Chapter 176: Cash Cow

Lorali

The metal part of the heel struck Oracle squarely across the bridge of his nose with a brutal thud. "AGH!" Oracle grunted, his hand flying up to his face as blood instantly welled up between his fingers.

"LORALI!" Torin and Kei shouted in unison, scrambling out of their chairs as others rushed over to also check on the damsel in distress, who was clutching his face in panic. "Okay! I think we should all just calm down!" Vanessa yelled, standing up.

"YOU should calm down!" I shrieked, instantly whipping off my other high heel and hurling it straight at Vanessa’s head.

THWACK!

The shoe caught Vanessa squarely on the shoulder, sending her digital tablet crashing to the floor with a shattered screen.

"ENOUGH!" Torin roared, his Alpha aura booming through the room like a thunderclap.

I turned on him, my bare feet planted on the rug and pointing a finger right at his nose. "Oh, who do you think you are talking too?! You know I did you a massive favor by not airing out your family’s dirty laundry in front of this therapist!"

Torin froze, his dark eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "What dirty laundry?"

"Oh, my mistake!" I mocked, letting out a wild, breathless laugh. "Not your family! Who are they to you anyway?! I don’t know!" Torin took a step toward me, his face turning pale. "What is that supposed to mean, Lorali?!"

I didn’t answer him. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of another word. I turned on my heel and marched straight out of the therapy room barefoot, slamming the door shut behind me with enough force to rattle the glass panels. "Lorali! Stop!" Torin’s voice echoed down the corridor, but I didn’t stop. I broke into a full sprint, my bare feet slapping against the cold tile floors of the building, pushing through the heavy glass exit doors into the freezing morning air.

A sharp, searing ache flared in my right shoulder, the venomous bond dragging at my flesh because I was putting distance between myself and Oracle. But it wasn’t going to kill me because I had zero intention of leaving him permanently, so I just had to live with the throbbing pain. Right now, I couldn’t stand being in the physical presence of a single person carrying the Spade name, especially Oracle.

This entire therapy session was a terrible, disastrous idea, I cursed silently, my toes numb against the icy sidewalk. I walked three blocks barefoot until I reached a public bus stop near the main avenue. I looked at the digital route board mounted on the glass shelter. The next incoming bus was heading straight toward the downtown transit hub, the exact stop I used to get off at every morning before walking the three blocks to Falcon’s Ice Rink.

You know what? I thought, my chest rising with a sharp, resolute breath as the bus pulled up to the curb. I’m going to the rink.

Twenty minutes later, I stepped off the bus and walked the remaining blocks to Falcon’s Ice Rink. My bare feet were completely numb, dark with street dust, but I barely felt the cold anymore. I pushed against the heavy double doors of the complex, surprised to find them unlocked. It was early morning, an hour before morning sessions usually started.

The cool, ozone-heavy air of the interior wrapped around me like a familiar blanket. I need a skate, I thought, my mind desperate to drown out the lingering echoes of the therapy room. I need to get on the ice and spin until my brain stops burning.

I walked down the quiet, hollow concrete corridor toward the back locker rooms to fetch my spare skates. As I passed the main administrative corridor, the sound of raised voices echoing from behind a half-open office door made me pause.

It was Scarlett’s voice.

"Oh, come on!" Scarlett was saying, her tone laced with urgent, desperate pleading. "Can’t we just give her two more hours of dedicated morning ice time?!"

I stopped dead in my tracks, pressing my back against the concrete wall outside the office, listening in. "No, Scarlett," a stern, unfamiliar male voice replied, her husband, if I had to guess based on how informal they were with their speech. "The Falcons team needs that primary morning ice block for their tactical drills. They have a schedule."

"The Falcons haven’t made a single cent of profit in three years!" Scarlett shot back loudly. "We are going bankrupt! The entire arena is bleeding money! This place is staying afloat right now strictly because of that girl! Lorali brings in media attention, sponsors, and public interest! We need to give her more ice time so I can train her for the championship!"

Her husband let out a harsh, dry scoff. "Love, that girl is a ticking time bomb! Have you seen her behavior lately?! She’s completely crazy! That skating career of hers isn’t going to last another six months! We need to keep training the Falcons and build the next line of team rosters. That is how we make sustainable money!"

"I know she’s chaotic!" Scarlett argued back defensively. "And extremely unwell in the head! But she is insanely good on the ice!"

"You have a soft spot for this girl, don’t you?" her husband accused softly.

"Of course I don’t!" Scarlett snapped instantly. "I just see her as a reliable way for us to make money so this entire business doesn’t go under! She’s a cash cow, okay?! A crazy, unhinged one... but she has massive commercial potential! We need more time on the ice!"

I stood in the dark, empty hallway, the words echoing in my head like sharp, iron spikes.

Cash cow.Crazy.Ticking time bomb. A cold, suffocating numb sensation spread from my chest straight down to my fingertips. Crazy, my inner voice whispered, a dark, hysterical laugh bubbling up in the back of my throat. Everyone in this damn world calls me crazy. The pack, the reporters, the medics, the therapists... and now my own manager.

It felt like every single person I know was actively conspiring to make this year an absolute hell for me. It felt like everyone was pushing, picking, poking, waiting for me to break so they could profit off my carcass or lock me in a cage. A sudden, violent urge surged through my muscles, an overwhelming desire to storm into that office, grab Scarlett by her hair, and slam her face against the concrete wall until she took those words back.

My breathing hitched. I clamped my teeth together so hard my jaw ached, my fists clenching until my nails bit into my palms. No, I forced myself to think, taking a slow, trembling step backward into the shadows. Not here. Not now.

I turned around, my bare feet silent against the cold floor, and walked straight out of the building, leaving the rink, Scarlett, and the entire world behind.