The stands erupted in screams, a mix of fright and thrill in the air., This scene caught me off guard. As I stood there shocked, suddenly the ball was caught, and the catcher let out an excited scream,

"Number five, number five, number five is mine!

", The ecstatic fan kissed the ball and even stood on the seats, hugging it close., The excitement from that person was palpable, but the rest of the crowd was seething with anger.,

"Refund!

",

"Refund!

", They were all here for Jefferson Daniels, and his mistake was something they couldn't stomach., Another reason for their anger was the bets they'd placed. Two-thirds of the audience had gambled on this game, confident in Jefferson's victory. But with that ball flying off, it signified his defeat, and their bets washed down the drain. After my initial shock, I calmed down, realizing Jefferson doesn't make mistakes like that unless... it was intentional., It seemed he knew he'd become a pawn in a bigger game and was protesting in his own way, even if it meant I was used as leverage by Henrik., This was the Jefferson I knew, upright, never acting against his conscience.,

"You think I'm just going to let him slide after pulling that stunt?

" Henrik said, his calm voice hiding a threat., I knew Jefferson had angered Henrik, but I still tried to find him an out,

"But you promised me. You can't go back on your word.

",

"Fine, here's the deal. I'll announce a new rule: you play in Jefferson's stead. If you can win, I'll let both of you go,

" Henrik proposed, to my disbelief., The field was filled with seasoned players, decorated with countless awards. How could I possibly win against them?, Henrik was clearly setting me up. Despite my talent, I hadn't practiced in ages. Skills rust without use, and it had been a long time since I'd last played., Henrik knew this all too well but still, wanted me to try. There must be another motive, but I couldn't worry about that now. This was my chance, and I had to take it. ,

"What if you go back on your word again?

" I couldn't hide my frustration., Henrik smirked coldly,

"You can choose not to play. I can announce the end of the match right now and take Jefferson away.

", Faced with Henrik's threat, I had no choice but to play his game,

"Fine, I'll go. But if you dare go back on your word, I'lII...

", I wasn't sure what I could do, but I knew I couldn't just be a puppet in his hands.,

"Just win, and I'll keep my promise,

" he reassured., For Jefferson's sake, even if Henrik reneged, I had to step up., As I walked to the field, Henrik had, the announcer declare my participation, promising that, victory would count as Jeff's, since he was my mentor. ,

"That's not fair.

",

"How can a little woman possibly win?

", The murmurs and scoffs followed the announcement., I brushed off the negativity and stepped onto the field.,

"You shouldn't have gotten involved,

" Jefferson said upon seeing me.,

"I already got involved visiting you last time, so now this is the only way. But why did you let the ball.fly?

" I confronted him with the question everyone wanted to ask but didn't dare to. ,

"I did it on purpose,

" Jefferson's eyes hardened., Then, he took my hand,

"To create chaos, so I could get you out.

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