_Nathan’s POV_
The arena was fuller than the first time.
Not just with regular fans. The VIP section had expanded. More dark coats. More formal postures. More people who did not care about hockey except as a place to watch heirs perform under pressure. The rescheduled game had stopped being a correction on paper. It was a public demand for a result.
Theo sat down beside me in the locker room while I finished taping my stick.
“Whole upper section looks like a summit spilled into the stands,” he said.
“I saw.”
“Your father?”
“Already seated.”
“Silvermane?”
“Same.”
Theo lowered his voice. “And Golden?”
I didn’t need to check again. I had seen Rowan on the way in through the tunnel cameras. Same composed posture. Same quiet attention. Like the first unfinished game had only been the
