Harry got absolutely wrecked; this was the worst beating he’d ever taken. His face was so swollen that he barely looked human. Right now, he looked more like a punching bag that had lost a fight with a truck.

He thought, “As one of the kingdom’s most renowned generals, I would never surrender. Besides, I challenged Joshua first. It’s already embarrassing enough that I lost. How could I let Her Highness look down on me even more?”

Seeing Harry still refused to concede, Joshua saw no reason to hold back. He’d just beat Harry until he couldn’t get up again.

That was his plan until Judy stepped up to the edge of the ring and said firmly, “Harry, that’s enough. Admit defeat.”

Harry stood there, swaying unsteadily, clearly unwilling to give in.

Judy barked, “Admit defeat. That’s an order!”

Harry finally gave in. “I will.” With that, he finally stepped down from the ring.

Everyone looked around at each other, stunned into silence. They had all noticed this woman the moment she walked in. Sure, a few scions had tried hitting on her, but her cold, regal demeanor sent them all away.

Harry stepped down with his head hung low. “Your Highness, I’ve embarrassed you.”

“Losing to him is no disgrace,” Judy replied.

The crowd heard every word and exchanged meaningful glances. They wondered, “Did she just openly praise Joshua? What is she getting at? Is she into Mr. York or something? But even if she is, she can’t have him. He’s married, and Shermaine is his precious baby.”

Ross recognized the woman. Frowning, he murmured, “It’s her again.”

Shermaine, tinkering with her energy glove, paused and arched a brow. “You know her?”

Ross started snitching. “When I had lunch with Joshua today, this woman couldn’t stop staring at your husband. And now she’s followed him here to the boxing gym.”

Shermaine’s gaze shifted back to the video feed and she noticed a woman come into view. Seeing the woman’s gaze fixed on her man, Shermaine narrowed her eyes.

Harry, still looking deflated, murmured, “Understood, Your Highness.”

Judy tilted her chin up, meeting Joshua’s gaze. “I heard you’re quite the marksman. Care for a duel sometime?”

Joshua’s expression stayed cold as he hopped down from the boxing ring. “My wife’s shooting skills are just as impressive.”

“That works too,” Judy replied.

Joshua just looked at her without saying more.

Judy pressed on, “If I beat her, does that mean I get to challenge you?”

The boxing gym fell silent for three full seconds.

Roy stepped forward and said, “Let’s have Joshua’s wife answer that herself.”

A second later, Shermaine’s voice rang out through the call. It was casual, cocky, and sharp as a whip. “Sure. Come and try beat me.” She wasn’t even around, yet her presence dominated the room.

Judy smirked and said, “I will.” She was no pushover like Kylie.

Joshua was about to say something when Shermaine abruptly ended the video call. He blinked in surprise, then chuckled softly, looking amused.

Someone piped up, “Joshua, your wife just hung up on you.”

Joshua shot back, “I’m not blind.”

Another chimed in, “You’re so dead!”

Everyone burst into laughter, clearly enjoying his misfortune.

Joshua was unbothered. After his match, he was drenched in sweat, so he headed to the locker room, took a quick shower, changed into fresh clothes, and only then called Shermaine back to do some damage control.

Shermaine picked up the call but remained silent.

Joshua teased, “Are you jealous?”

Shermaine glanced up. “Why would I be? Did she touch you or something?” She huffed, a petulant mood coming out of nowhere. “Honestly, just seeing your face is annoying me right now.”

Joshua was bewildered, but he asked in a more serious tone this time, “Sheary, what did I do to upset you?”

“Everything about you. Head to toe.”

It was the first time he’d ever seen Shermaine this irrational–and for once, he had no idea how to fix it.

After the words left her mouth, Shermaine realized she’d let her emotions get the better of her. She paused, then murmured softly, “Sorry about that.”

Joshua’s voice turned gentle. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m not mad, I’m just trying to figure out how to cheer you up so you won’t think I’m annoying.”

“You’re not annoying,” she admitted. The things she said earlier weren’t from the heart. “It was my bad. I snapped for no reason.”

“It’s fine, Sheary. You can be as moody as you want,” Joshua said tenderly. “I’ll love you no matter what.”

Soothed by Joshua’s coaxing, her bad mood dissipated quickly. In front of him, she could never be the glamorous and formidable Shermaine that others saw.

Honestly, her earlier irritation was mostly because she knew someone was coveting Joshua while she couldn’t be there. If she had been present, she would have liked to see if the woman had the guts to be so brazen about it.