Home / Romance / Goal! The Manchester United Captains / Chapter 2: The Unmasking Gala

Share

Chapter 2: The Unmasking Gala

Author: Frank J.P
last update Last Updated: 2025-06-21 17:23:17

The air in the United in Manchester charity gala’s grand ballroom was thick with the scent of lilies and expensive perfume; worlds away from the familiar scent of sweat the players including Maya and Leo were used to. She stood near a marble pillar, the borrowed evening gown clinging like armor. Every flash of a camera, every exaggerated laugh, felt staged. This wasn’t football. This was theater and Maya was a reluctant understudy in someone else’s script.

Her eyes moved across the room, instantly clocking the divide. The men’s team clustered around Leo Sterling, drawing cameras and club executives like moths to flame. Leo, in his tailored tux, moved like the room belonged to him every step deliberate, every smile calibrated. His golden hair caught the chandelier light with effortless grace as he laughed at something Sir Alistair Finch said. He was magnetic. Natural. Commanding.

Maya’s jaw tightened. He didn’t have to fight for the spotlight. It followed him. She had to earn every inch of visibility with sweat and bruises.

Chloe appeared at her side, chewing on a croissant. “Honestly, May, these foods are the only good thing about this circus. Try the egg toast with truffle. Divine.”

“I’d rather they spent this budget on our physio gear,” Maya muttered, still watching the Leo-centric orbit.

Chloe snorted. “Dream on. This is all for show. Oh great. Look, Bella’s incoming.”

Isabella “Bella” Knight, the club’s PR manager, all sharp smiles and sharper instincts, glided toward them like a Vogue missile. Her gown was flawless. Her tone, sugary enough to rot teeth.

“Maya! You look stunning,” she chirped. “Now don’t be shy. Sir Alistair wants a quick shot of the captains for the new ‘United We Stand’ campaign.”

She gestured toward Leo, now being expertly shepherded in their direction by a knot of executives.

Maya summoned a smile, tight and brief. United we stand... beneath the men’s shadow.

Leo approached with practiced ease. “Maya Davies,” he said, offering a hand. “A pleasure to finally meet you properly.”

His grip was firm, his smile polished. But when their hands touched, Maya felt an unexpected spark. Not romantic. Not yet. Just... charged.

“Nice to finally meet the face of all our marketing posters,” she replied, her voice even, with a thread of steel only careful ears would catch.

For the briefest moment, his expression faltered. It was fleeting, but satisfying.

Leo recovered smoothly. “Well, I try to do my part. Perks of the job.”

“Must be nice,” she said coolly. “Perks. Cameras. Budgets. Opportunities that don’t require fighting tooth and nail just to be seen.”

The polished mask cracked a little more. His jaw tightened. “I wasn’t aware that was a problem.”

“It isn’t. For the men’s team,” she replied flatly.

The air tightened like a drawn bowstring. A silent battle waged between perfectly curated smiles.

Sensing the frost, Bella clapped her hands. “Alright! Let’s get that photo, shall we? Plenty of time for friendly banter later!”

She positioned them close, the flashbulbs popping as if nothing was amiss. A snapshot of forced unity. To Maya and Leo, it was the opening shot of something far more combustible.

Later, with the gala winding down, Isabella reappeared, her voice syrupy and loud. “And now, for a bit of fun! A friendly skills challenge, just the captains. Light-hearted! For charity!”

Maya, still simmering, felt her competitive instinct flare. Friendly? Sure. Let’s play.

She vanished to change into the designated athletic gear, her movements swift, purposeful.

When she stepped onto the small turf pitch set up in a corner of the ballroom, Leo was already there, adjusting his laces like he belonged on a stage. He glanced up. Their eyes locked. The air sparked.

This wasn’t for charity anymore.

This was war.

Round One: Crossbar Challenge.

Leo went first clean, fluid, perfect form. The ball smacked the bar with precision. A smooth grin followed, like he’d done it in his sleep.

Maya stepped up, no flair, just focus. Her shot sliced through the air, striking the bar with surgical accuracy. Controlled. Calculated.

They matched strike for strike. The crowd murmured. This wasn’t staged anymore.

Round Two: Dribbling Drill.

Leo was dazzling. Quick feet, fancy cuts, a blur of charisma. Applause erupted.

Maya? No flash. All substance. Sharp turns, efficient strides. She finished faster. A beat of stunned silence, then surprised cheers.

Leo’s smile dimmed. Just slightly.

Final Round: Penalty Shootout. One shot each. Loudest cheer wins.

Leo placed the ball. Ran up. Boom! top corner, unstoppable. Cheers erupted.

Then Maya.

She stood at the spot, the noise falling away. Her fingers twitched. Her thoughts flicked back to a missed penalty years ago, the sting of doubt. She inhaled, steadying.

Run. Strike. Curve.

The ball flew, curling just out of reach, kissing the post on its way in.

A second of silence. Then an explosion. Louder than Leo’s.

She didn’t celebrate. She didn’t need to.

Leo stared, a strange cocktail of respect and curiosity in his eyes. He nodded once.

Maya, chin raised, gave the faintest return nod.

They walked off the pitch side by side, but not together. The tension between them remained volatile, electric, unsaid.

The game had started.

