Chapter 55

“Boston’s Hockey Princess: Having It All or Having a Breakdown?”

Emma stared at the magazine headline displayed prominently at the airport newsstand, her blood pressure rising with each inflammatory line of the subtitle: “Emma Mitchell-Volkov’s juggling act between boardroom and nursery raises questions about women in sports leadership.”

“Don’t read it,” Alek advised, steering her away from the newsstand. “Lisa warned us it was coming.”

“Too late,” Emma muttered, fishing coins from her purse. “I need to know what they’re saying.”

The article, when she skimmed it during their flight to the league owners’ meeting, proved even worse than the headline suggested. Anonymous sources—clearly other owners’ wives—questioned whether Emma could effectively lead a franchise while caring for two infants. The piece dissected everything from her maternity leave duration to her decision to bring babies to the Seattle hospital visit with Jack.

“‘Sources close to the orga