- 10 hours ago
The Hockey Captain’S Final Penalty New New
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The locker room hummed with the post-practice vibration of heavy breathing and the rhythmic
00:04thud of gear hitting benches. I sat on the training table. The ice pack taped to my knee
00:09a stinging reminder of the hit I'd taken during morning drills. My phone buzzed against the
00:14marble surface. Jackson Jacksthorne, the face of Northwood University's hockey dynasty,
00:19and the projected first-round NHL draft pick had just updated his Instagram story.
00:24We were in the middle of a 48-hour freeze, out of silence so cold it felt like the rinks
00:29we
00:29lived in. The post was a shot of the empty arena, the ice gleaming under the rafters.
00:34The text was a jagged blade, 100 likes, and we're done. My heart performed a slow,
00:39sickening roll in my chest. Within an hour, 99 likes filled the screen. I knew he was waiting,
00:44his thumb probably hovering over the glass in some dimly lit locker room.
00:49Nine times now, Jackson had dangled that same jagged threat, expecting me to crawl back to
00:53the team house with apologies and promises to be better. He thought this ninth time would be
00:58exactly like the eight before. I stared at the screen until the blue light burned my retinas.
01:03Then I double-tapped. 100. I didn't text. I didn't call to scream about the disrespect.
01:08I simply blocked his number, shoved my phone into my pocket, and went back to packing my life into
01:14cardboard boxes. Ten days later, Jackson's teammate and enforcer, Brooks Hayes, slid into my DMs.
01:20Jax is waiting for you to fold, Sloan. Tomorrow's his birthday and the team's big preseason gala.
01:25Show up with a gift and this all blows over.
01:28I typed back two words. I am booked. It wasn't a lie. My flight to Stanford took off at 7am.
01:34Jackson Thorne finally got his wish. But my hundredth like wasn't a surrender. It was a
01:39declaration of war. Let him wait for a call that would never come. For the first time in 10 years,
01:44I was the one holding the cards, and the ice was finally beneath my feet.
01:48The reason our relationship had iced over. Jackson had permitted Kinsley Vance,
01:52the charity project. The Thorne family had bankrolled since her mother's illness to
01:56sabotage my early decision application. When I discovered the betrayal, I didn't just get angry,
02:01I detonated. Jackson, however, couldn't fathom the offense. He stood there, smelling of cold
02:06rink air and expensive cologne, and dismissed my fury as hysterics.
02:10It is just a prank, Sloan. Jackson had said, his voice as smooth and hard as fresh ice.
02:16It is not like she can't reverse it. Kinsley was having a bad day after her scholarship review.
02:21I was merely trying to cheer her up. Now that she is not angry anymore,
02:25you can simply switch it back. He added, looking at me as if I were the one being difficult.
02:30Problem solved. My voice trembled, not with sadness, but with a raw, jagged rage at his casual cruelty.
02:37So her foul mood grants her license to sabotage my future, I demanded. Do you realize this
02:43constitutes deliberate sabotage? I could take her to court. Jackson's eyes darkened,
02:48that dangerous on ice captain persona bleeding through. I told her to do it,
02:52so direct your outrage at me. Go ahead, file your goddamn lawsuit. He stepped closer,
02:57his physical presence designed to intimidate. It is not some catastrophic disaster. You caught it,
03:03you'll fix it. Stop manufacturing drama, Sloan. Keep pushing this, and I'll have to seriously
03:08reconsider our relationship. Jackson knew I couldn't leave. He always wielded our history
03:13as a weapon during arguments, knowing I had nowhere else to go. We'd been unshakable before
03:18Kinsley insinuated herself into our lives. Ever since her arrival, she'd become the perpetual wedge.
