LOGINDaniel's POVFor the first time in years… I believed he meant it. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my lips."If you really missed me," I said quietly, "you would've come over to my training ground and apologized to me."Dad's shoulders stiffened, but no one replied."I kept thinking one of you would show up at the apartment I live in, knock on my door, or even come over to the ice to beg." I laughed softly, but there wasn't a trace of humor in it. "Instead, all I got was the occasional voice notes and funny calls."Father lowered his head. "We wanted to give you space," he murmured."I didn't need space." My voice cracked despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "I needed my parents. I needed a family."The room fell deathly silent. Even Mia stopped fidgeting.Dad rubbed both hands over his face before letting out a long sigh. "I failed you," he admitted."No..." Father corrected quietly. "We failed you."Neither of them tried to defend themselves. Neither of them blamed work.
Daniel's POV“A week?”The words left my mouth before I even realized I had spoken. They echoed through the empty meeting room as I shot to my feet so quickly that the chair scraped loudly against the floor.“A whole week?” I repeated, staring at Ethan as though he had just told me Carl was never coming back. “You expect me to wait seven days without knowing whether he's even alive?”Ethan slipped his phone into his pocket and let out a slow breath. The conversation with Kane had clearly exhausted him too.“I just got off the phone with him,” he said calmly. “Carl is in Tokyo, Japan with his grandfather. Kane thinks bringing him back immediately would only make things worse. We have to give him time.”I laughed bitterly. “Time?”The word tasted disgusting.“Kane wants time because it's convenient for him.” I folded my arms across my chest, trying to ignore the ache that had settled behind my eyes after two sleepless nights. “He's never liked Carl dating me. This is exactly the kind of
Kane Hau Alexander's POVThe call ended, but I kept staring at my phone long after the screen went black.Carl had disappeared. No, he had vanished without leaving a single trace behind.That alone was enough to tell me something was terribly wrong.Carl was irresponsible when it came to replying to messages, but he never ignored important calls. He especially would not disappear after promising to meet me. He hated making people worry. If Daniel had spent days calling him without getting an answer, then Carl was not choosing to stay silent. He could not answer.I immediately dialed his number.The number you have dialed is not available.I frowned and called again. But it was the same response. Someone had removed his number from the network. That was not something ordinary people could do.I stood up from my office chair so abruptly that it rolled backward and crashed into the bookshelf.“What happened, boss?” one of my secretaries asked from outside.“Cancel every appointment I hav
Daniel's POVIt had been two days since Carl left, and I still could not get through to him. At first, I thought his trip to Las Vegas was simply taking longer than expected. I tried to stay calm, telling myself he was probably caught up in meetings or family stuff. But after chatting with a friend who worked at the airport and confirming that Carl had left two days ago, my heart started racing.Is he alright? Is he in trouble? Has he changed his mind and decided to switch back to Team America? Is he mad at me for getting jealous? Is he avoiding me or has he fallen in love with someone else?My mind was spiraling with different thoughts. I could not eat. I could not sleep. His mansion felt lonely and cold without him in it. Every room reminded me of him. I kept checking my phone every few minutes, hoping for a message or a call that never came.“Why do you look so terrible? Are you alright?” Ethan asked me after our usual training.I sighed and slumped into the couch in the meeting ro
Carl Kōnoshima Akihiko's POVI left Toronto late in the afternoon. I should have left in the morning, but other things kept coming up. Meetings. Practice. The quiet tension that had been sitting between Daniel and me since the night before.My grandfather had called me the day before. He said he was in Las Vegas for a business meeting and wanted to see me before he left. I was reluctant at first. The last thing I wanted was another lecture about duty and legacy. But I still had not confronted him about what Kane told me, and this felt like the right moment to set things straight.I did not tell Daniel. I knew he would advise me against it. He would also worry, and I did not want to add to the weight he was already carrying. Besides, that morning, he had left the house early, slipping out before I even woke up. He was still upset about my trip and Harry. I left a note on the kitchen counter and hoped he would understand when I got back.The flight took a few hours. When I landed in Las
Carl Kōnoshima Akihiko's POVWas that rude?I honestly couldn't tell anymore.I wasn't trying to insult Ethan. I just couldn't stop thinking about his parents. After spending only a single day around them, I had come to one conclusion: if they ever had the opportunity, they would gladly poison his food with a smile on their faces.Ethan blinked at me in confusion.“What do you mean?” he asked. “You don't like home-cooked meals?”“No. That's not it.” I lowered my voice and leaned closer. “I just think you should be careful. From what I've seen, parents aren't exactly the most trustworthy people.”Daniel immediately elbowed me in the ribs.“The hell are you talking about?” he muttered.Ethan studied my face for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.“You've met my parents, haven't you?” he asked between laughs.There wasn't even a hint of anger in his voice. If anything, he sounded amused.I scratched the back of my head. “They are really famous, aren't they?”Still smiling, Ethan
Ethan Oliver Harrison's POVYou're probably wondering how I escaped when James asked where I spent the night. Well, I lied. I told him that I was in the doctor's office for leg cramps and insomnia. To make my argument more convincing, I showed him the wound I got on my thighs from my father's recen
Kane Hau's POV“Ethan Oliver Harrison.” That name rolls smoothly off my lips. It has been in my mind for years, distracting me and occupying my thoughts.As he kissed me, I could taste his innocence, and it brought a smile to my face. “Finally, I’m savoring my innermost desire.” I giggled between ou
Ethan Oliver Harrison's POVI barely had time to breathe before one of the United States's players hit me with his thick shoulder, causing me to stumble. We were halfway through the match, but my body already felt like I had run a marathon. I had been targeted by my opponents over five times, and br
Ethan Oliver Harrison’s POVIf reluctance were a person, it would be me. I checked the hallway three separate times before slipping out, praying none of my teammates noticed me leaving. Everyone else was warming up: stretching, laughing nervously, trying to shake off the pressure. Ten minutes until







