The Captain's Secret Baby

Chapter 3: Destroy Her

Rhett's Point of View

I watched Avery disappear through the ballroom doors until the last glimpse of her emerald dress vanished from sight. Around me, the wedding reception continued as though nothing extraordinary had happened. The orchestra played another elegant melody, guests laughed over champagne, and photographers hurried from one table to another, capturing what they believed were unforgettable moments.

For everyone else, tonight was a celebration.

For me, it was the night the past walked back into my life.

Four years.

I had spent four years convincing myself that if I ever saw Avery Sinclair again, I wouldn't feel a damn thing. I imagined a hundred different reunions, each ending with me walking away first. Sometimes I pictured demanding answers until she admitted why she left me. Other times, I imagined looking straight through her as though she'd become a stranger whose face I vaguely recognized. Every version ended the same way—with me proving I had finally moved on.

The second our eyes met, every lie I had told myself crumbled.

But it wasn't love that flared to life in my chest. It was a cold, venomous rage. She stood there pretending she was totally fine, flashing that casual, radiant smile, and flippantly wishing me a lifetime of happiness with another woman as if the years we spent together meant absolutely nothing. She had moved on without a single scratch, leaving me to burn in the wreckage.

She was a fickle, heartless woman.

"You should stop looking at the door." Vanessa's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I didn't bother turning around. I already knew she was watching me. "I wasn't."

She let out a quiet laugh. "You've barely blinked since she walked away."

A waiter passed with a tray of whiskey, and I took one of the glasses before draining half of it in a single swallow. The burn in my throat was welcome. It fueled the dark, icy resolve hardening in my gut.

"I honestly can't believe she had the nerve to show up," Vanessa continued, her tone dripping with contempt. "After what she did to you, I'd be too ashamed to set foot in this city again."

I remained silent. Perhaps she mistook that for agreement because she kept talking.

"She hasn't changed at all. Always finding a way to become the center of attention." Vanessa glanced toward the ballroom entrance with obvious disdain before adding, "Honestly, I almost laughed when she spilled wine all over herself. It suited her."

That made me turn. "It wasn't her fault."

Vanessa blinked. "You're defending her?"

"I'm correcting you."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Fine. Someone else spilled the wine. It doesn't change the fact that Avery has always been trouble."

"Enough."

Only one word. Quiet. Firm.

Vanessa's smile faltered.

"I don't know why you're upset with me," she said. "I'm only reminding you of the truth. She abandoned you, Rhett. She left without a single explanation and never looked back. You spent months searching for her while she couldn't even be bothered to tell you she was alive."

My jaw tightened. Every word she spoke reopened wounds I had spent years trying to bury. She wasn't wrong. I had searched. God, how I'd searched.

The day Avery disappeared, I tore the city apart looking for her. I called every hospital, convinced she'd been in an accident. When the police couldn't find anything, I hired private investigators. I contacted friends we hadn't spoken to in years, hoping someone knew where she'd gone.

No one did. Her apartment was empty. Her phone had been disconnected. Every trace of her had vanished. It was as though she'd erased herself from my life overnight.

At first, I believed something terrible had happened. Months later, I was forced to accept something far worse. She had chosen to leave.

"You know what the saddest part is?" Vanessa said softly. "You still look at her the same way."

I frowned. "What way?"

"The way a man looks at the woman he never stopped loving."

A bitter laugh escaped me. "I also never stopped hating her."

Vanessa smiled as though my answer pleased her. "Hate is easier than love."

"No." I finished the rest of my whiskey before setting the empty glass onto a passing tray. "Hate is easier than wondering why someone destroyed your life without giving you the chance to fix it."

Silence settled between us.

For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.

The orchestra began another waltz as Richard Lawson led his new bride onto the dance floor. Richard had invested in the NHL team years before I became team captain, and Richard became one of the few men I genuinely respected. When he'd personally invited me to his wedding, declining had never been an option.

If I'd known Avery would be standing here tonight...

I wasn't sure I would have accepted.

Vanessa slipped her arm through mine, smiling brightly as a photographer walked past.

"Smile," she whispered. "People are watching."

Without hesitation, I gently removed her hand.

She looked up at me. "What?"

"You already know the answer."

Her smile became strained. "We're supposed to announce our engagement next month."

"Our parents are."

She stared at me. "The newspapers already think we're together."

"I stopped correcting reporters because I got tired of answering the same questions after every game. That doesn't mean we're in a relationship."

A flicker of irritation crossed her face. "Then what am I to you?"

I met her gaze calmly. "A family friend."

The words landed harder than I intended.

Vanessa's expression froze.

"Our fathers built a business agreement that benefits both families," I continued. "I've respected that arrangement because my father asked me to, but don't confuse business with love. They're not the same thing."

She looked away before quietly asking, "And Avery?"

My chest tightened. "What about her?"

"If she walked back into your life tomorrow and asked for another chance..." She paused. "...would you say yes?”

