With a low shout, Francesca tightened her fist andunched the first attack.


    Chantelle sneered, calmly met her with one hand, and effortlessly brushed her


    punch aside. She was just about to mock her when a sharp whistle cut through


    the air, so fast it made her skin crawl.


    "Oh no!" Chantelle''s eyes widened in rm. She jerked her neck back


    instinctively, craning it up as something shed downward like lightning.


    Above her, Aspen''s dagger had sliced through the air so fast it left a faint


    afterimage behind.


    "You..." Chantelle''s shock turned into fury.


    Was Aspen really going in for the kill?


    Damn it. No wonder she was trained by Andrew-just as ruthless and unorthodox.


    With a snort, Chantelle twisted her body like a pouncing panther, pushing off the


    floor and springing upward. Her right leg shot high and strong, kicking straight at


    Francesca''s punch mid-air.


    Francesca let out a muffled groan. Unable to withstand the blow, she stumbled


    backward from the impact.


    Chantelle was just about to throw out a smugment when a searing pain shot


    through her abdomen. She looked down in disbelief.


    When had Lauren gotten close?


    Lauren''s delicate, pale fist had gently thudded against her stomach. It looked


    harmless, but the force behind it was brutal and unforgiving.


    Her insides felt like they were on fire.


    Lauren pulled her fist back and looked genuinely concerned. "Ms. Garcia, are you


    okay? I told you, I have a hard time holding back once I go in."


    Fighting through the pain, Chantelle gritted her teeth. "Quit talking. I''m fine. Let''s


    go again!"


    Lauren blinked. "Uh, are you sure? Do you really want to go again? Alright then,


    no mercy!"


    She raised her fist and began swinging wildly, fists flying toward Chantelle''s face


    like a flurry of uncoordinated but heavy punches.


    Chantelle, refusing to back down, clenched her fists and met her blow head-on. At


    the same time, her other hand sliced outward, knocking Aspen away. However,


    Francesca swooped in from the side with a follow-up strike.


    Chantelle scoffed inwardly. She figured she could tank Francesca''s hits without a


    problem. Just as the thought crossed her mind, she heard a sharp crack from her


    own palm.


    The bone in her wrist had split.


    A stabbing, electric pain raced up


    her arm, draining the color from her


    face as sweat broke out across her


    forehead. She stared in horror at the


    source of it all-Lauren again.


    They had just exchanged a punch moments ago, and Lauren had been knocked


    back,nding on her butt. Yet, the force had been mutual.


    Chantelle paid for it with a fractured wrist, and the pain threw her offpletely,


    breaking her rhythm and leaving her wide open.


    Francesca''s punchnded squarely on her back, brutally solid.


    Lauren specialized in internal energy-devastating, invisible damage.


    Francesca, however, was trained in external power-tearing muscles and


    cracking bones.


    With a loud gasp, Chantelle coughed up blood and stumbled forward two steps,


    barely keeping on her feet.


    Then, Aspen appeared like a ghost, silent and lethal, right at her side. A cold


    de hovered just above her carotid artery.


    "Ms. Garcia, thanks for the spar," Aspen said with a smirk. She retracted the de


    and bounced away.


    "I''m done. I surrender!" Chantelle immediately raised her hand, giving in without


    hesitation.


    Blood still smeared her lip, and she looked around in disbelief at Lauren,


    Francesca, and finally at Aspen.


    Andrew stepped forward, grinning ear to ear. "So, Ms. Garcia, how about now?


    Convinced?"


    Chantelle snapped, "Andrew, you told them to go all out, didn''t you?"


    Andrew held up his hands


    innocently: "Come on, we''re all on


    the same side. Why would we go for


    a kill shot? That was just a warm-up.


    If they''d actually gone for blood,


    you''d be a corpse right now.


    Chantelle shuddered as she bit her


    lip and felt silent. She knew he was


    right. If that fight had been real, with


    the coordination those three had,


    she would not have made it.


    "Fine. You win. I seriously don''t understand how you trained three monsters like


    this. Especially Ms. Rhodes! How''s she so damn strong?"


    Chantelle could not wrap her head around it. That punch from Lauren had


    traumatized her.


    Andrew chuckled. "How did I train them? That''s my secret. A bet''s a bet. ck


    tights-you ready?"


    Chantelle dragged herself off the floor, a chill running through her entire body. Her


    skin prickled with goosebumps. She asked in disbelief, "Y-You really mean it?"