Chapter 111 The Game Everyone Came To Watch
The stadium felt different before the match even started.
Not loud in the normal way.
Loaded.
Like people didn’t come for hockey anymore.
They came for a story.
Lenora stood near the upper rows with Lilibeth and Kylen, watching the ice through the glass.
The rink lights were too bright.
Too clean for what was about to happen.
Lilibeth crossed her arms.
“I already hate this atmosphere.”
Kylen scanned the crowd.
“It’s worse than I thought.”
Lenora didn’t answer.
Her eyes were fixed on the ice.
The hockey boy was already there.
Stretching.
Focused.
Different from how he usually looked at school.
Less casual.
More locked in.
And still—
Even from here—
He looked up once.
Straight toward her.
Like he knew exactly where she was sitting.
Lenora didn’t move.
Just held the stare for a second too long.
Then Kylen nudged her lightly.
“Don’t start that again.”
“I didn’t start anything,” she muttered.
Lilibeth leaned forward slightly.
“Oh no, you definitely did something.”
Lenora ignored her.
But her attention stayed on him.
Because something about tonight felt wrong.
Not just pressure.
Not just rumors.
Something staged.
The crowd suddenly shifted as the rival team skated out.
The energy changed instantly.
Louder boos.
Stronger cheers.
Phones already up.
Kylen frowned.
“Why do they look like they’re waiting for something?”
Lenora felt it too.
Then she saw them.
A group near the lower stands.
Not students.
Not normal fans.
Just… watching too carefully.
Lilibeth noticed too.
“Those guys weren’t here earlier.”
Kylen’s expression darkened.
“Neither were those cameras.”
Lenora’s stomach tightened slightly.
So it wasn’t just a game.
It was setup.
The whistle blew.
Game started.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Immediate intensity.
But Lenora wasn’t watching the puck anymore.
She was watching the crowd.
And then—
She saw it.
One of the “fans” leaned forward, speaking into a phone.
Lenora’s chest tightened.
Kylen noticed her shift.
“What?”
She didn’t answer.
Just stood up slightly.
“Stay here,” she said.
Lilibeth grabbed her arm instantly.
“Don’t you dare—”
But Lenora was already moving.
Down the stairs.
Through people.
Ignoring protests.
Ignoring stares.
Kylen followed immediately.
“Lenora, stop!”
But she didn’t.
Because now she saw it clearly.
Someone wasn’t just watching the game.
They were directing it.
She reached the lower level corridor behind the stands.
Quieter.
Darker.
And that’s where she saw them.
Two men.
Near an exit door.
Watching the ice through a side screen.
One holding a phone.
The other speaking quickly.
Lenora stopped just out of sight.
Listening.
“We release it after the second period,” one said.
Her stomach dropped.
“Make sure the clip of her and him is clear,” the other replied.
Her breath slowed.
Clip.
Kylen arrived behind her silently.
“What are you doing?” he whispered.
She didn’t look at him.
Just raised a finger slightly.
Quiet.
The men continued.
“It’ll hit harder if he’s on ice,” one said. “He can’t control the reaction.”
The other laughed lightly.
“Perfect timing then.”
Lenora’s hands tightened slightly.
Kylen saw her face and immediately understood something was wrong.
“What did you hear?”
She turned slowly.
“They’re planning to release something during the game.”
His expression darkened instantly.
“What kind of something?”
Lenora swallowed once.
“Us.”
Back on the ice, the game escalated.
Hits got harder.
Speed increased.
Crowd louder.
The hockey boy got checked hard into the boards.
The sound echoed through the stadium.
Lenora flinched before she could stop herself.
Lilibeth grabbed her wrist tightly.
“He’s fine,” she said quickly.
But Lenora wasn’t looking away anymore.
Because now she understood.
This wasn’t just about rumors.
This was about timing.
They were waiting for the right moment to destroy everything at once.
Kylen pulled out his phone.
“I’m telling coach.”
Lenora stopped him.
“No.”
He frowned.
“What do you mean no?”
“If they stop it now, they’ll just release it later,” she said.
Lilibeth looked between them.
“So what, we just sit here?”
Lenora’s eyes stayed on the ice.
On him.
“No,” she said quietly.
“We change the timing.”
Kylen frowned.
“How?”
Lenora exhaled slowly.
Then turned back toward the stairs.
“I go down there.”
Immediate protest.
“No,” Kylen said instantly.
Lilibeth shook her head.
“That is the worst idea you’ve ever had.”
But Lenora didn’t stop walking.
Because she already saw the pattern.
They wanted reaction.
They wanted panic.
They wanted control.
So she would take it.
She reached the lower tunnel entrance.
Security was distracted by the game.
Perfect.
Kylen grabbed her arm again.
“Lenora, think—”
“I am,” she said quietly.
Then she pulled free.
And walked into the tunnel.
On the ice, the hockey boy glanced up briefly between plays.
Something felt off.
He didn’t know what yet.
But he felt it.
Like something was about to break off the ice.
Not in the game.
But in her direction.
And he looked toward the stands again.
Searching.
But she wasn’t there anymore.