Chapter 1

The ten-second countdown ended, and Elena only collapsed onto the ring floor after her opponent failed to get up.

"Congratulations to 'Elena' for winning her 999th life-or-death match, becoming the new Boxing King after 'Black Hawk'!"

Elena was covered in wounds and bruises, her fractured left leg throbbing with pain so intense it made her vision blur.

Yet, a faint smile spread beneath her mask. Her hand, split at the webbing, gripped the maple leaf pendant at her chest tightly, and she lowered her head to kiss it.

"Julian, I did it."

Julian had promised Elena that once she claimed the title of Boxing King, he would grant her one wish.

She wanted to be with him.

"Elena! Elena!"

The cheers roared like a tidal wave. Before Elena’s smile could fully bloom, bullet-screen comments appeared in the air:

【The second male lead has gone to crash the wedding! So exciting! Two men fighting for one woman!】

【What’s so exciting about that? The heroine and the male lead are deeply in love; if not for Julian, would they have needed to postpone the wedding by seven days?】

The upward curve of Elena’s lips froze.

Julian had gone to crash Summer’s wedding!

Two years ago, Julian, who had reigned as Boxing King for three consecutive years, retired from the ring. His alias, "Black Hawk," vanished from the scene forever.

Soon after, Elena, fighting under the alias "Elena," burst onto the scene—rising from someone no one expected to succeed to someone no one dared to bet against.

Her post-victory ritual of kissing her pendant became her trademark.

Few knew she was Julian’s apprentice, the woman who had stood by his side through five years of storms.

But Elena never forgot the moment Julian kicked away the men who were beating her until she was battered and bruised.

He had brushed a maple leaf from his shoulder, smiling with sharp, unabashed brilliance:

"Do you want to come with me?"

From that day on, she became the sharpest blade at Julian’s side.

Previously, Elena had always believed she would only ever be Julian’s obedient apprentice.

It wasn't until the bullet-screen comments appeared two months ago that Elena learned Summer was the heroine, and Julian was the second male lead, infatuated with Summer.

Summer had accidentally saved an injured Julian two years ago; ever since then, Julian had pursued her with madness.

When Summer had menstrual cramps, he would personally make ginger tea and deliver it in a cup printed with a cute kitten.

When Summer feared violence, he announced his retirement from the ring on the spot, throwing away the status and power he had fought for with blood and tears.

When Summer and the male lead, Cole, finally got together after various misunderstandings, he drank himself into a stupor for three days, grabbing Elena’s hand and calling out Summer’s name…

Elena felt nearly desperate, but the comments kept saying:

【Does no one pity our second female lead? The second male lead has always loved without knowing it.】

【It’s actually understandable. Julian has never been loved before; meeting a 'little sun' like Summer, he naturally wanted to draw near, mistaking gratitude for love.】

Elena’s heartbeat stalled.

After observing, she became convinced that the occasional bullet-screen comments were true.

Julian had always loved her in his heart!

Elena clung to this like a drowning person grabbing at a straw. Even seeing Julian treat Summer with such madness, she urged herself to hold on.

As long as she could weather this period, she would see her long-held wish come true.

But Elena hadn't expected it to be so unbearable.

She endured Julian forgetting her birthday to bring flowers to Summer; she endured him murmuring Summer’s name every night; she endured the two life-or-death matches a day…

Yet what she waited for wasn't Julian’s change of heart, but the news that he had crashed the wedding.

Elena’s heart twisted in agony until, finally unable to hold on, she fainted.

When she opened her eyes again, she was back in Julian’s villa, hooked up to an IV drip.

Julian was carefully bandaging her wounds, his sharp features appearing somewhat gentle in the warm light.

"I told you not to push yourself so hard. You, you never listen."

Elena stared at him, dazed.

This was the Julian she loved: even when he was decisive and ruthless in the ring or cold-blooded at business dinners, he was always meticulous and gentle toward her.

