Chapter 71: Not Too Late

“What’s bothering you, General Hawthorne?” Richard asked, noticing Frederick’s scrunched-up face.

“Find out where Claire is right now,” Frederick said, putting his phone down.

Five minutes later, Richard returned with the information. “Boss, Ms. Prescott’s at the underground boxing ring.”

“Underground boxing ring?” Frederick’s head shot up.

“Yeah, the biggest one in Kingstown, the Black Horse Underground Boxing Ring. And…” Richard paused, checking Frederick’s reaction.

“And what?” Frederick pressed, his face tightening.

“And Ms. Prescott’s getting ready to fight Brian,” Richard said carefully, watching Frederick’s mood.

“Brian?” Frederick stopped, his hand freezing as he put his pen down. He knew exactly who Brian was. A while back, Brian was involved in a big criminal case. That’s how Frederick learned Brian was the toughest fighter in all of Kingstown. This guy was a boxing fanatic, brutal in the ring, never giving his opponents a chance to catch their breath. Once he stepped into the ring, it was like he transformed into a demon.

“We’re going to the Black Horse Underground Boxing Ring,” Frederick said, recalling his first encounter with Brian.

At the Black Horse Underground Boxing Ring, Claire stood frozen, staring at Brian across the ring. Her mind raced with thoughts of how formidable he was, the rumors of how no one ever walked away from a match with him. If it had been anyone else, she might have felt more confident. But this was Brian.

“Hey, little lady, if you’re having second thoughts, it’s not too late to back out. I won’t lay a finger on you if you throw in the towel. I’ve never been one to hit a woman,” Brian said, breaking the silence when Claire didn’t respond.

Claire replied firmly, “I have no regrets. It’s an honor to spar with someone as experienced as you. I just hope you’ll go easy on me.”

“Of course, fists don’t have eyes. If something were to happen, I wouldn’t hold it against you. But if it makes you feel better, I can sign a will right now.”

Claire muttered the word “will,” a tremor betraying her tight grip. She wasn’t sure if she could survive this match. To her surprise, after the match, Brian stood dumbfounded, staring at her intently as if he were looking at someone else entirely.

“Sir?” Claire waved her hand in front of his face, trying to snap him out of it.

“Honestly, I’m feeling a bit under the weather today. Maybe she mailed the reschedule,” Brian finally said, pulling off his boxing gloves.

Claire was taken aback by this sudden change of behavior. The others in the ring were equally shocked. This was Brian, a boxing enthusiast who had reached a near-obsessive level of dedication to the sport. He never backed down from a fight, and yet here he was, stepping away from the ring because a girl…

“Wait, sir? How can you just decide not to fight?” Claire called out, confused by the turn of events.

She glanced back at Brian, frustration creeping into her voice. He might be able to wait, but she couldn’t afford to. With her funds running low, Claire desperately needed this fight to make some money.

Just then, the doors to the boxing arena swung open, and Frederick stepped in, accompanied by Richard.