AIDEN
The email came in just after noon.
I stared at it longer than I needed to, cursor hovering over the subject line even though I already knew what it would say. The club never wasted words when it wanted control. It wrapped decisions in formality and called it transparency.
Formal press conference scheduled. Mandatory attendance.
I closed my laptop and leaned back in the chair, letting the quiet of the apartment press in around me. The air felt heavier than usual, like the space already knew what was coming. From the moment the suspension went public, this outcome had been waiting. The league didn't chase truth. It managed damage.
This was where people were offered up to protect the brand.
I thought about teammates who had disappeared after injuries, after rumors, a
