Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 899

Chapter 899: Imagine it as a watermelon
WHISTLE!

As soon as the whistle blew, all cheering and distractions stopped. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the ball the referee tossed into the air. Max and Atlas, standing in front of each other, bent their knees, their eyes locked on the ball.

Both men jumped as high as they could, but it was clear that Max’s jumping ability was superior. He soared like a massive wave, his shadow overlapping Atlas’s body.

For Max, time seemed to slow down as his mind raced with thoughts while he reached for the ball.

‘Should I take it? Pass it? Hold it? Pass it?’ he wondered repeatedly, knowing Hugo was there, ready to steal the ball if Max didn’t secure full possession.

His heart thudded nervously, afraid that one wrong decision could lead to the team’s failure. Max might still be confident, but he wasn’t as naïve as he was twelve years ago. In the end, he clenched his teeth and grabbed the ball, holding it securely as his feet landed on the floor.

“Woooh! Go, Max! Our first point for this second quarter, here we go!”

The crowd erupted in cheers, many assuming that the first point of the second quarter was about to happen. However, Max held on to the ball as soon as Atlas blocked him, guarding him with his arms spread wide.

“Just what are you guys thinking?” Max grumbled through gritted teeth, his eyes scanning the area. “This isn’t going to work unless Hugo is the one guarding me!”

As soon as Max shouted, he dribbled the ball hard and forced himself out of Atlas’s defensive reach. He only needed to bluff Atlas, and that was enough to get past him.

“Haha!” Max laughed as he sprinted toward their basket, eyes fixed on his goal. He could feel Atlas trying to catch up, and he saw Hugo trying to get past the two other players guarding him in the corner.

DING!

The sound of a point being scored rang through the court. Max stopped in his tracks, staring at the basket in surprise.

“Kyah!!! Senior Max!”

“Our first point for the team~!!!”

“Go, team! Go, Team Max!”

“Keep it up! We’re starting strong!”

‘I did it,’ Max thought, as if it were the first time he had scored a point. The corner of his mouth curved into a small smile, and the tension in his shoulders eased.

Just moments ago, he had been filled with anxiety, sensing the intensity of his opponents’ determination. But now that they had shown him their skills wouldn’t suddenly improve, his confidence was restored.

Max’s attention snapped to the ball, now in Hugo’s hands. “Team, focus! We still can’t be complacent.”

Even with a smooth start to the second quarter, Max had learned long ago not to underestimate his opponents. He wasn’t the same person he had been before. Even when he knew he was better and winning, he didn’t look down on his rivals or opponents anymore, because Atlas and the basketball team had taught him a valuable lesson in life.

With that thought in mind, Max’s team shifted to defense as Hugo held the ball. But just like in the first quarter, they were able to block Hugo, steal the ball from his team, and although the other team had a rare chance to score, the ball never went in.

“These guys…” Slater ground his teeth, watching as Zoren, Dean, and even Jonathan remained ineffective in this quarter. He clenched his hands into tight fists, tempted to jump from his seat and storm onto the court to teach those guys a lesson.

Haines glanced at Slater, noticing that many of Hugo’s team’s fans were starting to feel hopeless again. Even though some hadn’t lost hope, what they were watching was enough to crush any remaining optimism.

“Slater, just calm down,” Haines remarked, only to hear Slater harrumph. “Just calm down. Look at your dad.”

“They are—” Slater almost bit his tongue as he abruptly stopped, furrowing his brows. Listening to his uncle’s advice, Slater shifted his gaze to where his father stood.

Not just Slater, but Nina and Benjamin, who had also heard Haines, turned their eyes toward Charles. Charles was standing in the corner, arms crossed, watching the game with a dark and serious expression.

One might easily mistake this for Charles not being pleased with the situation. However, his children and those who knew him would know that he wouldn’t just stand quietly if this situation upset him. He would act just as Slater was acting right now.

“Let’s all just watch this quietly,” Haines advised, casting a sidelong glance at Penny. “Right, Penny?”

Penny smiled and nodded. “Dad always knows what he’s doing, so I trust him. Besides, look at the other team… they’re growing arrogant. They should have known that the Piersons never take their eyes off each other because they know none of them should be left unguarded.”

With that, Slater reluctantly sat back down and clasped the armrest. He was still upset, but he kept it to himself, watching the game with a bitter expression.

And then, it happened.

Charles, standing on the sidelines, had his eyes glinting as another point was scored by the other team. His eyes briefly landed on his sons and then the rest of the group before he nodded.

“Go for it,” he whispered to himself. “Get them.”

Another whistle blew, and this time Max was holding the ball again. As he dribbled, he surveyed the players around him. Two were guarding Hugo, one was on Atlas, and the other was on standby.

It might have seemed reckless for their opponents to leave Jonathan, Dean, and even Zoren unguarded, but those three hadn’t done anything since the start of the first quarter—and still weren’t making any moves now.

With that thought, Max picked up his pace and moved in for another point. Atlas tried to break free, and Hugo did the same, but they were locked in by their opponents. They barely made a move while Max was getting closer to the basket. However, seeing Zoren jogging closer but very slowly, Max smirked and stopped, jumping back to take a three-point shot.

“Another three…” Max whispered, releasing the ball confidently.

But just as the ball left his fingertips, a shadow suddenly loomed over him, and he saw a pair of malicious eyes shining down like a monster.

“If I’m going to kill you, this is how I’ll split your head, like this ball — imagine it as a watermelon,” was all Max heard before the ball in the air was slapped back, making it fall past his head and hit the floor. Zoren quickly caught it, already a few meters behind Max.

“Ah… not that basket,” Zoren commented, taking the ball and dribbling it to the other side. As soon as everyone saw Zoren with the ball, casually jogging as if on a night jog, the enemy player on standby rushed toward him.

They expected Zoren to pass to Hugo, but Zoren just smiled, stopped, and passed the ball to the other side, away from Hugo.

“Fools.” As soon as Dean caught the ball, he smirked and went straight for their basket, tossing the ball and making their first score.