Although Gideon was technically the one who had placed the wager, only followed by Ashley, Ashley was still seated on his lap, and Gideon’s hands remained casually draped around her waist and thighs in a possessive manner. Under such circumstances, it would have been inappropriate, even disrespectful, to bypass Ashley and hand the deed directly to him.

As a result, the attendant addressed Ashley first, offering the document with the utmost courtesy and respect.

Ashley accepted the title deed and, with a faint smile, lightly waved it in front of Gideon as if showing off their prize.

Gideon merely interpreted the gesture as Ashley playfully fulfilling her role as his companion for the day. The sight brought a doting smile to his face, and instead of taking the document himself, he casually signaled to his assistant.

Seated just behind him, the assistant immediately understood. He leaned forward and respectfully accepted the title deed from Ashley with both hands before carefully securing it away.

After the winnings were settled, the attendants returned to their respective stations around the arena, quietly resuming their duties while keeping a close watch on everything happening below.

Meanwhile, Drake, fresh from his victory in the second round, was escorted back to the fighters’ lounge alongside his young assistant. The moment he stepped inside, he collapsed onto a bench and let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.

A wide grin spread across his face as he stared at his trembling hands.

Unlike Roger, who had entered the tournament seeking connections, fame, and fortune, Drake’s goal had always been far simpler.

He needed money.

To most people, working construction or taking on other labor-intensive jobs would have been the safer option. But for Drake, those jobs would never earn enough in time to pay for his wife’s surgery. As dangerous as underground fighting was, it offered him the one thing he desperately needed: a chance to earn a life-changing amount of money in a short period.

That was why he had stepped into the arena despite the risks.

Contrary to what most people believed, Drake wasn’t obsessed with becoming a champion. The title was merely a means to an end. In fact, he had already planned to retire after this tournament.

If one of the powerful figures in attendance took a liking to him and offered him a position as a bodyguard, that would be ideal. If not, he could still walk away with the tournament prize money.

Ten million.

To the wealthy spectators, it might not have been much, but to Drake, it was enough to change everything. It would cover his wife’s surgery, her recovery expenses, and the medical bills that followed. More importantly, it would allow his family to live comfortably for years and give his daughter the opportunity to attend school without having to worry about money.

For the first time in a long while, the future no longer seemed completely out of reach.

Yes, the little assistant accompanying Drake was actually his daughter.

She had cried and begged relentlessly before Drake finally agreed to let her come with him. No one else was willing to stand by his side anymore.

A year ago, Drake had not been alone. His manager and assistant had once been his closest friends, men he trusted enough to entrust with his future. After years of fighting, they had planned to pool their savings together and open a gym. It was supposed to be their way out, a stable business that would allow them to leave the brutal underground fighting scene behind and earn an honest living.

Unfortunately, Drake had misjudged them.

The moment he lost the championship and his career began to decline, those so-called friends saw the writing on the wall. Rather than standing by him through his hardship, they took the investment money he had entrusted to them and disappeared without a trace.

The betrayal devastated him.

In the span of a few months, he lost everything. He lost his championship title. He lost his reputation. He lost the money he had spent years earning. And perhaps most painfully of all, he lost the people he had believed were his brothers.

The weight of those losses crushed him.

He spiraled into despair, drowning his frustrations and heartbreak in alcohol. Day after day, he sank deeper into despondency, unable to find the motivation to pick himself back up. The once-proud fighter who had stood atop the arena no longer had the heart to fight for anything. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Yet while he was at his lowest, one person never abandoned him.

His wife.

Instead of blaming him for their misfortune, she quietly carried the burden of the entire family on her shoulders. While Drake struggled to find his footing, she worked tirelessly to support both him and their daughter. She endured the hardship without complaint, offering him encouragement when he had none left for himself.

She never criticized him.

She never looked down on him.

When the world turned its back on Drake, she became the rock that held their family together and the reason he eventually found the strength to stand up once more.

However, bearing the burden of the entire family alone came at a steep cost.

While Drake was drowning in despair, his wife quietly took on every responsibility without complaint. She worked tirelessly to keep food on the table, pay the bills, and support both her husband and daughter. Day after day, she pushed herself beyond her limits.

The stress accumulated.

The exhaustion accumulated.

And eventually, her body began to break down under the strain.

Yet she hid it all from Drake.

She knew how fragile his mental state had become after losing everything, and the last thing she wanted was to add to his worries. So she endured the pain in silence, forcing smiles onto her face and pretending everything was fine whenever he was around.

It wasn’t until three months ago that the truth finally came to light.

She collapsed.

The incident rushed her to the hospital, where the doctors delivered a devastating diagnosis: breast cancer.

By then, the malignant tumor had already progressed to the point where medication alone could no longer solve the problem. Surgery was their best chance, and perhaps their only chance.

If they missed this window, the consequences would be irreversible.

Drake was desperate.

He had already tried applying for regular jobs, but the salaries offered were nowhere near enough to cover the medical expenses. Even if he worked day and night, it would take far too long to save the amount needed for the operation.

As for online charity campaigns, he barely held any hope for them. Too many scammers had abused people’s goodwill by faking illnesses and medical emergencies. Public trust had long since eroded, making it difficult for genuine cases to receive the help they deserved.

That left him with only one viable option.

The underground arena.

It was dangerous. Brutal. Potentially fatal.

But it was also the only place where he could earn enough money in a short period of time to save his wife’s life.

And if he managed to win the championship along the way, he could finally put an end to the obsession that had haunted him ever since he lost his title a year ago. It would be a chance to provide for his family and find closure at the same time.