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Chapter 43: The Stand

Author: ROSE MARY
last update Petsa ng paglalathala: 2026-05-12 09:16:17

The days after Julian's injury were a blur of hospital visits, physical therapy consultations, and phone calls with lawyers.

Dante's suspension had been upheld, his contract was being terminated. He would never wear a Storm jersey again. The team held a private meeting without him. Coach Marshall stood at the front of the locker room.

"Dante is gone," the coach said. "But we still have a playoffs to win and we still have a brother who is hurt."

The room was quiet, players looked at each othe
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  • Ice In His Veins   Chapter 22: Half Truth

    The kiss on the roof should have been a beginning. Instead, it felt like an ending. For three days after, Mack barely looked at Eli. He was polite, professional, distant. He answered questions about drills, helped during practice, and then disappeared. No coffee. No late‑night talks. No almost kisses. No nothing Eli tried to catch him after practice but Mack always had somewhere else to be. On the fourth day, Eli waited by Mack’s car. Mack walked into the parking lot, saw him, and stopped. “You are avoiding me,” Eli said. Mack did not deny it. “I am trying to protect you.” “From what?” “From me.” Eli stepped closer. “That is not your choice to make.” Mack’s jaw tightened. He looked at the ground, then back at Eli. His eyes were red, tired. “There is something I have not told you,” Mack said. “Something I did.” Eli’s stomach turned. “What?” Mack took a breath. “After I found out about Daniel, after I started gathering evidence, I got scared. Scared that the police would n

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    The days after the press conference were strange. Eli expected backlash. He expected hate mail, cruel comments, teammates looking at him differently. Instead, something unexpected happened, people were kind to him. Fans sent messages of support and encouragement. Other players reached out to share their own struggles. The league issued a statement praising Eli’s courage. His parents called not to disown him, but to ask if he was okay. His mother cried. His father was quiet. But neither of them hung up. “We did not know,” his mother said. “Why did you not tell us?” “I was scared,” Eli said. “Of us?” “Of losing you.” She was silent for a long time. Then she said, “You will never lose us. You are our son.” Eli cried after that call. He cried for a long time. Mack was not there but Eli wished he was there with him. ~~~ Game Two was four days later. The Thunderbirds were down 0-1 in the series. Lose this one, and they would go to Edmonton facing elimination. The p

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