Daniel sat on the team bench, his ankle wrapped in an ice pack as the second half of the match against Òdena played out. Coach Morales stood nearby, arms crossed, analyzing every move on the pitch.
"Igualada is holding their lead, but Òdena is pressing hard! Can they hold on?" the commentator's voice rang through the stadium.Even though he had scored, Daniel hated being sidelined. His ankle still throbbed, but he had played through worse before. As he adjusted his ice pack, Erik nudged him."Tranquilo, tío," Erik grinned. ("We got this.")Daniel just nodded. He couldn't relax, though—not when his mind was split between football and the growing danger around him.
After the match, which ended in a 2-1 victory for CF Igualada, Daniel limped toward the locker room. The moment he stepped inside, Coach Morales called his name."You played well, Carter," Navarro said. "But I need you fit for the next round. You're on limited training for now. No arguments."Daniel sighed but nodded. "Understood."As the team showered and changed, Miguel came over. "Hey, vamos a celebrar, no?" "Let's celebrate, right?"Daniel hesitated. He wasn't in the mood, but before he could answer, Erik spoke up. "Dani probably needs to rest. His ankle got wrecked, man."Miguel smirked. "He's tougher than that.""Maybe next time,"Daniel said.
Sofia was waiting outside the stadium gates when he exited. Her arms were crossed, and she looked… worried and tried to hide it from anyone."What's wrong?" Daniel asked.She took a deep breath. "That man was watching again. He was at the game, sitting in the stands."Daniel's stomach dropped. "Are you sure?"Sofia nodded. "And this time, he wasn't alone."