Chapter 17
597words
The All-Star game was still being played on the ice, but the real game was happening on the internet.
I sat in the Titans' private suite, overlooking the arena. Noah sat beside me, his hand resting protectively on the back of my chair. On the table in front of us lay a laptop, open to a press release draft.
"Are you sure?" Noah asked softly. "Once you hit send, there's no going back. You'll destroy him."
I looked down at the arena. I could see Liam on the Glaciers' bench. He wasn't playing. He was staring up at the VIP boxes, his face a mask of fury and confusion.
I thought about the hospital bed. I thought about the blood. I thought about the little heartbeat that had stopped because of his arrogance.
"He destroyed us first," I said.
I pressed Enter.
It wasn't just a statement. It was a dossier. A zip file sent to The New York Times, TMZ, and the League Commissioner.
Subject: Evidence of Fraud, Bigamy, and Professional Misconduct - Liam Sterling.
Attached were the photos I had taken from his filing cabinet.
The Marriage License: The legal certificate proving Liam Sterling had married Sophia Cruz three years ago in the Cayman Islands.
The Fake Certificate: The souvenir paper from the Vegas chapel he had given me.
The Financials: Bank transfers showing him using marital funds (my earnings) to pay for Sophia's condo and prenatal care.
The "Orphan" Plan: An email thread between Liam and Sophia discussing how to pass off their illegitimate child as a "war orphan" to gain public sympathy.
The reaction was instantaneous.
Within ten minutes, phones in the VIP suite started buzzing. First mine. Then Noah's. Then the general manager's.
I opened Twitter. The hashtag #SterlingScandal was already trending #1 worldwide.
@HockeyInsider: BREAKING: Liam Sterling accused of bigamy? Documents leak showing he is legally married to agent Sophia Cruz while pretending to be married to Dr. Elena Vance!
@FanGirl99: OMG did you see the email? They planned to fake an adoption?! That is SICK. #JusticeForElena
@SponsorWatch: Nike has just removed Liam Sterling's image from their homepage. This is a PR bloodbath.
Down on the ice, chaos erupted.
I watched as a league official walked onto the Glaciers' bench. He tapped Coach Miller on the shoulder, then pointed at Liam.
Liam stood up, arguing. He waved his arms. The official shook his head and pointed to the locker room tunnel.
Liam had been ejected. Not for a penalty, but for bringing the league into disrepute.
"He's being pulled," Noah observed, his voice devoid of pity. "The Commissioner doesn't tolerate moral turpitude clauses being violated."
The camera crews abandoned the game. They swarmed the tunnel, desperate for a shot of the fallen king.
My phone rang. It was Officer Miller from Immigration services, the man who had started this whole nightmare.
"Dr. Vance," his voice was surprisingly gentle. "We just received the dossier. Given the evidence of coercion and fraud committed against you, we are opening a criminal investigation into Mr. Sterling for visa fraud. Your status is secure pending the investigation. You don't have to worry about deportation."
"Thank you, Officer," I said.
I hung up and looked at Noah.
"It's done," I whispered.
Noah poured two glasses of champagne. He handed me one.
"To the future," he said.
I clinked my glass against his. "To the truth."
Down below, Liam was being escorted off the ice by security, his head hung low, booed by twenty thousand fans who now knew exactly what kind of man he was.
