The arena lights dimmed slightly as evening practice began, casting long shadows across the ice that made the rink feel larger than usual. The leaked footage had spread faster than anyone expected. By the time warmups started, speculation was already flooding fan forums and sports blogs. No names. No confirmation. Just curiosity sharp enough to cut reputations open.
Sheila stood behind the plexiglass boards, tablet in hand, watching the team circle through drills. She forced herself to focus on numbers speed metrics, stamina logs, recovery intervals anything that would keep her mind from drifting back to the image on Coach Reynolds’ screen earlier that morning.
Across the rink, Atticus moved like a storm being held together by sheer discipline. Every glide was sharp, every pass precise,
