Even Sloane couldn’t help but look at the head coach with anticipation all over her

    face.

    The coach snapped his fingers. “It’s today. Right now!”

    “Huh?” The surprise hit so suddenly that no one quite knew how to react.

    “Let’s go to the training room.” With a wave of his arm, the coach led the way, and everyone hurried after him, whispering to each other about what this mysterious legend might look like.

    The training room was already packed–leaders who rarely showed up were present too. It was clear how seriously ckhawk regarded Team 9’s top–tier legend.

    Sloane sat in the front row, her heart a mix of excitement and unease. Finally, the conference room door swung open, and all eyes turned toward the entrance.

    A tall figure stepped inside, dressed in a perfectly tailored, handmade ck suit. His expression was stern, his stride steady andmanding.

    The moment Sloane saw that familiar face, she froze in ce.

    “Lucas?” she murmured under her breath, disbelief filling her eyes.

    Gasps and whispers rippled through the crowd. They might not have known the identity of the elusive Team 9 legend, but when it came to Lucas from the Hawthorne Group, there wasn’t a soul at Stonebridge who didn’t recognize him.

    Lucas stepped up onto the stage. His gaze swept across the room, finally settling on Sloane’s face. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly into a faint smile, as if he had expected her reaction all along.

    The head coach stood beside him, visibly thrille ollid. “Everyone, it’s our great honor to wee Team 9’s legendary master,  Lucas. Not only is Mr. Hawthorne a legend in the field of national cybersecurity, but he’s also helped elevate the discipline to a world–ss level. He’s spent years in information security and /li/ol

    trustedputing research, and has won five first–ss and eight second–ss National Science and Technology Progress Awards. Known across the country as the Guardian of Cybersecurity, let’s give him a warm wee!”

    The room erupted in apuse, but to Sloane, it was as if the sound didn’t exist. Her mind had gonepletely nk; she stared at Lucas, waves of emotion churning in her chest.

    iTeam /ii9’s /iilegend /iiis /iiactually /iiLucas/i? She murmured to herself, her world momentarily tilted off bnce.

    Lucas stood tall at the front of the room, his eyes never leaving her. His deep, steady voice began to walk them through cutting–edge cybersecurity technologies and strategies.

    His teaching was clear and essible; each detail dissected thoroughly and exined in a way anyone could understand. The students hung on every word, captivated.

    Sloane found herself blinking out of her haze. She stared at Lucas, his stern expression, the depth in his gaze, the calm authority in the way he moved and spoke. iThis is /iithe /iifirst /iitime /iiI’ve /iiever /iiseen /iithis /iiside /iiof Lucas/i.

    There was no denying it—he was a phenomenal instructor. He had a way of taking the mostplex material and turning it into something approachable and easy

    to grasp.

    Without even realizing it, Sloane found herself drawn in by his energy and rity.

    As Lucas spoke, he subtly watched her from the corner of his eye. Seeing her fully engaged and focused on him, his lips curved ever so slightly.

    When the lecture ended, Lucas didn’t leave right away. Instead, he stepped down from the stage and walked–one deliberate step at a time—until he stood directly

    in front of Sloane.

    His gaze was warm and deep, his voice tinged with satisfaction. “Sloane,e with me for a moment.”

    The other team members froze for a second before it clicked–Sloane and Lucas used to be engaged. With the recent rumors about their broken engagement still swirling, everyone couldn’t help sneaking nces, curious to see how Sloane would react.