"No," I answered, my voice dropping to a dangerously flat, uncompromising whisper. "But if she thinks she can just saunter back into this city completely unbothered, acting like she didn't ruin me... she has another thing coming."

Vanessa stood there for several long seconds, visibly unnerved by the darkness in my tone. When I remained silent after that, she let out a bitter laugh before smoothing the wrinkles from her expensive gown.

"I should have known," she murmured, shaking her head. "You're entirely consumed by her."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and disappeared into the ballroom.

I remained alone on the terrace, watching the lights dancing across the gardens below while the orchestra drifted through the open doors behind me. For the first time in years, my mind was louder than the music.

"Captain Kane." The unfamiliar voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I turned to find a tall man in a charcoal suit walking toward me with an easy smile. It took me a second to recognize him.

Logan Hayes. Chief of Medical Staff for the organization.

We weren't close friends, but we'd crossed paths often enough during charity games, league events, and organization meetings.

"I didn't expect to find you hiding out here," Logan said with a chuckle as he stopped beside me. "Mind if I steal a minute?"

"Go ahead." He rested both forearms against the stone railing before letting out a quiet sigh. "I've actually been meaning to ask you something."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is Dr. Lena Morales happy working with the main team?"

The question caught me off guard. "As far as I know."

He laughed softly. "That's unfortunate."

"Why?"

"Because I've been trying to recruit her for months." He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "I swear, the woman refuses every offer I throw at her. Better salary, complete authority over the medical department, flexible schedule—you name it. She won't even consider leaving."

I looked at him curiously. "You want her that badly?"

"Absolutely." His answer came without hesitation.

"She's the best sports physician I've ever worked with." Then he laughed again. "Although I guess I've already accepted defeat."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Because if I can't convince her..." He shrugged casually. "...I'll just recruit her best friend instead."

My eyes narrowed. "Best friend?"

"Dr. Avery Sinclair."

The name landed like a match dropped into a pool of gasoline. A slow, predatory warmth spread through my veins.

Logan remained completely unaware of my reaction as he continued talking. The moment the words left his mouth, a plan snapped into perfect focus. If Avery wanted to pretend she was a detached, successful doctor who had outgrown her past, I was going to strip that mask right off her face.

I was going to pull her into my world, trap her under my thumb, and dismantle her piece by piece until she begged for mercy.

Without another word, I pushed away from the railing.

"Rhett?" Logan frowned. "Where are you going?"

I didn't answer. His voice followed me as I walked back through the ballroom, but I never slowed my pace. By the time I reached the parking lot, my phone was already in my hand.

I scrolled through the contacts Coach Harrison had sent me months earlier and found the number I was looking for.

Dr. Lena Morales.

The line rang twice before a calm female voice answered.

"Dr. Morales speaking."

"This is Rhett Kane."

There was a brief pause. "...Captain Kane? It's a bit late. Is someone injured?"

"No one is injured, Lena. But your career might be if you don't listen very carefully to what I'm about to say."

A sharp, stunned silence greeted me over the receiver. "Excuse me?"

"I know you've been rejecting Logan Hayes’s offers to transfer departments," I said, my voice deadpan, entirely devoid of warmth. "And I also know your brother is currently completing his surgical residency at the university clinic—a clinic funded entirely by my family's foundation. It would be a tragedy if his residency contract were abruptly terminated due to a sudden 'lack of institutional funding,' wouldn't it?"

I heard Lena’s breath hitch sharply. "Are you threatening my family, Rhett? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm giving you an opportunity to be a good sister," I corrected coldly. "And a good friend. You are going to accept the transfer tomorrow morning. And before you vacate your current position with the main team, you are going to personally persuade your best friend, Avery Sinclair, to take your place."

"Avery?" Lena’s voice shook with sudden realization and defensive fury. "Absolutely not. I won't let you drag her into whatever sick game you're playing. She has a life in London! She's happy!"

"Then her happiness is about to cost your brother his entire medical career," I fired back, each word dripping with lethal indifference. "You have exactly twelve hours to make her accept this position. Tell her you need her. Tell her your department is drowning. I don't care what lie you use, Lena. Force her to take the job."

"Why are you doing this?" Lena whispered, her voice laced with profound disgust. "If you still want her around, this isn't the way—"

"I don't want her around," I interrupted, a dark, merciless smile cutting across my face as I stared out into the rainy night. "I want her broken. I want her to suffer exactly the way I did. And you're going to help me bring her to her knees."

"You're a monster," she breathed.

"I'm a man collecting a four-year-old debt. Make the call, Dr. Morales. Or your brother packs his bags tomorrow morning."

I ended the call without waiting for her reply and slipped my phone back into my pocket.

Four years ago, Avery Sinclair had walked away before I could ask the questions that haunted me every single day.

She thought she could look me in the eye, pretend she felt nothing, and walk away a second time. But I was the captain of this city now. I held all the cards, and I was going to make her life an absolute living hell.

She wasn't leaving again until I completely destroyed her.