Chapter 137: The Sponsor Dinner

Theo's POV

Nobody talked on the ride to the restaurant. Losing to Rackers should have hurt. Instead, what haunted us was everything that happened before the final whistle. Nothing about today had felt normal. The air inside the team bus was thick and heavy, and the quiet hum of the engine did nothing to hide the raw anger.

We had been played, beaten, and exposed in our own hometown arena. we were pulling up to the steakhouse for the mandatory sponsor dinner, and my mind was a chaotic loop. I could not shake the feeling that the game was rigged.

Cassian was sitting three rows ahead of me, he looked like all these arent his business. Kieran sat near the back, And Asher sat alone, his head leaning against the glass. The tournament was supposed to be a fun holiday event to keep us moving before the next season. Instead, it felt like the first day of a war we did not know how to fight.

The private dining room of the steakhouse was warm.

Wealthy school sponsors in expensive suits stood near the long tables, The main donor stood up as the team walked inside, clapping his hands together with a loud, booming smile.

"Welcome, boys! Come inside, sit down," the sponsor shouted, gesturing toward the long table set up near the back of the room. "Thank you all for making the holiday event such a fun place today. Losing a showcase match happens to the best of us, but from what I have seen on that ice, you guys can easily become future coaches and NHL players. The academy is proud of this roster. Drink up, eat, and let's celebrate the break!"

A few of the younger players forced quick, polite smiles, but the older guys just nodded quietly, sliding into their seats according to the strict seating arrangement. I sat near the center of the long table, pulling my chair out.

As the noise of the sponsors chatting filled the room, my eyes drifted down the table, noticing something small.

Kieran had walked up to the chairs right next to me. Without a single word, he automatically pulled a chair out from the table. Asher stepped up and sat down beside him without even thinking about it. It happened entirely naturally, a fast movement of pure familiarity.

There was nothing romantic about it. It was just the way they moved around each other, like two people who did not need to ask for permission to share the same space.

By my left, Katty slid into her seat. Her chin rested on her palm, her face full of an arrogant, She did not touch her water glass. She did not look at the menus. Her sharp eyes were fixed entirely on the two boys.

The waiters began passing the first plates of food, but Katty did not lean forward. She did not join the polite conversation the sponsors were trying to start with Reed and Milo. Instead, she quietly observed. Her eyes moved back and forth between Kieran and Asher like a hawk tracking movement.

I watched Kieran reach for the glass pitcher in the center of the table. Without being asked, he poured a fresh glass of water and slid it directly in front of Asher. He leaned his head slightly to the side, whispering something.

Asher did not look up from his plate. He just gave a single, quiet nod, his fingers tightening around the glass.

Katty began counting. I could see her lips moving slightly, her eyes narrowing every single time Asher’s shoulder benchmarked against Kieran’s sleeve. She was not doing it because she was crazy. She was doing it because she was deeply suspicious. She noticed every single glance, every slight shift in their posture, and every second their eyes locked across the table.

She leaned slightly toward me, her voice a sharp whisper against my ear. "Look at them, Theo. Look at how they sit. It's pathetic."

"You're overreacting, Katty," I muttered, keeping my voice low and flat as I picked up my fork. "They are just teammates. Kieran is the captain. He's just looking out for him after that mess at the rink."

"I'm not blind, Theo," Katty laughed quietly, her smile turning cruel and tight. "And neither are you. You're just choosing not to see what is right in front of your face."

The dinner conversation grew louder as the main courses arrived. The sponsors began asking direct questions about our future plans, their voices cutting through the private thoughts in my head.

"So, Kieran, what are the NHL draft scouts saying about your stats?" an older donor asked, leaning across the table with a cigar in his fingers. "And what about you, Asher? Any college plans lined up before the term opens?"

Everyone at the table answered in turn, Reed and Milo talking about their applications while the sponsors nodded with approval. Then, the main athletic director turned his eyes toward the end of the table. "Asher, we need a strong performance from you when the school league starts back up. Are you ready for the pressure?"

Asher hesitated. His face went completely pale his lips parting but no sound coming out of his throat. He looked totally trapped. Before the silence could turn awkward, and before anyone else at the table could even notice the delay, Kieran casually leaned forward.

"He's ready," Kieran answered smoothly, his deep voice drawing the sponsor's attention away before Asher could fail the question. "He’s been working hard on his conditioning over the break. We're locking down the defensive lines ."

Nobody reacted to the swap. The sponsors just nodded, laughing at a joke Milo made about the referee’s bad calls. The conversation moved on instantly.

Except for me. My eyes stayed fixed on Kieran's face. A heavy wave of unease hit my chest. Why did Kieran always know exactly what Asher was about to say? Why did he step in to shield him the exact second Asher showed a crack in his defense? There is more to kieran I can't figure out.

Suddenly, a sharp, loud buzz cut through the quiet rhythm. A phone vibrated against the table. Asher flinched, pulling his device out.

The moment his eyes hit the screen, his entire expression changed.

He stood up so fast drawing the attention .

"I'm sorry..." Asher choked out, his voice cracking slightly. "I have to go. It's an emergency. It's my mom."

The mood at the table shifted instantly. But nobody questioned the panic in his eyes. before Asher could even turn toward the exit, Kieran stood up too. He didn't ask for permission. He just grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, his face perfectly serious. "I'll drive."

They left the restaurant together,

I stayed in my seat for a second longer, my mind still stuck on the way Kieran had bolted out the door without a second thought. I leaned down to pick up the fork i dropped from the floor As my hand reached under Asher' chair, my fingers brushed against metal. I picked it up and pulled my hand back.

My stomach tightened. It was a small, silver chain. I turned it over in my palm, It was the exact necklace. The exact one. I picked up at the tunnel on the night of the championship qualifier match. The night I saw Kieran Hampton standing with someone. He had his hands wrapped tightly around their jacket, his head tilted down as he kissed them with a raw, hidden intensity

Now, that same silver chain was resting in the palm of my hand. why has it been sitting directly beneath Asher's chair.

I slowly closed my fingers around the necklace, crushing it into my fist until the sharp links bit into my skin. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped animal, my thoughts racing out of control into , terrifying spiral.

My first instinct was to laugh at myself. It couldn't be Asher. The necklace proved nothing. Maybe Kieran had given it away, or maybe Asher had bought matching pieces from a regular store. But every excuse I made fell apart the second I remembered the way Kieran looked at him tonight. I could not explain the connection away anymore. The familiarity, the protective shield, the secret words they shared without speaking it all flooded back to chomp down on my brain.

Was the person Kieran kissed that night... Asher?

I stared at the necklace in my palm, and for the first time since the championship qualifier... I wondered if I had been looking at Asher all wrong.