The final whistle blew and the stadium erupted. Deafening cheers. Frenzied stomping. The scoreboard lit up like fireworks—Victory.
But Xavier didn't soak it in.
Didn't wait for the handshakes, the cheers, or the coach's praise.
He was already running.
His shoes pounded against the court, slicing through the confetti of noise and bodies. His eyes locked on her.
Kamsi.
She stood at the edge of the bleachers, face flushed, lips parted in disbelief. His heart roared louder than the crowd as he reached her, grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her into him—
One hand cupping her cheek, the other gripping her back.
He kissed her.
Not like it was planned. Not like it was perfect.
But like he couldn't not do it.
Time stilled. The crowd blurred. The world paused—for just a heartbeat.
Then—
"Kamsi!"
Her mother's voice cut through the magic like a blade.
Xavier barely had time to pull back before Kamsi froze, stiff as stone, eyes widening in horror. Her mother stormed down the steps, lips tight with fury.
"Let's go."
"Mum—" Kamsi began, but her voice cracked under the weight of shame, shock, and the twenty stares she now felt burning into her skin.
Mrs. Chibuike didn't wait for excuses. She grabbed her daughter's wrist, dragging her away without a backward glance.
Kamsi looked back just once.
Eyes wide. Mouth trembling. Silent.
And then she was gone— swallowed by the crowd, her mother's rage, and the confusion flooding her own chest.
Xavier's body moved instinctively, one foot forward to chase her—
"Xavier! Xavier!"
He barely noticed the circle forming around him—teammates slapping his back, cheerleaders screaming his name, his jersey being tugged in every direction. His name echoed across the stadium in a rhythmic chant:
"Xavier! Xavier! Xavier!"
But the moment felt oddly distant, like he was watching it from outside his body.
On the sidelines, Mister Alister stood with an expression Xavier hadn't seen in a long time—genuine pride. The lines on his face softened as he watched his son soak in the glory, and for once, Xavier wasn't just a name in a business ledger. He was his son.
"Come on, Dad!" Jade tugged at her father's arm, her face alight with excitement. "Let's go congratulate him!" Her voice rang clear, slicing through the crowd's roar like a bell. Her grip on his sleeve was almost tender—an odd sight from the normally sassy teenager.
Mister Alister chuckled, letting himself be pulled forward, his gaze still locked on Xavier. "Never seen you so carefree, Jade," he remarked, his voice laced with amusement.
Jade grinned. "I'm carefree with people I care about."
As Xavier peeled away from the crowd, his eyes caught sight of Ruby darting through the mass, Mrs. Heart on her heels. Ruby's grin was wide, arms already reaching out.
"You killed it, bro!" one of his teammates roared, slapping his back.
Ruby jumped in before Xavier could respond. "Did you see their faces when you made that last shot? They looked like they'd seen a ghost!" Her voice bubbled with mischief, her competitive side fully unleashed. Mrs. Heart gave a half-hearted chuckle, nudging Ruby gently.
"Let's not rub it in too much," she said, though her smile betrayed her pride.
"But where's the fun in that?" Ruby pouted, flashing a cheeky grin.
Xavier laughed under his breath, reaching down to ruffle her curls. "You're such a menace."
The energy shifted as Mister Alister and Jade arrived. The chatter dimmed in Xavier's ears. He straightened instinctively, not out of nervousness—just habit. The way a son braces himself in front of a father he once craved approval from.
"Nice game, son," Mister Alister said. His voice was low, but firm. Proud. The shoulder pat that followed was brief and a little awkward—yet it hit like a jolt. For a split second, Xavier was eight years old again, standing in the rain, waiting for a man who never showed. And now he's here. It wasn't forgiveness, but it was... something.
"Thanks," Xavier replied casually, keeping his voice even. "Thought you had a business meeting?"
Mister Alister gave a wry smile. "My assistant and wife took care of it."
Xavier nodded. That was a first.
"Congrats, bro!" Jade beamed, eyes glittering with pride. "You were amazing out there," she said breathlessly, then added with a laugh, "So I can finally stop being anxious now—as your biggest fan."
