Ulyana placed a hand over her chest dramatically.
"I think a little discipline never hurt anybody."
Rowan smiled faintly beside her.
Gino chuckled warmly.
"You must take after your grandfather in business," the older man observed. "But you definitely inherited your mother's nature."
His expression softened kindly.
"And her beauty."
Ulyana paused slightly at that.
"…You knew my mother?"
Gino nodded slowly.
"Everyone adored the Vasily princess."
The elderly tailor smiled faintly at the memory.
"I had the privilege of tailoring for many of the great families over the years, but your mother…" he sighed warmly. "Irina was truly beautiful inside and out."
His weathered eyes softened further.
"God rest her soul."
The atmosphere quieted gently around them.
Ulyana looked down briefly before offering him a small, sincere smile.
"Thank you," she said softly. "For saying that."
Beside her, Rowan quietly watched the interaction.
Seeing the softness in Ulyana whenever her mother was mentioned only deepened the affection already growing in his chest.
The baseball stadium was already packed by the time Rowan and Ulyana arrived.
The atmosphere outside buzzed with excitement.
Fans filled the streets wearing Silvercrown Bears merchandise while cameras flashed constantly near the VIP entrances.
Naturally, several people immediately recognised Rowan and Ulyana the moment they stepped from the car together.
Especially in their matching jackets.
The internet was going to have a field day.
As they approached the private VIP waiting area where Graham, Xenovia, and Amos were waiting, Ulyana glanced toward Rowan.
"Okay," she said quietly. "How would you like to go about this?"
Rowan looked down at her calmly. "We can just be natural."
Something about that answer relaxed her slightly.
"I'm happy for us to openly act like we're on a date."
Ulyana nodded once. "Okay…"
Then Rowan simply lifted his hand slightly between them and waited.
Ulyana immediately understood.
Without hesitation, she placed her hand into his.
Rowan's fingers closed naturally around hers before the two continued toward the VIP entrance hand in hand.
Several nearby paparazzi absolutely lost their minds.
Meanwhile inside the waiting area...
Xenovia spotted them first. "Oh my God."
Amos turned. Then immediately blinked seeing the matching jackets.
Even Graham looked mildly impressed.
Ulyana smiled while approaching them.
"Xeno, Amos - this is Rowan."
Then she gestured toward the others.
"And Rowan, this is Xenovia and Amos."
Rowan greeted them both politely and naturally while Ulyana introduced Graham properly as well.
To Rowan's quiet approval, Xenovia and Amos greeted Graham warmly almost immediately.
Though Amos remained noticeably more reserved overall.
Not rude.
Just observant.
Ulyana knew him well enough to recognise what that actually meant.
Because despite the cool demeanor, Amos seemed quietly impressed.
Especially by Rowan himself.
And perhaps even more by the matching jackets.
There were already countless fans online who followed Ulyana's lifestyle content and public appearances.
Meanwhile, Rowan had accumulated an enormous following almost accidentally, partly because of his looks.
And partly because Graham had once convinced him to start a fitness page that somehow exploded online.
Separately, Rowan and Ulyana were already household names throughout Silvercrown.
But together?
They connected absurdly well with Millennial, Gen Z, and even Gen Alpha audiences.
Luxury.
Elegance.
Power.
Beauty.
And now romance.
The internet was practically obsessed already.
By the time the group settled into their VIP seating area, several nearby fans were openly whispering excitedly after recognising them.
The seating arrangement ended up naturally balanced.
Rowan sat beside Ulyana.
Graham on Rowan's other side.
Then Xenovia beside Ulyana with Amos seated next to her.
And despite the social chaos surrounding them, all five were genuinely invested in the game itself.
Because tonight's match would determine who advanced to the semi finals.
The stadium atmosphere was electric.
Fans shouted constantly.
Music blasted through the arena between innings.
And every major play sent waves of noise through the crowd.
Ulyana and Xenovia quickly became the loudest members of the group.
The two cheered excitedly throughout the match, fully emotionally invested in the Silvercrown Bears winning.
Meanwhile Rowan and Amos remained significantly calmer.
Still heavily invested.
Still paying close attention.
But in a composed sort of way.
Graham, however was somehow equally as passionate as the girls. Just British about it.
Meaning every reaction sounded dramatically refined.
"Oh COME ON that was absolutely criminal fielding!"
"That umpire requires glasses immediately."
