<b>Book </b><b>3 </b>Sudden Death Overtime
The NHL boardroom felt like a courtroom as Emma and Alek entered, followed by the Toronto sportswork’s camera crew. Twelve board members sat around the polished mahogany table, their faces ranging from skeptical to openly hostile.
“Commissioner Volkov,” Board Chairman Richard Hayes began, his voice icy. “We weren’t expecting… this level of publicity.”
“Transparency was our proposal,” Alek replied calmly. “We thought you should see what it looks like in practice.”
Emma took her seat next to Alek, hyperaware of the camera capturing every moment. Her hands were steady, but her heart hammered against her ribs.
“Mrs. Mitchell–Volkov,” another board member spoke up. “Do you really think it’s appropriate to turn this meeting into a television spectacle?”
“I think it’s appropriate to show hockey fans how decisions about their sport are made,” Emma replied. “Unless there’s something you’d prefer they not see?”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
“Let me be clear about why we’re here,” Hayes continued. “Commissioner Volkov’s recent behavior has raised serious concerns about his judgment and his ability to separate personal interests from league business.”
“Which behavior specifically?” Alek asked.
“Allowing your wife to interfere in league matters. Proposing terms to this board as if you’re in a position to negotiate rather than ept our directives.”
Emma felt anger re but kept her voice level. “Excuse me, but when did asking for transparency be interference?”
“When ites from someone with no official role in league governance,” Hayes shot back.
“No official role?” Emma leaned forward. “I own an NHL franchise<i>. </i>I’ve built the most sessful women’s hockey league in North America. I think that qualifies me <i>to </i>have opinions about the sport’s future.”
“Your opinions are irrelevant to your husband’s employment obligations.”
“Actually,” Alek interrupted, “my wife’s insights have been invaluable to my work as Commissioner. She understands both the business andpetitive sides of hockey in ways
Rook 3 Sudden Death Overtime
that benefit the entire league.”
<b>$</b>25 Points
“That’s precisely the problem,” another board member said. “You’vepromised your independence.”
Emma watched Alek’s jaw tighten and knew he was fighting the same urge she felt – tosh out at their narrow–minded attitudes.
“Let me ask you something,” Alek said instead. “Do any of you consult your spouses about major business decisions?”
Several board members shifted ufortably.
“Do you consider their input valuable when making choices that affect your families?” Alek continued. “Or do you pretend that your professional and personal lives exist inpletely separate universes?”
“That’s different-” Hayes began.
“How is it different?” Emma cut in. “Because I’m a woman? Because I happen to understand hockey? Because our partnership threatens your old boys‘ club?”
“Mrs. Mitchell–Volkov-<b>” </b>
“No, let me finish.” Emma stood, addressing not just the board but the camera capturing everything. “For thirty years, this league has been run by men who think hockey belongs to them exclusively. Who think women can be wives and cheerleaders but not partners and leaders.”
She turned back to the board members, her voice growing stronger.
“My grandfather built a hockey dynasty by recognizing talent regardless of where it came from. My husband has revolutionized this league by listening to yers, fans, and yes, his wife. And you’re threatened by that because it proves your old ways aren’t the only ways.” <fneb50> Th?s chapter is updated by Find_Novel(.</fneb50>
“This is exactly the kind of grandstanding-” Hayes started.
“This is honesty,” Alek interrupted, standing beside Emma. “Something this board seems to find very ufortable.”
The room fell silent except for the quiet hum of the camera equipment.
“Here’s our position,” Alek continued. “We believe hockey is better when it embraces diverse perspectives. When it wees partnership instead of demanding istion. When it operates with transparency instead of secrecy.”
Book a Sexy
“And if we disagree?” Hayes asked coldly.
Emma felt Alek’s hand find hers, their fingers intecing in a gesture of solidanty
“Then you’ll need to find a Commissioner who shares your vision, Alek said simply “Because I won’t pretend my marriage doesn’t exist to make youfortable.
“You’re resigning?” another board member asked, sounding surprised.
“I’m offering you a choice,” Alek replied. “ept that modern leadership includes partnership and transparency, or find someone who’ll maintain your old systems.”
Hayes looked around the table at his fellow board members, clearly trying to gauge their
reaction.
“Commissioner Volkov,” he said finally, “you’re cing us in an impossible position.”
“No,” Emma said quietly. “You’ve ced yourselves in an impossible position by trying to separate a man from his principles.”
“And what if we call your bluff? What if we ept your resignation?”
Emma felt Alek squeeze her hand and drew strength from it.
“Then you’ll discover that we’re not bluffing,” she said. “We’ll build something new<i>. </i>Something better. Something that proves partnership makes hockey stronger, not weaker.”
The silence stretched for what felt like hours.
Finally, the youngest board member, Maria Santos, spoke up. “I’d like to hear more about this transparency proposal.”
Hayes shot her a sharp look. “Maria-”
“No, Richard. If we’re going to make decisions about the league’s future, shouldn’t we understand all the options?”
Emma felt a flicker of hope as two other board members nodded in
agreement.
“The transparency proposal is simple,” Alek exined. “Full disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest. Public documentation of how decisions are made. Regr reporting on how league policies affect all stakeholders, not just owners.”
“And the partnership aspect?” Santos asked.
“Recognition that modern leaders often work as teams,” Emma replied. “Not hiding our coboration, but documenting it. Showing fans that hockey benefits when smart people
< Book 3 Sudden Death Overtime
work together, regardless of their rtionships.”
+25 Points
Santos looked directly at the camera. “Frankly, I think hockey fans deserve to know how their sport is governed. And if the Commissioner’s wife has valuable insights, why wouldn’t we want to hear them?”
Hayes’s face was growing redder by the minute. “This is highly irregr-”
“So was hiring a former yer as Commissioner,” Santos countered. “So was expanding women’s hockey. Most progress is irregr.”
Emma watched the dynamics around the table shift as more board members began engaging with their ideas rather than simply rejecting them.
“I propose,” Santos continued, “that we table the resignation discussion and spend the next month evaluating this transparency proposal properly.”
“I second that motion,” another member said.
Hayes looked around the table, clearly realizing he was losing control of the situation.
“All in favor of tabling the resignation discussion?” Santos called.
Seven hands rose around the table.
Emma felt Alek’s grip on her hand tighten as they both processed what had just happened.
“It appears,” Hayes said through gritted teeth, “that we’ll be continuing this discussion next month.”
As they left the boardroom, Emma was shaking with adrenaline and relief.
“Did that really just happen?” she asked Alek.
“We bought ourselves time,” he replied. “Now we have to prove our ideas actually work.”
The camera crew was packing up their equipment, clearly pleased with the drama they’d captured.
“That was incredible television,” the director told Emma. “When can we film the follow–up?” Emma looked at Alek, then back at the director.
11
“Every step of the way,” she said. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing itpletely in the open.”
“Even if it gets messy?”
“Especially if it gets messy,” Alek confirmed. “That’s what real partnership looks like.”
< Book 3 Sudden Death Overtime
+25 Points
As they walked out of the NHL headquarters into the bright afternoon sun, Emma felt like they’d just survived sudden death overtime.
But the game wasn’t over yet.
Now came the hard part: proving they were right.
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