"Now I want to see how far I can go."
She nodded.
Then she asked, "What's the real reason?"
Noah looked at her.
"My father."
Maya waited.
"He was a boxer. Good one. Never made it out of the amateur circuit. He worked construction most of his life."
"What happened?"
"He died two years ago."
"I'm sorry."
"He always told me that talent isn't enough. You need someone willing to open the door."
Maya looked toward Derek's office.
"Maybe that's what you're looking for."
Noah followed her gaze.
"Maybe."
Neither noticed Derek standing in the hallway.
He had heard everything.
And he had made a decision.
Noah Bennett would not be allowed to become the face of Apex.
The Challenge
Apex hosted its annual showcase six weeks later.
It was not officially a competition.
It was an exhibition.
But everyone understood what it meant.
Investors attended.
Sponsors attended.
Influencers attended.
Members of the media attended.
The best fighters were expected to perform.
Derek had carefully selected the evening's main event: Tyler Grant, now fully recovered, against a visiting fighter from a prestigious academy.
Noah was scheduled for an earlier exhibition.
He didn't complain.
On the night of the event, the gym transformed.
Black curtains covered the walls.
Spotlights illuminated the cage.
A DJ played music near the café.
Waiters carried trays of expensive drinks.
The wealthy members arrived dressed as though attending a nightclub.
Derek wore a tailored black suit.
He looked around proudly.
This was his world.
Maya worked behind the scenes.
She carried towels.
Checked equipment.
Helped athletes.
At nine o'clock, Noah entered the cage.
His opponent was a larger fighter with a reputation for aggression.
The bell rang.
The man attacked immediately.
Noah moved.
He didn't panic.
He let the opponent exhaust himself.
The crowd became quieter.
Then Noah countered.
One strike.
Two.
A takedown.
The fight ended in less than three minutes.
The room exploded.
People stood.
Noah looked confused by the reaction.
Derek stepped into the cage.
"Good performance."
Noah nodded.
Derek raised his arm.
The crowd cheered again.
For one moment, the cameras focused on them.
Then someone shouted from the audience.
"Give him the contract!"
Laughter.
Then another voice.
"Professional fight!"
The chant spread.
"PRO! PRO! PRO!"
Derek's smile remained fixed.
But inside, something burned.
Later that evening, an investor named Richard Cole approached him.
"Who's the kid?"
"Noah."
"He's impressive."
"Promising."
Richard raised an eyebrow.
"You don't sound impressed."
Derek looked toward Noah, who was talking with Maya near the lockers.
"He needs discipline."
Richard smiled.
"That's what coaches are for."
Derek said nothing.
Richard leaned closer.
"Put him on the professional team."
"I'll consider it."
"You should."
After Richard walked away, Derek turned toward Noah.
"Office."
Noah followed.
Derek closed the door.
"You did well tonight."
"Thanks."
"You want a professional contract?"
Noah stared at him.
"Yes."
"I can make that happen."
Noah smiled.
"Really?"
"There's one condition."
"What?"
"You become exclusively Apex."
Noah hesitated.
"I already train here."
"I mean sponsorship, media, appearances. Everything."
"Okay."
"And you stop listening to people who don't understand the business."
Noah frowned.
"Who?"
Derek looked toward the training floor.
"Maya."
Noah's expression changed.
"What does she have to do with it?"
"Nothing."
"Then why mention her?"
Derek smiled.
"Because I'm telling you now."
Noah stared at him.
Then he said quietly:
"I'll think about it."
Derek's eyes hardened.
"Think quickly."
The Missing Money
Maya had never considered herself brave.
She was practical.
That was different.
Brave people ran toward danger.
Practical people noticed danger early and tried not to be standing there when it arrived.
But the more she looked into Apex's scholarship program, the less she liked what she found.
There were supposed to be twelve scholarship athletes.
She could find records for only five.
The others appeared in marketing materials but not in the training schedule.
One name kept appearing in old documents.
Lucas Reed.
Maya searched the internet.
Lucas had been a promising amateur fighter.
Three years earlier, he had won a regional championship.
Then he disappeared from competition.
She found an old interview.
In it, Lucas said:
"Apex gave me an opportunity when nobody else would."
Maya searched further.
She discovered that Lucas had left Apex six months later.
His social media account contained one final post.
Some doors are only open until you ask what's behind them.
Then nothing.
Maya felt uneasy.
She called him.
The number was disconnected.
She tried an old email address.
No response.
The next morning, Derek called her into his office.
"You've been accessing financial records."
Maya froze.
"I'm an employee."
"That doesn't mean you have unrestricted access."
"I was checking scholarship records."
"Why?"
"Because a member asked."
"Who?"
She didn't answer.
Derek stood.
"You have no authority to investigate Apex."
"I wasn't investigating."
"You were."
He walked around the desk.
"Maya, you're young. I understand that you think you're doing the right thing."
"I do."
"But you don't understand how businesses work."
"Maybe."
He stopped in front of her.
"Sometimes people receive opportunities. Sometimes those opportunities don't work out."
"Lucas Reed?"
Derek's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Maya noticed.
"How do you know that name?"
"I searched the scholarship records."
Derek smiled.
"You're digging into things you don't understand."
"Then explain them."
"No."
The answer was immediate.
Maya felt something cold settle in her stomach.
Derek pointed toward the door.
"Your employment ends today."
She stared at him.
"You fired me?"
"Yes."
"Because I asked questions?"