Evelyn did not pay any attention; her focus was settled on the man's stance with calculated shifts of weight from one leg to another. He was overconfident- arrogant. She saw that as her advantage.

Odessa raised a hand for silence, and the murmurs immediately died down.

”The rules are simple,” she said. ”You win; you go.” She tilted her head slightly, letting her smirk get even wider. ”You lose… well, you won’t have to worry about anything again.”

They laughed, but Evelyn barely heard them.

She forced herself to take long, steady breaths. She has been in many fights before, but this one would be different. She no longer had...