THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Zachary was without any worries after leaving the matters of purchasing the villa to Matteo Tavano, the solicitor experienced in handling real estate deals in Turin. He adjusted his mental state and returned his entire focus to training the following day.

As always, he woke up early, at around six, and went through his morning routine. He completed everything he had to do by 8:00 AM and then joined his teammates at the Vinovo, Juventus' training center, to commence preparations for the Champions League game against Atlético Madrid.

His motivation levels were at their best, and he was soon in full gear, training as always to gain tip-top match fitness before Wednesday night. However, that time around, he didn't forget his other responsibilities because of training. He continued attending his language classes and made sure to find time to call Camilla on a daily basis.

Aside from that, Zachary also made time to meet with Emily and Kristin after training on Monday afternoon. They met in a comfy cafe in the middle of Turin and spent a few hours catching up.

Kristin had already settled in well in the new city. She had already enrolled in the University of Turin and was always attending lectures whenever she wasn't handling Zachary's publicity matters. Emily, on her part, was as busy as ever. She had finally registered her own sports agency and was in the process of searching for new talents to represent. All in all, the two ladies seemed to be doing quite well in their respective fields.

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Time would always pass by quickly when one was busy. Hours turned into days, and soon, it was Tuesday, the eve of Juventus' Champions League fixture against Atlético Madrid. And as always, Coach Allegri called all the Juventus first-team players into the tactics room late in the evening for the pre-game briefing.

The pre-match briefing proceeded well as Coach Allegri explained the tactics for the game against Atlético Madrid. He clarified everything in Italian while occasionally allowing Maurizio Trombetta, his assistant, to translate some important points into English. Then, after the tactics presentation, it was time to announce the squad heading to Madrid the following morning. And naturally, the coach named the starting eleven first.

Gianluigi Buffon would be in goal, while Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Martín Cáceres would play as the three defenders. Then, in central midfield, it would be Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo, and Zachary Bemba holding the reigns — while Patrice Evra and Stephan Lichtsteiner would play on the flanks to complete the midfield of five. And finally, Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tévez would play as the two strikers to complete Juventus' 3-5-2 starting formation.

After naming the starting eleven, Coach Allegri then moved on to mention those that were on the bench. And without any surprises, Marco Storari, Angelo Ogbonna, Rômulo, Arturo Vidal, Kingsley Coman, Sebastian Giovinco, and Álvaro Morata were the names on the coach's list of substitutes. All those players had trained well over the past two days, and it was natural that they make his squad for the Champions League game against Atlético Madrid.

The naming of the line-up marked the end of the pre-game tactics meeting. As a result, the coach sent the players back to their homes to rest after repeatedly reminding them to be on time the following morning.

Their flight to Madrid was at 8:30 early in the morning. So, they had to arrive at Juventus' training center by 7:30 AM so they would have time to travel to the airport by bus.

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After leaving Juventus' training center in the evening, Zachary returned to his room at the J Hotel. After cleaning up, he enjoyed a room-delivered dinner before brushing his teeth and jumping into bed. He was ready to enter into a peaceful slumber — and in so doing, allow his body to rest and be in the best shape for the following day's game against Atlético Madrid.

But sometimes, things would not proceed according to plan, and that night was as such for Zachary. He received an unexpected call just after entering between the sheets.

The call was from Camilla, and when he picked it up, his gut feeling immediately warned him that his night wouldn't go according to plan. But even then, he braced himself and decided to listen to what Camilla had to say.

"Hello, Camilla," he spoke into the phone after pressing the accept button. "How is your evening going?"

Zachary was trying to ease into the conversation. However, there was no response from the other end of the line. He could hear someone breathing... maybe Camilla, but she just remained silent. She wasn't saying even a single word!

"Hello, Camilla," he spoke again, sitting upright on the bed. "Are you there? Are you okay?"

"Hello, Zach," Camilla finally responded in a somewhat unnatural voice. She seemed to be sobbing.

"Are you okay?" Zachary asked again, his mind sobering up and losing all signs of sleep. He was worried.

"I'm really not okay," Camilla responded in between sobs after a few more seconds.

