Charlotte's comeback set off a wave of laughter from the men crowding around.

"Maybe you're just too cheap for her," someone jeered.

"Hey, gorgeous, how about I give you two million for one night with me?"

The man Charlotte had just shut down flushed with embarrassment, his ego bruised in front of everyone. He jabbed a finger at her, his words nasty and loud. "Don't act all high and mighty. You're just here to hook up with guys, aren't you? Someone like you isn't even worth a hundred thousand. Hell, I wouldn't pay ten thousand."

Jackson's face darkened as he watched, ready to step in, but Charlotte moved first. In a flash, she lifted her leg and kicked the guy hard. He dropped, groaning, hands between his legs.

After a moment, he managed to stagger back onto his feet, swinging a fist at Charlotte and yelling, "You bitch, you really think you can—"

Before he could finish, Charlotte's foot caught him in the mouth. He went down again, blood dripping from his nose. Lying on the floor, he looked up and saw Charlotte walking toward him, her expression cold and calm.

Panic hit him. He tried to back away, but his body wouldn't cooperate.

Charlotte crouched down beside him, her gaze sharp, lips curled in a hint of a smile. "So, do you really think you can buy me?"

He clenched his jaw, face twisted in pain, and shook his head hard. He didn't dare say another word.

"What are you waiting for?" Charlotte asked, her voice steady and icy. The sound alone made the hair on his arms stand up.

He looked at her, then glanced at the two bodyguards behind her. Gritting his teeth, he scrambled up and limped out of The Gilded Wheel, bumping into tables along the way.

The men who'd been waiting to see Charlotte get put in her place just stared, mouths open. She'd only needed two quick moves, but everyone could see she knew what She was doing.

To take someone down like that in The Gilded Wheel, right in front of everyone... Who was she, really?

Up on the second floor, a man in his fifties stood in a shadowy corner, his right sleeve empty, watching the scene betów with narrowed eyes. He swirled the wine in his glass gaze fixed on Charlotte. "Since when do women show up at The Gilded Wheel?"

"She's the first one," his assistant said quietly. "She doesn't act like a typical girl."

Most women would be terrified after something so violent, but from the moment she walked in, her expression hadn't changed at all.

"Maybe she's just curious and wanted to see what goes on here," the assistant guessed. "Still, she's definitely got skills."

“She does,” Aloys replied, swirling his wine. He didn't seem too concerned about Charlotte, shifting his attention back to the stage. "No one else left?"

"No, sir," the assistant replied, careful to keep his voice low. "Alkour top fighters lost. A few others showed up, but after what they saw tonight, they gave up before even trying."

The last few matches had ended with brutal, bloody defeats.

Aloys's gaze grew even colder. “Useless. Every single one of them.”

Tonight, it looked like The Gilded Wheel was going to be completely humiliated.