Sebastian stepped closer.
"You used to fight?"
The question came unexpectedly.
Gabriel's expression changed by almost nothing.
But Mateo saw it.
"No."
Sebastian looked at his hands.
There were old marks across the knuckles.
"Those aren't janitor hands."
Gabriel looked down.
"All hands become janitor hands if you clean enough toilets."
Several people laughed again.
Sebastian hated him now.
Not because Gabriel had insulted him.
Because Gabriel refused to be impressed.
"Come spar."
Marcus, halfway to the office, stopped.
Conrad looked over.
Gabriel said, "No."
Sebastian smiled.
"Scared?"
"No."
"Then come on."
"No."
"I'll go easy."
Gabriel picked up the mop bucket.
"I have work."
Sebastian grabbed the mop handle.
The entire room seemed to inhale.
Gabriel looked at his hand.
Then at Sebastian.
"Let go."
For the first time, the quiet maintenance worker's voice sounded different.
Not louder.
Heavier.
Sebastian sensed it.
Unfortunately, he mistook warning for weakness.
"One round."
"No."
"Three minutes."
"No."
Sebastian laughed.
"Come on, old man. I'll even let you start in a good position."
Mateo stepped forward.
"Sebastian, just leave him—"
"Stay out of it."
Mateo froze.
Gabriel looked at him.
"Go finish your bag work."
Mateo hesitated.
Then obeyed.
Gabriel returned his gaze to Sebastian.
"Let go of the mop."
Sebastian leaned closer.
"Make me."
And from the office doorway, Conrad Vale smiled.
Because to him this was entertainment.
To Marcus Bell, it was a problem.
To the students, it was drama.
But to Gabriel Stone, it was something else entirely.
It was a door.
One he had spent fourteen years refusing to open.
And Sebastian Vale had just placed his hand on the handle.
Marcus crossed the gym quickly.
"Sebastian."
Sebastian still held the mop.
"What?"
"Let it go."
"We're joking."
Gabriel said nothing.
Marcus looked at him.
"I'm sorry."
Sebastian laughed.
"For what?"
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Enough."
Conrad approached.
His presence changed everyone's posture.
"What's happening?"
Sebastian smiled.
"Nothing. Gabe and I are going to move around."
"No, you're not," Marcus said.
Conrad looked amused.
"Why?"
"Because he's staff."
"So?"
"So he isn't a sparring partner."
Sebastian finally released the mop.
Gabriel took it back.
"Thank you."
He turned away.
Conrad watched him.
"Wait."
Gabriel stopped.
The billionaire looked him up and down.
"You train?"
"No, sir."
Sebastian laughed.
"See?"
Conrad smiled.
"Then this is ridiculous."
Gabriel nodded.
"Agreed."
He began moving away.
Conrad's smile faded slightly.
He did not enjoy conversations that ended without his permission.
"You work for Marcus?"
Gabriel turned.
"For the facility."
"Which my company partially funds."
Marcus closed his eyes.
Gabriel looked toward him.
Marcus looked ashamed.
That told Gabriel enough.
Conrad continued.
"If Sebastian wants a harmless exhibition round, perhaps everyone should stop behaving like this is a federal case."
Ben, still holding ice to his face, stared at the floor.
Mateo whispered something under his breath.
Gabriel heard him.
"Don't."
Mateo went quiet.
Sebastian opened the cage.
"Come on, Gabe."
"No."
Conrad chuckled.
"Surely you're not afraid of a boy half your age."
Gabriel's eyes moved toward him.
"Fear is useful."
Conrad raised an eyebrow.
"That's an interesting answer."
"It's usually trying to tell you something."
Sebastian bounced lightly.
"What's yours telling you?"
"To finish cleaning and go home."
Someone snorted.
Sebastian slammed the cage door.
"You know what? I'm tired of this humble-old-man act."
Gabriel looked at him.
"Act?"
"You walk around staring at everyone."
"I clean here."
"You think you're better than us."
"No."
"You think because you're quiet, that makes you wise."
"No."
"Then prove you're not just scared."
Marcus stepped between them.
"He doesn't have to prove anything."
Sebastian looked at Marcus.
"Why are you defending him?"
"Because this is stupid."
"Then let him say it."
Gabriel did.
"This is stupid."
The room laughed.
Sebastian's face darkened.
Conrad leaned against the cage.
"Perhaps one controlled round would settle things."
Marcus stared at him.
"Conrad."
"What?"
"He's an employee."
"And if he agrees?"
Gabriel saw it then.
The real problem.
This wasn't about Sebastian anymore.
Not entirely.
Crown Combat had spent three years teaching him that the world would rearrange itself around his wants.
Coaches stopped rounds late.
Training partners tolerated too much.
Employees smiled when he insulted them.
His father treated boundaries like negotiation.
Money did not simply buy equipment.
It bought silence.
Gabriel looked at Ben.
Then Mateo.
Then Marcus.
He remembered another gym.