And neither of them was playing to lose.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Latest chapter

  • Goal! The Manchester United Captains   Chapter 95: The Unexpected Connection

    The press called it a “historic moment.” The PR team called it “a show of unity.” But for everyone on that field, it felt like a circus.Banners fluttered from the stands, reporters lined the sidelines, and a dozen cameras caught every laugh, every glance, every mistake. The men’s and women’s teams were back together for the first time since the Julian Vance scandal — smiling for the cameras, pretending that the club had healed.Chloe adjusted her captain’s armband and muttered under her breath, “Unity and transparency, my ass.”Beside her, Maya smirked. “Smile, captain. They said the drone’s picking up facial expressions now.”Chloe gave her a look. “Then let it pick this up,” she whispered, forcing a bright grin that didn’t reach her eyes.The session was chaos wrapped in choreography. The PR handlers barked directions like stage managers. “More interaction! Look friendly! Make it natural!”It wasn’t natural. It was survival.And right in the middle of it all — Ben Carter.He stood

  • Goal! The Manchester United Captains   Chapter 94: The Weight of Expectations

    They dressed the ballroom like a painting—gold drapes, soft light, the kind of music that makes you forget the clock. From the outside it was gorgeous. Up close, the sparkle felt like a lie stretched very thin. Leo knew how to read the seams.He found Maya by the orchids, as if she'd pulled herself out of the crowd and into a small piece of quiet. Her dress fought the light and won; she looked like someone who could hold a room and still be startled by a hand on her shoulder.He slid into the space beside her before she could fold away. “You okay?” he asked, low so only she could hear.She let out a breath that might have been a laugh or a sigh. “As okay as you can be when strangers write our life into headlines for sport.”“You hate the attention.” He said it like a fact, not a whine. He curled his fingers around her hand beneath the linen tablecloth without thinking. “You hate it, I know. But look at me—are you still with me?”She squeezed his fingers back, once. “Always.” Her voice

  • Goal! The Manchester United Captains   Chapter 93: The Weight of a Name

    The Manchester United City training ground had never looked like this.Usually, it was a fortress of sweat, drills, and discipline — but today, it looked like a polished movie set. The annual Youth Development Day had arrived, and the club had transformed their sacred turf into a corporate carnival. Banners flapped in the wind, camera crews swarmed like flies, and PR agents with clipboards barked orders through wireless headsets.For Maya, it was suffocating. The air didn’t smell like cut grass and rain anymore. It smelled like cologne, camera flashes, and fake smiles.She adjusted the red ribbon tied around her wrist — a tiny symbol of the old her, the one who played for love, not for headlines. Now she stood in a tailored dress that made her look more like a brand ambassador than an athlete.Leo, beside her, wasn’t much better off. Gone was the fiery captain in his boots and armband. Today he wore a charcoal-gray suit — expensive, perfect, and completely alien. He looked like he bel

  • Goal! The Manchester United Captains   Chapter 92: The Gauntlet Thrown

    The lights from the media banners cut across the evening air like sharpened blades. Cameras flashed, voices rose, and the world held its breath. Maya stood in the center of the stage, the microphone trembling slightly in her hand. Her heart thudded, but her eyes—steady and alive—refused to look away.This was it. No turning back now.“Football,” she began, her voice low but sharp enough to slice through the noise, “isn’t just about winning trophies anymore. It’s about fairness. About respect. About giving every player—man or woman—the same chance to rise.”The murmurs swelled. Journalists leaned forward, pens frozen midair.She paused. “We’ve been told to wait our turn. To be patient. To smile for the cameras and stay quiet. But no more.” Her tone hardened. “If our federation can’t give women’s football what it deserves, then they don’t deserve us.”A wave of gasps broke across the hall.From the front row, Leo watched her with a mix of awe and terror. He had never seen her like this—

  • Goal! The Manchester United Captains   Chapter 91: A New Goal

    The flash of cameras felt endless.Everywhere Maya turned, another lens waited, another voice calling her name with that same fake warmth — “Maya, over here! Give us a smile!”She smiled anyway. Because she had to. Because it was part of the performance now.From across the stage, Leo’s eyes found hers — steady, calm, but exhausted. The way he looked at her said everything they couldn’t say aloud: just a little longer.The bright lights, the reporters, the perfect illusion of a fairytale — it was all so fragile. One crack, one slip, and the world would see the truth.When the press event finally ended, Maya exhaled. Her hand brushed Leo’s as they stepped offstage. The contact was quick, barely noticeable, but real — grounding.“Let’s get out of here,” she whispered.Leo nodded, offering a faint grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “You read my mind.”They slipped into the car waiting out back, the tinted windows closing out the flashing lights. For a moment, silence. Then Maya let out a l

  • Goal! The Manchester United Captains   Chapter 90: The Personal Toll

    The first time Maya saw Sir Reginald Sterling up close, she understood what real danger looked like when it wore a smile.He was smooth, polished, and magnetic—the kind of man who made people feel smaller just by being in the room. His handshake was firm, his voice calm, his eyes sharp enough to slice through lies. But behind all that charm, Maya felt it—something cold. Something hungry.Julian Vance had been a villain you could see coming—a brute hiding in shadows, his corruption loud and ugly. But Sir Reginald? He didn’t need to hide. He was the kind of man who could destroy you while shaking your hand.And now, he’d decided that Maya and Leo were his next problem to fix.“Lovely couple,” Sterling said, smiling at them across the pressroom. His words were honey, but his tone carried a quiet warning. “You two make such good headlines. Hope you realize how valuable that is.”Leo shifted beside her. “We’re not here for headlines,” he said evenly. “We’re here for football.”“Of course,

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status