At Lauren's invitation, Kai and Wilshere stepped inside the house.
"Sorry about the ss," Lauren said apologetically. "I didn't have ti to tidy up."
Kai shook his head politely. "It's fine, really."
The house was indeed untidy — leftover pizza boxes and takeaway containers cluttered the table, while a pile of clothes lay scattered across the sofa. Kai glanced pointedly at Wilshere and nodded toward the ss with his chin.
Wilshere blinked, then quickly understood. "I'll clean this up!"
Kai gave a small, satisfied smile.
Lauren, pretending not to notice the exchange, headed toward the kitchen. "What would you like to drink?"
"Ice water would be perfect, thank you," Kai replied, settling onto the sofa while Wilshere began tidying with surprising diligence.
Monts later, Wilshere's son, Archie, ran over clutching a small football. The boy looked up at Kai with wide, curious eyes.
"Captain, we're going to win the final, right?"
Kai smiled warmly. "We have no reason to lose, do we?"
Archie pumped his little fist excitedly. "Co on, Arsenal!"
Lauren returned with a glass of ice water and smiled. "They've been like this since this morning. Archie admires you a great deal. He sees you as his role model."
Kai chuckled softly. "It's an honour, but they also have a very talented father."
A subtle, awkward silence fell over the room. The expressions on Lauren's and Wilshere's faces shifted noticeably.
Kai quickly clarified, "I ant on the football pitch."
Lauren gave a wry smile. "Jack has been bothering quite a lot lately. I'm afraid I don't have any feelings left for him."
Kai nodded thoughtfully. "I know it's not my place to say this, Lauren, but as Jack's friend, I truly believe he wants to change. He wants to take responsibility as a husband and a father. I hope you might give him another chance to prove himself through his actions."
Lauren looked down, her voice quiet. "It's hard to trust him again."
"I can't understand what you went through. I won't be arrogant enough to do that," Kai said candidly. "But you could observe him over ti. Give him a chance to show you he's changed — and allow yourself to see it."
Lauren fell silent.
From the bathroom, Wilshere's voice called out, "Lauren, where's the floor cleaner?"
Lauren rolled her eyes. "What are you doing in there?"
"Cleaning the floor!"
Kai smiled at her. "See? He really is trying."
Lauren shook her head with a reluctant chuckle. "I'll be back in a mont."
. . .
After she left the room, Kai turned back to little Archie. "Hey, Archie. Do you want to play so football?"
The boy nodded eagerly. "I want to be a player just like you!"
Kai's expression softened. "But you already have a great role model at ho, you know."
"You an my dad?" Archie's face twisted with disdain. "He sucks."
Kai was montarily taken aback. At the entrance to the living room, both Lauren and Wilshere had stopped and were listening.
"He's your teammate, so you defend him," Archie continued. "The newspapers said you had to beg the club to give him a new contract. He's useless now."
Wilshere's face flushed with embarrassnt and pain.
Kai's expression grew serious. "I don't agree with that, Archie. Your father is a top-class player."
He paused, then added with a kind smile, "How about this? I'll invite you and your sister to watch the Champions League final with . Then you can see your dad play and understand him better."
Archie's eyes widened with excitent. "Really?!"
Before Wilshere could protest, Kai continued calmly, "Our opponent is Juventus. The midfield battle will be crucial. Do you really think Wenger will stick with the sa double pivot all the way to the final?"
Wilshere froze, a flicker of hope appearing in his eyes.
He patted Wilshere on the shoulder and said, "One defensive midfielder is enough for him. Wenger will likely focus more on midfield control in the final, so you have a real chance of playing. Even if you don't start, you'll almost certainly co on as a substitute."
"I'm inviting your wife and children to the final," Kai said with a serious expression. "So if you don't want to embarrass yourself in front of them, you'd better score a goal for them."
Wilshere stared at him blankly, unsure whether Kai was being serious or completely mad. Still, the offer was genuinely tempting.
"Alright, it's settled," Kai continued. "I'll arrange the tickets for you. Make sure you bring them to the ga."
He checked the ti and stood up. "I should get going. I still have a few things to do."
"Take him with you," Lauren said, pointing at Wilshere.
Wilshere's face fell.
Kai glanced at him and shrugged. "I think your family could use a servant right now — washing dishes, cleaning the house, doing laundry… that sort of thing."
Lauren raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "That's not a bad idea at all."
Kai smiled and gave Wilshere a firm pat on the shoulder. "I've created the opportunity for you, Jack. The rest is up to you."
Wilshere looked at him with genuine gratitude. Then, without hesitation, he turned toward the bathroom and called out enthusiastically, "Lauren, I'll start with the bathroom, then do the dishes, cook, and finish with the laundry. Leave everything to — I'm actually pretty good at this."
Watching Wilshere hurry around with sudden energy, both Kai and Lauren couldn't help but laugh.
Lauren personally walked Kai to the door.
"Thank you, Kai," she said sincerely. "I can see that Jack has changed. He seems… alive again, like he was when he was eighteen."
"That's what a sudden realisation does to a man," Kai replied.
Lauren shook her head gently. "No. It's because he has an excellent friend."
She pointed at him with a warm smile. "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have felt comfortable letting him stay at their house for days."
"Absolutely not," Kai feigned horror. "He's a handful."
Both of them burst into laughter.
Kai's expression grew more serious as he added, "As his wife and as his friend, we both want what's best for him. But it will take effort from all of us. You understand what I an."
Lauren nodded. "Yes. That's exactly why I let him back into the house today."
Kai raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I look forward to the day you tear up those divorce papers. You'll have to invite for a drink when that happens."
"Of course," Lauren replied with a playful wink. "You're our best friend — if that day ever cos."
. . .
As Kai drove away, he reflected that once Wilshere shed his arrogance and immaturity, he could actually be a very good friend.
His phone suddenly rang.
"Kai, where are you?" Arsène Wenger's voice ca through the speaker.
Kai answered with mock displeasure, "I just played matchmaker for Jack. I think I deserve a raise for that, don't you?"
"Jack?" Wenger paused, then chuckled. "You went to see Lauren?"
"Yes," Kai replied. "I want to help them. I also don't want to watch Jack continue spiralling."
"You did well," Wenger said warmly.
Kai smiled. "Is there sothing else?"
Wenger cleared his throat. "We've received an offer."
"An offer?" Kai blinked. Since the last contract renewal, any bid below €100 million wouldn't even be brought to his attention.
"From Real Madrid," Wenger continued. "Florentino Pérez handled it personally. They want to sign you."
Kai was genuinely surprised. "How much?"
"€107 million."
Kai drew in a sharp breath.
As a defensive midfielder, that valuation would make him the most expensive in the world — and place him among the highest-valued players in Europe.
. . .
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