Alexander pushed himself up from the pavement, his scraped palms stinging, his knees bruised beneath his training clothes. He turned slowly to face Ethan, his expression calm despite the pain, despite the humiliation, despite everything.The crowd had grown to at least twenty-five people now—trainees, staff, even some people who'd just been passing by and stopped to watch the drama unfold. And they were all recording, all laughing, all feeding Ethan's ego with their attention."YEAH! That's what I'm talking about!" one trainee shouted. "Put him in his place, Chen!""Show him what happens when nobodies try to act tough!" another called out.Ethan's chest puffed out, his confidence inflating with every cheer. He genuinely believed—in that moment, fueled by adrenaline and crowd support—that he could actually fight Alexander. That he could win.This is pathetic, Alexander thought, reading Ethan's body language, seeing the amateur stance, the lack of training, the pure ego masquerading as

The next morning, Alexander arrived at Fit Titans at his usual time—5:45 AM, fifteen minutes before his scheduled training session. He'd barely slept, his mind cycling through everything that needed to happen in the next twenty-four hours before Viktor Konstantin arrived.But as he approached the entrance, his heart sank.Lila was waiting for him.She stood near the main doors, arms crossed, her designer workout clothes immaculate despite the early hour. Her expression was a mixture of anger and something that might have been hurt pride.Why won't these people just leave me alone? Alexander thought wearily. What do I have to do to make them understand I don't want any part of their drama?"We need to talk," Lila announced as Alexander approached."No, we don't," Alexander replied, trying to walk past her.She stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Yes. We DO. About what you did to Ethan yesterday.""I didn't do anything to Ethan," Alexander said flatly. "He attacked me. I defend

By the end of that training day, Alexander was at his breaking point.First, Lila ambushing him at dawn with accusations about Ethan. Then the usual contemptuous treatment from the other trainees during morning drills—deliberate elbows during sparring, "accidentally" dropping weights near him, constant muttered insults just loud enough for him to hear.The coaches weren't much better. Most still saw him as the janitor who'd gotten lucky, not a legitimate trainee. They gave him minimal instruction, corrected his form with barely concealed disdain, assigned him the worst equipment and training slots."Howard, you're slowing everyone down," one coach had said during afternoon conditioning. "Maybe take a break. Or better yet, just go home."By 6 PM, when Alexander finally finished his required training hours, his patience was gone. Completely exhausted. He just wanted to get back to Vanessa's penthouse, rest, and prepare mentally for tomorrow—for Viktor Konstantin's arrival.But as he exi

Alexander stood frozen in the parking lot, torn between two impossible choices. Behind him, through the facility's windows, he could see trainees rushing toward the main training floor. Viktor Konstantin—the entire reason he'd endured weeks of humiliation—was inside. Right now.But in front of him stood Katarina, drugged and controlled, and Victor Chen wearing that insufferable smug expression."Just accept it, Howard," Victor said, adjusting his expensive suit where Alexander had crumpled it. "Katarina's no longer yours. Hell, she NEVER was yours. You were just a temporary stop on her journey to finding a REAL man. Someone who can actually provide for her. Protect her. Give her the life she deserves."Alexander barely heard him. His eyes were locked on Katarina's glazed expression, searching for any sign of the woman he knew."Katarina," Alexander said, his voice cutting through Victor's gloating. "Snap out of it. PLEASE. Come back to your senses. What the hell is wrong with you?"Fo

Vanessa left her office mid-presentation, her assistant scrambling to explain to the board members why their CEO had just walked out of a critical quarterly review."Emergency," was all Vanessa said, grabbing her coat and phone. "Reschedule everything."In her car, racing through traffic, guilt gnawed at her. She'd promised Alexander she'd keep Katarina safe. Had assured him that her penthouse was secure, that no one could get to them.And she'd failed. Completely.I let him down, Vanessa thought, weaving between lanes with aggressive precision. He's endured weeks of humiliation at that facility for one reason—to meet Viktor Konstantin. And I couldn't even keep Katarina safe for a few hours.But Alexander had to be mistaken. Had to be. There was no way Katarina would willingly go anywhere with Victor Chen. The woman had made her feelings about Victor abundantly clear—disgust, fear, absolute rejection.Unless...Vanessa's hands tightened on the steering wheel. Unless Victor used the Me