in any NHL-affiliated activities."

Blacklisted. The word hit me like a body check into the boards, knocking the wind out of me and leaving me stunned on the floor of my pathetic apartment. I wasn't just released from my current team - I was b
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    Ophelia's POVThe late afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my foundation office as I reviewed the quarterly impact report, but the numbers on the page kept blurring together as my mind wandered to darker thoughts. We had helped over three hundred athletes avoid medical fraud in just six months. We had implemented new safety protocols in twelve different sports organizations. We had created scholarship programs that would change the lives of countless young people.So why did I still wake up every morning with anger burning in my chest like acid?I set down the report and walked to my window, looking out at the busy Manhattan street below. From this height, people looked like ants scurrying around with their daily concerns, unaware that I was watching them from my tower of success and fury. The metaphor wasn't lost on me - I had built an empire of good works on a foundation of revenge, and sometimes I wasn't sure which motivation was stronger.My phone buzzed

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