03:23The victim, Jackson, felt the need to protect from my privilege. This marked our ninth explosive
03:28confrontation over her. In the previous eight, he'd deployed the breakup threat like a tactical hit
03:33on the boards. Each time, I'd collapsed, crawling back with my tail between my legs. Jackson believed
03:39this instance would be no different. But as he berated me without glancing up from his phone,
03:44typing some flirtatious reply to Kinsley, that infuriating smirk playing on his lips,
03:49I simply went numb. I felt nothing. No impulse to grovel, just a cold, dead weight settling in my
03:56chest. When I didn't crack, didn't perform my scripted role of the weeping girlfriend,
04:00Jackson scoffed. He shoved his phone in his pocket and stalked out, probably headed back to the rink.
04:05I sat alone in the quiet of the Thorn Mansion, staring at my laptop until my vision blurred.
04:11Then, my phone lit up with a series of leaked voice messages from the team's private group chat.
04:16I hit play. Kinsley's saccharine voice curled through the speaker.
04:20Is Sloan upset about my little joke? Should I call her over so I can apologize in person?
04:24Jackson's voice sounded irritated.
04:26Forget it. Let her sulk. I am not her father. I don't have to coddle her.
04:31Oh, Jax. Don't be like that. Kinsley cooed.
04:34Girls need to be sweet-talked. You'll only drive her further away.
04:38I don't have time for that nonsense.
04:40Jackson snapped.
04:42She thinks she is so exceptionally precious. If my grandfather hadn't forced the arrangement,
04:47I would have never agreed to babysit Sloan. She is clingy. She is a crybaby. I've been exhausted
04:53by it for years.
04:54True? Sloan's like a walking fountain of tears.
04:57Right. All theatrics. No spine.
05:00Jackson added.
05:01Wave the breakup threat and she comes running with apologies and waterworks. I am sick of it.
05:07Maybe if she actually develops some backbone and ignores me for once, I can finally be free.
05:11Brooks Hayes chimed in with a laugh.
05:14Free from Sloan. Not a chance. The girls like industrial strength adhesive.
05:17I'll wager anything she'll be weeping on your doorstep by tomorrow begging forgiveness.
05:22You are on. Loser buys dinner.
05:24Jackson replied.
05:25That night, for the first time in a decade, I didn't bombard his phone demanding explanations
05:30when he didn't come home. After my parents died, Silas Thorne, Jackson's grandfather,
05:35took me in. I grew up under his roof, alongside the boy who would become the Prince of the Ice.
05:40Jackson had been my protector once. He'd defended me when schoolmates turned cruel. We'd been
05:44inseparable since I was 8-10 years of shared secrets and shared dreams. Jackson had memorized my
05:50cycles, brought me heating pads and hot chocolate when cramps seized me, and purchased tampons without
05:55a flinch. We were that couple joined at the hip. Everyone referred to me as the Thorne family's
05:59promised girl. Jackson never corrected them. He'd become my oxygen. I thought I couldn't breathe
06:05without him. Then Kinsley happened. She appeared sophomore year, begging for her mother's million-dollar
06:11surgery. The Thorns possessed wealth to spare, so Silas, soft-hearted as ever, wrote the check.
06:17Then he enrolled her in our elite academy and installed them in a luxury townhouse rent-free.
06:22We felt for her at first. We tutored her. We visited the hospital. It was fine until I overheard
06:29a conversation between Kinsley and her mother while standing outside their hospital room with a
06:33thermos of soup. Any progress with Jackson? Her mother asked. Definitely. Kinsley replied. He is
06:41interested, but Sloane's attached to him like a leech. Can't shake her loose yet. Work harder.
06:46Her mother urged. The Thorns are hockey royalty. Bag that boy and we're set for life mansions.
06:52Cars never scraping by again. Don't worry, mom. I'll land him. My breath caught. I stumbled back,
06:59my heel catching on the linoleum. The sound was loud enough that they both looked up.
07:05The fear on their faces should have been satisfying. It wasn't. I felt sick to my stomach,
07:10torn between rage and disbelief. I had to tell Jackson. I had to expose them for the grifters
07:17they were. But before I could even find him, Kinsley made her move. Kinsley cornered me at the
07:24park near the estate, eyes bloodshot, voice fragile. She claimed it was her dying mother's desperate idea
07:30and swore she'd only played along. She dropped to her knees, begging me not to tell Jackson.
