Chapter 2

My self-respect had been trampled enough.

Liam and I had no future.

“Daisy, stop being so dramatic. Just apologize to me, and I can pretend I didn’t hear any of that.”

“You heard me clearly. I said, we’re breaking up.”

Liam, rarely offering an olive branch, saw that I wasn't taking it, and his face darkened.

Then he let out a ridiculous laugh, a thin layer of anger mixed with confusion. “It was just a bet I lost. How far do you need to take this?”

“Worst case, you can just have someone declare their love for you, too. We’ll call it even?”

He was certain that I only ever liked him and wouldn't be able to do something like that.

The people around were pretty much all of Captain Liam’s teammates, his hangers-on, or his fair-weather friends.

And absolutely no one would dare to meddle in his personal affairs.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew tense.

“Go on, tell me. Who do you want to declare their love for you?” Liam snapped his fingers, his gaze, sharp as a knife, sweeping across the men present. The meaning was unspoken.

Everyone’s eyes on me immediately took on a playful, taunting look.

Chloe then spoke up, seemingly innocent. “Liam, don’t be like that. Daisy’s used to being a pampered princess. How could she possibly handle a joke like this?”

A joke had its limits, and they had completely overstepped them.

And now they were twisting the narrative, making it sound like I couldn't take a joke?

She was really good at chiming in.

I didn't want to say anything more to them; I just felt sick staying there another second.

However, just as I was about to stand up, a deep male voice spoke from a nearby section.

“Daisy, I’ll declare my love for you.”

I looked up, seeing the man walking towards me clearly.

Cole…

The two teams’ resting areas were separated.

The commotion on our side couldn’t be fully heard by the other team.

So I had completely forgotten that the Athletics team members hadn’t left yet.

Everyone else was also startled by his sudden move. After all, the rumor was that this guy was a complete sports fanatic; nothing else ever caught his eye.

More importantly, he had always been Liam Harrison’s sworn enemy.

Why would he…

While my mind raced, Cole had already held his Best Scorer individual trophy out to me, a smirk playing on his lips.

“We’ve known each other for years, and everyone knows I’m a sports fanatic, but they don’t know that the one I’ve always been most obsessed with is you.”

“Would you be willing to finally look at me, and be with me?”

Liam’s face changed slightly, but he still sounded casual, a sneer in his voice. “Cole, you’re a sore loser, so you’re using a woman to get back at me?”

But Cole didn't look at him, his gaze still fixed on me.

Seeing this, Chloe subtly hinted, “Daisy, you can’t possibly not know that Cole and Liam have always been at odds, right…?”

I scoffed, my voice dripping with anger. “Liam knew *you* and I didn’t get along, but he still declared his love for you, didn’t he?”

As if seeking revenge, I took the trophy and nodded emphatically.

“Daisy, put his trophy down.”

Liam immediately tried to grab me, but Cole blocked him.

“Be a little more gracious, Liam. It’s just a declaration of love.”

“Captain Liam, don’t be a sore loser.”

Liam was enraged. He wrapped an arm around Chloe, scoffing. “You think I can’t handle it?”

“Fine then. Whoever declared their love for someone, that person goes home with them tonight.”

Cole raised an eyebrow. “As you wish.”

Without hesitation, Cole smoothly took my free hand and led me directly towards the Athletics team’s area.

He asserted his dominance. “Alright, guys! Our captain just got a girlfriend tonight! Let’s celebrate! Anywhere you want to go for the party, I’m treating!”

“Go, Captain!”

“Welcome, Captain Cole’s lady!”

The Athletics team erupted in cheers, everyone packing their things and heading out.

They left the Engineering team with their jaws dropped.

“Is that really Cole? I heard he never even looked at women.”

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