Opening Scene – Breaking NewsThe next morning, the media storm hit like a hurricane.
"BREAKING: Jamaican Gang Leader Allegedly Related to Kyle Wilson – Questions Arise Ahead of Miami Commitment."
"Is Miami Signing a Star or a Liability?"
"'Above the Rim, Below the Poverty Line' Star's Dangerous Roots Exposed."
Every TV in Summit Ridge's student center played it.
Social media exploded.
Photos from Montego Bay resurfaced.
Old footage. A clip of Chino. A blurred image of Kyle in the background.
And one headline burned across the screen:
"Is Kyle Wilson Hiding a Criminal Bloodline?"
Kyle – Inside the FireKyle stared at the screen, numb.
Ari was already on her laptop, typing like a machine.
"This is a hit job," she said. "Someone's trying to kill your brand before you even sign."
"They said Chino was my cousin."
"So what if he was?"
"I can't outrun this."
"You can. You just need strategy, not silence."
Kyle ran a hand over his face.
"I signed a letter of intent yesterday, and today I'm being labeled a criminal."
"Then we make your truth louder than their story."
Meeting with MarcusMarcus brought Kyle and Ari to his office. The door was shut. Blinds closed.
"It's bad," Marcus said. "I've already got two college reps asking if this could hurt enrollment numbers."
"Enrollment numbers?" Kyle snapped. "They treating me like a liability?"
"Like an investment with red flags."
Ari slammed her laptop shut.
"We need to beat this."
"How?" Kyle asked. "Do I go on TV and cry about my past? Make excuses?"
Marcus leaned forward.
"You do one thing most athletes never do."
"Which is?"
"Tell the whole truth. With no filter. No fake accent. No marketing polish."
The Sit-Down InterviewThat night, Kyle sat down with a local sports podcast.
Cameras rolling.
Mic hot.
Ari sat off-screen, holding her breath.
The host leaned in.
"Kyle, fans want to know. Are you related to Marcellus 'Chino' Davis? The gang leader?"
Kyle didn't flinch.
"He wasn't blood. But yeah, we were raised like family. Same neighborhood. Same dinners. Same nightmares."
"And the violence?"
"I didn't choose the world I was born into. But I chose to survive it. I chose basketball. I chose my mom's name over street names."
He paused.
"I didn't get here clean. But I got here honest."
The host blinked.
"You just owned that on live air."
"Good. Maybe now people will stop acting like poverty is contagious."
The Fallout – Mixed ResponseThe interview went viral.
"That kid's real."
"Gotta respect the honesty."
"Still think Miami should rethink this."
But Miami didn't back out.
Instead, the head coach tweeted:
"We don't recruit perfection. We recruit perseverance. Welcome to The U, @KyleWilson."
Ari teared up reading it.
"They stood by you."
"For now."
The Enemy Behind the LeakAri did digging.
Deep.
She found an anonymous tip submitted to the news station that leaked the story.
The IP address?
A Florida-based AAU rival team's media director.
"They been watching you since you dropped that mixtape," she said. "They want your offers. Your name. Your fall."
"Then they better pray I never lace up against them."
"You won't just beat them on the court."
"No?"
"You'll bury them in the press conference after."
Night Ride – Just Kyle & AriThey drove around the city in Ari's busted sedan.
Windows down. Old Drake playing. No destination.
"You sure you still want this life?" she asked.
"Ball?"
"No—this. Me. The noise. The threats. The pressure."
He looked over at her.
"You said you wanted to be my agent, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then I want every deal to come with a clause."
"What clause?"
"You. Always included."
She laughed, but her eyes watered.
"You trying to make me cry, Reaper?"
"Nah. Just trying to make you stay."
Final Scene – Letter to His MomBack in his dorm, Kyle opened his journal.
A blank page.
He began to write.
"Mama, I got exposed today. But not just the ugly parts. They saw the fighter. The kid you raised. The man I'm still becoming. I ain't hiding anymore. Not from the game. Not from love. Not from truth. I just hope you proud."
He folded the letter.
Slid it into the photo frame by his bed.
Then laid back.
Eyes open.
Ready for whatever came next.