Chapter 502

Judy arrived just a moment too late. Shermaine’s result was already in–twenty-one. Simon had scored twenty.

The outcome sent Simon into a complete meltdown. “That’s impossible!” he roared. “I calculated everything perfectly! How could you–why did you–”

Seeing his stubborn fixation on winning or losing, Shermaine took pity on him. “Mathematics is my forte,” she said with casual confidence. “Blackjack is practically child’s play for me.”

‘Child’s play?’ Bronx’s face darkened. ‘Just how brilliant is she at math to make such an arrogant claim?’

Meanwhile, back at the secret base, Jasmine was cheering wildly. Shermaine had won and she’d done it with such commanding style, clean and decisive.

For centuries, this had been the traditional way to transfer power in the city. The Council of Elders would step forward before the assembled crowd and personally present the city lord’s signet ring to Shermaine. Then the current lord would surrender the military token of command. This was the moment–the formal ceremony of succession.

The elders emerged from the council chambers, one of them carrying the ancestral signet ring with ceremonial reverence.

Simon’s eyes blazed with barely contained fury. Because of him, the Moreno family would be locked out of power in Baykeep for the next twenty years.

Bronx’s face had turned ashen, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles had gone white. ‘Where the hell is Her Highness Judy? Those old bastards are about to hand over the signet ring to Boa.’

Shermaine gazed at the ring–its lustrous surface gleaming with obvious quality, crafted from premium materials that screamed priceless heritage.

“Ms. Hanks, congratulations,” the elder, Avon, said with formal solemnity.

Shermaine smiled graciously and reached out to accept the signet ring from Avon’s outstretched hands. But in that instant, a laser beam sliced through the floor-to-ceiling windows from outside, aimed directly at her position.

Her reflexes kicked in just in time–she dodged to the side as the deadly light barely missed its mark.

The crowd erupted in screams at the sudden attack, and almost immediately, Bronx’s people cut the live broadcast feed. Online viewers found themselves staring at blank screens, unable to witness what happened next.

But they had caught one final, crucial image–Judy stepping out of an aircraft, her arrival perfectly timed with the chaos unfolding inside.

The floor-to-ceiling windows had been shattered, and wind whipped violently through the broken glass.

Judy emerged from her fighter jet, her gaze immediately finding Shermaine.

When Avon saw it was Judy, fury flashed across his face, though he forced himself to moderate his tone. “Your Highness, what exactly are you doing?”

“Obviously, I’m not pleased with her taking control of Baykeep.”

“But Baykeep’s ancient traditions are clear,” Avon replied. “Whoever wins the championship becomes the next city lord. That’s how it’s always been.”

Judy’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “People adapt, but I don’t have to follow outdated rules.” Her voice dropped to a threatening whisper. “Avon, are you really going to oppose me?”

Aven’s face flushed red with anger, yet he remained visibly wary of Judy’s power.

At that moment, Shermaine snatched the signet ring from Avon’s grasp. “Since I won fair and square, this belongs to me now. And naturally, I shall deter Baykeep.”

Judy let out a cold laugh. “Pretty bold words, Shermaine.” Even in Judy’s territory, Shermaine couldn’t drop that arrogant attitude.

“Don’t forget, Judy,” Shermaine replied with a light smile, stating the uncomfortable truth, “if you hadn’t cheated, you wouldn’t have managed a transient with me. You’d have been completely defeated.”

“Shut up.” That memory was Judy’s greatest shame, something she desperately tried to forget. In the next instant, a slender rapier materialized in her hand–similar to those used in fencing–and she drew it, pointing the blade directly at Shermaine. “This time, I’ll defeat you completely. You’ll never recover from this.”

‘Really? Who’s the one talking big here?’ Shermaine thought to herself.

From the fighter jet, Harry watched with growing concern. ‘Can Her Highness Judy really match Shermaine?’

Even though Judy had trained relentlessly since her return, pushing her body to become stronger, when it came to facing Shermaine, confidence abandoned her.

The fight erupted between them. Shermaine found herself weaponless, clutching only a signet ring that left her unable to counter Judy’s attacks directly.

Then Barrett, who’d been hiding nearby, hurled a long spear in her direction. She caught it smoothly and tossed the signet ring back to him with her free hand. “Catch this–keep it safe for me.”

Barrett stared at the hot potato in his hands, his face creasing with frustration.

Bronx and Simon watched him like hawks, their eyes fixed on what he held.

Shermaine gripped her long spear. “Five minutes.”

Judy said, “What?”

“Five minutes. That’s how long it’ll take me to beat you.”

Judy’s fury blazed hotter, her attacks becoming more vicious.

Steel rang against steel in rapid succession as their blades crossed and clashed.

Despite Judy’s relentless assault, she couldn’t even graze a single hair on Shermaine’s head. Her excessive force worked against her, leaving her overextended and vulnerable.

Both Simon and Judy were desperate to win, but their ambition far outstripped their abilities.

Two and a half minutes had passed. Judy went flying backward, tumbling across the ground in several rolls, while Shermaine stood poised with her long spear, every inch the warrior.

“Your Highness!” Harry shouted frantically from inside the fighter jet.

Judy scrambled to her feet, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, and charged back into the fight.

Shermaine dodged the rapier thrust, moved behind Judy with lightning speed, and drove her foot into Judy’s lower back.

Once again, Judy went sailing through the air.

Where she had entered the battle with such swagger, now she could only writhe in humiliation.

Judy had never been a match for Shermaine in physical combat.

Shermaine thrust her long spear forward in a deadly arc. Judy barely managed to dodge, throwing herself to the side as the weapon whistled past her ear.

That was when Harry struck from behind again, his fighter jet swooping in with mechanical precision. The machine gun roared to life, its barrel swiveling toward Shermaine as bullets sprayed in a relentless pattern.

The staccato burst of gunfire echoed through the shattered space.

Back in Wallington, Judy had only managed to fight Shermaine to a draw because Harry had intervened. Now he was trying to tip the scales again.

With a swift motion, Shermaine hurled her long spear like a javelin. Harry’s fighter jet banked sharply, engines screaming as he desperately tried to evade the spinning weapon.

More bullets shattered the remaining floor-to-ceiling windows, sending glass cascading down as the wind howled even more fiercely through the exposed building.

“I won’t let you beat me, Shermaine–I won’t!” Judy’s rapier flashed as she lunged forward, her eyes blazing with fury.

Shermaine rolled away from the blade, but just then, a small voice cut through the chaos–a young girl crying out, “Help me, please!”

The girl was dangling halfway out of the building, her fingers desperately clutching a strip of fabric that fluttered in the violent wind.

Shermaine reached out to pull her to safety, but Judy saw her opening. She drew her pistol and fired.

The girl felt the fabric tear in her grip. As she began to fall, Shermaine dodged the incoming bullets and caught her hand. Together, they plummeted from the hundred-story tower, disappearing into the darkness below.