Owned by the Fighter

Belle hurried to keep up with the men in front of her. Her shoulder brushed against strangers pushing past each other more than once. The air inside the dimly lit warehouse reeked of tobacco and sweat.Eager for the show to begin, the restless crowd roared so loudly that it made her ears ring.She broke free from the crush of bodies, desperate to be in the front row.Suddenly, a firm hand gripped her shoulder and half-dragged her forward."Don't space out," the light-brown-haired man at her side muttered.Belle didn’t bother to defend herself.What was the point? It had been her idea to come here; she had begged for it. If that made her look slow, so be it.With a sigh, she sank down beside her brother, Anthony, who was surrounded by his rowdy friends, shouting at the top of their lungs.The atmosphere was electric, with adrenaline charging the air. But Belle shrank in her seat, already questioning whether this had been a mistake.Anthony pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled a

Cars rolled into Eastbourne’s City Hall in a tight line. Police stood guard outside, pushing back small groups of demonstrators gathered near the main gates. The sight was unusual for Belle.“What are they doing?” she asked, leaning toward the window.“They’re protesting the new shopping center project near Avenue 6. That park sits there,” her father answered.“Then why remove the park, Dad?”"That park will be relocated. They just want to complain when the new location is actually far better.”Belle bit her tongue. She knew better than to argue, especially since her father was leading the development. One day, that business empire was supposed to land on her shoulders.The older she got, the more her heart clashed with Mr. Watson’s views. But, unlike Anthony, Belle didn’t have the courage to break free from the family business openly.The car rolled to a stop at the lobby entrance. Belle slipped out alongside her parents, only to widen her eyes at the sight of Bastian dressed as a va

By midnight, Anthony arrived at his shop with his friends in the gang and Bastian.Belle rushed into her brother’s arms, crying again out of worry for their parents."They're fine," Anthony reassured her as he held her shoulders. "Thank God Bastian found you and brought you here. I never thought things would get so out of control at City Hall.”“Who was behind it?” Belle asked.“Protesters. But I don’t understand why it turned into a riot.”Belle immediately remembered what she’d seen before the chaos began. Strange figures had slipped into the back of City Hall before the blackout, and the first objects were thrown.That wasn’t spontaneous. It was planned.“I’ll take you home,” Anthony said. “Wait here while I change.”He headed upstairs, leaving Belle with his friends. She sat quietly, too embarrassed to even sneak a glance at Bastian.As for Bastian? He acted as if nothing had happened between them.“Your hand’s hurt, Belle?” one of the guys, Nick, asked.Belle nodded. "Yeah, but B

Bastian only glanced at Belle before brushing past her and walking into the shop.Belle stayed rooted to the spot, not even getting a greeting from him. Her whole body trembled in shock—Bastian had just kissed another woman right in front of her. And just like that, he acted as if nothing had happened between them last night.The short time they had shared, full of passion—did that mean nothing to him? For Belle, it was a moment she knew she would never forget. But now reality slapped her, hard and merciless. Had Bastian only used her as a warm-up before falling into that other woman’s arms?Belle fought back her tears, biting her lower lip so hard it almost hurt, desperate not to let them fall.With heavy steps, she went inside, listening to Anthony and his friends teasing Bastian. Of course, they’d seen him arrive with that woman.“Not gonna introduce us to your Spanish guitar?” Nick wiggled his fingers, smirking. “No wonder you’ve been keeping her from us. Scared she might ditch yo

Anthony climbed out of the ring, looking furious. Belle stood up, instinctively trying to put distance between herself and her brother, but Eve immediately stepped in his way. The guys around them did too.“Relax, dude!” one of them said.“I’m not your dude!!” Anthony snapped.All eyes turned to the unexpected scene. Belle’s face burned with embarrassment. Eve had been right—she was the center of attention now. But it wasn’t supposed to be like this.From the other side of the ring, Kyle, Nick, and Pooh rushed over, out of breath. Anthony nearly swung at the guy standing in front of him, only to be held back by Eve.“Hey, mind your temper!” Eve shouted.“Who the hell are you? Why is my sister here?”“What’s wrong with us just wanting to watch your match?”Anthony ignored her and locked his gaze on Belle. “Come here! Or I’ll tear this place apart—get here, now!!”Belle’s steps dragged as she moved toward him, but suddenly Eve grabbed her hand and yanked her away. They bolted toward the