The words hung between us. Part relief that the secret was out, part dread about what came next.
“You know,” I said simply.
“I do. And look, I don’t care if you’re a prince or a janitor. Clearly, you’re a hell of a coach. But this is going to come out. Media loves a story like this, and with Adan about to sign, with your team in the championships…” He shrugged. “Thought you should know it’s coming.”
“I appreciate the warning.”
“What Adan’s achieved this season is remarkable. Kid’s got a bright future. Would be a shame if the story became about his coach being royalty instead of his talent.”
He was right. Once this broke, every article about Adan would mention the prince who coached him. Every analysis of his development would include speculation about our relationship, about what role my background played.
“Thank you. I’ll handle it.”
McLaughlin nodded. “Good luck in the championship. I’ll be in touch.”
After he left, I stood in the hallway listening to the celebration continue. Three more months, we’d said. Three more months of hiding, of careful distance, of protecting Adan’s future. But McLaughlin was right. The story was coming, whether I wanted it or not. And when it broke, it would overshadow everything: Adan’s achievements, the team’s championship run, all of it.
Unless I controlled it first.
I found Coach Brennan in his office, door closed against the noise, a rare smile on his weathered face as he looked at game statistics. “What a game,” he said when I entered. “That goal of Rivera’s?—”
“Coach, we need to talk.”
His expression shifted, recognizing my tone. “What’s wrong?”
“McLaughlin knows. About my background. Says media attention is coming.”
Brennan leaned back in his chair. “I wondered when this would happen. What do you want to do?”
“I don’t want this to affect Adan’s draft prospects or the team’s championship run. If it breaks big, it could derail everything and focus the conversation on me instead of the team… and Adan.”
“So what are you thinking?”
“I need to announce it myself. Control the narrative before tabloids turn it into something bigger.”
Brennan studied me for a long moment. “That’s going to bring a circus to our door.”
“Better a controlled circus than a surprise one during the championship game.”
“True.” He sighed. “When?”
“I thought I could do it tonight. The post-game press conference starts in ten minutes. Get it out, redirect focus back to the team, move on.”
Brennan scratched his chin. “You sure about this?”
“I don’t like it anymore than you do, but it’s the right thing to do. For Adan, for the team.”
Brennan nodded slowly. “I knew when we hired you this day would come, so I can’t really complain. It’s your call, Nils. I’ll support whatever you decide.”
My family would be asleep, but I still sent them a text to prepare themselves, then alerted our media coordinator. Finally, I sent off a quick message to Floris, Tore, and Greg. Greg was probably asleep, but Floris and Tore—both in the same time zone as me—replied instantly.
Tore
Brace for impact…
Floris
Good luck. Been there, done that. It wasn’t fun.
