Chapter 245 The Final Countdown

Chapter 245 The Final Countdown
The next morning, Sloane's black car pulled up quietly in front of Jae's building. She killed the engine but didn't immediately unlock the doors. For a moment she simply looked at Jae, eyes unreadable behind her sunglasses.

"Text me when you're inside," Sloane said. It wasn't quite a request.

Jae nodded, still processing everything that had happened the night before. When she finally stepped out, Sloane watched her until she reached the entrance before driving away.

Jae had barely unlocked her door when she heard voices from the living room. She froze.

Wong was there.

Not alone.

Cassian lounged on one end of the couch, long legs stretched out, while Cam sat on the armrest beside him, scrolling through his phone. Wong stood near the window, arms crossed, looking like he had been waiting.

All three heads turned as she walked in.

Wong's eyes immediately narrowed. "You're just getting home?"

Jae set her bag down carefully. "Good morning to you too."

Cassian's gaze flicked over her—the slightly wrinkled clothes, the carefully neutral expression, the faint mark just visible near her collarbone when her jacket shifted. His eyebrows lifted.

Cam was less subtle. He sat up straighter, eyes sharp. "Whose car was that?"

Jae hesitated half a second too long.

Wong's expression darkened. "Jae."

She exhaled and walked further into the living room, dropping onto the opposite chair. "Sloane dropped me off."

Silence.

Wong stared at her like she had just spoken another language. "Sloane. As in… Sloane."

"Yes."

Cam's mouth opened, then closed. He looked at Cassian, then back at Jae. "You're telling us the ice queen herself drove you home? After keeping you out all night?"

Cassian let out a low, disbelieving breath. "Damn."

Wong, however, looked like someone had knocked the air out of him. He dragged a hand down his face, pacing once before stopping. "Please tell me this is a joke. Please tell me you did not spend the night with Sloane."

Jae met his eyes steadily. "I'm not joking."

The shock hit them in different ways.

Wong looked genuinely unsettled, protective instincts flaring hard. Cassian leaned back, processing with a mixture of surprise and reluctant respect. Cam just kept staring, as if trying to rewrite everything he thought he knew about Sloane in real time.

"You're serious," Wong finally said, voice quieter. "She called you over for a car… and you stayed."

Jae didn't answer right away. She didn't need to. The truth was already sitting in the middle of the room with them.

"Jae?" Wong called slowly.

She raised both hands, clearly done with the interrogation.

"Can you all calm down for one second?" she said firmly. "And stop talking about her like she's some untouchable icy queen. She's a person. A complicated one, yes—but still a person."

Cam had gone quiet. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Jae again—really looked. The faint mark near her collarbone. The fact that Sloane, of all people, had personally driven her home. The way Jae wasn't denying anything.

Slowly, a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh," Cam said, drawing the word out. He glanced at Cassian, then at Wong. "It wasn't really a caer problem, was it?"

Cassian's eyebrows lifted. Then he let out a low chuckle, shaking his head in mild disbelief. "Took Sloane long enough to act like a human being," he muttered, amusement clear in his voice. "Didn't think she had it in her."

Wong still looked like he was processing a system error. He dragged a hand through his hair, exhaled hard, and finally dropped onto the edge of the couch.

For a long moment he just stared at the floor.

Then, reluctantly, he looked up at his sister.

"If it's real," he said slowly, voice still carrying traces of shock, "if the actual Ms. Ice Queen is the one making you happy… then go for it." He pointed a finger at her, more protective than stern. "But if she hurts you, I don't care how rich or powerful she is. I'll deal with her myself."

Jae's expression softened just a little. The tension in the room eased, replaced by something closer to acceptance—reluctant, surprised, but genuine.
\---
Three minutes to the final game...

The locker room buzzed with last-minute energy—teammates adjusting gear, coaches calling out final reminders—but in the corner near their stalls, the noise seemed to fade.

Saint cupped the back of Baby's neck and pulled him in, kissing him deep and steady, as if anchoring them both before the storm of the final game.

Baby melted into it for a moment, fingers curling into the front of Saint's jersey, tasting the familiar mix of determination and quiet nerves on his lips.

Then, gently, Baby broke the kiss.

He didn't pull away completely. Instead, he rested his forehead against Saint's, eyes closed, breath mingling in the small space between them.

"It feels like déjà vu," Baby whispered. A soft, almost vulnerable smile touched his mouth. "Just like before the last final… only this time, I'm not scared of losing you."

Saint's thumb brushed along Baby's jaw, grounding them both as the clock continued its quiet countdown.
Saint's hands tightened gently on either side of Baby's face. His voice was low, absolute.

"I will never leave you again," he swore. "Not in this lifetime." He kissed him once more—slower this time, full of quiet promise—until a pointed throat-clearing cut through the moment.

Kora stood near the entrance of the locker room, arms folded, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

"It's almost time," she said. "You two might want to wrap up the romantic interlude before the coaches start yelling."

Baby groaned, forehead still resting against Saint's for a second longer. "Can you at least pretend to have a sense of privacy?"

Before Kora could fire back, the door opened again. Kai stepped in, expression serious. His eyes went straight to Saint.

"I tracked an unknown burner phone," Kai said. "There was a message tied to Kora's details."

The temperature in the room dropped.

Baby's head snapped toward Kora, eyes flashing. "I knew it. You're still trying to tear us apart."

Kora let out a long, exhausted sigh.

Without a word, she reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out the cheap burner phone, and held it out to Saint. "Check the conversation," she said calmly. "It's between me and my divorce lawyer."

Saint took the phone, brows furrowed as he unlocked it and scrolled. Baby leaned in beside him, anger still simmering—until the words on the screen started to register.

Kora watched them both, arms crossed loosely now.
"I was planning to hand you the divorce papers as an after-game gift," she said. "A real one this time. Clean. Final. But Kai was too nosy to let the surprise happen."

The locker room went quiet except for the distant noise of the arena beyond the doors.

"Really?" Baby asked slowly, a slow smile playing on his lips.

Kora nodded. "I told you guys already, I am done. Now, can everyone finally stop looking at me like I'm about to set the world on fire?" She rolled her eyes at them.

"Nope. You will always be crazy Kora." Baby murmured, spreading his hand for a hug.

Kora blushed as she hugged Baby, "Best friends now?"

"A bit too late for that role." Baby said, unable to stop smiling.

"Thank you," Saint murnured, grateful.

"Not what I expected..." Kai said, impressed.

"Enough, enough, enough." Kora clapped her hands together, "Can we go beat those proud Ironclad Ravens so we can get to the most interesting part?"

"You sound too excited for someone who knows her mother is about to go down." Saint chuckled, lacing his fingers with Baby's.

"She deserves it. For making me crazy Kora..." she shrugged.