the mat, struggling to pull air back into his paralyzed lungs.
"Are we done?" Claire asked softly.
Derek could only nod weakly. She stood up immediately and offered him a hand. He ignored it,
rolling over and getting to his feet, red-faced and humiliated. He looked at Mike, expecting
sympathy. Instead, Mike looked relieved.
"Everyone, this is Claire Bennett," Mike announced to the stunned room. "Two-time Olympic
Judo medalist and former national grappling champion. She’s retiring from competition due to a
hip injury."
Derek swallowed hard. His smirk was completely gone, shattered into a thousand pieces on the
gray mats. From that Thursday on, the atmosphere at North Ridge Combat Academy changed. The
king was dethroned, not by a stronger man, but by a quiet woman who reminded everyone that
true skill doesn't need to shout.