Page 140 of Rookie Rules

"Yes."

"The line is ours to manage."

"Yes."

"This decision is yours."

Rowan did not deny it.

"Okay, Captain."

Luca passed him on the way out.

Finn waited near the equipment racks, still in team sweats. He watched Luca continue toward the player exit, then turned to Rowan.

"What did you do?"

"Line issue."

Finn's face hardened. "Vale fixed the line issue."

"It is handled."

"That is not how Bennett walks when something is handled."

Rowan lowered his voice. "Do not involve yourself."

"Wasn't planning to." Finn picked up his keys. "I'm going to make sure my winger doesn't drive angry. Purely professional."

He followed Luca without asking permission.

Rowan returned to the workstation. The clip remained paused before his late pass. He advanced it frame by frame.

Luca's cut began as Nolan shifted his weight. Rowan's first stride put him beneath the puck. His second should have released the pass.

Instead, his hands held for three frames.

He had seen Luca's route and pictured how easily the team might read preference into trust. By the time he moved the puck, the opening was gone.

Rowan trimmed the sequence and sent it to Vale with two lines.

My support was on time. My release was late.

Restore the original trigger tomorrow.

Vale replied within a minute.

Already on the plan.

The correction should have settled something. It did not.

Claire's message arrived next, confirming Boreal had accepted most of Luca's protections: no implied relationship, no dating questions, separate framing with Nadia Bell. Luca still had to approve the final campaign.

Rowan typed Good and deleted it. Claire had not asked for his opinion.

He completed treatment, reported the unchanged ache to Owen, and left the arena after the parking level had emptied.

The next day's practice plan listed the original trigger first.