The name that echoed across the football pitch stopped Sarah's heart completely.James Wesley, mot Hector.James.The entire crowd went completely silent. But not because of James winning. Every single pair of eyes in scene slowly turned toward Sarah, who was sitting there trying to catch her breath, chest heaving, lips parted, still trembling from the force of her own scream.*I love you, Hector Ross.*Those words were still hanging in the air like smoke that refused to disappear.Sarah's mind was moving a million miles per second. She didn't know whether to laugh, cry, faint, or simply disappear into the ground beneath her feet. Her eyes darted around the crowd, reading every face staring back at her with shock, amusement, and pure disbelief.Then she saw James.He was looking directly at her with a sarcastic smile slowly spreading across his face. That smile snapped something inside Sarah and activated every survival instinct she had.She shot up from her seat.“It was a mistake!

She pressed her hand dramatically against her chest like she was trying to hold herself together.“I almost ruined everything. Do you understand that? I almost destroyed absolutely everything I have worked for because for one split second, I actually thought Hector was going to win that twenty five million dollars.” She laughed again, but this time it was hollow and sharp like broken glass. “Just imagine that. Me, Sarah, screaming at the top of my lungs for Hector of all people. The embarrassment alone would have finished me.”She turned her full attention back to Otto, who was still walking calmly and steadily toward the podium without breaking his stride or changing his expression.“I know exactly what you are trying to do, Hector,” Sarah called out, pointing directly at him. “You want to go up there and make a fool of yourself in front of everybody. You want to stand at that podium and pretend like you have something to do with James winning. That is your little plan, isn't it? T

Without warning, the microphone was suddenly handed over.But not to James Wesley, to Hector.The entire scene exploded into stunned silence so complete and so sudden that you could hear the wind moving through the grass beneath everyone's feet. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. Every single person standing in that crowd looked like they had been struck by lightning at exactly the same moment.Then the whispers detonated from every corner simultaneously like a bomb going off in slow motion.“Wait — what is happening right now?”“Why is he giving the microphone to Hector?”“Hector? That Hector? The same one Sarah just destroyed?”“Is he a special guest? Did I miss something?”“What kind of privilege is this? Who gave him the right to hold that mic?”“Someone explain to me what is going on because I am completely lost!”The confusion was spreading through the crowd like wildfire jumping from tree to tree. People were grabbing each other's arms, pointing, whispering, pulling out their phone

Hector's voice came through the microphone one more time, quiet and deliberate.“Is that what you really want to do, James?”James's eyes narrowed.“If the lottery money is presented to you,” Hector continued, his tone almost curious, “that is what you plan to do with it? Lock me up? Make me disappear?”James didn't hesitate for even a fraction of a second. He nodded his head sharply, his jaw set, his entire body radiating absolute certainty.“Yes. Absolutely.” His voice was ice cold and utterly confident. “Or do you want me to do more than that? Actually—” He paused and a dangerous smile spread across his face. “Do you want me to start right now?”Before anyone could process what was happening, James turned and started walking directly toward Hector with long, purposeful strides. His eyes scanned the podium quickly and landed on exactly what he was looking for.A glass of water sitting on the edge of the table.He picked it up without breaking stride, his fingers wrapping around the

The laughter that erupted from the crowd was absolutely deafening.People were doubling over, grabbing each other's shoulders, pointing at Hector with tears streaming down their faces from laughing so hard. Some of them had already started mimicking what they predicted was coming next, putting on exaggerated dramatic voices and throwing their arms wide.“Oh, I am the DIRECTOR of the Ross Corporation!”“I am the REPRESENTATIVE and I hereby cancel this lottery!”“Twenty five million dollars? CANCELLED! Because I said so!”More laughter. Louder this time. Rolling through the crowd in waves that kept building on top of each other.James soaked it all in like sunlight. He turned and faced the crowd with the confidence of a man who had already won every battle worth winning tonight and knew it. His smile was wide and sharp and completely without mercy.“You see?” he announced to everybody, spreading his arms out. “We know you already, Hector. We know EXACTLY what you are.” He turned back to