On the court, Nova Capital dominated with a commanding lead of 27 to 9 against BM Capital. Out of Nova's 27 points, Aiden Thompson had scored a staggering 18. Initially, it was his striking looks that drew everyone's attention, but it didn't take long for his stellar skills to win over every single spectator.
Next to Grace Li, Olivia's voice was hoarse from cheering. "Aiden! Let's go! Aiden! You've got this!"
On the court, beads of sweat glistened on Aiden's forehead as he skillfully dribbled the ball, dashing toward the hoop. Just as he prepared to leap for a shot, someone suddenly lunged out of nowhere, swatting at the ball in his hands. The ball slipped from his grip, and the unexpected collision nearly sent him tumbling. Aiden steadied himself, his sharp glare locking onto the offender—John Lewis.
The referee immediately blew the whistle, signaling a foul for charging. Aiden huffed, blowing his bangs out of his face as he fixed John with a warning look that spoke louder than words.
John raised an eyebrow, a smug, defiant smirk plastered across his face.
The game resumed, growing more intense with every second. Dribbling the ball, Aiden found himself face-to-face with John Lewis. With a quick fake to the right, he baited John into lunging that way. The moment John realized he'd been duped, Aiden sold another fake pass forward. John, now on high alert, jumped to block it, only to find himself fooled again. Aiden unleashed a string of deceptive moves, each one leaving John scrambling like a confused puppy. The crowd roared with laughter, some nearly doubled over in their seats.
John's face flushed crimson with embarrassment. Enraged, he charged at Aiden like a bull seeing red. Aiden, unfazed, smoothly executed a between-the-legs dribble, spun around, and passed the ball to a teammate. John lunged—and missed—yet again.
Olivia laughed so hard she could barely catch her breath. "Oh my god, Aiden is unstoppable! He's totally clowning this guy!"
But John wasn't one to let things slide. His pride in tatters, he clung to Aiden like a shadow, dogging his every move. Wherever Aiden went, John was right there, arms outstretched, crouched low in an exaggerated defensive stance. His ridiculous antics drew more laughter from the crowd.
Aiden stayed cool, gliding across the court with ease. When the moment came, he spotted an opening in John's defense and slipped past him like a breeze, sprinting toward the hoop. On the other side of the court, a BM player attempted a shot. The ball spun on the rim, teetered for a second, and then rolled off the edge.
Aiden seized the opportunity, leaping up to grab the rebound. At the same time, John lunged into the air, desperate to intercept.
Aiden's hands reached the ball first. As he came down, he swung his elbow out, making contact with John in midair. The impact sent John off balance, and he landed with a loud, heavy thud, his body sprawled awkwardly on the hardwood. Aiden hit the ground too, skidding to a stop as the crowd gasped in unison.
The referee's whistle blew again as both players lay on the floor, groaning in pain. The game came to an abrupt halt, and the team medics rushed onto the court. They knelt by Aiden and John, quickly assessing their conditions, asking about pain levels and injuries. After a tense moment, the medics gestured that both players would need further attention but were okay for now.
In the stands, Grace Li's heart clenched. Her gaze locked onto Aiden, who was clutching his leg as he lay on the court. Without thinking, she shot to her feet and made her way toward the court, her pulse racing.
On the floor, both players were still down, visibly in pain, as the medics continued their checks. The game was temporarily put on hold, with the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.
On the court, John Lewis grimaced and pointed accusingly at Aiden Thompson, shouting, "He slammed into me! He did it on purpose!"
Aiden, clutching his leg with a pained expression, retorted, "Be reasonable, man. I got the rebound first—you ran into me."
"You... you're flipping the script! Unbelievable!"
James Shun rushed over, panting. "John, you're both hurt. Can we drop the blame game already?"
Grace Li walked straight onto the court, ignoring the stares, and knelt beside Aiden. She helped him sit up, concern evident in her voice. "Are you okay?"
Aiden winced as he inhaled sharply. "My ankle... it hurts. Feels like I twisted it."
Olivia hurried over, practically tripping over herself. "Aiden, we should get you to the hospital, just to be safe."