07:36Foolishly, I believed her. I reached down to help her up. The mask slipped instantly.
07:41Kinsley yanked me forward with malicious strength, and we both crashed into the freezing lake.
07:46I fought to the surface and scrambled onto the muddy bank, screaming for help. Kinsley couldn't swim.
07:51Security fished her out. She spent days in the ICU. When she woke, she pointed her finger at me,
07:57claiming I'd pushed her out of jealous obsession. I told Jackson the truth. He just looked at me
08:02with disappointment. Sloane, just tell me what really happened. No lies. I am not lying.
08:08She dragged me in. Sloane. He sighed. Kinsley can't swim. You can. That was his entire logic.
08:15I spilled everything I'd overheard at the hospital. Jackson sighed again. I get that you are into me,
08:21but you can't ruin another girl's reputation because you are jealous. I don't like this side of you.
08:25He delivered the knockout punch. Kinsley had already come to him crying about my supposed
08:30bullying. Her mother had asked Silas if they could move out, implying I was the problem.
08:35Their voluntary move became proof of their innocence. My accusation became proof of my
08:40jealousy. Suddenly, everything was my fault. Kinsley's food poisoning. I must have spiked her
08:46milk. Then she stole the last photo of my parents, my only copy, and ripped it to shreds in front
08:51of me.
08:51I didn't think. I slapped her hard. Jackson walked in at that exact moment. From that day on,
08:58he started pulling the breakup card every other week, and every time, I crawled back,
09:02desperate to prove Kinsley was a liar. My groveling only made me look more unstable.
09:07Kinsley targeted my replacement interview admission ticket.
09:10Next. I got a replacement in time, but the message was clear. She could burn my life down,
09:14and Jackson would hand her the matches. This time, hearing the boredom and indifference in his
09:19voice message, betting his teammates I'd be back by morning, I finally saw the truth. Jackson was
09:25done with me. He'd been using Kinsley as an excuse to push me away. Fine. I wouldn't crawl back.
09:31And I sure as hell wasn't fixing the application. He'd let Kinsley sabotage.
09:35I didn't change my application back to Northwood. I called the Stanford recruiter and accepted their
09:40offer. That is the smartest decision you'll make, Sloan, she said. Full ride. Only after locking
09:46down my future did I sleep deeply for the first time in months. I woke without dread, without checking
09:51my phone until... I saw Kinsley's Instagram story. Taking care of my drunk prince all night.
09:57Exhausted but worth it. Jackson was shirtless, sprawled across her bed. The ache was duller now.
10:03More exhaustion than heartbreak. I went shopping for dorm supplies and returned to find them on the couch.
10:09Kinsley bounded over with her fake sweet smile. Sloan, let me help with those.
10:13I sidestepped. Kinsley crumpled to the floor. Jackson hauled her up, glaring at me.
10:18Why'd you push her? I didn't touch her.
10:21Bullshit. Mad I crashed at her place. I didn't.
10:25Check the security footage. At the word footage, Kinsley piped up with her practiced tremor.
10:30It is not her fault. I slipped. Jackson's jaw tightened, but he didn't apologize.
10:35Instead, he examined her scraped palm with concern. He no longer offered me.
10:39I caught the smug flash in Kinsley's eyes before I headed upstairs. She'd expected hysterics,
10:45tears proof I was crazy. That girl was dead. At dinner, Kinsley served soup,
10:50carrying a steaming bowl toward me. I instinctively shifted away. She anticipated it,
10:55stepping into my path. Her scream was Oscar-worthy, as the scalding liquid splashed down her front.
11:00Sloan, I was just trying to be nice. Jackson shoved past me, pulling Kinsley toward the sink.
11:06His shoulder hit me hard, throwing me into the wall. Skin tore from my knees and back.
11:10The burns and scrapes throbbed, but they were nothing next to the ice spreading through my chest.
11:15He zeroed in on me. Apologize. I met his eyes, searching for the boy who'd once defended me.
