𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 / 𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐣𝐫

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡

vinis pov:

HR had that cold, formal smell — the kind that made your chest tighten the second you walked in. i sat across from the manager, hands clasped so tightly my knuckles hurt. deep down, i already knew how risky this was.

"vini, what's this about?" the HR rep asked, flipping through a file.

i swallowed. "it's about me... and annalise."

"yes?"

"she's... she's amazing. she's my colleague, my friend, and... more than that. i care about her. a lot.

there was a pause.
the kind that makes your stomach sink.

"vini, you know the rule. staff cannot be in a relationship with players."

i nodded, voice steady even though my heart was hammering.

"i know the rule. i understand it — privacy, professionalism, all that. and i respect it. but... why should we be punished for being in love? for caring for someone? she's not doing anything wrong. i'm not doing anything wrong — except loving her..."

the HR rep adjusted their glasses, expression unreadable. "you realize this could jeopardize both of your positions?"

"i do," i admitted. "but hiding it, pretending it doesn't exist... it hurts her. it hurts me. and i promised her — i promised i'd always fight for us. i won't hide anymore. i can't."

i paused, letting my words sink in.

"i just... want it to be fair. i want her to feel safe. i want to be able to tell her that what we have is real — without fear."

⸻
later, on the way home, i messaged her.

"i just... told them. everything. i understand if it goes wrong. but i had to keep my promise."

minutes later, her reply came:

you did what?

i admitted it all. told them how i feel about you.
why we shouldn't be punished for being in love.

vini... i don't even know what to say.

say you trust me. that's enough.

i trust you. i always have.

⸻
annalises pov:

the office felt quieter than usual when i arrived the next morning. my stomach was in knots.
i knew vini had gone to HR — i could feel it in every cautious glance he threw me as we passed in the hallway.

"lise, coffee?" tallulah asked, noticing my pale face.

"please," i breathed, letting her guide me to the small kitchen.

i pulled out my phone a message from vini lit up the screen:

"be ready for some news."

my chest tightened. what if it went wrong?
what if the club saw this as reckless?
i shook my head, trying to focus. i knew vini.
i knew him better than anyone.
he was honest, brave, and he loved me
he promised it.

i texted curtis, needing the voice of reason.

"vini went to HR... i'm scared, curt.
what if this ruins everything?"

lise. breathe. you know vini. he doesn't do anything halfway. if he said it, he meant it.

but the rules... i could lose my whole job.

rules exist for a reason. but love?
love isn't a rule.
vini's smart, he knows the risks.
and he's protecting you aswell as
himself. trust him.

i exhaled slowly. curtis was right. i did trust him. i had always trusted him.

the office started to buzz as HR quietly called him in for a meeting. i could feel my heart racing with every step he took out of the hallway.
and yet... i knew, without a doubt, that no matter the outcome, our promise, our love,
i knew was real.

after the meeting, vini returned to my desk.

"it's... complicated," he said softly, avoiding my eyes.

"i know," i whispered. "but it's okay. we'll figure it out."

he finally looked at me, and for a moment, everything else fell away.

"i promised you," he said. "i promised i'd fight for us."

"i know," i smiled, my chest tightening. "and i promise to fight too."

his hand brushed mine, light, deliberate, and in that small touch was every word we hadn't spoken — the promise, the love, and the hope that maybe... we'd find a way.