Ruby froze mid-smile, folding her arms. "Biggest fan?" she echoed, arching a brow. "Funny—I don't remember a crowning ceremony."
Jade blinked, then smiled warmly. "You must be Ruby. I'm Jade—Xavier's sister."
Ruby's expression hardened. "Half-sister," she corrected pointedly.
Jade's laughter was light, unbothered. "Right. My bad," she said. "You two really do sound alike."
Ruby narrowed her eyes, studying Jade's face for something—a crack,a smirka and a false note. But Jade just looked back, open and unflinching, and Ruby wasn't sure what to make of it.
Before the tension could bloom further, Xavier's coach stepped into the circle, his presence cutting cleanly through the moment.
"You must be Mister Alister," the coach said, extending his hand.
"The pleasure's mine," Mister Alister replied smoothly.
The coach turned to Xavier. "There are people waiting to meet you. Big people."
Xavier furrowed his brow. "Like who?"
But he was already being led away, flanked by his coach and father, toward a group of sharply dressed men and women in the VIP box. Top-tier scouts. Basketball academy reps. Maybe even a university official or two. All eyes were on him.
And for the first time in a long time, he wasn't just *Alister's bastard son.*
He was Xavier.
Meanwhile the car ride home was drenched in an oppressive silence. Kamsi sat with her hands folded tightly in her lap, her eyes flicking anxiously to her mother every few seconds. She called out to her in a quiet voice, but her words seemed to evaporate in the car's still air.
"Mom… I'm sorry. It's not like that. I wanted to tell you, I swear," Kamsi repeated over and over, each time her voice breaking a little more. But her mother didn't even acknowledge her. Her eyes remained firmly fixed on the road, the tightness in her jaw the only sign of the storm brewing beneath the surface. The silence was unbearable—an icy wall that kept them worlds apart.
Kamsi hated it. The worst part of her mother's anger wasn't the yelling—it was the silence, the coldness that wrapped around her like a suffocating blanket. Each moment stretched longer, more unbearable than the last. She could see her mother's grip tightening on the steering wheel, her knuckles white.
Kamsi wanted to scream, to break through the wall that her mother had built around herself. But she didn't. She stayed quiet, her throat thick with unsaid words, until they pulled into the driveway.
The front door clicked shut behind them, but still, Mrs. Chibuike didn't speak. The hum of the house, normally so comforting, now felt cold and empty. Kamsi took a deep breath and approached her mother, her heart hammering in her chest.
"Mummy, please… talk to me," she whispered, her voice small, fragile.
Mrs. Chibuike paused for a moment, her back to her daughter. The air seemed to crackle with the tension between them. Finally, her voice, low and clipped, cut through the stillness. "How long has it been going on?"
Kamsi blinked, confused for a moment. "Huh?"
Her mother turned slowly, eyes narrowing, and the fury in her voice was unmistakable. "How long have you been with that boy?" she spat.
Kamsi's stomach twisted. Her words faltered, tangled up in the panic that surged through her. "For a while now… I-I didn't mean to hide it, Mom. I just—"
Mrs. Chibuike's eyes blazed with anger. "For a while now?" Her voice rose in volume, sharp and unforgiving. "How could you, Kamsi? Despite my warnings—despite everything I've said—you still went and did the complete opposite. What will it take for you to learn, huh? You'll learn the hard way, I promise you that. But I love you, that's why I'm trying to protect you from all this."
Kamsi's tears spilled over, her face hot with shame. She took a step forward, her voice barely a whisper. "Mom, I promise—we're not doing anything wrong. I care about him—he cares about me."
Mrs. Chibuike scoffed, her arms crossing tightly over her chest. "Oh? You're not doing anything wrong?" She let out a harsh laugh, bitter and full of disbelief. "You're already kissing in public, Kamsi. Publicly! And you're telling me it's not wrong?"
Kamsi's breath caught in her throat. She had never seen her mother this furious. "I'm sorry, Mom, I really am. I never meant for this to happen, but I—"
Her mother's gaze was a thunderstorm, all icy fury and sorrow. "I forbid you to see him. Do you understand? I forbid it!"