"BEAUTIFUL swing, absolutely beautiful!"
At one point Xenovia laughed so hard she nearly dropped her drink.
Meanwhile Rowan quietly watched Ulyana laughing beside him, cheering loudly without a trace of her usual corporate composure.
And honestly, He thought she looked happiest like this.
Rowan found himself quietly amused watching Ulyana throughout the game. Moments like this made her age show a little more.
Not immature, just youthful.
Expressive.
Excited.
And strangely enough, he found it incredibly endearing.
Meanwhile, Ulyana appreciated the complete opposite about Rowan.
Even while fully invested in the match, he remained calm and composed, reacting with subtle smiles and quiet commentary instead of dramatic outbursts.
The balance between them felt surprisingly natural.
As the game continued, the stadium entertainment shifted toward crowd interactions between innings.
Fans cheered loudly as cameras flashed around the arena screens.
Then eventually, the kiss cam appeared.
The stadium erupted immediately.
One long term couple enthusiastically kissed while the crowd screamed approval.
The second couple were very obviously on a first date and shared a quick awkward kiss while both turned bright red afterward.
The third couple became even funnier when the boyfriend refused entirely, resulting in another audience member dramatically leaning over to kiss the girl instead.
The stadium lost composure.
Then suddenly, the camera landed on Rowan and Ulyana.
The crowd exploded instantly.
Several people recognised them immediately.
Ulyana laughed nervously while Rowan looked mildly amused. Both of them politely gestured "no" at first in good humor. Unfortunately, that only made the crowd louder.
"KISS!"
"KISS!"
"KISS!"
"KISS!"
The chanting spread rapidly throughout the entire stadium section.
Ulyana looked completely caught off guard by the scale of it.
Then Rowan glanced toward her calmly.
"I won't bite."
That made her laugh despite her nerves.
And before she could overthink it further, Ulyana leaned in and shared a brief, gentle kiss with Rowan.
The stadium erupted.
Meanwhile Rowan looked momentarily surprised himself before smiling softly against the moment.
By the time they pulled apart, the crowd was cheering even louder than before.
Ulyana covered part of her face laughing while Rowan shook his head amused. Then together they waved lightly toward the roaring audience.
Around them, fans were already reacting dramatically.
"They're such a good looking couple!"
"I don't even know who I'm jealous of more!"
"Oh they're DEFINITELY dating dating."
"I love them together."
By the final innings, the entire stadium had become electric with tension. The Silvercrown Bears only needed one home run to secure their place in the semi finals.
And everyone knew it.
Ulyana and Xenovia were completely invested by this point.
The two clutched each other's hands while reacting dramatically to every single pitch.
Every swing had them halfway standing from their seats.
Every foul ball made them groan loudly in disappointment.
"OHHHH come on guys!"
Meanwhile Rowan, Amos, and Graham remained just as invested, though significantly less chaotic about it.
Well.
Mostly.
Because Graham had fully abandoned emotional restraint at this point.
"That was DISGRACEFUL batting!"
"HE HAD THAT!"
The crowd roared around them nonstop.
Then suddenly—
A foul ball.
The stadium erupted into frustrated boos immediately afterward.
Then chaos again.
The next pitch struck the batter directly in the arm.
The crowd exploded. "He's on first!"
Now every base was loaded.
The entire stadium stood.
The tension became unbearable.
And then—
The captain stepped up to bat.
Everything now rested on this moment.
One good hit.
One successful run.
Or at the very least, reaching first base safely.
The stadium became almost eerily tense as the pitcher prepared.
Then finally, the next ball was thrown....
CRACK!
For half a second nobody moved.
Then...
"HOME RUN!"
The stadium absolutely exploded.
The Silvercrown Bears crowd erupted into deafening screams and cheers as the ball soared perfectly into the stands.
People jumped from their seats.
Drinks spilled everywhere.
Music blasted through the arena.
And Ulyana's entire group completely lost composure. Ulyana screamed in excitement while Xenovia practically tackled her in celebration.
Even Amos stood up cheering loudly for once.
Graham looked emotionally devastated in the most British way possible.
"THAT'S MY TEAM!"
Meanwhile Rowan laughed properly watching all of them before Ulyana immediately threw her arms around him in excitement too.
And for several loud, chaotic moments all five of them simply celebrated together beneath the roaring lights of Silvercrown Stadium.
Ulyana was practically bouncing in place from excitement.
