Janie didn’t give her opponent even a second to react.

“When did you go blind? With that attitude, do you really think you’re cut out for the special forces?” Donald’s eyes narrowed, a trace of sarcasm curling at his lips as his words came out cold.

Pollard, catching the same scene, immediately understood what Donald was getting at. This little contest during training was nothing like a real competition, national or international. There was no need to take it so seriously.

Janie was already a national kickboxing champion. She clearly had the upper hand and should’ve shown a bit of restraint with a beginner. Winning was enough. Humiliating her opponent like that was just over the top.

Her actions earlier had definitely crossed the line. For someone that competitive and hot-headed, you just never knew what kind of trouble they’d stir up in the special forces.

“I misjudged,” Pollard admitted, a little embarrassed.

By the time their conversation ended, the match on the field was heating up.

It was best out of five rounds.

Each department could send three contestants.

Team 4 put all their hopes on Janie, letting her take on three opponents by herself since she was the champion.

Team 1 picked three too, with Charlotte set to go last.

The first girl from Team 1 was just getting up off the ground, wiping away tears, looking completely defeated. Janie hadn’t held back at all.

The second girl, even though she’d done taekwondo as a kid, still ended up tossed to the mat—twice. Cotton and Leland had to step in and stop it, both of them looking pretty shaken.

Was this a match or a beatdown?

Team 1 had already dropped two rounds. One more and it was all over.

“Three rounds left. Who’s next?” Janie stood there, arms crossed, chin up, grinning at Charlotte. “If nobody’s brave enough to get up here, just call it. We’re done.”

Everyone on Team 1 just stared at the ground. Their spirits were crushed. Winning three rounds in a row seemed impossible.

And this wasn’t like an obstacle course. This was real fighting.

Charlotte looked so slim, like she’d never even been in a gym. Janie was way more muscular. One punch from her and Charlotte would probably be seeing stars.

Plus, after what happened yesterday, Janie definitely wasn’t going to hold back.

“Charlotte, are you up for this?” Cotton glanced at the rest of his classmates. They all looked miserable, not even half as tough as Charlotte.

Charlotte shrugged off her jacket, then stood up slowly. She stretched lazily, a soft smirk tugging at her lips. “Should I give it a try?”

A try? Seriously?

“Just go out there and move around a bit. Don’t overdo it, and don’t let her beat you up for nothing,” Cotton warned her, sounding more concerned than anything. He knew Janie played dirty.

“Okay.” Charlotte moved into position, lifting her clear eyes to Janie, her gaze icy and steady. Then she glanced down at Janie’s fists, the corners of her mouth curving up. “Guess I’ll just mess around a bit.”

Seeing the confidence in Charlotte’s face, Janie suddenly felt uneasy, her mind flashing back to the stubborn look Charlotte had during yesterday’s obstacle course.

But she was the national champion. There was no way she could lose.

The whistle blew. Both girls lunged forward, fists flying in a rapid exchange.

People watching from the sidelines couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

Those combination kicks—did Charlotte just do that?

The match was electric.

At the far end of the field, Donald watched everything unfold. When he saw Charlotte moving fast and hitting hard, his face twisted in confusion.

This girl, and those moves… Why did she remind him so much of Reaver? The same Reaver who ran his training camp two years ago and managed to scam him out of a ton of money…