Chapter 14
MARISSA
By the following morning, I felt almost normal again. Or at least as much as someone in their first trimester could.
I’d slept tucked against Raiden’s chest all night, his arm wrapped protectively over my stomach. Waking up like that made me feel steady enough to handle anything. Right up until I stepped off the elevator at work.
“Marissa,” Roger called the moment he spotted me. “Upstairs wants to see you.”
My pulse tripped hard. “The executive floor?”
He nodded, his expression tight. “The VP of Sports Programming asked for you specifically.”
My stomach twisted as I whispered, “I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”
“You didn’t.” He lowered his voice. “Just keep your cool. Answer his questions, and you’ll be fine. I already let him know that Camille should be the one to pay for the stunt she pulled last night. Not you.”
A fresh spike of nerves shot through me, but I nodded and crossed the newsroom anyway. In the elevator, my stomach clenched tighter, the mixture of nerves and morning sickness making me nauseous.
The VP’s executive assistant looked up as I approached. “Marissa Crane?”
“Yes.” Even to me, my voice sounded faint.
“He’ll see you now.” She gestured toward the office behind her.
I straightened my blazer and forced myself forward even though every cell in my body begged me to turn around and run. The door was mostly closed. I pushed it open slowly.
The VP of Sports Programming was seated behind his desk, his expression unreadable.
“Thank you for coming.” He gestured to the chair across from him.
It wasn’t as if I had another option, so I pasted on a professional smile.
Mr. Aldridge folded his hands on the desk as I sat. “I’ll get straight to it. Your work overseas was excellent. Truly.”
“Thank you.”
“But we need to get ahead of a few perception issues.”
My stomach tightened, though I kept my expression polished and neutral. “Of course.”
He nodded once, as if appreciating my willingness to engage. “Let’s start with the basics. You disclosed the relationship when it began?”
I was proud that my voice didn’t waver as I answered, “Yes, I informed my immediate supervisor as soon as things became serious.”
“Good.” He checked something on a notepad, then continued, “Does your relationship with Mr. Shaffer impact your ability to report objectively on him or the rest of the Nighthawks organization?”
I shook my head. “No. I approach every interview the same way—focused, fair, and with integrity. My personal life doesn’t interfere with my professional standards.”
He studied me closely, as though evaluating every nuance of my answer. “If we move you onto the football beat, as we’re considering, are we putting you in a position where outside narratives could undermine your credibility?”
I swallowed carefully, hoping he didn’t notice. “I understand the concern, but I’ve dealt with scrutiny before when covering skaters who I’ve competed against in the past. My reporting will stand on its own.”
Mr. Aldridge leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful rather than accusatory.
“This isn’t coming from a place of doubt in your talent.
You’ve impressed a lot of people here. But the media landscape is volatile.
One viral clip can reshape a narrative overnight. We need to know you can weather that.”
“I can.” I clasped my hands in my lap to keep them steady. “I want the assignment, and I’m prepared for whatever comes with it. Even when some of that volatility comes from inside the network, from people who should be on my side instead of trying to create headlines that don’t exist.”
“We’re well aware of where this noise started, and it will be addressed.” His gaze softened slightly, the closest thing to sympathy a VP was probably allowed to show. “But I still need to ask…are we at risk of a conflict-of-interest situation? Anything that might blow back on the network?”
“Absolutely not. Raiden doesn’t expect special treatment. And I—” My voice wavered, just a fraction. “I’ve worked very hard to be where I am. I wouldn’t jeopardize that.”
I felt my throat tightening, heat building behind my eyes as I cursed pregnancy hormones. I forced a small inhale through my nose, trying to steady myself.
Mr. Aldridge noticed. “Marissa, this isn’t a reprimand. We’re evaluating opportunity versus risk. We simply need to ensure—”
He didn’t get the chance to finish before the door opened behind me with a decisive click.
Twisting in my seat to see who interrupted our meeting, everything inside me went still.
Raiden stepped into the room like he’d been invited. He didn’t look angry. Or rushed.
Mr. Aldridge straightened in his seat. “Mr. Shaffer, this is a private HR matter.”
“No, this is a private personal matter that’s been dragged into Marissa’s professional life.” Raiden strode toward us. “One in which I’m the only other person who gets to have an opinion.”
