Falling for the Scandal

Steal her from Milo

CHAPTER 4

GIDEON

Is that why Milo is trending more than he should? Is this a marketing scheme of hers to get under my skin? If it is, she really doesn't know who I am. It will be an absolute eyesore if I have to show her that side of me. Did I need a sports analyst all along? No. I don’t want just any sports analyst. I want Iris. I want to take from Milo, just like his family took from mine.

"What do you think, Gideon?" Mr. Martins, a pro basketball player for Berkeley, nudges my shoulder, pulling me back to reality.

I turn my head toward Sarah, my closest female friend’s mother. She is a legend in pro basketball and desperately wants Cloe Everton following in her footsteps.

"Martins was just talking about how good it will be to play against the Miller brothers during your upcoming match," Sarah explains, offering an encouraging smile.

I just fake a smile.

"It would be iconic if you and Kennedy played against them. The Calder’s against the Millers. Now that is a match worth watching," Martins sings their praises, completely oblivious to the fact that I want to smash my glass cup against his head. "Milo is elite, and his brother Trey is just as good."

"Gideon is also elite," Sarah defends smoothly.

"Sure, if his three-pointers were more consistent and his fatigue wasn’t so visible on the court," Martins says, his eyes glued to me, testing my reaction.

Is the fatigue noticeable? My chest tightens.

"We all get tired on the court, Martins. You got tired as well," Sarah counters.

"But I wasn't the captain, especially not when I was as young as him," he continues, doing everything he can to agitate me.

I look around the room in search of my dad. This conversation is starting to bore me.

"Martins, you still speak in gatherings where your opinion isn't wanted," my dad’s deep voice suddenly startles me from behind. He rests a heavy, commanding hand on my shoulder. I look up at my well-built father. He maintains a sinister, perfectly polite smile—the kind that tells you to drop a subject without him ever putting the threat into words.

"I was just saying—" Martins starts, his posture instantly stiffening.

"Your own son plays basketball, yet no one even knows his name," Dad interrupts, his voice cool and lethal. "And didn't your other son have to switch to hockey after a failed basketball career? Don’t go taking out your frustrations on my boy. My daughter is playing spectacularly and earning more than your wife. In fact, your entire family's combined net worth doesn't even come close to her shoe allowance. So, what exactly were you saying?"

Dad raises an eyebrow. A proud, vicious smile creeps onto my lips. Martins goes completely silent, taking a slow sip of his wine. I have to bite back a laugh. He had so much to say a second ago; why did he stop?

"How is my future daughter-in-law, Cloe?" Dad turns his attention to Sarah.

"Dad, please stop," I push him off playfully. He knows how much I dislike it when he calls her that, but he says it anyway just to tease me.

"She is good," Sarah laughs. "She is the captain of the women's team now. She trains constantly until she's perfect."

"No one is perfect, Sarah. Tell my favorite girl to come over soon, I miss her." Dad waves a dismissive hand to the group, guiding me away from the crowd. We weave through the brief gathering of top businessmen, tycoons, and elite athletes.

A waiter passes by holding a tray carrying wine bottles. Dad smoothly grabs a glass to refill my cup. "Coach Harry told me about a potential data analyst who could revolutionize your team. He wants to bring her on, but I wanted to hear it from you first. Who is she? Do you want her to work for us?"

"She is Mr. Mercer’s daughter, Iris." I say, my jaw tightening at the thought of her. “She is currently Milo’s secret weapon. She is the exact reason his stats have gotten so much better."

"Wasn't she disowned?" Dad's eyes narrow, looking away as if replaying an old headline in his mind. "Why did Atherton admit such a compromising personality into the university?"

"Disowned or not, the Mercer name is still big enough to open doors for her. Plus, she has Mr. Calvin shields her," I reply.

"Did you hear the latest? I am guessing you didn't," Dad lowers his voice. "Mercer’s MedTech company is about to face severe federal court charges. Something about a faulty piece of equipment taking the life of a high-profile politician's son."

"That won't hold enough water. Medical equipment gets faulty all the time," I say, though a spark of interest lights up inside me.

"It could be his competitors trying to pull him down," Dad shrugs.

I give him a pointed look. Are you sure you don’t have a hand in it?

Dad bursts out laughing. "Come on, now. If I really want to attack someone, I don't hide in the shadows to do it. I do it openly. The Mercers will survive. Besides, we have our own benchmarks to hit. When will our AI-Powered Cancer Screening Scope and Wearable Continuous Hormone Monitor be ready for the market?"

"Come to the headquarters corporate office and find out," I counter.

Dad’s face switches back to a firm, deadly serious expression. "Do you want the Mercer girl working for you, or are you okay with her staying in Milo's camp?"

"I want her working for me."

"Good. You can use her to dismantle Milo's entire strategy from the inside. We need to shut down the endless media comparisons between the Millers and the Calder’s once and for all."

"Okay, dad."

"That is my boy. Steal her away before Milo realizes what is happening. The Millers won't know what hit them." He pats my shoulder firmly and disappears back into the elite crowd.