Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 114951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
“Oh, baby,” he said, sweeping my hair back and leaning up to kiss me. “I’m so happy you’re letting me be in your life again.”
He pressed his lips against mine, his hands in my hair, the kiss firm and comforting.
“What happens next?” I asked, wiping the last of the wetness from my cheeks. “With Nathan, I mean?”
Shane exhaled slowly, like he was choosing his words with care.
“Okay,” he said. “I’m going to tell you what I know — not to overwhelm you, but so this doesn’t feel like some dark, endless thing hanging over your head.”
I nodded, bracing myself.
“By tomorrow morning, the league will already have started the formal process,” he went on. “They don’t mess around with allegations like this — especially when there are witnesses, threats, physical intimidation, and potential abuse of power.”
My stomach twisted.
“They’ll assign an independent investigator,” he said. “Not someone tied to the team. Usually a former prosecutor or someone who specializes in workplace misconduct. Their job is to gather statements, review evidence, and figure out whether league policy was violated.”
“What kind of evidence?” I asked quietly.
“Everything we’ve already supplied and more,” he said. “Texts. Emails. Phone records. Security footage. Witness accounts. Anything from tonight. Anything from before tonight.”
I swallowed. “And you?” I asked. “What happens to you?”
“I’ll be questioned,” he said, his jaw tightening. “Probably early. And yes — there’s a good chance I’ll be placed on temporary suspension while they investigate.”
My heart lurched. “What? Shane—”
“Hey.” He lifted his hand, brushing his thumb gently along my jaw. “Listen to me. That part isn’t punishment. It’s standard.”
I shook my head. “But you didn’t do anything.”
“I know,” he said softly. “And they know that too. But when someone in leadership is directly involved — when I intervened, when I confronted him — it becomes about optics and due process. They freeze everyone in the immediate orbit until the facts are clear.”
Tears pricked my eyes again. “I hate that this affects you.”
“I don’t,” he said immediately. “If the cost of taking him down and getting you in the process is a few weeks on the sidelines, I’ll pay it every time. Without hesitation.”
“How long does all of this take?” I asked.
“Usually a few weeks. Sometimes longer if it’s complex. But you won’t be left in the dark. They’ll keep you informed. You’ll have support — legal, therapeutic, advocacy. You won’t be doing this alone.”
“And Nathan?” My voice barely held steady. “What happens to him if they… if they believe us?”
“If the investigation substantiates what we’ve reported and what has been accused tonight, he’s done.”
My breath caught. I almost felt bad for how giddy it made me, to know that this could be the end of his reign of terror. I wondered how many other people were caught up in it all, who would be impacted.
“Best-case for him?” Shane continued. “Permanent suspension. Termination for cause. His contract voided. He’ll never work in this league again.”
“And worst-case?”
“If criminal charges are pursued — and they very well could be — then that’s out of the league’s hands. That becomes law enforcement. Court cases. Consequences that follow him for the rest of his life.”
I stared at him, my chest rising and falling fast. “This is kind of wild.”
“I know. I mean, there’s no spinning it where he gets out of the situation without paying a price,” Shane said. “This isn’t something money or charm fixes. He crossed lines that can’t be uncrossed.”
I curled into him again, my forehead resting against his collarbone. “I’m scared,” I admitted. “And I’m so fucking tired of being scared.”
“I know,” he said, holding me tighter. “This part — the waiting — is often the hardest. But you have me. Through every step. Okay?”
He kissed the top of my head.
“And here’s what I want you to remember. Right now, your only job is to take care of yourself. Sleep. Eat when you can. Breathe. Let the professionals handle the process. Let me handle what I can.”
I pulled back just enough to look at him. “You’re really okay with all of this? The suspension and the fallout and…” I waved my hand. “All of it?”
His mouth curved into a small, steady smile.
“I’ve lived with worse consequences for doing nothing,” he said. “This? This is me doing the right thing.”
I leaned into his palm when he touched my face.
“None of this erases your life, either, Ari. This was a dark chapter, but you get to decide what happens next. The pen is back in your hands.”
I nodded slowly, letting his words settle.
“Okay,” I whispered.
He brushed his thumb beneath my eye. “Okay.”
“I keep wondering how all of this works with me filing for divorce.”
Shane’s expression softened. “That’s a really fair thing to be thinking about,” he said. “Especially right now.”
“Does everything happening slow it down? Or… complicate it?”
“In some ways, yes,” he said honestly. “In others, it actually gives you more protection.”