Luciano
The moment I stepped into the ring, I felt it.
The heat and the weight of eyes.
The muscular man turned fully toward me, his lips curling into a slow sneer. He looked me up and down like I was nothing.
Like I didn’t belong there. Like I was already dead.
Behind me, I could feel Elena’s gaze.
She gave me a sharp stare that interpreted something.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked, her voice lowered now, serious.
Her eyes dropped briefly to my chest.
Like she was reading something there.
Like she could see the rust.
“I’ll be fine,” I said, pulling off my sweatshirt. “Trust me.”
I tossed it toward her.
She caught it easily.
Her fingers brushed over the fabric, slowly and carelessly.
Then I turned away and walked straight into the center of the pit.
Without h
