STOLEN BY THE RIVAL QUARTERBACK

The room was filled with medicine and first aid treatment. As I opened the door and held Marek onto it, helped him onto a chair. I pulled the black athletic tape tight on his left ankle, keeping my thumb anchored over his lateral ligament. “Steady Marek,” I said, keeping my voice low and steady despite the pains caused by adrenaline in my ribs. “If I don’t fix your joint well, you won't get on those legs again, and we’ll lose the first quarter.” “It’s the opponent's game,” Marek muttered, staring down at his knuckles, which were already scraped red. “If we beat Cole’s squad tonight, we secure a spot for the playoffs. I don’t care if my ankle snaps in half after the final whistle.” “I care.” I took the tape swiftly, moved it slowly and patted him gently on the back. “And as long as your contract runs through Vance Sports Legacy, i will always decide what’s best for us, whether you step onto that grass or not so warm up.” He nods, rolling the joint once before jogging toward the tunnel. I walked over to the central diagnostic station, pulling up the biometric dashboard on my tablet. Eight years of grueling and clinical training, followed by three years on the sidelines, meant I didn't have time for mistakes. One miscalculated tear or overlooked muscle strain could destroy a multi-million career in half a second. “You’re doing that tight-jaw thing again, Sienna.” I looked up as Kaja walked in, holding two steaming coffee cups. “I don’t do that,” I said, taking the coffee she held out to me. “You do. It’s you carrying the whole weight of the Polish football league on your shoulders’” Kaja replied, leaning against the examination table and taking a slow sip. “Relax. The team is in peak physical condition. Your data readings are flawless. The Eagles are going to tear Jaxson Cole’s line apart tonight.” Hearing his name made me uncomfortable, the star quarterback of the game is arrogant, ridiculously wealthy, and completely ruthless on the field. Every time our medical staff showed a file of his plays, I felt an unwanted spike of pure, defensive tension. He was an unstoppable force, and tonight, my defensive line was the opposing team. “Cole is undefeatable ,” I said, setting the coffee down to re-check the encrypted biometric streams feeding from the players' wearable sensors. “He plays like he has nothing to lose. Those are the hardest athletes to guard against.” Before Kaja could answer me, the heavy metallic click of the door mechanism echoed through the room. Bronisław Vance stepped across the threshold. My uncle moved into the precise, walking like he owned every single thing. “Uncle,” I said, rising from the workstation. “I thought you were in the middle box with the league directors.” “I was,” said, his voice smooth, dry, and entirely devoid of warmth. “However, the other corporate team requires my presence down there. Is the team fully prepared?” “Every starter has been cleared through the secondary screen,” I replied, “Heart rates, muscle oxygenation, joint stability, everything is normal .” “Good.” Bronislaw reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a sleek and said, “I need you to grant me master access to the live encrypted biometric feed for tonight's game. Transfer the private encryption keys to this drive immediately.” I couldn’t move myself for a while. My hand shook as I looked into the tablet screen. “Master access?” I repeated, with a shaking tone. “Uncle, you know the protocol. The live biometric feed contains real-time medical data, stress metrics, and neurological tracking. By league safety laws and medical privacy acts, that raw feed is strictly restricted to the lead physician, and that’s my private digital signature.” “I am well aware of the legal framework, Sienna,” Bronisław said. “I also happen to be the Chief Executive Officer of Vance Sports Legacy. The board requires real-time risk assessment monitoring for our high-value assets on the field tonight.” “Risk assessment is my job,” I said, moving closer, my voice dropping an octave as my pulse began to quicken. “The raw feed isn't just data points, Bronisław. It contains private medical baseline signatures. If those encryption keys are exposed or altered during a live match, someone could manipulate the sideline diagnostic readouts. I won't bypass security protocol. Not even for you.” The room became too quiet, Kaja had gone entirely still in the background, her bright blue eyes tracking my uncle’s every move. Bronisław didn't raise his voice. He didn't lose his composure. Instead, he took a step toward me, closing the distance until I could smell the faint, bitter scent of his expensive perfume. “Your father built this company on trust, Sienna,” he whispered, his eyes turned cold. “But trust is a luxury maintained by power. You hold your position on this sideline because of the Vance name. Do not confuse your medical license with total authority over this legacy.” “My license protects the lives of those players,” I argued back,looking into his eyes without flinching, though a cold coil of fear began to wrap around my spine. “My father taught me that the medicine comes first. The business comes second.” Bronisław stared at me for three seconds,then , he smiled slowly. “Your father was an idealist,” he said softly. “And look where idealism left him.” He reached down, picked up the flash drive, and slipped it back into his pocket. “We will discuss your compliance after the game,” Bronisław added, turning toward the door. “Just ensure your signatures are validated on the server before kickoff. The league is watching very closely tonight.” The steel door slammed shut behind him,as he walked out. Kaja let out a breath she had clearly been holding. “Sienna... What was that? He doesn't ever ask for live encryption keys right before a match.” I didn't answer right away, then said softly, ‘Something was wrong.’ My father had always warned me that corporate interest in modern sports therapy was a dangerous line to walk, but the look in Bronisław’s eyes wasn't just corporate ambition it was calculating, desperate, and dangerous. Suddenly, a bright red systemic alert flashed across my central screen, overriding the main biometric dashboard. ALERT: EXTERNAL ACCESS REQUEST DETECTED. ORIGIN: VANCE CORPORATE NETWORK - KRAKÓW HQ. TARGET FILE: QB_JAXSON_COLE_BIOMECHANICAL_RAW_FILE