"The Bears did it!"
Her entire face lit up as she jumped up and down cheering with the rest of the stadium.
And to her surprise, Rowan joined in too.
Not in the same openly chaotic way as her or Xenovia, but enough that she could see his composure crack beneath the excitement of the moment.
The stadium continued roaring around them endlessly.
Fans screamed.
Music blasted.
People hugged complete strangers in celebration.
Beside them, Xenovia had immediately thrown herself into Amos' arms, the two laughing while completely lost in their own affectionate moment.
Meanwhile Rowan instinctively reached for Ulyana too.
One hand settled gently at her waist as he pulled her closer against him during the chaos surrounding them.
And suddenly Ulyana became painfully aware of him again.
The warmth of him.
The steady strength in the way he held her.
The closeness between them.
For a brief second, the roaring stadium around her seemed quieter somehow.
Then Rowan looked down at her with a smile she had never quite seen from him before.
Relaxed.
Happy.
Real.
And embarrassingly her heart skipped.
Ulyana paused for a moment and simply took in Rowan's smile.
So handsome.
The thought crossed her mind so naturally it startled her slightly.
And before she fully realised what she was doing she reached up, grabbed lightly at the back of his neck, and kissed him.
Rowan froze in surprise for the briefest second.
Then immediately melted into the kiss.
The roaring stadium around them faded into background noise as the two shared their own quiet moment in the middle of the chaos.
Nearby, Xenovia and Amos had looked over just in time to witness it.
Xenovia immediately grabbed Amos' arm dramatically while whispering excitedly.
"Oh they're DOWN bad."
Amos laughed quietly beside her.
Meanwhile, Ulyana eventually pulled away breathlessly, her eyes still closed for a moment afterward.
Rowan didn't push for more.
Didn't rush her.
He simply opened his eyes and waited patiently.
Then slowly, Ulyana opened hers too, cheeks lightly flushed.
"I… I don't—"
Rowan gently shook his head before she could continue.
Understanding immediately softened his expression.
"It's okay."
And somehow that made her feel even more flustered.
Then, naturally, Rowan wrapped his arms around her gently from behind while the stadium screens shifted toward the post match interviews.
The Silvercrown Bears captain, Kelvin Sparks, appeared on the massive screens grinning ear to ear.
The sports reporter laughed while holding up the microphone.
"Kelvin, is there anyone you'd like to dedicate tonight's win to?"
Kelvin pointed upward immediately.
"Well firstly, God my creator!" he declared proudly. "I wouldn't be here without Him."
The crowd cheered loudly.
"My mum, queen of my life!"
More cheering.
"And lastly…" Kelvin grinned shamelessly toward the camera.
"Ulyana Vasily. My childhood crush!"
The stadium erupted laughing as he dramatically blew a kiss toward the cameras.
Ulyana and her entire group burst out laughing immediately.
Everyone except Rowan.
Who suddenly looked noticeably tense.
"Who does he think he—"
"Rowan," Ulyana laughed, cutting him off immediately. "It's lighthearted!"
Unfortunately for Rowan, the cameras immediately cut directly toward them afterward.
The stadium screamed again.
Still holding Ulyana against him from behind, Rowan looked toward the giant screen and jokingly lifted his fists playfully like a boxer.
A silent: Come and try.
The crowd absolutely lost it.
Meanwhile Ulyana laughed brightly and blew a playful kiss toward the cameras before waving happily at the roaring stadium.
Just as the group was about to leave through the VIP exit area, someone suddenly came hurrying toward them through the corridor.
A young Bears staff member stopped in front of them slightly out of breath.
"Hey!" she puffed out quickly. "I'm so glad I caught you guys!"
The group paused.
The staff member looked especially excited seeing Ulyana and Rowan up close.
"Would you like to come meet the players?"
"Really?!" Ulyana and Xenovia squealed almost simultaneously.
Amos laughed quietly while Rowan looked amused by how instantly excited the two became.
"Yes!" the staff member nodded eagerly. "Captain Sparks invited your group personally."
Ulyana looked genuinely stunned. "No way."
Meanwhile Rowan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Personally?"
The staff member nodded enthusiastically, entirely unaware of Rowan's mild jealousy resurfacing immediately.
"He specifically asked if 'the pretty girl from the kiss cam' was still here."
Xenovia physically grabbed Ulyana's arm in excitement.
"Oh my God."
