Chapter 4 Seeing Him Again

Nicole brushed past the owner without so much as a glance and made her way to the locker room. She changed into her gear, tied up her hair, and stepped out to find him loitering right by the door like he'd been waiting all along.

It was clear that he had an urgent matter to tell her.

Lifting a brow, Nicole crossed her arms, signaling him to say whatever was on his mind.

The owner cleared his throat, rubbing his palms together. "Nicole, you know I've always been good to you, right?"

Nicole's eyes narrowed. What was he trying to say exactly?

"Just get to the point. What is it that you want to say?" she said.

Nicole had no patience for games. She didn't have time to waste on guessing.

Hearing that, the owner straightened his jacket. "Head upstairs. A VIP client wants a sparring partner."

Nicole caught on quick to what he meant.

This client must be a tough one, the type hoping to take their frustrations out on a human punching bag.

Nobody else wanted to step up, so the owner set his sights on her.

Did she come across as that naive to him?

Without a second thought, Nicole declined.

"I'm passing on this one," she said.

She slipped past him and made her way to the training mats.

He followed her. "Just name your price."

Nicole did not spare him a glance.

He suddenly stopped her with a firm stance. "A hundred thousand. Are you in?"

Nicole halted in her tracks.

Who would pay that kind of money just to throw punches at someone?

The offer hung in Nicole's mind. That payout could straighten out her bank account for a while, and she could finally ditch the garbage roles her agent kept tossing at her.

The club owner knew Nicole needed money.

He figured she would bite at such an offer.

When Nicole did not refuse, he seized her arm and led her toward the staircase leading up to the private suites.

"Listen, the client is Mr. Hayes, the CEO of the Hayes Group. Rein in that temper of yours, work hard, and whatever you do, don't offend him. Understand?"

"He is from the Hayes family?" Nicole tugged her mask into place. "If he hurts me, will he compensate me heavily?"

The club owner nodded. "If he puts you in the hospital, you could retire on the payout."

Nicole went quiet for a moment at that.

That response sent a chill through her. Maybe accepting this task was a mistake.

Sure, she was stronger than most, but she was still human; she wasn't invincible. What if she ended up seriously injured or even dead?

But she barely had time to think when the club owner pushed her into the room. "Move it. Go earn your paycheck."

Inside, a man sat on the mat, his expression dark. He was wiping sweat from his face and neck.

He was strikingly handsome, every angle carved and every muscle defined.

Nicole blinked. Why did he seem so... familiar?

Before Nicole could walk over, a handful of trainers stepped closer to the man and said, "Mr. Hayes, maybe it's time for a breather? We can resume later."

Something must have gotten under his skin. Though his hits were measured, they were still very painful.

While the paycheck tempted all of them, nobody wanted to risk their well-being for it.

They didn't know what had happened that had caused Ayden to book the VIP ring just to throw punches at people?

Anxiety thrummed through the trainers' nerves.

Ayden was indeed angry. Earlier, he had gotten into the police station because of an absurd accusation-abducting his own nephew.

The charge made no sense, but the embarrassment was real.

Humiliation clung to him. After locking Simon away at his place, he had come here, seeking to vent his frustration.

Upon arrival, he claimed the VIP ring, rotated through sparring partners, and managed to take the edge off his anger slightly. But he still felt that this wasn't enough.

Ayden turned his gaze to the door and saw Nicole standing there.

Nicole's mask concealed most of her features; only her eyes were visible. Ayden didn't recognize her.

Meanwhile, Nicole felt a bit nervous.

Wasn't this man the kidnapper from earlier?

He was actually the CEO of the Hayes Group?

So, she had falsely accused him before.

Thinking of that, Nicole felt a bit uneasy. Maybe she should just leave.

But before she could do that, a low, cold laugh spilled from Ayden, sending a shiver through the room.