Ruth, immediately irritated, shot Effie a fierce glare, grinding her teeth. "Alright, let's see what you've got."

Clutching Lilah's arm, Hadley whispered, “Lilah, who do you reckon will win?"

Lilah seemed preoccupied. She glanced at the ring and replied, “It has to be Effie."

Shaking her head, Hadley muttered, “Ruth has been training under some foreign hotshot for ages. Plus, she has surprising strength. I reckon Effie's at a disadvantage."

"Then let's make a bet." Lilah chuckled.

Hadley brightened up. "If I come out on top, you'll protect me, deal?"

Lilah arched her eyebrows but remained silent.

Hadley was over the moon and gripped Lilah's arm tightly.

Many people started placing bets on the sly. On the first day of the filming, Ruth showcased her Taekwondo skills, while Effie kept hers under wraps.

Judging by appearances alone, Ruth seemed the more intimidating of the two.

With the referee's signal, the showdown commenced.

Ruth, unable to contain her excitement, lunged forward the moment the whistle blew, throwing a flashy hook aimed at Effie's face.

The crowd held their breath. Their eyes were fixed on the action.

Effie simply sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blow.

Simultaneously, Effie swung her leg, nearly sending Ruth stumbling.

The two traded blows and appeared evenly matched. After a dozen exchanges, neither had gained the upper hand and the match reached a stalemate.

Ruth felt a twinge of frustration. She'd assumed Effie was all talk.

She hadn't counted on her resilience.

Gritting her teeth, she faked a move and then aimed a kick at Effie's shin.

With a sharp pang, Effie instinctively backed off, teetering on the brink of falling. Ruth seized the chance to launch an attack, leaving Effie unable to retaliate.

Ruth silently gloated, convinced Effie wasn't as tough as she seemed.

"Hey, look! Effie's about to bite the dust. Ruth's killing it!"

"No kidding. It's crystal clear Effie's all bark and no bite. Who does she think she is, taking on our Ruth?"

"Go for it, Ruth! Knock her out!"