Deep Love On the Way

Chapter 9 I really want to see him one last time.

　　"I won't let you go on that stage!"

　　Neil rushed over, panting hard as he stopped in front of her, his face burning with frustration as he stared at Lucy.

　　But she didn't even flinch, eyes steady as she wrapped the boxing tape around her hands with practiced ease.

　　"Are you out of your mind? You haven't even recovered from your last fight! Do you even know how dangerous Black Card is?"

　　Neil was so anxious he wanted to knock her out cold to stop her—was she seriously ready to throw her life away?

　　Lucy gave a small smirk, her tone oddly casual. "Yeah, I know. He's won 132 matches, lost none. Ninety-four of them were KOs. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll probably die today since I'm already injured."

　　Neil's face turned red from both panic and anger. "And you still want to fight?!"

　　How could she be so calm? This wasn't just some match—it was life or death.

　　Lucy turned slightly, her voice soft with a hint of sorrow. "Even if it kills me, I have to go. I'll get a million if I lose. I've already taken the money."

　　"What?" Neil froze, then realization hit. "Your dad's in trouble again, isn't he?"

　　"No. They slapped another million in interest on top of what he already owed," Lucy said with a dry, bitter smile. She licked her chapped lips.

　　"Once I pay that off, plus the 500k I owe Olivia... it lines up just right."

　　In that moment, Neil felt a wave of helplessness crash over him.

　　And if he felt this bad, how must Lucy feel? She'd gone through hell these past five years—not just physically. Her heart must've been ripped apart a thousand times over.

　　He knew she wasn't the kind to give up easily, but just watching her walk straight into death like this—he couldn't do it.

　　"Please, Lucy… don't do this. There's gotta be another way," he begged, looking straight into her eyes.

　　"Neil, the contract I signed with that underground ring is almost up. Once I finish this fight, I'm finally free."

　　Neil's eyes reddened. "So you're asking me to sit back and watch you die?"

　　The bosses at these fight clubs always scheduled one final death match to squeeze every last drop of value out of their fighters before the contract ended...

　　The prize money might be tempting, but it also carried the biggest risk.

　　Lucy knew this day would come the second she signed that death contract five years ago.

　　That's why, no matter how much Alexander misunderstood her, she never tried to explain.

　　She honestly had no idea if she'd even live to see another day.

　　Joining this brutal game had been a disaster from the start.

　　But back then, she'd had no other option. All she had was her fists—and illegal underground fights paid way better than anything aboveboard.

　　Fully wrapped and ready, Lucy looked at Neil seriously.

　　"Neil, you've stuck by me all these years. Thank you."

　　"Don't say it like that. I never took a punch for you. Besides, aren't we friends?"

　　But as he said "friends," something dimmed in his eyes—a feeling close to defeat.

　　"Before you get in the ring... is there someone you want to see?"

　　Lucy's eyes glazed over for a second.

　　Neil caught the change and couldn't help the bitter sting in his heart. So, she still hadn't moved on from that guy.

　　"I…" Lucy hesitated.

　　Of course there was someone. But she wasn't sure if he even wanted to see her anymore.

　　For the past five years, anytime she was in a fight that could've ended her, she'd whispered his name like a last prayer.

　　Alexander.

　　The one person she'd loved since eighteen.

　　Back then, she really thought they'd grow old together, that they'd stick through everything.

　　But then her dad told her he'd racked up a million-dollar gambling debt, and just like that, the dream shattered.

　　If Alexander had found out, he definitely would've helped her.

　　But he came from a modest family, had great grades, and a future that actually meant something.

　　The last thing she wanted was to drag him down into her mess.

　　So when they broke up, she put on the coldest act she could muster, copying Irene's gold-digger attitude to perfection—cutting him deep on purpose.

　　She could still see him, leaning there at the school gates, looking totally crushed.

　　He'd said, "Lucy, I hate you."