The man casually brushed his nose and raised a sly eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "I just can't bring myself to hit you."

"Oh, so you're asking for a beating?"

Freya retorted, her frustration mounting. All she wanted was a fair bout to test his mettle.

But it seemed like this man treated boxing as casually as scratching an itch.

"As long as it brings you joy, I promise not to retaliate or even raise a word of protest," he quipped back.

Rolling her eyes at his nonchalant response, Freya couldn't help but wonder what kind of husband she had married.

Was he really asking for a smackdown?

Her frustration boiling over, she flung off her boxing gloves and declared, "I'm done. Let's just go home."

He refrained from hitting her/

And she felt guilty for landing a punch on him earlier.

If this was going to be their dynamic, it felt more like a game of cat and mouse than a genuine spar. What was the point?

Bradley pulled her into an embrace, securing his arms around her waist, and whispered softly into her ear, "Then let's continue at home, in bed."

"Bradley, you...!"

Freya stuttered, her cheeks flushing as she struggled to find her words, before throwing a punch at him in frustration. "How can you be so shameless?"

"Where's the shame in that?"

Bradley teased, his playful demeanor only causing Freya to blush even deeper. "Forget it. I don't want to deal with you right now," she huffed, turning away from him in frustration.

Take it to the bedroom for a brawl?

Making such suggestive remarks in broad daylight?

How shameless could he be?

Freya stormed off the boxing ring.

Bradley trailed closely behind, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

Meanwhile, Shadow One watched from a distance as the two engaged in their banter, until Bradley finally swept Freya into his arms and led her away.

Shadow One's eyes burned with jealousy.

She threw her boxing gloves on the ground and kicked the wall in frustration.

The last time she failed, next time she'd make sure to kill her!

As long as Freya remained alive, Bradley would never notice her, relegating her to nothing more than a background figure for the rest of her days.

…

On her way home, Freya's phone buzzed with a message from Ella.

"Mission accomplished. Waiting for the big reveal!"

She swiftly replied, "What about Lily's family? Have they been located?"

"Rest assured, they're taken care of."

Those words ignited a glint of mischief in Freya's eyes.

Up next would be the White Fox's performance, the moment Selena would be publicly shamed.

She anticipated Selena's tears of despair.

Determined to strip her of any chance at claiming the international title.

Meanwhile, Bradley, observing his wife engrossed in her phone, felt a pang of neglect.

Leaning closer, he propped himself on the seat, his gaze fixed on her. "Who are you texting?"

Startled by his sudden proximity, Freya jumped.

"You scared me!"

She tapped her chest, then sent the edited message before speaking up, "Who else but Ella? Why are you suddenly so suspicious?"

"You've been acting sneaky lately. What are you up to?"

Bradley pinched her chin, his eyes carrying a scrutinizing gaze.

The woman before him was no longer the naive girl of yesteryears.

She was not just the esteemed doctor Lexi, but also the hacker Poppy and the renowned international assassin Mystica.

She was a formidable figure, and he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

"Nothing, really," Freya said, her gaze dropping slightly, a hint of guilt in her tone.

"As long as that's the case," he replied.

"I'll be tied up for a few days and may not return. Stay put and behave yourself."

"Got it."

Freya nodded obediently.

It was perfect. With him away, she could focus entirely on preparing for the competition.

After sharing a tender moment at home, Bradley departed again as soon as Freya drifted off to sleep.

Three days later, trouble erupted at the Julia's Boutique.

Early in the morning, Freya received a call from Ella, confirming the success of their plan.

The White Fox and her cohorts had descended upon the store, demanding Julia's presence to answer for their grievances.

Customers who had purchased clothing from the store found themselves plagued with itching and skin irritations, followed by festering wounds that spread across large swaths of their skin.

The storefront was a chaotic scene, with Ava and a team of employees attempting to maintain order amidst the turmoil.

Pointing to her own red and blistered arm, the White Fox demanded, "Bring out your manager!"

"I'm the store manager. What can I help you with?"

Ava stepped forward, her voice firm. "Regarding the complaints about the clothing quality, Julia's store denies any wrongdoing. All our garments undergo rigorous quality checks, using only the safest, most skin-friendly materials. We do not engage in any fraudulent activities that could harm our customers."

"This must be a setup to frame us. Think carefully about whether you've come into contact with anything suspicious!"

"Hmph!" White Fox sneered coldly, pointing accusingly at Ava. "I was perfectly fine yesterday until I put on this garment. Ask all the victims here if they've experienced the same."

"Yes, it was wearing Julia's Boutique clothing that caused my incessant itching."

"Me too."

"And me."

Everyone lifted their clothes to reveal large red marks, some with scratches and oozing wounds.

Ava had never encountered such a situation before and was momentarily at a loss.

She quickly gestured to the others and hurried into the store.

"Ella, we have a problem."

Ava rushed to open the door of Ella's office, her movements betraying her urgency.

Ella's keen gaze swept over Ava, detecting the unease in her demeanor. "What's the matter? Why are you so agitated?"

"There's a commotion outside. Some customers are alleging that our clothing has caused skin allergies. They're demanding restitution. I've inspected their conditions, and it appears the damage to their skin is more severe than anticipated," Ava explained, her voice tinged with concern.

"Ella, could it be that there's an issue with the quality of our clothing?"

Upon hearing this, a glacial chill flashed in Ella's eyes as she turned her gaze towards the window. "The Julia brand exclusively employs breathable, non-toxic, skin-friendly fabrics. There's absolutely no room for quality issues."

"But the fact remains, customers suffered an allergic reaction after wearing our clothes. This..."

"It's clearly someone attempting to undermine us!"

With those words, Ella rose from her seat, declaring, "Let's go outside and assess the situation ourselves."

As she stepped through the doorway, she was met with a throng of people.

Among them was White Fox and a cohort of extras, causing quite a stir.

Ella couldn't help but curl her lip slightly, suppressing a derisive snort.

She hadn't anticipated White Fox's acting prowess to be so convincing, the special effects makeup rendering the deception even more believable.

Upon spotting Ella's emergence, White Fox cheered even more vigorously, "Julia's deceives customers with subpar fabrics. Sisters, let's unite and take Julia's to court. Let justice be served!"

"Boycott the Julia brand, and let it be banished from Solterra!"

"Banish it from Solterra!"

Arching an eyebrow, Ella strode forward with purpose, her voice cutting through the commotion like ice. "We will conduct a thorough investigation into this matter. If there's any fault on our part, rest assured, we will rectify it and deliver justice to all."