The world outside the training ground seemed louder than usual. Car horns, kids laughing, construction hammering in the distance — all of it buzzing in Kai's head like static he couldn't shake.
He should've been happy. Excited. Hopeful.
Instead, Kai Alexander-Gonzalez drove home with his heart heavy and his mind racing.
Sarah Morgan. A real agent. The USMNT looking at him. PSG, Dortmund, Ajax — European giants circling like hawks.
It was everything he had dreamed of.
So why did he feel like he was carrying a thousand pounds on his back?
The house was unusually quiet when he pulled into the driveway.
Inside, he found his mother sitting alone at the kitchen table, a chipped mug of coffee cradled between her hands. She stared blankly out the window, lost in thought.
No Robert. No twins.
For once, it felt almost peaceful.
"Hey, Ma," Kai said, dropping his bag by the door.
She smiled, but it was a tired, worn thing. The kind of smile that didn't reach the eyes anymore.
"Hey, baby," she said softly with her English accent. "Twins are at school. Robert… he's out."
Out doing God knows what, Kai thought bitterly.
He wanted to tell her everything, about Sarah, about the offers that were sure to come, about how everything was about to change.
But when he opened his mouth… the words stuck.
Instead, a different question fell out, sharp and sudden.
"Ma… you ever think about divorcing him?"
The coffee mug slipped from her hands, clattering against the table.
Her mouth opened, closed. She looked at him like he'd just punched her in the gut.
"I…" she started, voice trembling. "I've thought about it. Many times."
Kai's chest tightened.
"Then why stay?" he asked, harsher than he meant.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away fast. Too fast. Like she was used to swallowing them whole.
"Because I'm stuck, Kai," she said. "I don't have a job. No savings. No family close enough to help. He… he made sure of that. If I leave, what happens to me? To Ella and Ethan?"
Kai clenched his fists under the table. Every word out of her mouth felt like gasoline on a fire.
"You're not stuck," he said, voice low and shaking. "Not anymore."
She smiled sadly. "It's not that easy, baby."
Kai stood so fast his chair scraped back violently.
"Maybe it's time it was," he snapped.
He didn't wait for her to answer. Didn't trust himself to stay.
He stormed out the back door, heart hammering, the cold air biting his skin.
He pulled out his phone, hands trembling with rage.
One name in his recent contacts.
Sarah Morgan.
She picked up on the second ring.
"Kai? You okay?"
"Hi Sarah, I need your help. Do you know any good divorce lawyers?" he asked bluntly, no hesitation.
There was a pause, just long enough to scare him, before Sarah answered.
"I do," she said firmly. "I'll send you their contacts."
Fifteen minutes later, his inbox buzzed. Three names, all solid. All discreet.
Kai didn't hesitate.
He scrolled to another contact.
Aunt Mel.
His mother's older sister. A woman who had been pushed out of their lives years ago when Robert tightened his grip.
He pressed call.
"Aunt Mel?" he said when she answered, her voice crackling with surprise and concern.
"Kai? Oh my God, is everything alright?"
"No," he said. "But I'm trying to fix it."
He told her everything. No sugarcoating. No lies.
About Robert. About the fear. About how his mom felt trapped.
By the time he finished, Aunt Mel was crying.
"I'll come down there," she said immediately. "I'll get her a lawyer. I'll help however she needs."
Relief flooded Kai so fast he had to sit down on the steps outside.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"No, baby," she said. "Thank you."
…
The days blurred after that.
The calendar flipped to January, and with it, the European transfer window swung wide open.
And the storm truly began.
PSG, Dortmund, Ajax — the giants were not just circling now.
They were attacking, their offers had long left the hundreds. They were now in the millions.
Offers poured into Atlanta United's front office like a tidal wave.
€1.2 million from Ajax.
€2 million from Dortmund.
€5.7 million + add ons a 20% sell-on-clause from PSG.
Every day, the numbers got bigger. Every day, the pressure grew heavier.
The local press caught wind fast.
"Atlanta Wonderkid Kai Alexander: Bidding War Erupts Among Europe's Elite."
The headlines plastered across every sports site, every newspaper.
The TV ran segments about him. Analysts debated whether he should leave now or stay another year.
Kai tried to drown it out. Focused on training. Focused on staying sharp. Focused on keeping his head above water while his world tilted on its axis.
Sarah handled everything. Shielded him. Fought for him.
But not everyone was happy.
Robert sat in his battered recliner, a beer balanced on his gut, the newspaper spread across his lap.
His jaw clenched tighter with every word he read.
"Kai Alexander… record-breaking move to Europe imminent… clubs offering millions…"
Millions.
And none of it would be under Robert's control if the boy left now.
Across the room, Jerry paced, chewing his thumbnail anxiously.
"You said you had him on lock," Robert growled.
Jerry shrugged helplessly. "He never signed the damn paperwork. I didn't think he'd need to! I thought we had time! Robert we need…"
Robert slammed his fist into the armrest, interrupting and making Jerry jump.
"Listen to me," Robert said, voice low and poisonous. "You're gonna go to him. You're gonna convince him to stay. Tell him he's a hero here. Tell him he can get a new contract. Big money."
Jerry swallowed hard. "What if he says no?"
Robert's eyes narrowed into slits.
"Then we make him say yes."
Jerry nodded quickly, fear flashing across his face.
They still had a little time.
And Robert wasn't about to let his golden goose fly away without a fight.