Chapter 38 Buried Secret
Rafe’s POV
I stood outside Kai’s apartment door, my hand hovering over the doorknob as I struggled to decide whether to knock or not. Even though every instinct inside me screamed to run, a small, stupid part of me still hoped this might actually be about making peace.
KNOCK!
KNOC—!”
I didn’t get to finish knocking the second time when the door opened almost immediately. Kai stood in the doorway, wearing a simple black hoodie that made him look calm and composed, like he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on my life with one phone call.
“Rafe,” he said smoothly, a wide smile tugging at his lips—warm, almost friendly. “I’m glad you showed up. Please come in.”
For a second I hesitated, then walked inside, my eyes scanning the entire sleek apartment. It was beautifully decorated with luxurious furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city lights, the kind of place that screamed quiet money and power. Kai closed the door behind me with a soft click that sounded far too final.
“Drink?” he offered, gesturing toward the bar in the sitting room where different bottles of expensive-looking whiskeys lay perfectly arranged. “I’ve got the good stuff…not tricks this time, I promise.”
“I’m not here for any drink Kai,” I shot back, shaking my head in protest. “Just tell me the reason you called me.”
Kai chuckled softly, pouring himself a glass anyway. “Straight to business, I respect that.” He took a slow sip, leaning against the counter like we were old friends catching up. “Look, Rafe… I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About everything that’s happened between us for the last few years. I…I mean it’s not good for either of us…”
He paused for a second, his eyes raking all over me with something I couldn’t quite figure out yet.
“….I want us to make peace. Real peace. No more games, no more trying to tear each other down all the time. We’re both trying to build a good hockey career for ourselves…and that’s the last thing we need right now.”
Wow!
Was this really coming out of Kai’s mouth?
For a moment, I let myself believe him because for once since I’d known Kai, he sounded… sincere. I exhaled slowly, some of the tension easing from my shoulders.
“You really mean that?” I asked, my voice dropping to a low whisper. “After everything you’ve done to Mum and me?”
“I really do, Rafe,” Kai replied quickly, setting his glass down. “I know I’ve been an asshole to you both. I admit it. But I’m tired of it… whether you want to believe it or not.”
He sounded so genuine that I actually felt a flicker of relief, maybe this whole nightmare between the both of us could end and I could go back to focusing on hockey…on Shawn.
As if sensing that I believed him, Kai smiled again — warmer this time.“See? That’s the Rafe I remember. You’ve always been the one with the level head.”
“Yeah…maybe,” I let out a short laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m tired of fighting too, so…uhmmm…If you’re serious about peace, then—”
Before I could finish, Kai reached into a drawer behind him and pulled out a thick brown envelope. He tossed it onto the counter between us with casual ease, like it was nothing more than takeout menus.
“Maybe this will convince you how serious I am,” he said.
I hesitated, then opened it.
“What the—!”
Inside were printed messages, screenshots of old texts, and a lab report. My stomach dropped as I scanned the first few lines.
It was from my junior hockey tournament days — the one where I’d been desperate…rather too desperate to prove that I was as good as Kai. I’d taken a banned stimulant to boost my adrenaline. Just once.
I’d been terrified of getting caught, but the supplier had sworn it was undetectable.
Apparently not.
“You…” My voice came out hoarse, barely audible through the sitting room. “How the hell did you get this?”
Kai didn’t utter any word in response, if anything, the expression on his face changed from friendly to something colder, more calculating.
“Awnnn…poor little Rafe,” he said, a low, mocking laughter tearing out of him. “So you actually believed me, didn’t you? For a second there, you really thought I wanted peace. It’s just so adorable how stupid you can be.”
“I—“
“I found out years ago about your drug test result when it came out positive.” Kai cut in before I could finish my words, his eyes gleaming with triumph as he leaned closer. “The doctor was about to report it to the junior league, but I bribed him…paid him enough to make the original result disappear so that he could forge a clean one and submit that instead. I saved your entire hockey career from being ruined years ago you bastard!”
“You…you’re fucking lying!” I shot back, my voice echoing through the sitting room.
He pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and played a short audio recording. The supplier’s voice filled the room — clear as day — admitting he’d sold me the stimulant and detailing the exact dosage I’d taken.
I didn’t get the chance to react further as Kai turned the phone off with a satisfied smirk. “I have everything, Rafe. Messages, the original test results, and the confession to prove that you used drugs years ago. One tap and this video goes viral…the league will drop your ass, NHL teams will blacklist you. And poof! Just like that…your entire hockey career is over.”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“Because I want something in return.” Kai shot back, his voice turned ice-cold, all pretense gone. “I want complete control, starting with confidential information about Shawn Calder. His weaknesses, his plays, his personal habits …everything the team knows that isn’t public. You’re going to feed me what I need.”
I took a step back, my heart pounding like a war drum. “How can you blackmail your own brother?”
“Call it what you want,” Kai said calmly, sliding the envelope closer to me. “But you either keep your mouth shut, give me what I ask for, or your secret stays safe. Refuse… and I’ll make sure everyone knows exactly what kind of cheat you are.”
How?
How the hell was I supposed to betray Shawn?
“You have three days to decide, Rafe.” Kai’s voice cut through my thoughts as he leaned forward, his eyes locked on mine without looking away even once. “Three days to choose whether you want to protect your career… or watch it burn.”
He tapped the envelope once.
“Tick tock.”