"What's the matter?" Zachary pressed, switching the phone to his other ear. He softened his tone and continued, "What's wrong?"

"I lost the child," she responded with almost a whisper.

"What?"

"I said I lost the child," she said. "After I came back from work, I started doing some laundry. But that's when I got sudden cramps and abdominal pains and realized I was bleeding. I called an ambulance, and it rushed me to the hospital, only to find out I had had a miscarriage."

"Oh!" Zachary's mind blanked out after hearing her narrative. And for a few seconds, he didn't know what to say. His thoughts were muddled and all over the place.

He was confused as he should have been relieved after hearing such news. He should have felt relaxed as he had not been ready to have a child, especially at that early stage of his football career. However, the reality at that moment was totally different from what he expected. What he felt was the opposite of what he'd envisioned after hearing such unfortunate news.

The artificial lighting in the hotel room cast a glow upon his face, highlighting his listless expression. In the meantime, a sensation of emptiness flooded his mind, making him feel like he had lost something important. He regretted not treating Camilla right when he heard the news of her pregnancy.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into the phone after collecting himself.

"You don't have to apologize," Camilla replied in a more relaxed tone. "It wasn't your fault. It just happened."

Zachary was at a loss for words after hearing that. He thought for a few seconds before asking, "Where are you now? Are you okay? Do you have any other complications?"

"I'm still at the hospital. But I have no other complications. At least the doctors haven't found any. Zachary! I have to go now. The doctors are here. They have to conduct more tests. We'll talk later." After saying that, she immediately ended the call before Zachary could respond.

Zachary sighed and immediately dropped the phone by his side. The sudden news from Camilla had caused his mood to sink and wallow in a whirlpool of wondering what could have been. He could finally relate to the saying - you only know how valuable something is after losing it.

The reality of losing a potential offspring hit him, and he couldn't help but sink into a period of self-introspection. He sat there on his bed, staring blankly at the opposite wall. And naturally, moments of his time in Turin flashed through his thought center, and he occasionally shook his head. He regretted a few things.

Ever since making his move to Juventus — no, that's not right. Ever since his grandma died, he had stopped being down-to-earth in everything he did. For instance, he wasn't training as much as he had during his initial days at Rosenborg. Additionally, he'd started putting money above everything else, including his love for football. He was even thinking of finding a way out of his contract with Nike in order to score a more juicy deal with another sportswear manufacturer. He'd somehow lost track of his goals along the way, thinking he would achieve greatness by exerting minimum effort, especially with the system as support. But that wasn't the end of his poor conduct.

There was also his lackluster treatment of Camilla, especially when he heard about the news of her pregnancy. He didn't comfort her or try his best to be there for her. He was unfeeling as he'd only thought about how Camilla's situation might mess up the progress of his career.

He'd forgotten the values his late grandma had instilled in him while growing up and become a total jackass. He hadn't acted as a real man and accepted his responsibilities. And now, it seemed like the ever-present karma had finally slapped him on the cheek due to his transgressions. As a result, he received the unfortunate news that sent him into a whirlpool of regret and self-introspection. Moreover, that was on the eve of the game against Atlético Madrid.

"It's not too late," Zachary mumbled to himself. "I can readjust and become a better person. I can become someone who makes my grandma in heaven proud. But first, I need to find out if Camilla is doing okay. I must make amends. I must apologize. I must be there for her this time around."

Zachary geared himself. He picked up his phone again and dialed her number. The dial tone sounded within his ear, and then the international call connected. But alas, she didn't pick up. It seemed like she was still going through medical tests, even that late in the evening.

"I should wait a bit," Zachary thought, checking the time on his phone screen. It was coming to ten in the night. So, he could wait one more hour before trying her number again.

The waiting time passed by slowly since he was a bit nervous. Eleven o'clock finally arrived, and he tried calling Camilla again. But once again, she didn't pick, causing him even more worries.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow."

Zachary decided to go to bed as he had to play an important match the following evening. After washing his face, he went in between the sheets, praying and hoping he would sink into a peaceful slumber in a few minutes. But as his mind was not in the right place, sleep didn't come to him until late in the wee hours of the morning.

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