Chapter 15

Alexia gave a short laugh, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Never step foot in this sport? Please. The weaker the man, the more fragile his ego."

Her words landed like a slap, and both men's faces turned stormy with anger.

This year's tournament wasn't for the faint of heart.The format had been revamped, harsher than ever-competitors had to handle both revolvers and shotguns. It was high-speed, high-risk, and brutally unforgiving.

The rules were simple but savage. Contestants had to ride at full gallop,weaving through a zigzag of barrels,firing ten shots-five from each weapon-while staying balanced, composed, and deadly accurate. The winner? Whoever had the cleanest, fastest run.

Black Mamba and Royal Lion entered the arena one after the other. Mamba broke his own record with a time of 52.05 seconds, while Lion cracked under pressure, missed a target, and ended with a frustrating 60.17.

"Mamba's on fire today-broke his record!"

"Lion flopped hard. One mniss and he's out."

"Wait a sec-who the hell is that? Look!"

The big screen zoomed in on Alexia as she rode into the arena, fast and fierce. From the second she appeared,every head turned.

Her first shot came mid-air as her horse leaped. In one smooth motion, she switched guns, firing two spot-on rounds in less than a second. She weaved around the barrels like she'd been born doing it. Her aim, her posture-everything about her was wild grace sharpened to perfection.

The crowd went dead silent as she neared the last target.

However, just then, a piercing whistle rang out from the audience. Her horse flinched hard, panic surging through its body as it suddenly veered off, nearly throwing her off balance.

The crowd sucked in a collective gasp. Ada's voice broke through, angry and sharp. "You've got to be kidding me.Who the fuck whistled? That's not even her horse; it's borrowed! Someone's trying to sabotage her!"

Waylon didn't blink. His eyes stayed locked on Alexia as she fought to get her horse back under control.

Just as the horse was about to crash into the barrel,Alexia reacted fast. She held on tight with her legs,leaned close to the saddle, and kept a steady grip on the reins. In one smooth move, she lifted the shotgun.As the horse jumped over the barrel, she turned slightly, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The shot echoed like thunder.

Her bullet tore through the target dead-on. And somehow, it felt like the whole crowd got hit too,straight in the chest.

The arena went wild.

Ten shots. Thirty seconds. Clean.

For a moment, silence settled and then came the roar of pure disbelief.

"Thirty seconds? No way-no one's that fast!"

"She destroyed Royal Lion's score!"

"That's Black Swan! It's her-has to be!"

There was a moment of shock, and then the crowd exploded. Cheers and chants thundered through the stands. "Black Swan! Black Swan!" Her name echoed like a wave crashing through the arena.

Up on the viewing deck,Korbin turned and gave Ada a sharp look. She was still catching her breath from all the cheering, her cheeks glowing with excitement.

"You knew she was Black Swan, didn't you? Why the hell didn't you warn me?" he snapped.

His heart sank just thinking about the bet he'd placed.His wallet was officially doomed.

Ada lifted both hands, feigning total innocence."Don't give me that look! I had no clue she was Black Swan! If I did, trust me-l'd have gone all in!"

Korbin turned his irritation to Waylon, only to be met with indifference. The man didn't even look his way.His eyes were locked on the arena, his expression unreadable, carved from stone.

With nowhere else to aim his anger, Korbin turned it on Elton.

Elton chuckled, unbothered as usual. "What can I say?She's the real deal. If it makes you feel better, your sister placed her bet on Black Swan too. So technically, your family's not taking a total loss."

Korbin just stared at him, clearly not amused and even more annoyed than before.

The noise from the crowd reached a fever pitch as Alexia strode confidently toward the podium.

As she stepped up, both Black Mamba and Royal Lion came forward, extending their hands in a show of sportsmanship,cameras flashing from all directions.

Alexia didn't even glance at them. She breezed past,leaving their outstretched hands dangling in the air while whispers rippled through the stunned crowd.

Black Mamba's eye twitched slightly as he slowly pulled his hand back, clearly trying not to lose face."Didn't expect this. You're really Black Swan,huh?"

Alexia's face stayed cold. "Just keep in mind what l said earlier. When I'm in the game, you're not invited."

Black Mamba clenched his jaw. "Is there really no room to work something out?"

She tilted her head slightly, her smile light but sharp."Of course there is. Just kneel and beg, both of you."

Royal Lion exploded. "You arrogant bitch! Who do you think you are?"

He barely finished the sentence before security pounced, pinning him face-first into the dirt like they'd rehearsed it.

Alexia gave him a sweet, mocking smle, raised her thumb,then slowly turned it down in a gladiator style