Julian read the documents.
"And my father?"
"Adrian was one of the fighters who benefited from those arrangements," Ward said. "I don't know how much he understood. I only know that after his injury, he stopped working with Sloane."
Lena studied a letter dated six years earlier.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
It belonged to Catherine.
Near the bottom of the page, one sentence had been underlined twice.
If this becomes public, the people who were protected by the system will do everything they can to keep the truth buried.
Lena closed the folder.
Sloane's sudden interest in Ironclad no longer seemed like a coincidence.
He was not simply searching for marketable fighters.
He was trying to control the next chapter of an old story.
And if the three champions accepted his offer without understanding what they were agreeing to, they might become part of something far more dangerous than a martial arts exhibition.
By Monday afternoon, the academy had become divided.
Some students believed Lena should leave before she caused more trouble. Others wanted to see her fight the three champions. A few suspected the entire controversy had been arranged to attract attention.
Master Ward refused to discuss the rumors.
He continued teaching as usual, correcting stances, supervising drills, and insisting that every student clean the mats before leaving.
Lena returned for training and spent most of the session working with Noah.
She helped him improve his balance, showed him how to recognize an opponent's attempts to control distance, and encouraged him to stop apologizing whenever he made a mistake.
"You don't need to say sorry every time you get thrown," she told him.
"I don't want people to think I'm difficult to train with."
"Being difficult to train with and making mistakes are two different things."
Noah considered that.
"How long did it take you to become confident?"
Lena smiled faintly.
"I'm still working on it."
He looked surprised.
"You?"
"Confidence isn't a permanent achievement. Some days you have it. Some days you have to build it again."
Across the room, Marcus watched them.
He had spent the weekend reviewing the footage of Thursday's sparring session. The recording had been taken from a student's phone, and he had watched it so many times that he could identify the precise moment his balance had been disrupted.
Each viewing produced a different excuse.
The mat was too soft. Lena had moved unexpectedly. He had been distracted by the audience.
But beneath every explanation was the same uncomfortable truth.
She had read him better than he had read her.
He approached Master Ward after the session.
"I want to accept the challenge."
Ward continued rolling up a training mat.
"Which challenge?"
"The three-on-one match."
"No."
"Then let me compete against her individually."
"Why?"
"To settle this."
"What exactly needs settling?"
Marcus hesitated.
Ward placed the mat against the wall.
"If you want to train with Lena, ask her. If you want to improve your fighting, I will help you. But if you want to repair your pride by defeating someone in front of an audience, I cannot help you."
Marcus's face reddened.
"You make it sound like I'm the problem."
"I make it sound like you have a choice."
Before Marcus could respond, Lena approached them.
"I'll agree to a structured challenge," she said.
Ward turned sharply.
"Lena."
"With conditions."
Marcus's expression changed.
"What conditions?"
"First, Master Ward supervises the session. Second, everyone follows the rules. Third, no one participates while injured or under pressure to prove something. Fourth, the event is for training, not humiliation."
Marcus scoffed.
"That's a lot of conditions for someone who claims she can handle three fighters."
"I never claimed I could defeat all three."
"Then what are you trying to prove?"
"That I can train against unfamiliar opponents without losing my judgment."
The answer frustrated him because it offered no easy target.
Derek joined them.
"What exactly would the format be?"
"Three separate rounds," Lena said. "Each fighter gets a chance to test a different range. We stop if anyone loses control."
Marcus shook his head.
"That isn't what I meant."
"Then explain what you meant."
He glanced at Derek and Julian.
He had imagined a single dramatic encounter in which the three champions overwhelmed Lena before the crowd could question their superiority. But Ward's supervision and her proposed rules would make that impossible.
If he agreed, the session would test technique rather than aggression.
If he refused, he would appear afraid.
"I agree," Marcus said at last.
Ward looked at him carefully.
"Do you understand the conditions?"
"Yes."
"Then we schedule it for Saturday morning."
Julian, who had been listening from the doorway, stepped forward.
"I have one condition of my own."
Marcus frowned.
"Here we go."
Julian ignored him.
"I want the session recorded from multiple angles. If we're going to settle questions about what happened, I want an accurate record."