"Listen, we don''t want any trouble." One of the bodyguards eased his grip on his weapon, stepping away from the
"camage.
"We''ve got no loyalty to anyone but our paychecks.
"Our boss is dead; we''re only here because we''re paid to guard Miss Jasmine. If she keeps signing the checks, we''ll stay out of this mess."
A handful of others nodded, clearly relieved at the easy out
Whether or not Gabriel had been selling himself or all of them out as Jericho''s spy hardly mattered to them- money was money, and if there was a safer way to earn it, they wouldn''t miss the chance.
Jasmine gave them a curt nod. "I''ll keep you on the payroll, Just don''t meddle in this fight."
"Works for us," one replied. The rest quickly agreed.
Jericho clearly saw that Gabriel''s people had stopped fighting for Jasmine.
"That damn Gabriel," he muttered, his face twisting in anger. "I told him to pay his men, yet he used the money all for himself. That fucking greed of his... fits him right to die."
His eyes darkened with fury. Without another word, he made a subtle hand sign.
One of the big guys standing beside him saw the signal and immediately stepped forward, making his way toward
the arena.
Meanwhile, on the arena floor, Kelly stood alone, covered in bruises and half- healed wounds.
She red at the towering brute lumbering toward her.
He cracked his neck, a smug grin twisting his lips.
"Didn''t I beat you senseless and drag you off once before?" he jeered. "You must be a glutton for punishment,ing back for more."
Kelly spat blood, refusing to show any weakness. "Real tough guy, aren''t you? Only took twenty men backing you up to take me down."
From the sidelines, the butler barked out, "Begin!"
The brute charged forward, fists raised.
Kelly braced herself, ready to fight-when suddenly, Alex stepped in, cing a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Surrender,” he said quietly. "Let me handle this."
Kelly''s eyes flicked to him, understanding immediately.
She was battered, no match in her current state-even if this big guy was only her equal on a good day.
She let out a breath, painncing through her ribs.
"I surrender," she announced, taking a step back.
The brute snarled, "Don''t think you''re walking away that easily! I''m not done with you!"
Alex slid between them with casual confidence. "You''re not worthy of her time."
"Go to hell!" the big guy roared, swinging a fist aimed rig at Alex''s skull.
In the blink of an eye, he froze,
His entire body stiffened, then copsed to the floor like a marite with its strings cut. Everyone gasped-no one had seen Alex move, let alone strike.
Alex shook his head. "Thanks for the free point."
From the far side of the arena, Jericho''s brow furrowed in abger.
His gaze shifted to Vet, the strongest fighter in his stable Vet stepped
forward, sword in hand, eyes darting to the fallen brute.
Without warning, Vet drove the de through the man''s chest.
A strangled cry tore through the air as the dying fighter''s eyes flew open in horror.
"You... you..." he sputtered, voice shaking.
Vet''s voice was ice. "Be my sacrifice."
A dark mist curled off the fallen man''s body, swirling into Vet like a living
shadow. The temperature in the arena plummeted, sending an involuntary shiver through the spectators.
Vet''s eyes burned with renewed energy. "I am Vet Kanchard. Liam and Noah were my students."
His re locked onto Alex, venom dripping from every syble. "Were you the one who killed them?"
Alex shrugged, casual to the point of insulting. "They died because they were idiots. You can me yourself for teaching them such grotesque, worthless techniques."
Vet''s face contorted with pure rage. "I''ll tear your soul to shreds! I''ll make you beg for death before I''m through!"
Alex''s tone stayed maddeningly calm. "Give it your best shot."
"You arrogant little worm!" Vet spat, dropping into a low stance. The moment
he lunged, the arena floor cracked under the force of his leap-he was blindingly fast, a lethal blur streaking toward Alex.
"Die!" he roared, all of his power coiled into a devastating punch.
The impact was so potent that debris shot across the arena in a wide arc. People cringed, covering their faces, bracing for an earth-shattering collision.
What they saw instead was Alex''s hand... rising in slow, almostzy precision.
SMACK
The sound cracked like a gunshot.
Vet''s body hurtled backward, mming into the wall with enough force to leave
a crater of pulverized stone.
Dust and rubble rained down as Vet hung half-buried, dazed and limp.
A moment of absolute silence followed.
"Holy hell..." someone breathed.
Vef''s eyes rolled back, his mouth hanging open in shock The legendary master had been utterly demolished- with one p.
Jericho stared, his voice shaking.
"Vet... lost? Just like that?" He knew the man''s strength better than anyone. It was inconceivable that a single blow-no, a single p-had taken him out.
"I''d say I''ve won this round," Alex said dismissively, brushing imaginary dust from
his hands. He strolled off the arena floor as though this had been a mere inconvenience.
Spectators gawked at him like he was some mythic beast.
No one dared speak.
Atst, Jasmine broke the uneasy silence. "Alex, weren''t you telling me you barely knew martial arts? Since when does ''barely know'' mean you can swat a top-tier fighter like a fly?"
Alex shrugged, deadpan. “He is just too weak."
Jasmine let out a low chuckle, arching a brow. Then she turned to Jericho, her smile turning cold. "We''ve got three wins to your two losses, Kane. Care to contest that?"
Jericho''s jaw tensed, color creeping into his cheeks as he admitted, "I''ve lost. There''s nothing more to say."
"Lovely. We''ll be going, then," Jasmine said, sweeping past him with the others in tow. "Do try not to embarrass yourself like this again."
Jericho didn''t move, but his eyes followed them, brimming with menace.
Once they''d gone, one of his men growled under his breath, "Sir, are you just letting them walk out? After all that?"
A poisonous sneer curled Jericho''s lips. "Let them walk? Of course. But they won''t make it past Vermont''s borders. I''ve arranged a little farewell party for them-one they won''t survive."
When Jasmine and her people returned to their ne, they were shocked to find a massive hole torn into its side.
The metal was twisted and scorched, wires dangled uselessly, and smoke still lingered in the air.
Someone hadpletely destroyed the ne''s engine.
Jasmine''s stomach dropped. "What the hell...?"”
One of the bodyguards hesitated before speaking. "Gabriel nted a time bomb
on the ne."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Alex exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable. "Looks like Jericho nned to
take us all down."