11:21All I saw was disgust. Kinsley's being generous. You apologize, and this goes away.
11:25What if I don't? Sloan! His voice dropped to a warning.
11:29Don't test me! You want to stay together. Say sorry.
11:32He'd promised me forever once. Now he wielded our relationship like a weapon.
11:36I held his gaze. No. His face. Hardened.
11:40Fine. Have it your way.
11:41He stormed out with Kinsley clinging to him. The clinic doctor cleaned my wounds and prescribed
11:46cream. On the ride home, a friend called.
11:49Jackson just took Kinsley and the crew to the resort. Fireworks and everything.
11:54And check his latest post. 100 likes and we're done. He is at 99.
11:58I pulled up his profile. 99 likes. My thumb itched. Not to beg, but to finish it. I double tapped.
12:05Let him wait for call number 100. I had a plane to catch and a new life waiting.
12:10Eight times before, Jackson had pulled this exact stunt. Eight times I cried into my pillow and begged
12:16him to take me back. Not this time. I looked at his new post. The resort plaza. Fireworks blazing.
12:22His voice echoed in my head from three weeks ago.
12:25Sloan, I am putting on a show just for you.
12:27He'd given her our moment. I stared until my vision blurred, then double tapped 100.
12:32I screenshotted it and felt a strange electric lightness. Back at the mansion, I packed boxes
12:38of 10 years worth of guilt gifts to return. At the resort, Jackson sat in the VIP lounge,
12:44waiting for my groveling call. His phone stayed silent. He checked the post 100 likes and the
12:49final one was mine. Rage detonated in his chest. Who did I think I was challenging him?
12:54Oh no, Kinsley murmured, peering at his screen. Sloan's mad. She actually liked the breakup
13:00post? The crew went quiet. Brooks quickly unliked the post. Others followed. But the
13:05damage was done. Jackson couldn't swallow his fury. I'd slapped him in front of his entire
13:09world. Was I bluffing? He decided I needed a lesson. To drive it home, he took Kinsley to
13:15the coast. Her feet exploded with curated perfection. Strolling old town. Hiking to
13:20a cliffside chapel. Sharing funnel cake at the carnival. A tandem bungee jump. Kinsley's
13:25caption. This rush is for you alone. I didn't cry. I dropped a like and commented. Congrats.
13:31Her posts vanished within seconds. My phone rang. Brooks. Sloan Jax is back tomorrow.
13:37You picking him up? Why would I? We're done. Wait, you are serious. It is his birthday. Just
13:44apologize. Everyone wins. I don't have time for Jackson's birthday. I hung up. He was confident
13:49I'd come crawling. But the boxes were sealed and my Stanford confirmation glittered in my
13:54inbox. Let him celebrate with Kinsley. The game had changed. The next afternoon, I wheeled
14:00my suitcase out of the Thorn Mansion and headed for the airport. Near the security gate, I ran into
14:05Brooks Hayes. You are here to pick up Jackson, right? His charter just touched down. Without
14:10waiting, he dialed. Jax, bro. Sloan's at arrivals. I told you she couldn't stay away. I brushed past
14:16him without a word. Jackson stepped off the Gulfstream, Brooks's words ringing in his ears.
14:21His foul mood evaporated, replaced by smug certainty. He turned to Kinsley. Take the other exit. Don't walk
14:27out with me. Sloan might misunderstand. Venom flickered in Kinsley's eyes, but she nodded sweetly.
14:32As she walked away, Jackson dialed Brooks. Get the roses. The expensive ones. The silence
14:39between us had been gnawing at him. I hadn't cracked. That impossibility terrified him.
14:43When I commented, congratulations, you two. On the bungee photo, he'd seen red and forced
14:49Kinsley to delete every post. He'd cut the trip short and flown back, desperate to force
14:54my hand. But Brooks's call changed everything. I was here. These past few days without me had
14:59been torture. He swore he'd never pull this stunt again. Jackson strode through the VIP gate,
15:04grabbed the roses, and scanned the hall. No Sloan. He dialed my number busy. Maybe I was finalizing
15:10his birthday surprise. Minutes stretched into half an hour. When he tried again, my phone
15:15went straight to voicemail. Jackson whirled on Brooks. Where is she? You said she was here.
