Alle Kapitel von Fake dating my ex’s Hockey-star Brother: Kapitel 31 – Kapitel 40

Too CloseEthan's PovDiane's meeting the next morning carries an urgency that was absent from our first sit-down, her expression grave as she spreads a fresh set of notes across the same private conference table."I did some digging overnight, based on what Claire told me about the accelerated timeline," she says without preamble. "The sponsor announcement Marcus is apparently rushing to lock in? I found the paperwork. It's not just a standard renewal, Ethan. It's a restructuring agreement that would transfer significant operational control of your image rights and endorsement deals directly to Marcus's management company for the next decade."The floor seems to tilt beneath me. "Ten years?""Ten years, with financial penalties so severe for early termination that you'd essentially be locked into his management regardless of any other decisions you might make about your career going forward." Diane taps the document. "This isn't just protecting his current position, Ethan. This is Ma

The Mask SlipsEthan's PovMarcus requests an in-person meeting the next morning, his message uncharacteristically formal, asking me to come to his office rather than the usual casual conversations we typically have around the arena.I bring Mason with me, partly for support and partly because I no longer trust myself to remain composed if Marcus says something that confirms exactly how much he already suspects about our investigation. His office looks exactly as it always has, polished and professional, framed photographs of successful clients lining the walls like trophies."Thank you both for coming," Marcus says, gesturing toward the chairs across from his desk, his usual easy charm noticeably absent from his tone. "I wanted to discuss some concerns directly, rather than letting rumors and speculation continue circulating.""What concerns?" I ask, keeping my voice carefully neutral."I'm aware you've been asking questions," Marcus says, folding his hands together on his desk. "Abo

Hiding OutSophie's PovEthan drives us to a small rental property Mason arranges through a friend outside the city, a modest cabin tucked far enough into the woods that no delivery app or rideshare service even recognizes the address properly."Nobody will think to look here," Mason assures us, helping carry bags inside while Ethan checks every window and door with a careful, methodical thoroughness that betrays exactly how seriously he is taking Marcus's escalating threats. "It's registered under my cousin's name, not connected to any of us in any searchable way."The cabin is small but comfortable, a single bedroom, a modest kitchen, a living room dominated by a stone fireplace that Ethan gets working within twenty minutes of our arrival, apparently more skilled with practical survival tasks than his polished public image usually suggests. I busy myself unpacking the few things I grabbed in my rushed departure, trying to ignore the surreal strangeness of essentially going into hidi

Three DaysSophie's PovDiane arrives at the cabin the next morning with her laptop, a fresh pot of coffee she insisted on bringing herself, and a carefully organized presentation of exactly how she believes we should proceed with the recording now in our possession."Legal has reviewed the recording thoroughly," she says, spreading her notes across the small kitchen table where Ethan, Mason, Ryan, and I have all gathered, Ryan having driven in early that morning once we confirmed it was safe enough to bring everyone together again. "It's admissible, clear, and combined with the financial documentation Mason already assembled, it builds an extremely strong case.""So what's the plan?" Ethan asks."I want to publish the story within the next three days," Diane says. "Not at the championship game, which is still over a week away. Waiting that long now gives Marcus too much time to react, potentially destroy additional evidence, or worse, retaliate against any of you before we're actuall

The Story BreaksSophie's PovThe story goes live at six o'clock in the morning, timed deliberately by Diane to reach the widest possible audience before the sports world's usual morning news cycle begins circulating.None of us sleep properly the night before, and by the time my phone buzzes with Diane's notification that the piece is officially published, Ethan, Ryan, Mason, and I are already gathered around the small kitchen table, coffee going cold in front of each of us as we refresh our phones with anxious, repetitive urgency.The headline, when it finally appears, carries none of the sensationalized cruelty of the gossip posts that started this entire nightmare weeks ago. *Inside the Manipulation: How One Manager Orchestrated Chaos Within the Carter Hockey Organization.* Diane's careful, methodical prose lays out everything with journalistic precision, the shell corporation, the disabled security camera, Gerald's recorded testimony, the restructured contract designed to secure