"Mmmm, why is he acting like it hurts?" someone muttered, the disbelief clear in their tone.
"He's probably pretending so she'll feel good about herself," another voice snickered from the back.
A third chimed in, "He does look in pain though... but c'mon, her fist's that small. I gotta give it to him — man can act."
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Ashton's face twisted, a mix of disbelief, embarrassment, and fury clawing across his expression. The vein in his neck popped, his jaw ticking. Every word from the audience made the pain worse than it was, and breathing became difficult for him again.
But Louisa wouldn't wait for him to recover. She dashed forward again. Her small stature made her lighter than ever, and the second Ashton lifted his guard, she swept low, aiming for his leg.
He managed to dodge. Yet her next strike already came down—an elbow to his side, followed by a feint that made him flinch instinctively.
"Damn, she's fast!"
"She is so good!"