15:21Brooks scratched his head. I saw her, man. She was right by the check-in counter. I turned my
15:26back and she was gone. Jackson fired off a text. I know you are here. Stop playing games.
15:31No answer. Then a trembling voice came from behind Kinsley's. Jax, I saw Sloan. Tears streamed down
15:38her face. You saw Sloan? Where is she? She is over there. Kinsley sniffed, gesturing toward
15:44international check-in. I tried to apologize for your birthday, but she lost it. She slapped me,
15:49clawed me, and called you a disgusting piece of shit. She fumbled for her phone and played a recording.
15:54My cold, clipped voice filled the space. Don't talk to me about trash. Trash belongs in the dumpster.
16:00You two garbage humans should lock yourselves away and stop polluting the rest of us.
16:04Where is she? I don't know. She hit me and stormed off. The recording continued. I have standards.
16:11I don't do sloppy seconds. If Jackson's been rolling around in your filth, get married and stay away from
16:16me. Jackson's fury erupted. He hurled the roses to the ground and stormed out. What actually happened?
16:22I just checked my bag when Kinsley slithered into my path. Sloan, have you no shame? Jackson posted
16:28the breakup. Everyone's taking bets on how low you'd sink and here you are crawling back.
16:32I am not here for him. Keep lying. Jackson and I have been inseparable. Same-y hotel room,
16:38same bed. He told me Silas forced him to pretend to love the charity case orphan.
16:42Something snapped, but I kept my voice low. You think I care what lies you tell yourself?
16:47Kinsley's face twisted. Every time I set you up, he didn't pick me because he felt sorry for me.
16:53He picked me because he loves me more. You are just a pathetic obligation. She leaned closer.
16:58Your parents died and gave you a golden ticket. Weak jeans. If they hadn't croaked, you'd never
17:04have gotten near a man like Jackson. My palm connected with her cheeks so hard,
17:08her head snapped back. Get married and stay out of my life. I walked away, my phone buzzing with a
17:16message from my legal team. Documents served. Phase one, complete. The flight touched down at SFO.
17:23Emery Reed, a senior from my program, met me at arrivals and helped with my bags. We grabbed
17:29Foe off campus and she gave me the unfiltered rundown of campus life. By the time she dropped me
17:34at my dorm, it was past 10. My phone vibrated. Brooks Hayes again. Again. I declined three times.
17:41On the fourth, I picked up. What? Brooks. Sloan, thank God. You need to get down here.
17:47Jackson's birthday dinner. The whole team, the owners, everyone. He is waiting for you.
17:51We broke up, Brooks. Or did you miss his social media stunt hitting 100 likes? Silence. Then Brooks
17:57stammered. But he said it was barely 30. He said you'd never actually do it. I have screenshots.
18:03Exes should stay dead. Don't call me again. Before I ended the call, I heard ragged breathing,
18:08then glass shattering violently against a wall. Someone-o had been listening. I silenced my phone
18:13and showered. When I came out, Brooks had left a video. Jackson and Kinsley dressed for a gala,
18:18surrounded by the Northwood crew. The crowd chanted. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Brooks, text, read.
18:25Come now, or they're doing it. This is your last chance to save him.
18:28I watched Kinsley lean in, her hand on Jackson's chest. I deleted the video, powered down my phone,
18:33and climbed into bed. For the first time in 10 years, I fell asleep without waiting for Jackson
18:38Thorne. Tomorrow, I had meetings with legal counsel. The first strike in a war Jackson didn't know he'd
18:44started. Jackson's birthday bash at the Obsidian was a spectacle of athletic elite, but the king of
18:49the rink sat slumped on a leather sofa, looking volatile. He barely glanced at the mountain of
18:54presence, his eyes drifting to the entrance, waiting for a ghost. Kinsley poured into a
18:58designer dress, felt the burn of his indifference. She knew who he was waiting for. She'd been sure
19:03her edited recording Sloane calling him trash would have killed his hope. Hours passed. Jackson
19:08checked his watch obsessively. Finally, he spoke. Start the party. Sloane's never missed your birthday.
