Harry was about to fly into a rage. He thought, ‘I swear, I’m going to wipe that smug, handsome look off his face later. Just looking at him pisses me off.’

Still, in their kingdom, men who followed their wives’ words obediently were the most attractive kind.

Harry thought bitterly, ‘I bet Her Highness would probably like Joshua even more. Hmph.’

Harry sneered, “You better not let your wife watch. Trust me. You don’t want her to see how pathetic you look later when you lose.”

Unfazed by the provocation, Joshua casually tossed his phone to Roy. “Here, hold this.”

Roy took the phone and beamed at Shermaine. “Hey, Shermaine.”

“Hey,” Shermaine replied.

Roy didn’t bother asking Shermaine about Molly. He knew she was already busy dealing with the virus outbreak in Horington. Instead, he checked in with her to see how she was holding up.

The crowd erupted in excitement as a new round of bets started pouring in.

Joshua headed off to the locker room to change. Right then, Ross, having just finished his match, changed out of his gear and slipped into the seat next to Roy and chatted casually with Shermaine.

Ross asked, “Sheary, are you back at the hotel?”

“Yeah,” Shermaine replied.

“What are you working on right now?”

“Energy gloves.”

Back in his boxing days, Ross had seen people rig gloves to boost their power. But judging by the way Shermaine was modifying hers, it looked like she was taking things to a whole new level.

He knew Kylie was back for revenge, and word was there was some shady force behind her. All in all, it left him uneasy.

Still, Ross knew what Shermaine was capable of. In the end, he chose to trust that she’d handle it.

Shermaine added casually, “Danielle’s still busy working in the lab.”

Ross nodded. “She didn’t sleep well last night. Tell her to head back to the hotel early tonight and get some rest.” Then, he thought, ‘That little minx knew she was leaving for Horington, yet she kept coming onto me. I’m no saint, so of course, I gave in.’

“Got it,” Shermaine chuckled, thinking, ‘My brother’s really getting the hang of this now.”

Before long, Joshua emerged in his boxing gear. Through the ultra–HD camera feed, they watched as he effortlessly vaulted over the ropes into the ring. Harry stormed in after him, radiating aggression.

With the referee’s signal, the match officially began. Shermaine was multitasking – tinkering with her gear while keeping most of her attention on Joshua in the ring.

Harry was aggressive. Shermaine could tell Joshua wasn’t going all out; he was just sizing the guy up.

“Not bad,” Shermaine thought. Still, she couldn’t help but note that some of his moves – those sweeps and punches - weren't cleaner. Instead, he made them a little too showy for her taste.

‘Even I could beat him if I got in the ring,’ Shermaine thought. ‘Let alone Joshua–he’s always been on another level.’

When it came to raw combat ability, she had no doubt Joshua outclassed her by miles. Especially when he let his killing intent slip – that kind of presence only came from someone who had truly seen blood.

Harry grew increasingly impatient as Joshua made no move to attack. “What’s the matter? Hit me back already!”

The words had barely left Harry’s mouth when Joshua’s fist connected with his face. It was a solid punch that left him dazed and reeling.

The group of scions watching below erupted into applause. They shouted, “Clean hit!” That was Joshua for them, the undisputed king of Basterel’s elites, the one they all respected and looked up to.

That punch packed such force that even the onlookers could practically feel its impact. Just watching the fight made them wince in pain, as if the blow had landed on themselves.

Harry shook off the dizziness and clutched his face, rage flaring in his eyes.

But he couldn’t ignore the pressure rolling off Joshua. It was suffocating, as if he were standing in the path of a storm. That overwhelming presence made his skin crawl, and there was something primal whispering to him, asking him to get on his knees.

Joshua didn’t hold back when he fought. In the shadows, Judy watched it all unfold with a glint of excitement in her eyes. She couldn’t help but admit that the more she knew Joshua, the more impressed she was.