21. Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
The Legacy Sports Summit is exactly how I pictured it in my dreams.
The venue, a massive state-of-the-art sports complex, is buzzing with activity as athletes, sponsors, media personnel, and spectators all gather.
Bright banners with the Legacy Sports Summit logo hang across the walls, and the hum of anticipation fills the air. It’s been months of planning, countless hours of coordinating logistics, fine-tuning schedules, and making sure every last detail is in place.
The complex is filled with branded booths, athletes preparing backstage, and media crews setting up for the coverage. The walls are adorned with sleek, digital screens displaying vibrant visuals of past events, athlete highlights, and inspirational quotes―Matthew’s idea.
There are several distinct areas, each designed to engage and inspire different attendees.
There’s a main stage in the center where panels, speeches, and live demonstrations take place.
LED screens showing real-time updates, live feeds of athletes in action, all donned in our latest merch and sports gear, and social media posts from the crowd.
Everything is sleek, modern, and almost futuristic. The polished concrete floors reflect the lights overhead, making the entire room glow with a cool, ambient energy. It’s so shiny that I can see my reflection in it. I can’t help but feel a rush of excitement―it’s finally here, finally happening.
Despite the chaos of the last few weeks, everything feels right today. Today, the stakes are higher than ever. The Brand Director position hangs in the balance, and whoever’s performance is best throughout the summit will be the one chosen.
Speaking of being chosen, Evelyn hovers around, observing, making mental notes of how everything is progressing.
I catch her watching me more than once, her eyes narrowing as she takes in the success of the event, her lips curling slightly into a smile.
It’s a fleeting glance, but I can tell she’s impressed.
Matthew and I move seamlessly through the crowds, checking on the teams, making sure things are running smoothly. His focus is sharp, his presence commanding, but there’s a certain ease to him that I’m jealous of. It’s like he was born for moments like this.
Meanwhile, I’m trying my best not to let the nerves take over.
On the outside, I’m calm and composed, but on the inside, my heart’s pounding in my chest, my mind racing with what-ifs.
I’ve worked too hard for today to fall apart now, yet everything feels like it’s teetering on the edge of being too right. Like the calm before a storm.
Evelyn walks up to us, looking ethereal in a silver sequin dress that makes her sparkle like a disco ball.
The lights catch every angle of her dress, sending flashes of silver light dancing around the room.
Her presence is almost otherworldly, effortless in its grace, as she slides over to where Matt and I stand.
Her smile is appreciative as she takes in the work we’ve done.
“Well, you two have certainly outdone yourselves tonight,” she says, her voice low, and too neutral.
Or I’m just overthinking it. “You’ve both done an outstanding job today.
But remember, the Brand Director position is still up for grabs.
I’m looking for who stands out the most.”
I nod, my smile strained as I try not to let the weight of her words settle too deeply.
The pressure is suffocating now, but I keep my composure, even though I can feel my stomach churn.
I don’t know if it’s relief or fear that’s making me tremble.
Either way, I have no clue who she’s leaning toward.
I don’t even know if Matthew’s feeling the same pull of uncertainty as I am.
My eyes flicker across the event space, noting things that probably don’t matter at all―the way the light hits certain spots, the way people are moving through the space. I start to nitpick, unable to stop myself.
Then I feel a hand on my shoulder, warm and steady, familiar, and comforting. I turn to see Matthew’s easy smile, his eyes meeting mine with a calmness that almost makes me forget what’s going on.
“Relax, Hailey,” he says, his voice low and reassuring in my ears. “Everything’s perfect. You’ve got this. We’ve got this.”
I take a slow breath, trying to let his words sink in, but something tugs at the back of my mind. “How are you so calm about all this?” I ask, frowning slightly. “Aren’t you nervous about the position?”
He shrugs, his smile not wavering. “Why would I be? It’s just a position. Besides, I’m more interested in making sure you’re okay and having fun. Look around, Hailey. Everything is going just the way it should. Everyone’s having fun, except you.”
I look around and sure enough, everyone is having the time of their lives. From Allison and company to Evelyn and the rest of the board members and even Jasmine, flirting the night away with some good-looking stranger.
I still don’t know what Matthew said to her that night to make her so accepting of everything. Especially after she seemed so unsure about us before. Even more puzzling is how she’s now advising me to let Matt help with the custody case. It’s not like her to give that kind of advice.