19:15Brooks reminded him. He dialed and put it on speakerphone. My cold, distant voice filled the room.
19:20We're over, Brooks. Tell him happy birthday, but exes should stay dead. No contact forever.
19:26The words landed like bullets. Every eye swung toward Jackson. Jackson exploded. He kicked over
19:31a table stacked with vintage Cabernet, arranged to spell happy birthday. Millions of dollars of
19:36wine bled into the white carpet. The manager scrambled to relocate the party. Jackson drank in
19:42terrifying silence. Brooks suggested truth or dare. Jackson lost the first round. Brooks dare.
19:48Kiss someone in this room. On camera. We'll send it to Sloane so she knows what she is missing.
19:53Brooks pushed Kinsley toward Jackson. Phone recording. He showed her the message. Sending
19:57to Sloane now. The room waited for the explosion. For Sloane to crash through the doors. 30 minutes
20:02passed. Nothing. Brooks called again. Straight to voicemail. Jackson didn't kiss Kinsley. He didn't
20:08even look at her. He just reached for more whiskey. By midnight, he was blackout drunk, carried to a
20:13private suite. Kinsley didn't leave. She told the team she was staying to make sure he was okay.
20:19Alone in the suite, she pulled a small spray bottle from her clutch, a designer drug to lower
20:23inhibitions. She spritzed the mist across Jackson's face three times. Within minutes, his eyes snapped
20:30open. Glassy. He grabbed Kinsley with rough violence. She let out a practiced whimper and allowed herself to
20:36be pushed onto the bed. Her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. She didn't check it.
20:41She should have. It read, Security footage from suite 2408 has been flagged and archived.
20:47Jackson woke with his skull splitting and a gut-deep wrongness. The suite was flooded with
20:52harsh morning light. The wait next to him, a body that wasn't Sloane's, made his blood run cold.
20:57What the fuck are you doing here? Kinsley's eyes fluttered open, shifting to wounded vulnerability.
21:02Jax, last night. You were so drunk. You forced yourself on me.
21:08The accusation was meant to be checkmate, but Jackson Thorne lived by brutal discipline.
21:12His hand cracked across her face before she finished the lie. Kinsley's cheek ballooned.
21:17This wasn't the guilty. Groveling reaction she'd banked on. Jackson grabbed her hair and yanked
21:22her head back. Did you drug me? Answer me, you disgusting piece of shit.
21:26No, no. Jax, I swear.
21:29Terror cut through her act. Her hatred for Sloane burned white hot. This was Sloane's fault,
21:34for not groveling, for leaving him vulnerable. Bullshit. Jackson's voice dropped to a deadly
21:39whisper. You think I'd touch you willingly? I made a pact with Sloane. Our first time was supposed to
21:44be sacred. The thought of his first time wasted on this leech made him physically sick. He felt
21:49contaminated. For her to force this was criminal. Unforgivable. He started hitting her open-handed
21:54slaps, turning to closed fist strikes. When she scrambled off the bed, he followed, mechanical
21:59and brutal. As she curled into a ball, sobbing and bleeding, Jackson's phone buzzed with a
22:04notification from an unknown number. He didn't see it, but the message had already been routed
22:09to Sloane's legal team. Phase three had just begun. Jackson felt sick to his core. Sleeping with Kinsley
22:15felt like watching his legacy get dragged through the gutter. How dare this scheming bitch think she
22:20was worthy of him? Now the fog was lifting. He understood what Sloane had been trying to tell him.
