Hi, thank you for choosing this novel, before you can read here are a few important declaimers.

-This is the reboot of the orginal novel Game of love.

-This novel is based on the Olympics but it is entirely fictional, hence it is not a true story or in other words a story based on real-life events. Hence, any resemblance to the 2024 Paris Olympics or any other Olympics is purely coincidental.

-To ensure this novel is not too similar to the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, certain information such as the city host are not the same.

-Unlike my previous works, each chapter posted is not one chapter but instead one part of a chapter. This novel has 10 parts for each full chapter. Each part is around 1500 words.

-Also unlike my previous works, each part will not have a title, instead each big chapter will have a title that represents the period of 10 parts of a chapter.

-This story begins in 2020 and considering the year, in this novel, the Pandemic does not exist, hence the Olympics are taking place in 2020.

-Words in italics means it is another language other than English.

-Additionally, to be clear, the update day is on Mondays and two parts of a chapter will be posted each Monday.

Thank you for reading these important pieces of information, now you may enjoy the read. :)

Prologue p.1

Unknown pov

Going to the Olympics is every athletic child's dream but only a few lucky ones get to represent their country at such a prestige event. It is even rarer to have the opportunity to make multiple appearances and even rarer than that, only a selected few go on to win medals for their country and only just a few athletes become popular.

But imagine if you made the Olympics, ended up winning 5 medals, are going to make your 3rd appearance and being one of the best Olympians overall?

Well, that just turns out to be me.

I'm a 5 times medalist in swimming and I represent Team USA in multiple swimming events for men, whether the 100 m or the 400 m.

All of this makes me a world-known athlete but I'm also popular due to my family business.

Although for me making the Olympics is an honour and I feel so grateful to be at the biggest event possible, for me the word Olympics has been engraved in my mind ever since a young age.

Being a part of an elite family landed me with all the support and more chances to make it to the very top and with the kind of talent I have it just made it almost a given.

Although growing up, I always knew I had a good chance to be at the high-end prestige event and everyone thought so too but the path of making it to the Olympics is far more complicated and a matter of a lot of work.

Regardless, most may think that my family business must be centered on sports or that at least one of my family members has experience but no, before my other siblings joined in, I was the only one to have experience.

My family business is the typical business, they own hotels all across the country but they also own a whole aquatic center, but I doubt they would be owning that if it weren't for their son. Their focus is not on sports but they do it for me and my sister, after all, they did have an interest in putting me into sports.

So it makes me unique to be an athlete while my parents do business, you don't hear that often.

So naturally, I'm not the one handling the family business even if I'm the oldest but my parents accept that as long as I give good results at the Olympics and make them proud.

Otherwise, my family come from the mid-West, precisely Nashville and still reside there but being older, I have my own apartment that I share with my girlfriend.

As for my family, I'm the first of my family and I'll be turning 25 during the upcoming Olympics.

I have 2 brothers and one sister, all of them have their own disciplines in various types. My brother Ashton is an entrepreneur and into the family business. My second brother Logan studies economics but nowadays he's a model after giving up on swimming competition.

Then the youngest, my sister Thalia, plays professional volleyball even if she is still in high school, she almost qualified for the Olympics but it didn't work out this year. But she really has an Olympic potential, I'm sure she'll be joining me someday at the games.

But despite all their individual achievements, none come close to me and my family always make sure to let me know.

If my siblings already don't hold prestige, my girlfriend does too.

She's the actress Neveah Steward and we have been dating for about 3 years.

We first met after my phenomenal performance at the 2016 Olympics which landed me to become increasingly popular.

We started dating after a series of different meet-ups at events and the dating rumours started surrounding us after I was her date at her movie premiere in 2017.

Naturally, my parents approve of her because of her status.

Although we're dating, we don't get to see each other often because of our conflicting schedules and the fact we used to not live in the same city, but this year we tried to make travelling easier by her moving into my apartment but it hasn't worked all that well considering we both have to live often and I've been preparing for the Olympics.

So yeah, we don't get to have quality time often, it feels like long-distance but I still love her and she does too. We also both support each other.

Of course, I'm the pride of my family but even if I had more chances to make the Olympics and was expected to, making the Olympics is a lot of work and a lot harder than it may seem in my shoes.

I know I'm the best but it wasn't always that way even if others refuse to think so even my own family.

I started swimming at the age of 2 and around kindergarten I was already having advanced swimming classes.

Growing up, everyone always envied me even my very own brothers. I had status, the money, the looks and the talent.

At school, when we had the chance to go to a swimming pool or during the summer, I was always more advanced in swimming than others. I could do anything and I was fast, real fast.

It wasn't too long before I started being considered an Olympic potential and entered competitions. I worked hard to get better and faster.

At only the age of 12, I was making competitions country-wide, one of the rare ones to do so at such a young age.

As a teenager, I would make all championships possible as my parents made sure I would be there and I won lots of them but even if I would finish on the podiums lots of times, I still wasn't satisfied, I wanted to achieve my dream of making the Olympics. I had to do better and I worked even more even if it meant compromising my life a bit.

At the age of 15, I made my first country time record in a swimming event and it was then I was officially considered to eventually qualify for the Olympics.

By then I made multiple world championships and was on the podium more than often.

After achieving a good time in different swimming events at the 2012 World Aquatics Championships, I had the chance to qualify for the Olympics in the Olympic trials and I shocked the world as a 16-year-old by qualifying.

So I went on to the 2012 Toronto Olympics and it wasn't easy to get there but I was so proud of being there and it felt surreal to be among the best.

During those Olympic games, I didn't win as many medals as expected as I had barely missed qualifying for the finals in the 100 m freestyle but I had qualified for the 50 m and as it was on my birthday I was determined to win it and I did.

I broke the record for the fastest time for a male American swimmer at the 50 m freestyle and won my first-ever gold medal. It was by far the best birthday I've ever had.

After my first appearance, my path to the 2016 Johannesburg Olympics was easier but I still worked harder and determined to do better.

And those last games made me among the best of all time for an American.

I won 4 medals, 2 golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze.

Those games made me a worldwide phenomenon but after 4 years, the Olympics are coming back once again and although I have more than proved myself even by finishing first in the qualifications, with the games being in Washington, my country, I feel a pressure to make my country proud.

With the 2020 Olympics being in less than a week, it is now time for me to leave for the Olympic Village.

At the current moment, I'm saying my goodbyes to my family and my friends before hopping on my flight alongside my coach.

I say my goodbyes to my siblings and friends and then it's my girlfriend's turn.

I got closer to my girlfriend.

She kisses me on the cheek.

"It sucks I can't come and cheer for you but at least I'm reassured that next time you'll be back you'll be a medalist. But I'll still be cheering for you babe." She smiles a bit sad but hopeful and I nod.

"Yes, I will, I'll think of you too." I give a small smile.

We hug each other.

Then I talk to my parents who remind me to focus on the competition and to give them updates. Then they talk to my coach too.

We say our goodbyes and my coach reminds me that we have to leave.

"Enzo Buckley, it's time to leave." He says sternly and I nod.

I take my luggage and start to leave alongside my coach. I wave goodbye and as we board, I think about what my 3rd appearance in the Olympics is gonna be like.