Chapter 52: The Calm Before the Storm

Marcus "Bear" Lawson stood with his arms folded, watching Zara disappear through the main entrance of Maplewood Apartments.

The heavy security door swung shut behind her.

A second later, the lock clicked.

Marcus stared at the door for several moments before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"What a waste," he muttered. "We had her right there."

The men around him had been practically vibrating with excitement only moments earlier. Their eyes had followed Zara like hungry animals watching something they desperately wanted.

Now that the opportunity was gone, their excitement had evaporated.

Several of them slumped against the walls, while others kicked at loose gravel on the pavement.

Marcus’s expression darkened.

"Enough."

Everyone looked at him.

"We’re here for Jason. That’s the priority."

He glanced toward the apartment entrance.

"When that kid comes back, we break his legs, force him to open the door, and then we deal with whoever is inside."

One of the younger men frowned.

"But what if he doesn’t come back tonight?"

Another immediately nodded.

"Yeah. What if he stays somewhere else?"

"Are we seriously going to stand here all night?"

Marcus narrowed his eyes.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then one of the men suddenly grinned.

"If Jason doesn’t come back, we’ll just wait until tomorrow."

He rubbed his hands together.

"That woman has to leave eventually. And if there’s another girl around the apartment, we’ll grab them too."

The others immediately became interested.

Marcus gave them a cold look.

"Don’t get ahead of yourselves."

But the men were already whispering among themselves, their excitement returning.

They had no idea that their entire plan depended on Jason returning home.

And right now, Jason had absolutely no intention of going home anytime soon.

---

Lekke Sports

Jason walked down the street with his hands in his pockets, humming quietly to himself.

He had no idea that a group of men was waiting for him.

As far as he was concerned, he had a perfectly normal afternoon ahead of him.

His destination was Lekke Sports.

The moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by bright lights, energetic music, and the steady sounds of weights hitting racks.

The gym wasn’t particularly busy yet.

It was still early enough that most people hadn’t finished work.

Only a few members were scattered around the floor, each focused on their own workout.

Jason looked around.

Then he spotted her.

Sabrina Cole had just finished a set.

She wore a fitted white workout top and gray leggings, both damp from her training session. Sweat glistened along her skin as she caught her breath, while a few loose strands of brown hair clung to her forehead.

Her athletic figure was immediately noticeable, but what stood out even more was the confidence in the way she carried herself.

She grabbed a towel and wiped her face.

Then she noticed Jason.

Her eyes brightened.

A playful smile appeared on her lips.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up."

She walked over, her expression teasing.

"Jason, you’re here early. Come on. I’ll personally train you today."

Her voice carried a warm, playful edge.

Jason couldn’t help smiling.

Sabrina had been divorced for several years and had spent most of that time raising her daughter. She wasn’t particularly interested in dating, and most of her clients at the gym were women.

But when she’d first met Jason that morning, his clean-cut appearance had caught her attention.

He looked younger than his age, almost like an innocent college student who had wandered into a gym full of experienced adults.

Naturally, she’d wanted to tease him a little.

Then the incident with Bella had happened.

Two other women had crossed the line, insulting Bella and making cruel remarks about her.

Jason could have ignored it.

Instead, he’d stepped forward.

He hadn’t acted recklessly or tried to show off.

He’d handled the situation calmly, forced the manager to intervene, and made sure Bella received compensation.

That had surprised Sabrina.

More than she wanted to admit.

She’d initially thought Jason was just a handsome young man.

But there was something else beneath that clean-cut appearance.

Confidence.

Judgment.

And a willingness to stand up for someone when it mattered.

Those qualities had left a small impression on her.

Jason looked at the beautiful coach standing in front of him and deliberately kept his expression innocent.

"Sounds good. I like working out with pretty coaches."

Sabrina blinked.

Then her cheeks immediately took on a faint blush.

"You’re pretty smooth for someone who just walked through the door."

Jason spread his hands innocently.

"What? I’m just telling the truth."

Sabrina rolled her eyes.

"Sure you are."

She gave him a playful look.

"Fine. I’ll train you personally. Other clients don’t get this kind of treatment."

Jason smiled.

"I’m honored."

"So, what are we training today?"

"Legs."

Jason looked around.

Then he frowned slightly.

"Where’s Bella?"

Sabrina immediately caught the implication in his expression.

She laughed.

"Seriously? You want both of us training you?"

Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"You’re getting greedy."

She shook her head with an amused smile.

"You’ll have to survive my workout first. If your legs are shaking so badly afterward that you can’t walk, don’t come crying to me."

Jason smiled confidently.

"I’m not worried."

"Oh?"

"I’m pretty sure you’ll be the one complaining about sore legs afterward."

Sabrina stared at him for a second.

Then she burst out laughing.

"You really don’t know when to stop, do you?"

She shook her head and turned toward the training area.

"Come on, kid. Let’s see how tough you really are."

Jason followed.

But before they started, Sabrina’s expression became more serious.

"Bella isn’t here today because her husband was injured. She took the day off to stay with him at the hospital."

Jason’s smile faded slightly.

"Her husband?"

Sabrina nodded.

"Yeah."

She sighed.

"Honestly, I don’t understand why she stays with him."

There was genuine concern in her voice now.

"He doesn’t have a steady job, spends most of his time hanging around with the wrong people, and from what Bella has told me, he’s treated her terribly."

Jason’s eyes narrowed.

Sabrina continued quietly.

"I’ve told her more than once that she should leave him."

She paused.

"But she always finds some excuse."

Jason already knew why.

He remembered Bella’s situation from his previous life.

Derek had controlled her through fear.

Whenever Bella talked about divorce, he threatened to hurt her family.

That was why she had remained trapped in the marriage for so long.

Jason’s expression grew cold.

He’d already decided that Derek’s problem with him was going to end soon.

But now he had another reason to settle the matter.

He wasn’t going to sit back and watch Bella suffer.

"Okay," Jason said quietly.

Then he looked at Sabrina.

"Let’s start."

Sabrina nodded.

"That’s more like it."

Jason stepped toward the training equipment.

The moment he prepared to begin, a familiar electronic voice suddenly sounded inside his mind.

[Ding!]

Jason froze.

[Mission Complete!]

[Mission: Everything is difficult at the beginning. Complete your first fitness training session.]

[Reward: Female Information Panel unlocked.]

Jason blinked.

Already?

He’d assumed the system wouldn’t count the mission until he actually completed a series of exercises.

Apparently, simply beginning the training was enough.

Before he could examine the new ability, another notification appeared.

[Ding!]

[Building a strong relationship with your fitness coach is important. A good student-teacher relationship allows the student to learn far more from the teacher.]

[New Mission: Build a strong relationship with your personal trainer, Sabrina Cole.]

[Requirement: Reach Favorability 70.]

[Reward: Perfect-Level Muay Thai Skill +5 Physique.]

Jason’s eyebrows rose.

Perfect-level Muay Thai?

That was a serious reward.

He imagined what perfect mastery of a combat system would mean.

Even if it wasn’t enough to challenge a world-class heavyweight champion, dealing with Derek’s thugs would certainly become much easier.

A group of ordinary street fighters wouldn’t stand much of a chance against him.

Jason’s attention shifted to the second part of the mission.

Favorability: 70.

That was the interesting part.

He had finally unlocked the ability to see how women actually viewed him.

Jason glanced at Sabrina.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Let’s see.

He silently addressed the system.

System, display Sabrina Cole’s information panel.