Pretending to love the football king

a

ames, which suited my mood. I felt

ely not,

desk and gave me the look he usually saves for referees and sponsors who have stopp

Hear

t me to

to be seen

eason I'm si

t monitor in a hospital drama. "Sentiment data from this morning. Seventy per cent of the country thinks you're hiding something. Fifteen per cent think sh

t the v

and Tamsin, publicly reconciled. Two people who loved the same man, finally at peace. The h

and ugly. "She wo

Everyone wan

ra smudged, chin up, refusing to flinch even when I shouted. She had always been like that. Sil

welve who taught me to take a penalty with my weaker foot and laughed every time I put it over the bar. I was fifteen

en Silas walked into a

t had been easy, as long as I did not have to look at her. It

," I said slowly.

went up. "And can

eard Silas on that recording, tire

" I

ree months. A handful of public appearances, a few photographs, a charity event or

ies, schedules, a termination date. It was cold and civili

she sa

our." He paused. "Raff, there's something else

o

g. Where did

roduction company said

r brother records a message, and for four years it sits somewhere. Then a week before Tamsin's

t. A gull screamed

that I had not asked the obvious question

meone set her

ship might be the safest thing for you. If you are seen together, whoever is pulling the st

e how much se

his face changed in a way I had never seen. He had been with me through contract dis

?" I

creen toward me

UNITED CHAIRMAN DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF SILAS ASHGR

I had known my whole life, who had sat in the front row of my first professional ma

fat

text. Not a message through his assistant. Four days of s

with the one man who might have kno

you know why your father is meeting

, that smooth, practised, public smile, and the way his hand

up listening to my father call th

voice did not sound

er told me I should have been as

d up th

" I said. "I'll tak

are you

ver sent that recording wants us fighting.

ted in my pocket. An unknow

an you think, Raff. Ask your fath