Chapter 8 The Warning
Cameron and Fiorella came to a quieter corner, away from the stiff, unspoken rules of the banquet hall. A cool breeze lifted Fiorella’s hair.
Below the Minimalist Style, white terrace, a stretch of purple flowers swayed gently.
“I’ll get straight to the point,” Cameron said.
He pulled out his phone, scrolled through a few videos, and handed it to her.
“Iriebury High School’s hockey team, which we sponsor, has a match coming up against Ekaport High School. Ekaport High is one of the top–ranked teams in the nation Fircus competed riebury’s team is brand new.
Fiorella took the phone and watched the footage of Ekaport High’s latest game.
The video was grainy, and the audio was distorted by background noise.
He continued, “We haven’t found the right coach yet. But I heard you’ve gone up against Ekaport High’s team before and won.”
Fiorella understood right away.
Hockey was still new in Iriebury, and most top coaches in the country were already committed to teams. Even with good pay, getting them to switch wasn’t easy.
She had firsthand experience against Ekaport High’s team and just
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Chapter 8 The Warning
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made a name for herself in the Hockey National Championships Under–16.
That was why Cameron had come to her.
“This match is huge. It’ll decide the future of Iriebury High’s team,” he added.
Fiorella zoomed in, catching every detail she could.
Her mind raced as she broke down the game. “This looks like a variation of high–pressure play. The footage isn’t complete, but their team tried two flank interceptions while locking down the central gaps. Looks like they’re running a tweaked 3-2-3-2.
“The quality is bad, but their attack seems to favor the right side. If I can get full match footage, study the details, and run real–time simulations, I should be able to map out their strategy.”
Fiorella had wanted to keep her distance from Cameron, but this was about hockey. And she knew how much the coming match meant for
the new team.
“Just do him a favor this time,” she told herself.
Cameron looked down and thought for a moment. “OK, I’ll have them pull more footage for you. In the meantime, I’m sticking around.”
She wished he wouldn’t.
But instead of saying that, she just nodded.
“How do I reach you?” he asked.
“Ah… I don’t have a phone,” Fiorella said.
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Chapter 8 The Warning
Something unreadable flickered across his face. She instinctively lowered her head.
It wasn’t a lie. Her foster parents couldn’t afford one for her. And she hadn’t wanted one–too much of a distraction from studying.
“Give me a second.” Cameron stepped away, dialing a number.
She couldn’t make out what he was saying.
Just then, a waiter knocked at the doorway, carrying a silver tray. “Ms. Huerta, this is from your mother. She thought you might be thirsty.”
“Thanks,” Fiorella said.
Fiorella took the glass, the liquid inside an unsettling shade of crimson. She lifted it, frowning and studying the color.
“Hey, don’t drink it,” Cameron said coldly.
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