Even as I stand here, my thoughts keep drifting to Leo. He’s with Ethan right now―the same man I’m fighting in court for custody of our son. I can’t shake the image of him playing in Ethan’s trailer, exposed to cigarettes or something toxic as he plays with his toys.
And here I am, standing in the middle of this event, pretending like everything’s fine, when I should be with him. Every time I think of him, a deep ache pulls at my heart. He should be with me. Always.
I’m his mother. I’ve always been the one to take care of him, the one who’s never relied on anyone else. Not after my family turned their backs on me, not after everything that happened with Ethan. I’ve had to stand on my own, fight my battles alone.
So why does it feel so hard to let Matthew help?
It’s not that I don’t trust him―I really do.
It’s just that I’ve never allowed myself to lean on anyone.
And now, with Leo being so far away, with my heart aching from being apart from him, I can’t decide if letting Matthew in is just another way of giving up, of admitting I can’t do it all alone.
I want to be strong for Leo, but I wonder if it’s okay to ask for help this time.
Maybe I should, but I’m scared. Scared that if I rely on Matthew, I’ll lose a part of myself. Scared that, despite all of his assurances, I’ll still be alone in the end. I know I shouldn’t be thinking like this, but sometimes, it’s hard not to.
And as much as I want to let him help, I’m not sure I’m ready to let go of the control I’ve fought so hard to maintain.
Everything’s okay, Hailey, I tell myself, relaxing my shoulders a bit. You’re just overthinking.
Matthew plucks two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and offers one to me. When our fingers brush, a shiver of electricity zips through me, igniting a heat beneath my skin.
His eyes lock on mine, the corners of his lips tugging into a slow, knowing smile. He raises his glass, the soft clink of crystal meeting crystal echoing between us.
“To a perfect night,” he says in my ear, low and velvety like a secret.
I lift my glass, my throat dry and cheeks warm from our proximity, and murmur, “Perfect.”
Just as I allow myself to soak in the moment, savoring the effervescence of the champagne against my lips, my purse vibrates. A small frown mars my face as I reach for my phone.
My heart falls to my knees when I see the caller ID: The General Hospital – Emergency Department.
My breath hitches, and a cold weight drops into my stomach. I answer with trembling hands, the noise of the room fading into a distant hum as I focus on the unfamiliar voice on the other end.
“Miss Donovan?” A calm but urgent voice greets me. “This is Nurse Green from The General. Your son, Leo, has been brought to the emergency room. We need you to come immediately.”
My glass slips from my fingers, shattering on the floor with a piercing crash that draws a dozen startled eyes to me. I can’t care. My feet are already moving, my pulse hammering in my ears as I spin on my heels and head for the exit.
“Hailey!” Matthew’s voice calls out, but I’m too frantic to stop, too consumed by the fear clawing at my chest, making it harder for me to breathe.
He catches up to me just as I push through the front doors, his hand grabbing my arm. “Hailey, wait―what’s going on?”
“Leo―” My voice cracks, the word barely making it out as tears blur my vision. “He’s hurt. The hospital called―he’s hurt, Matthew. My baby’s hurt.”
I’m shaking, my breaths coming in sharp gasps as panic threatens to suffocate me. He cups my shoulders firmly, his steady graze grounding me.
“Hey, look at me,” he says, his tone gentle but commanding. He’s angry, but he’s calm at the same time. “We’ll get to him. I’ll drive. But you need to breathe, Hailey. I need you calm for him.”
I nod jerkily, my heart in my throat, clutching his arm like a lifeline as he leads me to his car. The ride to the hospital is a blur of speeding lights and silent prayers, Matthew’s calm presence the only thing keeping me from completely losing it.
I barely remember Matthew pulling into the hospital parking lot, but I’m out of the car before it’s fully stopped.
My legs feel like they might give out on me as I run through the doors.
The sterile, almost suffocating smell of antiseptic fills my nose.
I don’t care about anything else, just Leo. My baby. My son.
The emergency room doors swing open in front of me, and I spot a nurse who is waiting for me, her face tight with sympathy. “Miss Donovan, your son’s been stabilized. He’s in ICU now,” she says, her voice gentle, but it does nothing to calm the storm inside me.