Chapter 425

Shermaine and Joshua hadn’t done anything particularly exciting. They spent a quiet afternoon fishing by the lake and then wandered into an orange grove, picking quite a few baskets along the way.

While they were still among the trees, Henry showed up with his younger sister. She had brought along a few of her college friends for a winter outing.

The moment those girls spotted Shermaine, their eyes lit up like Christmas lights.

“Holy crap, that’s Shermaine!”

“She’s gorgeous!”

They were clearly fangirling, hard.

Shermaine was practically a campus legend. Her reputation in the universities around Basterel was untouchable. To many students, she wasn’t just an idol. She was almost mythical.

By the time they were done, they had filled two entire baskets of oranges. Joshua glanced over and saw Shermaine surrounded by those enthusiastic girls. His gaze casually slid toward Henry, a faint edge to it.

Henry raised his eyebrows. “Joshua, why don’t you come race with us?”

Joshua offered a quiet smile but didn’t answer.

Henry kept going, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I’ve heard that when guys cling too tightly to their wives, the wives start losing interest.”

Joshua didn’t even blink. He was more than confident Shermaine wasn’t the type to get bored of him. Still, Henry’s comment was just cheeky enough to warrant a response. Joshua said coolly, “Well, since you’re asking for it, I’d hate to disappoint.”

As they walked out of the grove, Henry’s sister, Tiffany, turned to Shermaine. “Hey Shermaine, I brought my friends because we wanted to try horseback riding. Want to come with us?”

There was hardly anything Shermaine hadn’t tried at least once. She didn’t ride often, but she was definitely capable.

“You go ahead. I’ll catch up after I hit the restroom.”

“Okay! We’ll wait for you.”

The ranch was massive. When Shermaine finally arrived, she found Tiffany caught in what looked like an argument with a woman wearing overly heavy makeup.

From the bits of conversation she caught, it sounded like both of them had their eye on the same horse, and neither was willing to give in.

Tiffany, who had always been well–protected by her family, clearly wasn’t used to confrontations. Her eyes were rimmed with red. “Sophia, I saw that horse first. Why should I give it up to you?”

“Because I’m your senior,” Sophia said with a smug smile. “And I’m older.”

Clearly, they’d known each other from before.

“If you’ve got a problem with that, let’s settle it with a match,” Sophia added, nodding toward the nearby archery range. “If you win, I’ll back off. If I win, the horse is mine.”

Tiffany was a total indoor girl. She was great at games, but sports were not so much. “I… I don’t know how to shoot.”

Sophia scoffed. “Is there anything you do know?”

Tiffany flushed, clearly overwhelmed and out of her depth. She wasn’t the type to argue back, especially against someone like Sophia.

But to Shermaine, the whole scene felt like a joke.

“Oh really? And what, you’re supposed to be some kind of expert?” Shermaine stepped forward, her tone dry.

Sophia froze. Her bravado evaporated the second she saw Shermaine.

“She’s bluffing, Tiffany,” Shermaine said, exposing the obvious. “Even if you go against her, it doesn’t mean you’ll lose.”

Tiffany’s expression changed instantly. “Oh, so that’s what she’s doing.” With Shermaine backing her, she suddenly found her footing. “Wow, Sophia. I thought you were the real deal. Turns out you’re just another moob.”

Sophia’s face turned bright red. She didn’t even try to argue because the truth was, she really didn’t know how to shoot. “I don’t,” she snapped. “But my friend does. Dare to go up against her?”

Shermaine arched a brow, then gave a slow, amused smile. “Are you talking to me?”

“That’s right.”

“If it’s me, sure. But let’s make it interesting.” Her smile deepened as she slipped into an old, familiar rhythm, the same one she used back when she used to make quick money. “One match. Three million dollars per arrow if I win. Let’s do three rounds.”

Each round had six arrows, eighteen in total. At three million a shot, the stakes were astronomical.

Sophia gawked. “Three million per arrow? Are you out of your mind?”

“Oh?” Shermaine said lightly. “Can’t afford it?”

Sophia went stiff. Her family was comfortable, sure, but nowhere near that kind of rich, not even close to a million.

Just then, someone stepped up behind Sophia and said calmly, “I’ll take her on.”

It was Judy.

Sophia turned, eyes lighting up. “Judy, you’re finally here! They’ve been absolutely ridiculous.”

Judy gave a faint smile, neither agreeing nor denying.

Shermaine’s eyes narrowed slightly when she saw her. She recognized the woman instantly, the one she had seen in a boxing gym video with Joshua. She still remembered the line Judy had thrown out back then. “If I beat her, does that mean I get to spar with you?”

Her showing up here today wasn’t some random coincidence. This had been orchestrated.

So all that scheming… just to challenge me? ‘Shermaine mused. ‘How amusing.’

“But plain archery is a little dull,” Judy said, her voice light but pointed. “How about we raise the stakes? Mounted archery.”

That wasn’t a casual suggestion. Shooting while riding was one of the most difficult sports there was. Hitting a target from a moving horse required precision honed over years.

The other girls looked at Shermaine nervously, unsure if she could handle it.

Shermaine, unfazed, smiled. “Sure. Sounds a lot more interesting than shooting at still targets.”

Without missing a beat, Judy called over staff from the stables and instructed them to set up targets throughout the course. The field was enormous, with targets placed nearly six hundred feet apart.

It had been a while since Shermaine had done anything this physically demanding.

Skiing had been her last adrenaline rush, and while mounted archery wasn’t quite as extreme, it was close enough to get her blood pumping.

She changed into riding gear, selected her horse, and strapped on the archery kit. Drawing her bow, she tested its tension.

With a crisp snap, the arrow sliced through the air and landed dead center on a bullseye 240 feet away.

Tiffany and the other girls were awestruck. “Shermaine, that was incredible!”

Shermaine raised an eyebrow and gave a casual shrug. “Nothing special.”

Judy chuckled softly, the kind of laugh that could be read either as condescending or amused.

She’d been trained in fencing and archery since childhood. In the Kingdom of Xyperia, there were few women who could even approach her level. As for Shermaine, she didn’t even register.

Judy had never planned to care, but Joshua had used Shermaine to avoid her. That, she wouldn’t let go. He needed to learn that using another woman as a shield had only one outcome, defeat.

Shermaine had chosen a white mare with a calm temperament. She mounted with practiced ease, removed her helmet, and tied up her hair in one swift motion. As the wind caught the strands, she looked every bit the warrior, fierce, poised, and ready to charge.

Judy smirked and mounted her own horse, riding up to the starting line beside her.

Elsewhere on the field, Henry had just heard from Tiffany what was going on. Shermaine had stepped in for his sister and was now locked in a challenge. And once he heard who the opponent was, he knew it wasn’t some petty drama.

“That woman from the boxing gym? Judy,” Henry said gravely. “She’s challenging Shermaine now. And get this. Three million per arrow.”

The moment Joshua heard the wager, he knew exactly whose idea that was. His wife always had a talent for wringing money out of people.

Then he stood up, his tone light. “Let’s go. This should be fun to watch.”