Chapter 402 Order


    At the critical moment, Jake hesitated. His nned strike, poised to seal his victory, froze in midair, and his chance slipped away.


    Melody didn''t miss a beat. She spun around, delivering a sharp left hook thatnded squarely. In a match this fierce, the smallest hesitation could cost everything. Jake''s pause ensured his defeat. The instant he faltered, his fate was sealed.


    As Melody pulled back, she recognized his intended move for what it was not a proper boxing technique, but a maneuver from ze Combat.


    A surge of anger rose within her, sharp and unyielding.


    Without giving him a moment to recover, sheunched into a relentless barrage. Her fists struck with precision, forcing Jake back step by step until he could retreat no further. Finally, he fell, pinned under the sheer force of her attack.


    The crowd seemed to release a collective sigh of relief. For a moment, it had felt as if the oue might slip through their grasp.


    Victory had been precariously close to slipping away. A single misstep, and everything Melody had fought for everything Cleussau stood for-could have crumbled.


    Even in a city as bustling as Cleussau''s capital, this match had drawn a unique crowd. The heirs from Sommerville might have been plentiful, but they weren''t the only ones watching.


    When figures from the Ironspire Sect, Silverpeak Sect, and Elysian Sect took their seats, it was clear this was no ordinary event. Eyes from the highest levels of power were fixed on the ring. Few had expected the leadership to ce such responsibility on Melody''s shoulders. Yet here she stood, fighting not just for herself but for her country''s honor.


    Gregoria''s dominance in underground boxing had bred resentment for years. Their unchecked arrogance, cloaked in diplomatic ambiguity, had gone unchallenged for far too long.


    Openly addressing it would have been undignified, but here, in this shadowed arena, the rules shifted.


    Cleussau''s turf meant Cleussau''s terms.


    Melody''s fists spoke with authority. Each punchnded with the weight of her fury and her conviction.


    Jake might have refrained frompleting the illegal ze Combat move, but his intent had been clear.


    Fair y wasn''t optional.


    She had made her expectations in from the start. If Jake had objected, they could have agreed to different terms. But he had given his word, then betrayed it.


    The betrayal filled her with disgust.


    Even the striking resemnce to Martin in Jake''s eyes couldn''t soften her resolve. Her heart remained steady, cold, and unyielding.


    The referee, seeing Jake sprawled on the ground and Melody still raining blows, stepped in quickly. He pulled her back, his presence forcing the fight to its inevitable conclusion. The count began, and the oue was clear.


    Melody had won.


    The officials from Gregoria, their faces pale, stared at her as if struggling to process the reality.


    Their years of training and preparation, their so-called champion-it had all crumbled on Cleussau soil.


    Now, Melody stood victorious, unshaken and triumphant.


    They had no choice but to present her with the championship trophy.


    Their humiliation was palpable, as though they''d swallowed something far more bitter than defeat.


    Drooby stood in the control room,


    his face clouded with frustration His sharp gaze shifted to Cameron,


    slumped in his wheelchair, his


    "Cameron," Drooby began, his voiceced with disdain. "Is this what you call control? Your grand, foolproof n?"


    He stepped forward, his tone growing harsher.


    "I told you to handle her-just one small dose, and she would''ve been out of thepetition. She''s your sister! How could you let this slip through your fingers?"


    His eyes narrowed, and his lips curled into a sneer.


    "Are you holding onto some ridiculous sense of honor? Is that it?"


    He let out a bitterugh.


    "You''ve lost your legs, and now it seems you''ve lost your spine too. You''re pathetic."


    As Gregoria''s representative in Cleussau, Drooby had always prided himself on his ability to manipte.


    His fluency in Cleussauan had strengthened his dealings with Cameron, creating a partnership built on calcted moves and mutual ambition.


    But tonight, Cameron''s failure was ring.


    Melody should have been easy to control. Family ties were meant to be the perfect leverage.


    And yet, Cameron had failed him.


    Cameron sat rigidly, his hands gripping his knees. His fingers dug into the fabric of his pants, pressing hard against unresponsive legs.


    His whole body quivered, but the familiar numbness refused to budge.


    Not long ago, there had been hope-faint but undeniable. A tingle of sensation, a glimmer of possibility.


    But now, that hope had vanished.


    His breaths came shallow, panic bubbling beneath the surface. The dream of standing again felt like sand slipping through his fingers. He could almost see it, slipping further and further away.


    No, it wasn''t just slipping. It was gone.


    "Without the Veinspire Codex, even I can''t fix you. Face it, Cameron-you''re never getting out of that chair."


    Suzanna, who had been silent until now, spoke atst.


    Her words were firm, each one like a final nail in a coffin.