22:25Kinsley and her mother were trash parasites feeding off the Thorn name. He'd bought their
22:28sob stories, blamed Sloane's warnings on jealousy. The knife in his own back woke him up. The
22:34realization made him want to punch himself. He'd gone cold on Sloane because of this manipulative
22:38slut. Since he couldn't hit himself, he unloaded his rage onto Kinsley instead. Mercy was the last
22:43thing she got. Jackson kept going until blood smeared the white carpet. Chest heaving. He snatched
22:48his phone and dialed Brooks. That bitch Kinsley set me up. She fucking drugged me. I am losing
22:54my mind. Brooks jolted awake, immediately aligning with his captain. Sloane can't find out. Jackson
23:00interrupted, voice cracking with fear. If she knows I slept with Kinsley, she'll never forgive me.
23:05We need to bury this. Now. If a single word gets back to Sloane, you and your mother are dead.
23:13Kinsley nodded frantically. I won't say anything. She rasped, her body trembling with pain and toxic
23:20hatred for Sloane. Jackson spat on the floor and stormed out. The oak door slammed shut. He believed
23:26he could handle this, scrub the records, pay off the club, find Sloane, and explain away the mistake.
23:31But secrets this big never stayed buried. The moment Jackson stepped out of the hotel,
23:36he speed dialed his security head. I want everything Kinsley Vance has done behind my back.
23:41Every secret, every transaction. I think that bitch drugged me.
23:46Cold dread tightened his gut. He was certain now. Kinsley's scheme had nothing to do with devotion.
23:51She had an angle, and he'd skated right into her trap. He'd never marry her. He'd pay her off and
23:56ship her out. But the real terror was Sloane, finding out he had to fix this. He burst through
24:02the mansion's front door. Is Sloane still asleep? He asked the housekeeper.
24:07Miss Sullivan isn't home, sir. He froze.
24:10What do you mean? Where is she?
24:12She left for school yesterday. Took all her luggage. Said she wasn't coming back.
24:17Panics spiked into terror. That is impossible. Registration hasn't even opened.
24:23The stairs two at a time and threw open Sloane's door. The room was spotless,
24:28stripped of every personal touch. In the center sat several sealed boxes with a note in Sloane's
24:33handwriting. Jackson Thorne, every gift you ever gave me is in these boxes. I am returning them all.
24:38Consider this, my resignation from the role you assigned me.
24:42Ten years of memories, systematically erased. He couldn't wrap his head around it.
24:46Sloane Sullivan, the girl who had waited for him since they were children,
24:50had finally stopped waiting. He dialed her number. Blocked. He grabbed the housekeeper's phone.
24:55This time it rang. Hello.
24:58Is everything okay? Her warmth was for someone else.
25:02It is me.
25:02The line went silent. When she spoke, her voice was ice.
25:06Jackson Thorne, we've broken up. Where I am is none of your business. Don't call again.
25:11She hung up.
25:12Who said we broke up? I never agreed to that.
25:15The delusion almost made me laugh. Are you serious? You posted that.
25:19100 likes and we're done trash yourself. I screenshotted it. Everyone saw it.
25:23And you've been playing house with Kinsley for weeks. What more proof do you need?
25:27Sloane, there is nothing between Kinsley and me.
25:30Save your breath. We're done. Your life is none of my business and mine is none of yours.
25:34I didn't sleep with her.
25:36So, you didn't have sex with her. My voice was flat. Jackson went silent. Before last night,
25:42he could have said it with conviction. That hesitation was his full confession. I scoffed.
25:47It is pathetic. His voice cracked with panic.
25:50Where are you? Tell me where you are. We were supposed to go to school together.
25:54We were supposed to go together, but you let Kinsley sabotage my application. You decided my future for me.
26:00Sloane, please. I am begging you.
26:02Not good enough. You chose Kinsley the first time she lied about me and you've chosen her every day
26:07since. This is the bed you made. Lie in it. It is over. I hung up. He tried calling back
26:14five times.
26:15I declined each one, letting him feel powerless for once. While he was still reeling, the doorbell rang
26:20at the Thorn Mansion. Jackson yanked the door open to find Molly Vance Kinsley's mother,
26:24standing on his doorstep.
