Chapter 82 Questions....

Chapter 82 Questions....
Adrian’s POV

Screams of joy tore through the air as I led my team alongside Clarence — our coach — onto the field. The front-row bleachers were alive with girls wearing vests emblazoned with my name.

Across the turf, the Frost Boars were already lined up, their energy palpable.

My eyes locked on Ethan. His gaze was already fixed on me, sharp and unyielding.

“It’s a thrilling moment,” Ron Smith, the brown-haired commentator, announced. “Two of the hottest players — Adrian and Ethan — facing off tonight.”

Abigail Hastenings laughed. “If I were still in high school, I’d be running across that field just to hug Adrian.”

The whistle blew. Kickoff. I caught the ball cleanly as quarterback, hurling it toward Frederick, our running back. The stadium roared.

A quarter later, Ron’s voice cut through the frenzy: “Still no sign of Leo Miller. How are the Rangers coping without him? We hope he joins soon.”
Abigail chimed in, “The Rangers lead 2–1, but how long can they hold it?”

Sweat beaded across my brow. My eyes flicked to Clarence at the coach’s station — restless, dissatisfied.

Another kickoff. The Frost Boars carried the ball. Hank charged at Ethan, fierce and unrelenting, until a Boars player shoved him brutally aside.

My eyes narrowed at the referee.

“Whoa, that’s terrible,” Ron exclaimed. “Will the Boars get a warning?”

But no whistle came. Anger surged in my throat. Ethan smirked at me as his team scored again.

“And there we have it,” Abigail’s voice rang out. “A beautiful score from the meanest quarterback himself — Ethan Brown.”

Another tackle. Still no call.

“Are we going to ignore the fact that the referee favors the Frost Boars?” I yanked off my helmet, stalking toward Clarence as the break was called.

“I agree,” Hank muttered.
“If we don’t act, they’ll stay brutes till the end,” Thomas added.

“Coach?” I pressed, hoping he’d seen what I had.

Clarence’s eyes burned. “Their defense is weak, Adrian. That’s why they play dirty. All lights, all favor — it’s on you. And to you all,” He turned to Hank and to the rest of the defence, “Sharpen your defence.”

I nodded, jaw tight.

Break over. Two minutes gone. We returned to the field as the Frost Boars’ punter kicked off.

Inez’s POV

Still no call, no text from Irene — and thirty minutes had already slipped by. I lowered my phone, frustration gnawing at me. When I looked up, Ethan’s eyes were on me from across the field.

My heart jumped.

How had he even seen me?

I was tucked into the third row. Irene always loved sitting closer, right at the edge of the action.

The fierce clash between the teams had my skin prickling with heat. Then Adrian’s gaze caught mine — right after Ethan’s did.

The rest of the game felt less like football and more like a duel, the two of them battling under the guise of sport.
The Rangers were ahead, 6–3 against the Frost Boars. My heart hammered like the sound of thunder rumbling. My stomach coiling tightly.

Seconds later, Ron Smith’s voice rang out: “Oh no! That’s a bad one for Frederick! Let’s hope he’s alright.”

The crowd winced as Frederick hit the ground hard, clutching his shin in agony. The referee’s whistle finally blew.

I shot to my feet just as Adrian ripped off his helmet and stormed toward Ethan. He shoved his hands into Ethan’s chest, fury radiating from him.
Their voices were drowned out by the roar of the spectators and the commentators’ frantic shouts.

The big screen replayed the moment in slow motion.

A fight had broken out — Rangers against Frost Boars.

“Is this how it’s going to end?” Abigail’s voice trembled through the speakers.

Leo’s POV

Higgins stepped closer, brows arched in shock. “What are you doing here, Raina?”

He shot Golden Hand an apologetic glance.

“Higgins Mars,” Golden Hand scoffed, smoke curling from his lips. “You do a lot, don’t you?”

“I—I didn’t…” Higgins stuttered, words collapsing before they could form.

I forced myself to stand, though my legs trembled. Irene’s gaze clung to me, refusing to look away. My heart thudded painfully. What was she thinking, seeing me like this?

“It isn’t Higgins’ fault, Mister P,” the dark-haired girl beside Irene spoke, stepping forward.

“My name is Raina. I’m Higgins’ sister. And this girl—” she pointed at Irene, “—is a sister to Higgins’ friend.”

Irene’s eyes widened. Her lips parted, her hand twitched as if to reach for me, but she froze when Raina dragged her before Golden Hand.

The air thickened with tension. Golden Hand closed the distance, his presence suffocating.

“Higgins, you’re going overboard. Your lack of boundaries grows thin,” he said coldly.

Higgins dropped to one knee, voice shaking. “This is a mistake. I had no idea I was being stalked by my… sister. I’m sorry—it won’t happen again.” His eyes darted to Raina.

Raina shrugged, flicking her gaze toward Irene. She didn’t look afraid at all. Standing before one of Sundale’s most notorious gangs, she carried herself with unsettling calm.

Golden Hand turned to me. “Is this your sister?”

My gaze shifted to Irene. If I denied it, she could be harmed. If I admitted it, maybe she’d be spared. Irene’s subtle glance told me what she wanted — play along.

“She is my sister,” I said firmly.

Golden Hand’s eyes slid to Irene. He raised a hand, stroking her cheek.

Irene flinched, her jaw tightening. “Get your hand off me,” she snapped, voice sharp but trembling at the edges. Her fists clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms.
“Oh, feisty,” Golden Hand smirked, lips curling into a smile.

Irene’s eyes blazed. “You think you can scare me? You’re nothing but a coward hiding behind your gang.” Her voice cracked, but the defiance in it rang clear.

My stomach churned. My fists clenched. If he touched her again, I swore I’d hurt him — even if it was the last thing I did.

Golden Hand turned to Raina, who pressed her lips together before snapping her gaze away. He paused, then spoke:

“You are all free to go. This is not a family gathering.” His eyes flicked to Higgins, who lowered his head in shame.

Golden Hand walked away, but stopped when he reached me. “Your phone stays with me. Once you’ve thought it over, come to Sundale yourself. Meet me. Higgins will tell you how.”

Higgins again?

How will that happen when he had my phone in his possession?

Does he make a mockery of me?

“Just like he did to day?” I raised my head up.

Golden Hand sudied me as he smoked. “Higgins came to me too late. Good thing, I was in good spirits then. So, we had to make it look that way before we snooped in to rescue me.”

My eyes widened.

I didn’t understand the reason why he wanted me to join his gang but to ask that of him out rightly would make Irene begin to connect the dots.

He slowly cast one last glance at Irene, his lips stretching into an absurd smile.

Hell. I hated the way he looked at her. Irene’s chin lifted, her glare unyielding, even as her breath came fast. She wasn’t broken — she was daring him to try again.

Could he possibly like her? No. “Like” was too simple. Whatever it was, coiling like a seed of anger and spread into every area of my body. It unsettled me to the core.

“You have a game to catch up to. I’ll be seeing you again, Leo. Do not disappoint me,” Golden Hand said before he walked away.