OFFSIDE HEARTS: His Dr. Anchor
"I don't care about your Number 9 jersey, Ethan. I signed a contract to save your career. I'm standing here because of the man hiding beneath it."
Ethan Cross has everything the world envies.
A record-breaking football career. Endless wealth. Global fame.
But after a violent outburst explodes across live television, the man once worshipped as football's golden king becomes the sport's biggest scandal overnight. Sponsors disappear. Fans turn against him. One more mistake could cost him everything he's spent his life building.
The club has one last solution. Dr. Maya Bennett.
Brilliant. Unshakable. Impossible to intimidate.
As one of the country's most respected sports psychologists, Maya has built her career on one simple rule: emotions are weaknesses waiting to be exploited. She refuses to be impressed by celebrity, power, or money.
Until she receives an offer she cannot refuse.
The club will fund the spinal surgery that could change her younger brother's life if she agrees to rehabilitate the most difficult player in professional football.
When another scandal threatens to end Ethan's career for good, the club forces them into an arrangement neither of them wants.
A fake relationship.
One public image to protect.
And one rule neither of them is allowed to break:
Don't fall in love.
But cameras only capture smiles.
They don't see the panic attacks hidden behind Ethan's perfect image.
They don't see Maya's own carefully buried scars.
As jealous teammates, ruthless executives, and relentless media pressure close in around them, Ethan and Maya realize that the biggest threat to their carefully planned fake relationship isn't the headlines; it's what they're beginning to feel for each other. A dangerous attraction is growing between two people who promised themselves it wasn't real.
Because sometimes the most dangerous thing an elite athlete can lose isn't the championship.
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Chapter: Chapter 9MayaMarcus reaches me as I walk towards the tunnel.“The photographers are waiting outside,” he says quietly. “They’ve been there since before training started.”My grip tightens around the tablet tucked beneath my arm.“Every outlet wants photos of you leaving with Ethan,” Marcus continues. “If you walk out separately after yesterday’s apartment story, they’ll tear the relationship apart.”I close my eyes for the briefest moment before letting out a slow breath.“So we play our part,” I say flatly.Marcus nods. “Exactly.”Neither of us says another word.Minutes later, the hum of the luxury car’s engine fills the silence as we leave Westbridge United’s training ground behind. Ethan doesn't look at me once.After dismantling Julian on the pitch, he has retreated behind that familiar wall again, his arms folded tightly across his chest as the rain streaks the window beside him. Whatever passed between us during training is gone. By the time we reach the penthouse, he steps out without
Last Updated: 2026-08-07
Chapter: Chapter 8Ethan The scent of damp grass and winter mud always clears my head.Today, however, the air at the Westbridge United Training Centre feels thick with hostility. I strap my shin guards on, pulling my black socks up over my calves with slow, deliberate movements. My fingers brush the silver ring resting against my chest underneath my training top.“He can come after my jersey all he wants,” my own voice echoes in my head from last night. “But the moment he brings you into this… he crosses a line.”I walk out onto the pristine training pitch. The morning sun cuts through the London fog, illuminating the sidelines.My gaze instantly drifts toward the tactical dugout.Maya is standing there. She is back in her professional attire, a tailored navy coat, her hair pinned up, holding her digital tablet. But she isn't looking at her screen. Her dark eyes are locked onto me, tracking my movements with quiet intensity.She spent her first night under my roof last night. We didn't speak after we
Last Updated: 2026-08-07
Chapter: Chapter 7Maya The neon glow of the streetlamp flickers through the thin curtains of my tiny London apartment.I sink onto the faded velvet sofa, surrounded by towering stacks of medical journals, dog-eared books, and potted plants that somehow thrive despite my erratic schedule. The apartment is barely big enough to stretch out in, but for the first time all day, I can be myself.A sharp knock at my front door shatters the quiet.I frown, checking the time on my phone. It’s nearly midnight. I pull my cardigan tighter around my shoulders, walk over, and peer through the peephole. My stomach drops.Marcus, Ethan's agent, is standing in the hallway, looking around frantically like a man fleeing a crime scene.I unlock the deadbolt and pull the door open. "Marcus? What are you doing here at this hour?""We have a massive problem, Maya," Marcus gasps. Without waiting for an answer, Marcus slipped past me and into the apartment. He runs a hand over his balding head, holding up his tablet. "The papa
Last Updated: 2026-08-07
Chapter: Chapter 6MayaSecurity closes in around us before I can gather my thoughts. Questions are fired from every direction, but they blur into meaningless noise beneath the relentless crack of camera shutters. Ethan's hand remains firmly around my waist as we are hurried through the grand lobby and out toward the black luxury sedan waiting at the curb. Ethan opens the rear door, silently urging me inside.The heavy leather door of the luxury club sedan clicks shut, instantly suffocating the roar of the press pack outside.The moment we are behind closed doors, my professional mask shatters."Are you completely out of your mind?!" I spin around in the leather seat, my chest heaving beneath my green silk dress as I glare at Ethan.Ethan doesn't answer immediately. He calmly unties his black velvet bowtie, tossing it onto the armrest between us. He looks completely unaffected, though the tight line of his jaw tells a different story."I explicitly stated the rules, Ethan," I hiss, my voice a fierce, lo
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
Chapter: Chapter 5EthanBy the next evening, every major sports outlet in Europe had turned our photograph into headline news. The silence inside my minimalist penthouse is loud enough to make my ears ring.I stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass, staring out at the blurred London skyline. The rain streaks down the window like tears. The marble floors are freezing. The sleek, modern furniture looks immaculate because nobody ever sits on it. I spin the lucky silver ring around my neck, watching my reflection. To the world, I am Ethan Cross, the invincible striker. Inside this penthouse, I am just a guy eating a pre-cooked meal alone in a multi-million-pound cage. A sharp buzz from my phone shatters the quiet.Marcus: The car is downstairs. Alistair wants you and the doctor arm-in-arm at the Westbridge Annual Gala in thirty minutes. Julian is already there making statements. Do not mess this up. I let out a low growl, shoving the phone into my tuxedo pocket. I glance at myself in the mirror. The b
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
Chapter: Chapter 4Maya"Are you ready, Doctor?" Marcus asks, his hand trembling as he grips the handle of the back exit door.I look to my right. Ethan is standing there, zipped up in a sleek, black Westbridge United tracksuit. His jaw is clenched so tightly that a muscle tethers in his cheek. He doesn't look at me. He stares at the metal door like he’s about to walk into a war zone."I'm ready," I say, forcing my voice to remain perfectly calm."The moment we step out, the cameras will go off," Marcus warns, checking his phone screen one last time. "Don't look at the flashing lights. Just look at each other. Make it look like you're his anchor.""Let's just get this over with," Ethan growls, dragging a hand down the front of his tracksuit.Marcus pushes the door open.The transition from the quiet concrete tunnel to the outside world is violent. A wall of noise hits us instantly. The questions hit us from every direction.“Ethan! Over here!”“Dr. Bennett! Is it true?”“Cross, look up! Did you hit Juli
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
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