26:25My daughter was raped. She stated, coldly. And since your little stunt left her bleeding on a
26:30hotel floor, we're going to have a conversation about responsibility. The kind that involves
26:35lawyers. Molly Vance was a completely different woman from the frail, sickly creature who had swayed
26:40in the breeze of thorn pity. She hauled Kinsley forward bruised, swollen. Mr. Thorn, you owe my
26:46daughter an explanation. Molly demanded, voice like cold steel. Jackson's jaw tightened.
26:51What kind of explanation? You slept with her, took advantage of her. Doesn't that deserve an
26:56explanation? Jackson's laugh was pure acid. Took advantage? She's the one who drugged me,
27:02trapped me with her cheap tricks, like I'd ever touch that disgusting trash willingly.
27:06Molly saw the raw disgust on his face. She'd hoped her daughter could sleep her way into the Thorn
27:11Dynasty. But watching Jackson look at Kinsley like something scraped off his skate, those wedding
27:16dreams died. Time for plan B. The fact is, you forced yourself on my daughter.
27:21Molly said, voice hardening. I've got the medical report. The obsidian has surveillance footage.
27:27And Kinsley's phone recorded everything. Her fighting you, begging the Prince of Northwood
27:31to stop. You assaulted her, then you beat her. Jackson curled his lip. Get to the point.
27:36$100 million. Wire it to our account, and all of this disappears. And if I tell you to go to
27:41hell.
27:42Then we go public. PR sharks and lawyers crawling up your ass. Your shiny reputation. Your draft
27:48status. Your grandfather's legacy. Molly stood with the calm certainty of someone holding a
27:53winning ticket. You are dreaming, not a fucking penny. Prison time doesn't look good on an NHL
27:58resume. Does it? Molly knew Jackson wouldn't dare call her bluff. A rape charge would destroy the
28:04Thorn name. But this wasn't Jackson's problem alone. He had to bring in Silas. Silas was overseas when the
28:10call came. And the old man was livid. He flew home that night, certain his grandson had been snared.
28:16The Thorn security team moved fast. Silas called me himself. I told him everything. The lies,
28:21the manipulations, how they'd play Jackson like a fiddle, and how they'd targeted me first to
28:26isolate him. The old man listened and understood. While Molly and Kinsley dreamed of their payday,
28:31the Thorn team uncovered Molly's real past. Not a frail victim, but a professional escort who'd scammed
28:37rich men for years, dragging Kinsley City to city, living off scraps. Kinsley was about to drop out
28:43when the Thorn charity program threw her a lifeline. That is when Molly saw the real opportunity.
28:48They engineered the sob story, knowing the Thorns wouldn't verify a medical bill that was pocket
28:52change. When Molly saw Jackson in person, she upped the stakes if her daughter could land the air,
28:58they'd be set for life. They set their trap and waited for me to walk into it. Jackson chose to
29:03believe them over me. The manipulation was clockwork, make me look jealous, make Kinsley
29:08look like a victim, make Jackson feel like a hero. But Thorn connections are not decorative.
29:13They found the dealer Molly bought the drugs from and had him in custody within days.
29:17They traced every payment and text, extortion, possession, assault with intent. The evidence
29:23was airtight, and justice moved without mercy. I didn't see Jackson Thorn again until six months
29:28into my first year at Stanford. The scandal hadn't made global headlines, but everyone in our world
29:33knew. It had aged him, he was quieter, less sure. When he finally tracked me down to apologize,
29:39I let him speak, nodded once, and made it clear we were done. Ten years of memories couldn't survive
29:44the poison Kinsley Vance introduced. I learned the hardest way possible, the only person you can trust
29:49unconditionally, is yourself. Your own hustle is your only salvation. Now I had my scholarship and zero
29:55distractions. I wasn't taking Jackson back, and I wasn't looking for anyone else. My only focus was
30:01the grind. Study, study, men will betray you, friends will betray you. But knowledge, knowledge is forever.
30:08Every fact, formula, and theory I mastered became permanent armor that no one could ever strip away.
Comments