Chapter 98

POV NOAH

I walked into the locker room with my body still buzzing.

Sweaty.

Breathless.

My heart was racing as if I were still running on the field.

The roar of the crowd kept echoing in my head, like a distant thunder that refused to fade. Every shout, every chant… still pulsed in my ears.

The first half had been perfect.

Too perfect.

I sat down on the bench, leaning forward, resting my elbows on my legs as I wiped my face with a towel. Sweat ran down the back of my neck, down my back… but it wasn’t just physical effort.

It was adrenaline.

It was emotion.

It was everything at once.

Around me, the locker room was alive.

Some players were celebrating, laughing loudly, still electric.

Others sat in silence, breathing deeply, trying to slow their bodies and minds.

The energy was intense.

Confident.

Almost tangible.

The door burst open.

The coach walked in, clapping his hands.

“Very good! Very good!” his voice echoed through the room.

Some players responded with excitement.

Others just nodded.

But everyone was paying attention.

“But it’s not over yet!” he continued, his tone shifting instantly. “They’re coming back strong.”

Silence fell.

“We need to keep the intensity. No relaxing. No mistakes.”

He started pacing back and forth.

Talking.

Pointing.

Adjusting.

“Higher line… faster marking… don’t give them any space…”

I listened.

But at the same time…

My mind drifted.

Isabela.

The image of her on the sideline.

That subtle smile.

“Good luck.”

My chest tightened.

The coach stopped in front of me.

“Noah.”

I looked up immediately.

“You’re on fire today.”

Some teammates lightly tapped my shoulder.

“Keep it up…” he said firmly. “Today could be the game that changes your life.”

My heart pounded harder.

I knew.

This wasn’t just another game.

It was the game.

The one that could open doors.

Change contracts.

Change my career.

Change everything.

But in that moment…

Only one thing mattered.

Her.

“Let’s finish this in the second half,” he concluded.

Fifteen minutes.

That was all we had.

I drank some water.

I felt the cold liquid slide down my throat.

Took a deep breath.

Stretched.

I tried to clear my mind.

But I couldn’t.

Because deep down…

All I wanted was to go back out there.

Back to where she was.

We walked up the tunnel again.

The roar of the crowd came back in full force.

Louder.

More intense.

More overwhelming.

The adrenaline surged again.

We stepped onto the field.

And instantly…

I looked for her.

My eyes scanned the sideline.

Reporters.

Cameras.

Staff.

And then…

My stomach dropped.

No.

I looked again.

Faster.

More desperate.

Nothing.

I frowned.

Where is she?

My heart started racing differently.

It wasn’t adrenaline anymore.

It was a worry.

And then I saw him.

The cameraman.

The same guy who was always by her side.

But…

It wasn’t Isabela.

It was another reporter.

One I had never seen before.

The world seemed to tilt.

What…?

That didn’t make sense.

She wouldn’t leave.

Not like that.

Not during a final.

Not without a reason.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The referee’s whistle cut through my thoughts.

The game resumed.

But my head…

Wasn’t there.

I missed a pass.

Simple.

Ridiculously simple.

Something I never did.

“Noah!” I heard the coach shout from the sideline.

I ran a hand over my face, irritated.

Tried to focus.

But my eyes…

Kept going back.

To that space.

To the place where she should have been.

Where are you, Isabela?

My chest tightened more and more.

I missed another pass.

“Focus, Noah, damn it!” the coach shouted, more irritated now. “You’re distracted!”

I knew.

And that only made it worse.

I took a deep breath.

Forcing the air in.

Forcing my mind back.

But then…

Their goal.

The stadium reacted instantly.

A mix of shouts.

Tension.

Shock.

3–1.

I cursed under my breath, running a hand through my hair.

That couldn’t happen.

Not now.

Not like this.

I closed my eyes for a second.

Focus.

Focus, damn it.

You need to play.

You need to finish this.

With effort…

With anger…

With everything I still had left inside me…

I came back.

I recovered the ball in midfield.

Pushed forward.

Dribbled one.

Two.

Shot.

Goal.

4–1.

The stadium exploded again.

But I…

Didn’t celebrate.

Didn’t smile.

Didn’t run.

I just raised my hand.

Cold.

Distant.

Because my mind…

Was still on her.

The game ended shortly after.

The final whistle echoed.

Over.

Victory.

The stadium turned into a chaos of celebration.

Teammates came up to me.

Hugs.

Shouts.

Euphoria.

But everything felt distant.

Muffled.

Unreal.

“Noah!” someone from marketing appeared beside me. “You’re doing the interview.”

I shook my head.

“Later.”

I didn’t even wait for a response.

I started walking fast.

I need to know.

I need to find her.

I need to understand what happened.

That’s when someone stepped in front of me.

My father.

My whole body went rigid.

“Aren’t you going to celebrate with your teammates?” he asked, as if nothing had happened.

As if he hadn’t destroyed everything.

I ignored him.

Tried to walk past.

He stepped in front of me again.

Blocking my way.

“Not happy?”

My jaw clenched.

“Get out of my way.”

But he didn’t move.

“What’s the rush?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. “Looking for Isabela?”

My blood boiled.

I swallowed the anger.

“That’s none of your business.”

He watched me.

Too calm.

Too cold.

“I saw when she got a call…” he said casually.

My heart raced.

“She ran off.”

The world seemed to stop for a second.

“What?”

“She looked nervous.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Something happened.

Something big.

I tried to get past him.

But he grabbed my arm.

My entire body stiffened.

“Going after her?” he asked. “Going to ignore the team? The press?”

I yanked my arm free.

“Fuck it.”

And I left.

Running.

Without looking back.

Without listening to anyone.

Without caring about anything.

I entered the locker room.

Grabbed my bag.

My hands were still shaking.

I need to leave.

Now.

The door opened.

Erick walked in.

“I’m not in the mood to talk…” I said directly. “I’m not going up to celebrate right now.”

He didn’t answer immediately.

He just looked at me.

Serious.

Heavy.

“I’m not here for that.”

My chest tightened.

He took out his phone.

Turned the screen toward me.

And showed me.

My world stopped.

On the screen…

Photos.

Me.

And Isabela.

Entering the hotel.

Leaving.

Too close.

Too intimate.

Too exposed.

And the headline:

“Married reporter involved in extramarital affair with football star Noah Cooper”

My breathing faltered.

The blood froze in my veins.

The noise of the world disappeared.

And in that moment…

I understood.

What had happened to her.

And worse…

I understood that this…

Was going to destroy everything.