Another room.
Another young man surrounded by people too afraid to say no.
His stomach tightened.
Fourteen years.
Still clear.
Still waiting.
Sebastian opened his arms.
"Well?"
Gabriel placed the mop against the wall.
Marcus immediately said, "Gabe, no."
Gabriel removed his work gloves.
Sebastian grinned.
The gym came alive with whispers.
Conrad smiled.
Mateo looked alarmed.
Gabriel unbuttoned the top of his gray maintenance shirt.
Then stopped.
He looked at Sebastian.
"Rules."
Sebastian laughed.
"You serious?"
"If we do this, rules."
"Fine."
"Technical spar."
"Sure."
"No elbows."
"Fine."
"No knees to the head."
"Whatever."
"If either man says stop, it stops."
Sebastian rolled his eyes.
"Obviously."
Gabriel stared.
"Say it."
Something in his expression made Sebastian's grin weaken.
"If either man says stop, it stops."
Gabriel nodded.
"Three minutes."
Sebastian held up five fingers.
"Five."
"Three."
"Afraid?"
Gabriel began buttoning his shirt again.
Sebastian cursed.
"Fine. Three."
Marcus moved closer.
"This is a bad idea."
Gabriel whispered, "I know."
"Then why?"
Gabriel looked toward Ben.
Marcus followed his gaze.
Understanding slowly appeared.
"No."
Gabriel nodded.
"Somebody should have stopped this months ago."
"That isn't your job."
"It used to be."
Marcus frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Gabriel removed the shirt completely.
The room went silent.
Not because he was huge.
He wasn't.
At fifty-three, Gabriel's body showed age.
A little softness at the waist.
Gray hair across his chest.
But underneath it remained the structure of someone who had spent decades training.
Dense shoulders.
Strong back.
Old scar beneath the left ribs.
Another along the right shoulder.
His posture changed once the loose maintenance shirt was gone.
Not dramatically.
He simply stood straighter.
Mateo whispered, "I knew it."
Ben lowered the ice pack.
Sebastian looked less impressed than confused.
"Okay."
He laughed.
"So you've been to a gym."
Gabriel removed his work shoes.
Then his socks.
He stepped onto the mat barefoot.
Marcus stared at his feet.
The movement.
The balance.
Something about it awakened an old memory.
He had seen that stance before.
Years ago.
On a recording.
He couldn't place it.
Gabriel rolled his neck once.
Sebastian climbed into the cage.
"Gloves."
Gabriel shook his head.
"You wear yours."
"What about you?"
"Open hands."
"That's stupid."
"Then don't hit hard."
Sebastian laughed.
"Your funeral."
Gabriel looked at Marcus.
"You referee."
Marcus stared at him.
"Gabe."
"Please."
Marcus entered the cage.
Conrad moved to the front.
Phones came out.
Gabriel noticed.
"Nobody records."
Sebastian laughed.
"You don't make that rule."
Gabriel looked at Marcus.
Marcus pointed toward everyone.
"Phones down."
Groans.
Conrad said, "Let them record."
Marcus finally snapped.
"No."
The billionaire looked surprised.
Marcus repeated.
"No recording."
One by one, phones lowered.
Not all.
Gabriel knew that.
There was always one.
He stepped into the cage.
The door closed.
Sebastian bounced on his toes.
Custom shorts.
Mouthpiece.
Professional gloves.
Perfect haircut.
Perfect body.
Perfect confidence.
Gabriel stood opposite him wearing black maintenance pants rolled above the ankles.
No mouthpiece.
No gloves.
No expression.
Sebastian smirked.
"You want headgear?"
"No."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"I'm not paying your dental bill."
Gabriel looked at Marcus.
"Start."
The timer beeped.
Sebastian lifted his hands.
Gabriel did not.
And after only three seconds, Sebastian stopped smiling.
Because the janitor was not looking at his hands.
He was looking at his chest.
His hips.
His feet.
Reading the whole body.
The way only experienced fighters did.
Sebastian took one step forward.
Gabriel took half a step back.
Sebastian feinted.
No reaction.
Another feint.
Nothing.
He jabbed.
Gabriel's head moved barely two inches.
The punch missed.
Sebastian jabbed again.
Missed.
A right hand followed.
Gabriel shifted.
Air.
The gym became silent.
Sebastian reset.
"Okay."
Gabriel said nothing.
Sebastian attacked again.
Jab.
Cross.
Low kick.
This time Gabriel blocked the kick.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Sebastian's brow tightened.
He threw another combination.
Gabriel moved away.
No counter.
No aggression.
The first thirty seconds ended without Gabriel throwing anything.
Sebastian laughed.
"You're just running."
Gabriel replied, "You're just missing."
Someone outside the cage made a sound that might have been a cough.
Sebastian rushed.
Gabriel sidestepped.
Sebastian's shoulder brushed past him.
The younger man turned quickly.
His face had changed.
Marcus noticed first.
He was no longer sparring.