Kai didn't trust Jerry one bit.
So when his old agent showed up after training, lurking by the players' entrance like a vulture waiting for a carcass, Kai's whole body tensed.
Jerry was all fake smiles and too-eager handshakes.
"Kai! How you doing Kid? Been a minute! Look, we gotta talk," he said, sliding into step beside Kai like they were old friends.
Kai kept walking, he wasn't even a bit interested in what Jerry had to say.
"You see the bids, right? Europe calling!" Jerry babbled. "But listen, Atlanta's ready to back the truck up for you, man. Double your salary. Make you a franchise player. Hero of the city. What do you say baby?"
Kai stopped cold.
Slowly turned to face him.
"You mean Robert's ready, right?" Kai said, voice quiet but sharp with a little smirk.
Jerry flinched like he'd been slapped. "Come on, Kai, think about it. Europe's risky! You're young, bro! You could flop! Here? You're safe. You're gold. The face of the league."
Kai stared him down, anger simmering just beneath the surface.
Safe?
There was nothing safe about being trapped.
"Tell Robert," Kai said, "that I'm not his puppet anymore."
He walked away, leaving Jerry standing alone, looking like a man who just realized his meal ticket was slipping through his fingers.
Sarah had found a temporary office downtown Atlanta. So when Kai went there for a visit, it felt like a different planet.
Quiet. Professional. Clean. No beer cans, no shouting, no chaos.
Just a space that felt… safe.
Sarah sat behind her desk, reading over a stack of papers when Kai walked in.
"You did good," she said without looking up. "I heard Jerry tried cornering you."
Kai slumped into a chair, rubbing his hands over his face.
"Feels like my whole life's a damn war zone," he muttered.
"That's because you're in the middle of a battle," Sarah said calmly. "But you're winning, Kai. You're winning."
Before Kai could respond, a new voice cut across the room.
"Mom! I'm stealing your coffee!"
A girl about Kai's age breezed in, grabbing a to-go cup from the side table. Long brown hair tied up in a messy bun, wearing ripped jeans and a vintage hoodie. There was something electric about her, a confidence Kai could feel across the room.
She froze when she saw him.
He froze too.
Madison Morgan.
Sarah's daughter.
Madison raised an eyebrow, a playful smile curling her lips.
"And who's this?" she asked, tossing a grin at her mother.
Sarah chuckled. "Madison, meet Kai Alexander. Star footballer. Pain in my ass. The good pain though."
Kai laughed awkwardly, standing up to shake her hand.
Her touch was warm. Her smile even warmer.
"Nice to meet you," Kai said, suddenly very aware of how sweaty his palms were.
"Likewise," Madison said, her eyes lingering a little longer than necessary.
Kai sat back down, heart thudding way harder than any match adrenaline.
"So, you're the Kai everyone's talking about," Madison said, sipping her coffee. "Europe, huh? Big stuff."
Kai shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Trying."
She laughed — a bright, genuine sound — and something inside Kai lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Trying?" she teased. "Sounds like you're already doing it."
Sarah shook her head with a smile. "Madison wants to be an actress. L.A. dreams. Big red carpets."
"Big paychecks too," Madison added cheekily. "Gotta match my mom's superstar client here."
Kai grinned, feeling lighter for the first time all week.
Maybe not all attention was bad.
Maybe some attention… he didn't mind at all.
The transfer saga heated up fast.
The bids kept climbing.
€7 million from PSG, no more add ons
€3 million from Dortmund, but they promised him immediate first-team minutes — not reserves, not loans.
€3 million from Ajax too, emphasizing their world-famous youth development.
Sarah fought like a lioness behind the scenes.
She lined up meetings with sporting directors. She negotiated guarantees: minimum game time, housing for Kai's mom and siblings if they moved, bonuses for Champions League appearances.
Kai didn't understand half the legal jargon.
But he trusted her.
For once, he trusted someone.
And every time he stepped into Sarah's office, Madison was usually around — sprawled on the couch, reading scripts, FaceTiming casting agents in L.A.
And every time, Kai found himself looking for excuses to hang around just a little longer.
Talking to her about nothing and everything.
Dreams. Pressure. Family.
She listened. She got it.
Not the football part — but the ambition part. The wanting more part.
One afternoon, after a long training session, Kai drove to Sarah's office, he found her sitting by the window, scrolling through audition notes.
"You nervous?" he asked, leaning against the wall.
She smiled at him, tucking some stray hair behind her ear.
"Terrified," she said. "But good terrified. You know?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah. I know."
Their eyes met and held.
The moment stretched — electric, heavy, but somehow soft too.
And for the first time since everything started, Kai didn't feel so alone.
Meanwhile, Robert seethed.
Every day another article.
Every day another rumor about how Kai was close to leaving.
Jerry had failed.
Robert knew it.
And Robert didn't like losing.
He slammed the newspaper down on the kitchen table, the twins flinching at the noise.
His mind raced.
He still had some leverage.
Still had ways of reminding Kai exactly who held the real power.
Money. Guilt. Family.
Kai wasn't leaving.
Not yet.
Robert would make damn sure of that.