All Chapters of Lost Love, High Stakes: Soccer King's Comeback: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

Ian Ziegler's bootlicking friends immediately slapped the table and burst into laughter."Whoa. He agreed to it. I can't believe it!""Well, I'll be damned! This broke ass bumpkin thinks he's got what it takes to make soccer bets. He probably doesn't even know what offside is!""Offside? Hah! Does he even watch soccer? Can he tell which goal even belongs to the team he's betting on?"Ian flicked the ash off his cigarette and blew a mouthful of smoke straight into my face. "What's the matter? Are you so broke that a Bentley is enough to make your eyes light up with greed?"He patted my girlfriend, Nina Foster, on the shoulder. "Nina here has been dating you for two years now. You're just going to dump her like that? Oh, man. I feel so sorry for her."I said nothing.Nina was wearing a white strappy dress today. She kept her head down the whole time, staring at her phone without even glancing at me once.Meanwhile, Ian picked up his lighter to light another cigarette. That was wh

Chapter 2

Ian crushed out his cigarette and clapped his hands together."The NWA Soccer League game is on at 10:00 pm, the Maran Leopards versus Brondale United," he declared with a grin. "Check the odds. Brondale United is giving half a goal. I'm betting on Brondale United."One of his lackeys checked the stats online and immediately started laughing. "Ian's got this in the bag. Brondale United is giving half a goal? That's basically free money.""Do you even know how to read the odds, Craig? Do you know what giving half a goal means? Don't end up losing the shirt off your back before being forced to lick Ian's shoes."Ian leaned back in his chair and let out a puff of smoke."That's enough," he said lazily. "Let him study the odds all he wants."The arrogant look in his eyes made it clear he was certain he'd win, and I knew why. It was the same hustle I'd pulled ten years ago, the oldest trick in the book.He had a satellite signal jammer, which let him intercept the match feed and rece

Chapter 3

30 minutes into the match, Brondale United abruptly launched a counterattack. Felix managed to pull off the perfect fake, pushing past the Maran Leopards' defenders to launch a volley from mid-air."Goal! It's a goal!"The atmosphere in the room instantly erupted, with Ian's lackeys waving their beer bottles around as they hollered in excitement."Ian's a god! You're screwed now, Craig!""Get ready to fall on your knees and lick Ian's shoes! Hahaha!"I smirked and said nothing.At the 53rd minute, Brondale United scored again. Ian's grin grew even cockier as he grabbed the keys to the Bentley from the table and spun them on his fingertip."See that, Craig? This is what you call real strength. Tell you what, as long as the Maran Leopards score a single goal, I'll let you hold the keys in your hands for just a minute. And if they score two goals, I'll let you take the car out for a spin."I glanced at him. "The match isn't over yet."Snorting, Ian cocked his head and eyed me. "S

Chapter 4

The match was still going.At the 73rd minute, Brondale United was still dominating possession of the ball. It was then that a message came in from Hugo."I've got an update, boss. It's just as you said—Maran Leopards' key players have been bought off. This is a fixed match. They intend to continue throwing in the second half."I sneered. It'd been five years, and Krell was still employing the same underhanded tricks.I swiftly sent a reply."Tell the Maran Leopards team I'll double whatever the other side is paying for them to play at their real level. Also, talk to Felix, Brondale United's forward striker. Tell him I'll cover his mom's surgery next week. He just needs to play for another ten minutes before finding an excuse to get off the field.""Got it," Hugo texted back.Ian leaned back in his chair and lit up a fresh cigarette, his expression smug as he watched the screen. He assumed that having access to the signal feed meant he had the upper hand when it came to knowing

Chapter 5

"Goal! The score is now 2-1!" the commentator shouted.Ian frowned. "Damn it! Lucky fluke for them.""Does this mean I get to hold the keys to the Bentley now, Ian?" I piped up nonchalantly.Scowling, Ian snapped, "What's the rush? They're still one point down. There's no way they can turn the game around!"The words had just barely left his mouth when the Maran Leopards' midfielder deftly passed the ball to his striker, who timed his run perfectly and kicked the ball straight into the net.It was now 2-2.Ian shot to his feet and yanked his phone out of his pocket in a panic, swiping at his screen as he exclaimed, "What the hell? How is that possible!"The match wasn't over yet.At the 87th minute, the Maran Leopards' winger once again broke through the right flank and sent the ball into the box. The striker came just in time to tap it in.It wasn't long before the referee's whistle sounded, and the game ended on a 3-2 comeback for the Maran Leopards.Silence fell over the p

Chapter 6

The match had barely kicked off before Ian started raising the stakes like a man possessed."Don't celebrate just yet, Craig! You only got lucky earlier. Let's bet on something more specific now. I bet 100 grand that the away team will score a goal within the first 15 minutes! You in or not?"I nodded. "I'm in."At the 12th minute, the home team's forward misplayed a back pass. The away striker intercepted the ball, burst into the box, and slotted the ball in from the far corner.However, the referee's whistle immediately rang out. Since the away striker had stepped offside, the goal wasn't counted.Ian shot to his feet. "What the fuck!"He had no idea the linesman had just received a message about a six-figure transfer to his account, in exchange for disallowing the goal.Ian started looking even more deranged. Yanking at his collar, he huffed angrily. "I bet 200 grand there won't be more than three corner kicks in the first half. Like hell I'll keep losing!""Sure," I respond

Chapter 7

Ian's pathetic and disgusting display made me snort."Stop dreaming, Ian. I was the one who did the work to earn the 1.2 million in the first place. You're using my money to settle what you owe me for the bets? Why didn't it cross your mind that we've been buddies since we were kids, when you only gave me 5,000 out of the 1.2 million, huh?"Why didn't you think about how we grew up together when you eagerly set your sights on my apartment? Are you an idiot, or do you think I am?"Ian's ingratiating smile froze. His terror and unwillingness to accept this situation finally drew out the worst side of him, an incorrigible gambler."Don't fucking push it, Craig! Fine. You want to take me down, huh? Let's go again! There's no way I'm going to keep losing. I still have money. I can take out more loans! I'll get the money to bet against you!"He grabbed his phone, his fingers shaking as he took out all the loans he could find."I haven't hit my credit limit yet! Here's 500 grand. And he

Chapter 8

Outside, the night breeze rolled over me, taking with it the smell of smoke and alcohol clinging to my clothes. I pressed the car remote, and the Bentley parked by the side of the road beeped.Once I got into the driver's seat, my phone buzzed with the latest news from Hugo."Boss, Krell was detained at the VIP lounge of Brondale Airport. They've found all the evidence they need to arrest him. He'll be spending the rest of his life behind bars.""Good," I texted back.Soon after that, Hugo sent me another message."You've shaken up the entire Northwest Aravian circuit with this one move, boss. All of our old buddies are still around. Everyone's talking about your return. Are you going to make a proper comeback?"I leaned into the leather seat, my fingers drumming against the steering wheel. Outside the car window, the city lights were still shining brightly.My mind went back to the top-floor presidential suite overlooking Sonora Bay, where I stayed five years ago. At the time,

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