?Chapter 971:


    Whispers of doubt stirred across the crowd like a growing tide.


    Up in the balcony, Raegan sat still, her expression clouded by something more than surprise. A subtle crease formed between her brows.


    She couldn’t ignore the questions echoing around her.


    But another thought pressed quietly at the edge of her mind. What if Maia’s prison sentence had been a cover? What if she had never really been locked away?


    There had to be more beneath the surface.


    Raegan’s interest sharpened, scanning the restless audience until her eyes locked on a lone figure cloaked in ck.


    “If anyone is holding the missing piece, it’s Shiloh. I’ll have to get it out of him,” Raegan whispered under her breath.


    Just then, a burst of excitement cracked through the tension.


    “Wait a second — aren’t Maia’s moves just like that legendary martial artist from the big screen?”


    “All that’s missing is the nose tap and head tilt!”


    “Exactly what I was thinking!”


    “She’s using Jeet Kune Do! That’s straight out of those iconic films!”


    “Seriously? Does Maia know Jeet Kune Do? That’s wild!”


    “People keep calling Maia a designer, but let’s be real — she can do just about anything.”


    Maia stepped forward, leading with her left foot while her right knee bent in control. Her right hand hovered near her chest, and her left moved with quiet precision. The way she held herself — firm, focused, unshaken —manded the entire space. Her eyes locked in, sharp and deliberate, cutting through the air like a de.


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    Roars surged across the arena, the second wave of excitement crashing louder than the first.


    People couldn’t look away. It was as if they were witnessing a different version of Maia, one they’d never truly seen until now.


    On the other side, Tyrant, the reigning force of the arena, let out a slow, knowing grin.


    He bounced lightly, warming up his limbs with practiced ease.


    Without hesitation, he leaned forward, ced one leg ahead, bent the other behind, and copied Maia’s stance perfectly.


    For a heartbeat, everything went still.


    Then the silence cracked wide open.


    “Hold up! Is Tyrant trained in Jeet Kune Do too?”


    “This changes everything! A one-on-one using the same style? Finally, a real test of who deserves the crown!”


    “What? You’re kidding, right? That guy’s whole thing has always been brute strength and Muay Thai strikes. I’ve never once heard anything about him picking up Jeet Kune Do.”


    While whispers of doubt spread like wildfire, a man from the stands started to rise, clearly agitated. Before he could speak, Tyrant’s coldugh cut through the noise.


    “Of course you haven’t,” he said, his eyes fixed on Maia like a de aimed at its mark. His tone was sharp, nearly mocking. “I don’t waste Jeet Kune Do on weaklings. But she’s not like the rest.”


    That one sentence made it clear — Tyrant didn’t see Maia as just another opponent.


    She had earned enough of his respect to draw out the part of him he usually kept hidden.


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    .<fn31a4> Th?s chapter is updated by Find★Novel</fn31a4>


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