Chapter 727
Chapter 727:
The moment Bonita spotted Neal, her heart leaped, and her hand instinctively tightened around Fernanda’s.
Fernanda squeezed back, a quiet reassurance that everything would be okay.
Neal, however, barely glanced their way before turning his focus back to his practice match.
That was just how it was—they had to stay sharp, constantly chasing perfection in the game.
With the grand final scheduled for seven that evening, there were pre-match events to attend. Therefore, at three o’clock, the group left the studio for the arena.
The e-sports stadium buzzed with life, its usual energy dialed up several notches.
At the entrance, Bonita’s eyes were drawn to a massive poster of Neal. His face beamed with youthful confidence, his grin as bright as the summer sun.
Unable to resist, she discreetly pulled out her phone and snapped a photo.
The group made their way to the lounge. Shortly after five, Ritchie strolled in.
The previous day’s third-place match had seen Ritchie’s team clinch victory, yet the win left a sour taste in his mouth.
He hadn’t been given the chance to play—a decision that gnawed at him.
During the quarter-finals, he’d proven his worth as a substitute, performing so well that any doubts about his integration into the team had been squashed.
Yet here he was, sidelined again.
The starting lineup had played instead, struggling through a nail-biter of a match before clinching a narrow 4-3 victory.
Ritchie knew the truth: for them, this wasn’t about the ranking; it was about the spotlight.
In competitive gaming, champions were the ones remembered. Third or fourth? It was all the same—a footnote in someone else’s story.
𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⩸𝖼𝗈𝗆
If they weren’t chasing gold, why not chase exposure instead? This only made Ritchie resent his team even harder.
“Make sure you guys bring home the trophy,” Ritchie said. “As soon as you do, I’m jumping ship to your team. Can’t wait to leave these glory hogs behind.”
“Relax,” Levi replied, a mischievous glint in his eye as he glanced at Alex. “We’ve got this in the bag.”
Alex’s grin widened as he exchanged a knowing look with Levi. Then, both of them turned to Neal, their expressions tinged with smiles.
Bonita’s heart skipped a beat. A sudden thought flashed through her mind, one she couldn’t shake: Neal’s teammates… they could know more than they were letting on!
By six in the evening, the venue buzzed with anticipation as the crowd poured in, eager to take their seats. Among the attendees was Mika, the same person Fernanda had met at a restaurant during their last encounter. Notably, the man who had once punched Neal sported the team logo of Fernanda’s group painted across his face, a clear sign of his unwavering devotion to Neal.
“Hey, Mika,” Sloane called out, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “You’ve gotta write up something about us soon. Your blog’s huge! This is the perfect opportunity to give us some serious buzz.” Mika gave an enthusiastic nod. “You can count on me!”
.
.
.