“As true as that might be—”
“You wanted to talk about Marissa’s career.” He moved behind my chair, pausing only long enough to brush a reassuring hand over my shoulder before taking the empty seat beside me. “You deserve the truth from someone who actually knows her.”
His touch grounded me so completely that it almost stole my breath.
“Raiden,” I whispered, panicked and grateful all at once. “You didn’t have to—”
He interlaced our fingers before turning his attention fully to Mr. Aldridge.
“Let me be clear. Marissa never asked for a single favor from me.”
Mr. Aldridge blinked like he hadn’t expected that to be the opening. “That’s not what we’re—”
“You wanted to ensure that our relationship doesn’t pose a risk to your network,” Raiden continued, unbothered. “It doesn’t. If anything, Marissa will probably go harder on me than most reporters because she expects the best from me.”
My mouth parted in shock even though he wasn’t wrong.
“There’s no denying she’ll have access to the Nighthawks that nobody else can get,” Raiden added. “But I know her well enough to say without a doubt that she won’t take advantage of it in ways that aren’t ethical. Not because she’s trying to protect the network, but because that’s just who she is.”
My breath caught at the utter certainty in his tone. He really did trust me unconditionally.
“You’ve seen the numbers. Her skating coverage is pulling more views than some of your primetime features.”
Mr. Aldridge’s brows furrowed as though he wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t. “We’re not questioning her talent—”
“You’re questioning the story around her,” Raiden corrected. “So let’s talk about that too.”
Heat rushed up my neck. The humiliation from last night pulsed under my skin like an emotional bruise.
“She’s been accused of sleeping her way onto the football beat.
And worse. By someone inside your own network.
” Raiden’s hand tightened around mine, offering comfort I desperately needed.
“That accusation wasn’t just inappropriate.
It was a lie. And it was meant to create a false narrative with the potential to damage not just her reputation but also this network’s credibility. ”
Mr. Aldridge’s jaw tensed. “We’re addressing the issue internally.”
But Raiden wasn’t finished.
“Marissa works harder than anyone I’ve met in this industry.
She researches. She fact-checks. She respects every sport she’s assigned to cover in a way that only a former athlete can.
And I’ve seen her turn down an opportunity that might’ve compromised her neutrality even though it meant losing a bigger story. ”
I jerked slightly, surprised he even knew about that. I hadn’t mentioned anything to him even though it happened while I was working from home.
“Players trust her because she treats them with fairness,” he continued. “She’s earned every inch of success she has.”
Mr. Aldridge exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair. “Mr. Shaffer—”
“And if anyone claims she used me, they’re lying.”
The room went utterly silent.
Raiden’s thumb brushed across my knuckles. “If the network decides to bench her because of rumors someone else started, I’ll take the PR fallout myself. On camera. In front of whoever you want.”
He would never bluff about that. Raiden didn’t make empty threats. He made promises. And he kept them.
“She belongs on this beat because she’s earned it. Don’t let gossip convince you otherwise.”
Mr. Aldridge stared at him for several loaded seconds. Then he shifted his gaze to me, and he nodded. “As I was saying before”—he frowned at Raiden, but there was respect in his gaze—“Marissa, your work stands on its own. We intend to move forward with the assignments discussed.”
I released a shaky breath.
“And Camille will be removed from any overlapping coverage until further notice,” he added, his tone firm.
“I don’t want that woman anywhere near Marissa,” Raiden stated firmly.
Mr. Aldridge inclined his head. “Understood.”
My pulse fluttered in relief.
He stood, signaling the end of the meeting. “Congratulations on the baby.”
I stood on unsteady legs. Raiden rose beside me, his hand on the small of my back.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Raiden guided me out of the office. When the door shut behind us, I heaved a deep sigh.
Raiden’s hand slid to my hip. “You okay?”
I nodded, emotion clogging my throat. “I am now.”
We waited until we were alone in the elevator to say anything else.
I leaned against him. “I can’t believe you came.”
“Couldn’t let you get punished for being with me.”
I tilted my head back and asked, “How did you even know?”
“Someone from the PR team got a tip,” he explained. “They gave me a heads-up, and I rushed over.”
“Thank you.”
“I meant it when I said I’ve got you.” He brushed a soft kiss against my lips. “No one is ever going to come for you again without having to go through me first.”
I believed him.