Chapter 254:

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My quiet agreement stopped his tirade short. He stared at me in surprise. He must have expected tears, a breakdown. Instead, all he saw was a woman who was chillingly composed. He fell silent and simply sat down beside me.

We were still waiting for the discharge paperwork when a breaking news report flashed across the emergency room television. The camera was shaky, the scene chaotic, and the reporter’s voice was urgent and breathless.

“We’re getting reports that New York Titans captain Blake Carlisle was just attacked by an unidentified man while escorting an unwell Ms. Dayna Nixon to this very hospital!”

I sat up straighter, my eyes fixed on the screen.

The footage showed a frantic-looking man brandishing a small knife, screaming as he lunged at Blake, who was getting back into his car. Then, in a flash of movement, Dayna Nixon, who had apparently recovered just enough to be sitting in the car, saw the attack. With a scream, she threw herself out of the vehicle and in front of Blake.

The knife plunged into her back. She let out a pained gasp and collapsed into Blake’s arms.

Blake’s shock turned to pure rage. He kicked the attacker away, then, cradling the bleeding Dayna, roared as he rushed back toward the ER entrance.

The entire scene had been captured by reporters and bystanders, and the media went into a frenzy.

𝘑𝗼𝗂𝗻 𝘁h𝗈𝘶ѕa𝘯𝗱s о𝖿 f𝖺𝗻ѕ on 𝗴a𝘭𝘯ove𝗅ѕ.с𝘰𝗆

“FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME! ESPN COMMENTATOR DAYNA NIXON SHIELDS HOCKEY STAR BLAKE CARLISLE FROM ATTACK!” screamed the headline across the bottom of the screen.

For the next few hours, it was everywhere: every news channel, every social media feed. Dayna was instantly canonized as a brave, tragic heroine who had sacrificed herself for love, and Blake was the lucky man she had saved.

Fans flooded her social media, praying for her and praising their great love story.

Casey and I sat on the hard bench, watching it all unfold in silence. His face was a mask of pure disgust. “She deserves an Oscar for that performance.”

I said nothing. Whether it was real or staged no longer mattered. What mattered was that Blake’s guilt and sense of obligation toward her would now be absolute. He would never be able to see her clearly again, not after she had taken a knife for him.

Dayna’s media martyrdom would flood the tabloids, but in family court, objective safety records and legal fitness would decide Lily’s permanent custody.

Casey drove me back to my Manhattan apartment. He wanted to stay, but I sent him home. I needed to be alone.

I sat in the empty living room, the heavy cast on my arm a constant, dull ache, and stared at the ceiling as the shadows shifted and the afternoon light faded into evening.

I don’t know how long I sat there before the doorbell rang.

I checked the security monitor. A man in a sharp suit stood outside, holding a thick leather portfolio.

“Who is it?” I asked through the intercom.

The man looked up at the camera. “Ms. Sargent? My name is Mark. I’m a paralegal from Mr. Blake Carlisle’s law firm. I have a document for you from Mr. Carlisle.”

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