Chapter 48: Chapter 47: Terms of Engagement [I]
Demien’s alarm went off at 5:00 AM. He quickly turned it off before it could wake anyone else. His hand moved fast from years of early morning training.
The morning light came weakly through his curtains. He got out of bed and felt the cool air on his skin. It helped wake him up as he thought about the big day ahead.
He walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower. He let the room fill with steam before stepping under the hot water. The shower helped relax his muscles. He washed slowly while thinking about what would happen today.
When he came out with a towel wrapped around him, he could smell breakfast from the kitchen. His mother was already dressed and cooking at the stove.
"Morning," she said without turning around as she flipped an omelet with expert precision, and her voice was warm but also sad as she watched her son prepare to leave.
"You didn’t have to get up this early," Demien said as he ran his hand through his wet hair. They both knew she would never miss his departure.
"Of course I did," Isabella replied with a soft smile as she put the omelet on a plate with toast and fruit. "Big day."
Demien went back to his room to get dressed and finish packing. He had packed most of his things over the last two days. He wanted to make sure he didn’t forget anything.
He wrapped his football boots carefully in cloth bags and put them on top of his main duffel bag. Next to them was the training schedule Marco had printed for him. It showed his first week of sessions at Atalanta’s main facility.
When he went back to the kitchen, his mother had the TV on with low volume. It was showing a sports channel. The screen showed highlights from last night’s matches. The studio had four analysts sitting around a curved desk. They were dressed in suits and talking excitedly with hand gestures.
"Let’s look again at that stunning comeback from England," said the main presenter, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair. The screen changed to show a packed stadium with fans waving flags.
The footage showed Spain scoring first, then England looking desperate as time ran out. Then came Ella Toone’s equalizer in the 84th minute that sent the crowd wild. The panel nodded in approval.
"But the moment of the match has to be this," the presenter continued as they switched to Georgia Stanway collecting the ball in midfield during extra time. The camera followed her as she took a touch forward and unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box.
"And what a moment for Georgia Stanway!" the presenter said happily as the ball flew into the top corner. The stadium erupted in celebration. "England now through to the semifinals in what many are calling the match of the tournament so far."
"The question is," added a female analyst with short blonde hair, "can they go all the way? Sweden or Belgium await in the semis."
"Speaking of comebacks," said another presenter as the screen changed to show Serie A news, "rumors continue about Dybala’s potential move to Roma after leaving Juventus. And Atalanta’s pursuit of Ademola Lookman is reportedly in the final stages."
Demien’s attention perked up at the mention of his new club potentially signing a player from the Premier League.
He ate while the football talk played in the background. His mind kept going back to the text he got last night—the message from his ex that he was too surprised to read before falling asleep.
He took out his phone and looked at the notification. He wasn’t sure if he should read it before leaving. He wondered if her message would upset his focus today. But he was curious, so he opened it.
"Heard you’re signing with Atalanta. Congratulations. Maybe we could catch up sometime? Elena x"
He stared at the message and felt many emotions. He was surprised she contacted him after so long. He wondered how she heard the news. He was wary about her sudden interest now that his career was taking off. He put his phone down without answering. Today was about moving forward, not looking back.
The doorbell rang at exactly 6:30 AM. Isabella went to answer it while Demien put his dishes in the sink. Soon he heard Marco’s voice from the front door along with Luca’s easy laugh.
"There he is!" Marco said as Demien entered the living room. The agent looked excited as he stepped forward and hugged his client with a firm pat on the back.
Luca stood next to his sister. Sophia looked fully awake despite the early hour. She was casually elegant and gave Demien a warm smile that made his heart beat a little faster.
"Ready for the big day?" she asked while Luca was greeting Isabella. Her voice was sincere and seemed to mean more than just small talk.
"As ready as I’ll ever be," Demien replied with a slight smile that showed he understood how important today was. They shared a moment that neither was ready to define.
Marco looked at his watch and said, "The car should be here any minute. Got everything?"
Demien nodded and pointed to his bags by the door. Isabella went quickly to the kitchen and came back with a small package wrapped in foil.
"Sandwiches for the drive," she explained as she gave them to Luca with a mother’s authority. "Both of you need to eat properly today."
Luca took them with a grateful smile. Sophia rolled her eyes at her brother but did it with affection. Marco checked his phone and said, "Car’s outside."
The next few minutes were busy with final checks and goodbyes. Isabella hugged Demien tight for longer than usual before letting him go with visible effort. They all promised to call later as the bags were loaded into the black car with the Atalanta logo.
Marco gave Isabella a quick hug before following the boys to the car. "I’ll make sure they call you tonight," he promised.
By 6:59 AM, Demien was in the back of the car with Luca. Marco sat across from them. As the car drove away, Demien saw his mother and Sophia standing in the doorway, waving goodbye.
The journey to Bergamo took nearly three hours. Marco talked about contract details while Luca sometimes made jokes to lighten the mood. Both boys were nervous but tried not to show it. Demien was grateful for the distraction as they drove through the countryside, then suburbs, and finally reached the city that would be his new home.
"Remember," Marco said as they turned onto the road leading to Atalanta’s training complex, "the first offer is never the final offer. I’ve done my research on comparable contracts for players in your position with similar potential, and we’ll be aiming for performance incentives above the base salary."
Luca leaned closer to Demien and whispered, "He’s been practicing that speech the whole way here." Marco gave him a sharp look but wasn’t really angry.
The car passed through security gates. Guards in Atalanta uniforms checked their credentials and nodded respectfully. As they drove deeper into the complex, Demien saw the scale of the facility. There were pristine training pitches alongside modern buildings. Everything showed that this was a club with big ambitions.
"Impressive, isn’t it?" Marco commented as he saw how the young men were looking around. "This is what a proper European club looks like."
The car stopped outside the main administrative building. Its glass façade reflected the morning sunlight. The Atalanta crest stood prominently above the entrance. As Demien stepped out, he felt the weight of the moment—he was about to sign his first professional contract.