Discretion was Mateo's specialty. The next morning, he left the team hotel not as Mateo, the global superstar, but as "Javier," a university student with an average face and a nondescript haircut.
His natural ability to blend into crowds, honed through months of avoiding unwanted attention, made him virtually invisible. No one gave him a second look as he walked through the bustling streets of Madrid.
He arrived at a small, quiet café in the Malasaña district, a place far from the tourist traps. Isabella was already there, sitting at a small table in the corner, a book open in front of her. She looked up as he approached, a nervous, beautiful smile on her face. For a moment, they just looked at each other, the roar of the stadium replaced by the quiet clink of coffee cups.
"Javier, I presume?" she said, her voice a soft tease.
He laughed, the sound full of relief and happiness. "Isabella. It is so good to see you." as he signed.