Just as Elena was drifting in a trance, a loud crash of something heavy falling sounded from the next room.

Julian stood up abruptly, his expression tense, and walked out quickly.

Summer’s sobbing, broken voice drifted in:

"Why on earth would you do this?"

Julian’s voice was filled with pain:

"Summer, have you forgotten how he hurt you before? I only…"

Slap—

A crisp sound echoed, followed by Summer’s weeping:

"Julian, you’ve locked me here. Cole will be worried about me… Think about it, if Elena were the one being imprisoned, wouldn't you be anxious too?"

Julian remained silent for a moment before leading a stumbling Summer back into the room.

Elena saw the slap mark on Julian’s face—a man who was untouchable in the boxing ring.

With one hand, he restrained Summer, and with the other, he opened his phone:

"Summer, I’ll hand Elena over to Cole right now. You can see for yourself if I’m worried or not."

Elena’s eyes widened in shock.

Cole and Julian had long been bitter rivals, and Cole knew exactly what her relationship with Julian was. The consequences of her falling into Cole’s hands were obvious.

Julian was actually going to use her as a hostage just to keep Summer!

Elena gripped the sheets, wanting to argue, but she froze when Julian’s gaze turned toward her.

Before Julian, she had never had room to resist.

After a long silence, amid Summer’s terrified protests, Elena said hoarsely:

"Fine. But before that, I need to go out for a while."

Knowing she never broke a promise, Julian readily agreed.

Elena went to find the owner of the underground ring:

"I want the 'fake-death' drug. Name your price."

The owner raised an eyebrow:

"I didn't expect the famous 'Elena' to be so afraid of death. Here’s the deal: I won’t charge you, provided you do one thing."

"Protect 'Black Hawk.' In seven days, I’ll give you what you want."

When Julian was around, he didn't care about the owner’s schemes or profits; the ring made a fortune.

But Elena only followed Julian’s orders and would even openly defy the owner.

Naturally, the owner couldn't wait for her to leave and was trying everything to get Julian back.

Elena said:

"Deal."

In seven days, she would leave Julian forever.

Chapter 2

When Elena returned to the villa, Julian had been waiting for a long time.

His gaze fell on her noticeably limping leg, and he paused.

But his phone kept vibrating frantically with one threatening message after another from Cole.

Julian sneered coldly, then turned a gentle expression toward Elena:

"Elena, this is part of your training. Let me see the results of your practice."

This was a phrase Elena heard often.

Every time, she would do her best to complete the mission Julian assigned her. Even covered in wounds, as long as she heard his "Well done," she would be satisfied.

But this time, Elena felt only deep exhaustion.

Julian put a mask on her and secretly sent her to Cole’s residence.

The mask contained a sedative, and as Elena drifted off into a daze, she dreamed of Julian once again, just as she had for a thousand nights before.

But this time, Julian didn't stroke her hair with a doting smile; instead, he held Summer’s hand and passed by her coldly.

A sharp pain suddenly pierced her left leg, and Elena woke with a jolt, gasping in pain.

Before her was Cole’s snarling face, and his subordinate was holding a blade, stabbing it ruthlessly into her left leg!

It was a wound upon a wound, and dark red blood trickled down. Elena bit her lip until it bled, sweat beading on her forehead.

Cole grabbed her by the throat, his eyes bloodshot:

"Tell me, where is Summer?!"

【The male lead is also a madman. The second female lead is in for it now.】

【It’s a good thing he doesn't know Julian is currently proposing to the heroine at the villa, or he’d commit murder…】

Elena’s heart felt as if it had been pierced by iron nails, and she ignored the physical pain.

Her whole body trembled, and as the air was stolen from her lungs, a painful, wheezing sound escaped her throat.

Just as she thought she was about to suffocate, Cole let go.

Elena coughed violently, struggling to breathe.

Cole’s eyes were filled with chilling coldness. He took the knife from his subordinate, plunged it into her shoulder, and used his other hand to start a video call with Julian.