Chapter 5

Hannah Vance POV

On the day of the end-of-season group photo, the sun was bright, and the steps outside the training arena were packed with people.

The photographer had to shout for ages before everyone finally got into position—the front row crouching, the back row standing. Liam was pushed to the center, while I stood on the outermost edge, half my body cut outside the frame.

Once the photos were taken, the crowd swarmed Liam playfully, clamoring for the wristband on his arm as a keepsake, saying they wanted a souvenir since they wouldn't see him next season.

Liam swept his gaze over the group, his eyes ultimately landing on me.

He walked over and extended the black wristband he usually wore.

"For you," he said. "I promised you at the start of the season that I'd give this to you."

The surroundings fell dead silent.

Someone gasped softly, someone threw a look my way, and everyone's eyes darted back and forth between Chloe Vance and me.

Standing at the edge of the crowd, the smile on Chloe's face froze solid.

I looked at the wristband, keeping my hands at my sides.

Before I could say anything, Chloe Vance spoke first.

"Hannah," she called out, walking over with a sweet smile, "did you forget? You made a bet with me last week, claiming you could beat me by two tiers in this assessment, and that if you lost, you'd pick up a hundred balls."

"You lost and you still won't admit it. How do you have the nerve to accept Liam's wristband?"

Someone in the crowd let out an "Ooh," and the murmurs started.

I glanced at Chloe Vance and didn't argue.

I knew arguing was pointless. When Chloe spoke, the whole team believed her; when I spoke, everyone ignored me.

I reached out, took the wristband, glanced at it, and handed it back to Liam Sterling.

"I don't want it," I said.

Liam frowned. Before he could say anything, a male teammate beside him snatched the wristband, shouting, "If you don't want it, give it to me!"

Another guy, sharp-eyed, spotted a brooch pinned to my bag and reached out, ripping it off.

"What's this?" He held up the brooch to inspect it. "Looks pretty fancy."

That was my mother's brooch. I had kept it pinned to my bag for years, never once taking it off.

"Give it back," I said, my voice not loud, but clear.

The guy laughed, tossed the brooch in the air, and caught it. He exchanged a glance with the teammate who took the wristband, and the two walked toward the long-jump sand pit by the courts.

I went after them, but another teammate blocked my way. Crossing his arms, he grinned as he stood in front of me, telling me to chill and just let them have some fun.

I pushed him aside. It wasn't hard, but he hadn't expected me to push him, so he stumbled a step.

By the time I reached the long-jump sand pit, the wristband and the brooch had already been buried in the sand. The guy even stomped on top, grinding his heel into it twice to pack it down tight.

"Go ahead, look for it," he said, dusting off his hands with a smirk. "Find it, and it's yours."

Everyone around us laughed. The laughter was loud, echoing near the entrance of the training hall.

Some whipped out their phones to film, some whistled, and others yelled, "Hurry up and dig, Hannah!"

Chloe Vance stood behind the crowd, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. She didn't say a word, casually twirling the ends of her hair around her finger.

I stood by the edge of the long-jump sand pit, staring at the flattened patch of sand, unmoving.

The sun beat down on my face. With my eyes downcast, my fingers curled slightly, then uncurled.

Liam Sterling was there, too.

He stood on the steps, watching it all unfold.

Someone turned to look at him, waiting for him to speak. But he just stood there, his lips parting slightly, only to say nothing in the end.

His hand was still frozen in the posture of offering the wristband, before he slowly lowered it.

I didn't take the wristband, but my brooch was lost.

Paywall Cliffhanger