?Chapter 948:<fn47f5> Content originallyes from find?novel</fn47f5>


    Right then, a man — probably the host — yelled out, “Time to kick off the wild night bash! Let’s set the floor on fire!”


    As soon as he said that, the crowd came alive. Dozens of people ditched their drinks and flocked to the center, ready to dance.


    The overhead lights dimmed, and in their ce came strobe shes and spinning spotlights, flickering back and forth without pause.


    It got so dark that even people standing shoulder to shoulder could barely make out each other’s faces.


    In seconds, the entire room turned into a full-blown dance club, wild and electric.


    Beneath No. 43 Oak Street, three floors below,y the underground boxing ring. In the faint, moody light, Marisa froze in ce and lifted her gaze toward the masked woman. Her chest pounded with both nervousness and thrill. Marisa kept her face neutral, but inside, she worked hard to look unbothered, all while sneaking nces around to take everything in.


    The instant the masked woman addressed her, dozens of piercing eyes turned her way. Near the door, four heavily built men with grim faces stepped into view. Clenching her jaw, Marisa came to a grim conclusion — the masked woman wasn’t just anyone. This had to be the brains behind Ethan and Mnie’s abduction. Maybe she even ran the whole shady operation down here.


    What didn’t sit right with Marisa was the motive. Why would a shady fight club target someone like Ethan? He was just a first-year college kid, not exactly the type to stir up this kind of mess.


    As Marisa was lost in thought, the masked woman suddenly spoke, her voice tinged with disdain and mockery. “You don’t need to look around; everyone here works for me.” Then, narrowing her eyes, she added, “As for Ethan…” She broke off, a cold smirk curling her mouth. “He’s fine for the time being. But don’t get toofortable — that could flip in a heartbeat.”


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    A knot formed in Marisa’s chest. Her hands curled into tight fists, and she had to fight hard not to let her emotions take over.


    Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and met the woman’s gaze, trying to inject strength into her voice. “What are you saying? What do you want with Ethan? Look — I’m protecting him.”


    Behind the mask, Raegan eyed Marisa carefully, trying to figure out who she really was. But after a moment’s thought, she let the worry slide. It didn’t matter. If Marisa had made it this far and knew Ethan, then walking out wouldn’t be simple.


    Marisa kept her feelings in check, thinking hard. Usually, people like this took someone like Ethan for money. If they said he was still unharmed, maybe this was nothing more than a ssic case of ransom.


    Holding onto that idea, Marisa took a breath and forced a cool exterior. “Tell me what you want. How much will it take for you to release Ethan and Mnie?”


    Raegan’s lips curled into a smug grin, mocking her without trying to hide it. “Money? No, we’re not after cash.”


    She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Marisa’s breath caught in her throat. Her stunned expression said everything — she hadn’t seen thating.


    This wasn’t about money? Had she misread the whole situation? Maybe this wasn’t just about squeezing someone for ransom after all.


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