OFFSIDE HEARTS: His Dr. Anchor

Chapter 4 The First Touch

Word Count: 986 | Released on: 13/08/2026

ks, his hand trembling as he grips

ited tracksuit. His jaw is clenched so tightly that a muscle tethers in his cheek. He

forcing my voice to

cking his phone screen one last time. "Don't look at the flashing li

" Ethan growls, dragging a hand

shes the

outside world is violent. A wall of noise hits us i

! Over

nett! Is

Did you hit Julia

Flash

the London drizzle. For a fraction of a second, my professional composure slips. I stumble, my foot catching on

completely, a massive, heav

hletic build. The heat of his body radiates through his tracksuit, cutting through the freezing rain. My face pr

dons me. My skin under his

er his breath. His voice is a low

as he navigates us through the sea of shouting faces and blinding lenses. To the cameras, it looks like a pro

igid. His chest is rising and falling in shallow, rapid breaths. He isn't j

ward his jawline so the cameras only see an intimate

ark, stormy, and flashing with a dangerous mix of shock a

rd the back of a waiting black luxury sedan. Marcus opens the door, a

roar outside disappears, leaving nothing b

, backing as far into his side of the leather se

nally slowing down. He glares out the window at t

my rumpled blazer before tucking a few loose strands of hair back into place, hop

s he stares at me. The vulnerability I felt under his ribcage a mom

't need a shrink telling me how to breathe in my own car. We established the rules in the

ing to let him see how much his sudden

l detachment. "Because your performance needs work. Your heart was beating so hard I thought it was going to break

s mouth to strike back, "It's already online." Marcus interrupts

ks at the screen. His expression goes entire

a crystal-clear, high-definition photo of Ethan's hand loc

H: ETHAN CROSS SPOTTED FLEEING STADIUM

Vance. @JulianV9 "Good luck, Doctor!. You are going to need it." Thous

intense, dark fire. "The game just started,

Chapter End

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OFFSIDE HEARTS: His Dr. Anchor

MeryKendy Romance

“"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.”