"Yeah, okay."
Grace grabbed a bag containing Aiden's clothes, crouched down, and pulled out his jacket, carefully draping it over his shoulders. She then helped him to his feet, supporting his weight as he stood gingerly.
"Can you walk?"
"I think so."
At that moment, Scarlet Harris appeared, rushing to his side. "Aiden, are you seriously hurt?"
"I'll be fine," Aiden replied, his tone calm.
Scarlet scanned him, her worry evident. "Maybe I should take you to the hospital?"
Aiden glanced at Grace before responding, "No need. Grace can take me."
Scarlet's face fell ever so slightly, disappointment flickering in her eyes. "Alright, then. Feel better."
Grace steadied Aiden as they hobbled toward the parking lot. Olivia followed closely behind, carrying Aiden's bag and Grace's purse.
Ryan and Mike came over to meet them. "Need a hand?" Ryan asked.
Grace shook her head. "No, stay here. It'd look bad if you all left."
Ryan glanced toward the court and noticed John Lewis still sitting on the floor, looking worse for wear. "Think the game will continue?"
"There are substitutes," Grace said. "It should. Just stay and play your part."
"Got it."
At the car, Grace helped Aiden into the backseat, then noticed Olivia climbing into the front passenger seat.
"Olivia," Aiden said, "you don't have to come. Grace can handle this."
"But I can help with check-in, prescriptions, whatever," Olivia protested.
Aiden gave her a reassuring look. "It's fine. I'm not that hurt. Grace is enough."
Reluctantly, Olivia got out of the car, but not before Aiden added, "If anyone asks, just say it's a ligament strain. If word gets out that I faked it, I'll be roasted. But honestly, teaching John Lewis a lesson was worth it."
Olivia smirked and nodded. "Got it."
Grace started the car and drove out of the lot, heading in the direction of the hospital. In the backseat, Aiden leaned back, his pained expression fading into a laid-back grin.
"Grace, take me to a mall instead. I want to change out of this."
"Hospital first," she said firmly. She noticed the chill in the car and turned on the heat. "Are you cold? I just switched on the heater—it'll warm up soon."
"I don't need the hospital."
"Humor me," she insisted. "I'd feel better."
Aiden chuckled softly. "I'm not hurt."
"Huh?" Grace pulled over to the side of the road, putting the car in park. She turned to look at him, her gaze dropping to his leg. Aside from a light scrape on his knee, there wasn't much to see. "What about the ligament strain?"
Leaning back with his coat draped over him, Aiden folded his arms casually. "Fake. All of it."
"You—" Grace blinked, realization dawning on her. "So, you really did knock John Lewis on purpose?"
"Yup." He didn't even flinch at the admission. "He was asking for it."
Grace stared at him, incredulous. "I thought you were one of the good guys."
"Oh?" Aiden raised an eyebrow, his smirk playful. "Disappointed?"
"Honestly... John Lewis is a jerk. He deserved it."
"Then do you think I was right or wrong?"
Grace hesitated, thinking of all the times John Lewis had humiliated her just because she turned him down. Watching him get outplayed on the court had been deeply satisfying.
"You did good. Just don't make a habit of it," she said, her tone firm. "He's such a petty dude. You mess with him now, and he'll come after you later."
Aiden grinned. "Let him try. I've been looking for an excuse to take him down for real."
Grace frowned. "I just told you not to provoke him. Can't you listen for once?"
Seeing her genuine concern, Aiden softened. "Alright, alright. I'll let it go. Happy?"
Grace checked the time on her watch—it was only 4:10 PM. There was still plenty of daylight left. "If you're not going to the hospital, where to next?"
Aiden stretched leisurely. "I've got nowhere in mind. Wherever you want to go."
Grace shot him a teasing look. "How about I sell you off? Deal?"
"Sure," he replied with a lazy grin. "Just make sure I go for a good price."
"How much qualifies as 'good'?" she asked, playing along.
"Ten figures, minimum. No cap."
Grace laughed. "Perfect. One big score, and I can retire for life."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."