Amos looked like he was trying not to laugh.
And Graham very wisely looked away to hide his own amusement while Rowan stood there silently recalculating his opinion of Kelvin Sparks.
The group of five followed the staff member down through the restricted stadium corridors toward the Bears locker rooms.
The deeper they went into the stadium, the louder the celebrations became.
Music blasted through the halls.
Players shouted excitedly.
Staff hurried around carrying equipment and drinks while everyone rode the high of the semi final qualification.
By the time they reached the locker room entrance, the entire team was gathered together preparing for the Bears victory chant.
Captain Kelvin Sparks spotted them almost immediately.
His face lit up. "There they are!"
He waved them over enthusiastically before ushering the group inside.
"Get in here!"
Ulyana and Xenovia looked absolutely thrilled.
Meanwhile Rowan stayed calmly beside Ulyana, though still visibly assessing Kelvin with mild suspicion.
The team crowded together loudly around the centre of the locker room while Kelvin climbed onto one of the benches dramatically.
"ALRIGHT!" he shouted.
The entire room roared back instantly.
Then the captain pointed toward the newcomers. "We got special guests tonight!"
Several players immediately recognised Ulyana and Rowan from the kiss cam and began cheering loudly.
"OHHHH!"
"The famous couple!"
"Chairman Volkov!"
"Madam Vasily!"
Ulyana laughed helplessly while Rowan looked mildly resigned to the attention at this point.
Then Kelvin grinned widely. "Now everybody together!"
The entire locker room immediately began chanting the Silvercrown Bears team song at full volume while pounding lockers and benches rhythmically.
And somehow, within minutes, even Ulyana and Xenovia were enthusiastically clapping along.
The team happily signed Ulyana's Bears flag while Xenovia looked moments away from emotional collapse from excitement.
Meanwhile Kelvin Sparks eventually walked back over toward Ulyana with a grin.
"Madam Vasily," he said playfully, "would it be alright if I got a photo with you?"
Ulyana immediately looked toward Rowan excitedly like a child asking permission.
Rowan sighed softly in amusement before taking her jacket from her shoulders.
"Go ahead."
Ulyana brightened instantly before stepping beside Kelvin for the photo.
The captain stood proudly beside her while several team members cheered loudly in the background.
A few photos were taken.
Then a few more.
Unfortunately, several reporters suddenly flooded into the locker room area afterward too, immediately spotting the opportunity and rapidly snapping photos of Ulyana beside the Bears captain.
Almost instinctively, Ulyana slipped into PR mode.
Elegant smile.
Perfect composure.
Effortless charm.
Then suddenly, chaos.
Without warning, several celebrating players dumped an enormous sports drink dispenser over both Kelvin and Ulyana.
The icy liquid drenched them instantly.
Ulyana gasped in shock at the freezing temperature before bursting into startled laughter alongside Kelvin as the entire locker room erupted cheering.
But while she laughed it offcm, Rowan did not.
At all.
Soon afterward, reporters and coaching staff began filtering out toward the official post game press conference.
The atmosphere started calming again.
Kelvin immediately turned toward Ulyana apologetically.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," he said genuinely. "I didn't know they were going to do that."
Before Ulyana could answer Rowan moved.
Fast.
So fast Kelvin barely even processed it before suddenly finding himself shoved hard backward onto the floor.
The entire room froze.
Even Graham looked stunned.
Kelvin blinked upward in complete shock while Rowan stepped directly in front of Ulyana, immediately taking his own jacket and placing it over her soaked shoulders.
Then Kelvin saw Rowan's expression. And for perhaps the first time in his life, Kelvin Sparks genuinely felt fear.
Because Rowan's face carried absolutely no humour anymore.
Only cold fury.
A look so sharp and controlled it felt genuinely dangerous.
"I'm sorry!" Kelvin said immediately while getting up carefully. "I didn't know, I swear."
Ulyana quickly stepped forward placing a gentle hand against Rowan's arm.
"Rowan—"
"Do you find this acceptable?" Rowan asked sharply without even looking at her.
Kelvin looked genuinely horrified now.
"No! Absolutely not! I had no idea they'd do that."
"Rowan," Ulyana said softly again. "I'm fine."
But Rowan was still furious. More furious than she had ever seen him.
And somehow, the fact she was defending Kelvin only seemed to frustrate him further.
Without another word, Rowan abruptly turned and stormed out of the locker room entirely.