Chapter 265: [265] "HOPEFULLY"

Hugo Blanc stepped out. The teenager had his posture perfect as always.

"Captain," Hugo said softly.

Luc stopped, turning to face the young midfielder. "Hugo. What are you doing out here?"

"I was waiting for you," Hugo explained, tapping the screen of the tablet in his hand to wake it up. "I received communication from the real estate agent regarding the twin-house property we toured."

Luc’s mind briefly shifted away from the looming Stade Phocéen fixture, recalling the quiet sanctuary they had both agreed to lease. "Did the paperwork clear? I told you I would sign the contract for the right unit."

"The paperwork cleared," Hugo confirmed, his eyes remaining fixed on the glowing screen. "However, the agreement...was kinda altered during the final processing phase."

Luc frowned. "Altered how? Did the landlord raise the rent because they found out who we are? If they are trying to leverage us, we can find another place. I’m not playing games with a landlord."

"It is not a landlord issue," Hugo corrected, his voice maintaining its usual, unnerving calm. "The rental agreement was voided."

Luc let out a slow breath. "So we lost the house."

"No. We secured the property," Hugo stated. He looked up from the tablet, meeting Luc’s gaze. "When I submitted the initial lease request to Valérie’s management team for the required vetting, Valérie reviewed it herself. She reviewed the property details, the privacy situation, everything I provided."

"And?" Luc prompted, sensing the inevitable escalation that always occurred when the club owner became personally involved in their lives.

"And she determined that leasing the property was not good enough for her," Hugo explained. "She instructed her financial team to null the rental agency and contact the holding company that owned the twin house directly. She cash purchased the entire place. Both units. The land. The shared compound. Everything."

Luc stared at the teenager. Valérie Laurent had just bought a multi-million-euro piece of real estate simply because her players wanted to rent it.

"She bought the house," Luc repeated, ensuring he had heard correctly.

"She bought the house," Hugo confirmed. "I am currently viewing the deed transfer documents sent to my email. The left unit has been officially placed into a trust under my name, fulfilling the requirement of my upcoming contract extension."

Luc nodded slowly. It made sense for Valérie to secure her most valuable teenage prospect in a property she ultimately controlled. It was an investment.

"Alright," Luc said, adjusting the strap of his bag. "So I pay rent to Valérie now for the right side. That’s fine. It keeps it in-house."

Hugo shook his head. The teenager took a step closer, holding the tablet out so Luc could see the illuminated document displayed on the screen.

"You do not pay rent, Luc."

Luc looked down at the screen. The document was a legal deed of transfer, stamped with the official seal of the municipal registry. He skimmed the legal text, his eyes catching the bolded names located near the bottom of the page.

The property listed was the right unit of the twin house.

The sole beneficiary listed was Luc Beaumont.

Luc’s read the paragraph again, ensuring he wasn’t misinterpreting the legal jargon. There was no lease agreement attached. There was no rental fee stipulated. The property had been transferred to him free and clear of any financial obligation.

He looked back up at Hugo. "She put the deed in my name."

"She did," Hugo confirmed, lowering the tablet. "I received a second email from her executive assistant explaining the transaction. The email explicitly stated that the right unit is a gift. It is fully paid for. The property taxes have been covered for the next five years."

Luc stood, the rumbling engine of the team bus providing the only soundtrack to the massive revelation.

A multi-million-euro property, nestled in a private district, handed to him without a single negotiation. It was not a contract bonus or a performance incentive outlined in his paperwork.

"Why would she do that?" Luc asked quietly, though he already suspected the answer.

Hugo adjusted his grip on the tablet. The teenager’s mind had clearly already thought of a few things behind the owner’s decision.

"You are currently leading the Golden Boot race," Hugo analyzed. "You just returned from an injury and immediately secured a vital away victory with a goal that will generate massive international media traction. You are the captain of the squad that is six days away from potentially trashing Phocéen. You represent the apex of her commercial and sporting empire."

Hugo paused, looking at the black Porsche keys dangling from Luc’s gym bag.

"Valérie does not operate on charity, Luc. She operates on leverage and retention. You expressed a desire for a quiet environment to optimize your recovery and have more Juliette in your daily routine. Valérie simply eliminated all externals to ensure you achieve that."

Hugo looked back up, his expression unreadable.

"It is her way of pampering her top player," Hugo concluded. "She is ensuring you have nothing to worry about outside of the pitch, so that when you step onto the pitch against Stade Phocéen next Saturday, you have no excuses not to deliver."

Valérie Laurent had essentially built a golden cage in the woods, wrapped it in a bow, and handed him the keys. It was a terrifying display of power, a reminder that the owner of SC Valois monitored everything, analyzed every need, and possessed the resources to manipulate reality to suit her club’s ultimate objectives.

She was securing her assets. She was clearing the board of all distractions.

Luc looked down at his phone in his pocket, thinking of Juliette waiting for his call to discuss the move. He didn’t have to discuss much anymore. He owned the building.

He looked back at Hugo. "I guess we’re neighbors then."

"We are," Hugo agreed, turning toward the open doors of the bus. "I have already scheduled a moving company to transport my belongings from home tomorrow morning. I assume you will coordinate yours."

"I will," Luc said, following the teenager up the stairs.

The interior of the bus was dark, illuminated only by the small reading lights above the seats. The squad was quiet, retreating into their own mental spaces to begin the recovery process.

Luc walked down the aisle, finding an empty seat near the back. He dropped his bag onto the floor and slid into the window seat. He rested his head against the cool glass, staring out at the walls of the loading bay as the bus finally shifted into gear and began to pull out of the stadium.

He owned a house. He was going to be living with Juliette. He was leading the Golden Boot race.

But none of it mattered if they failed on Saturday.

The blue interface of The Everything System flickered briefly in his vision, a silent reminder of the Absolute Strike sitting patiently in his inventory.

Six days.

Stade Phocéen. Part of the title decider. The ultimate war.

Luc closed his eyes, letting the vibration of the bus lull him into the singular, razor-sharp focus that would consume him for the rest of the week. Hopefully, he was more than ready.