Chapter 18 - The Twist in the BlueprintThree weeks later, back in New York City, the media storm had finally settled into a quiet hum of late-summer tranquility. The corporate trial of Marcus Vance was set for early autumn, and Rachel had officially accepted a high-level advisory position with a federal financial oversight commission, operating out of a bright, modern office overlooking Manhattan.
I was back in training camp, putting in grueling hours on the practice field, but my mind was no longer divided. Every weekend meant flying back to the city to meet Rachel in our new apartment—a stunning brownstone in Brooklyn with exposed brick walls and a sprawling rooftop garden.
On a warm Friday evening, I was standing in the kitchen unpacking grocery bags when my phone buzzed on the counter.
It was a text message from Amanda, who was currently vacationing in Italy.
Amanda: “Hey big guy! Just checking in. How’s cohabitating with my best friend treating you? Did you remember to thank me for the best matchmaking setup in human history?”
I chuckled, shaking my head as I typed back a reply.
Tyler: “Still convinced you're a chaotic sociopath for giving me the wrong room key, but I’ll admit it worked out.”
Amanda: “Wrong room key? Oh, Tyler... you sweet, innocent child. You still actually believe that was an accident?”
I stopped typing. My fingers hovered over the screen, a cold realization suddenly dawning across my brain like lightning.
Tyler: “What are you talking about, Amanda?”
Three little dots danced on the screen for an agonizingly long time.
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Amanda: “Rach had been crushing on you for two years, but you were both too stubborn to make a move. She asked me to get two adjacent rooms at the Grand Horizon, and she specifically begged me to ‘accidentally’ hand you the key card to her room at check-in so you’d be forced to talk to her.”
I stared at the screen, my jaw dropping open in utter disbelief.
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