Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 489: Chapter 489

Aileen said coldly, "Zoe is beyond irritating. Do you have a way to take her down?"
"I got no way. If I did, she'd be gone by now," Sophia replied matter-of-factly.
Aileen's temper flared instantly as she barked, "You're messing with me?"
"I'm not," Sophia quickly explained. "Zoe is seriously badass, and Shawn's always by her side. That 'legendary warrior' title isn't just talk—his skills are way scarier than you can fathom."
Aileen narrowed her eyes. "You're telling me all this to talk me out of it?"
Sophia shook her head, explaining, "I mean, if you want to take Zoe down, you'll have to keep Shawn away from her."
Aileen frowned, "Shawn is always with Zoe. How can I possibly get him away?"
"It's easy, and I can help with that. But taking Zoe out? That's on you," Sophia said, locking eyes with Aileen. "We'll have to work together if we want to get rid of her."
Aileen shot her a challenging look. "If you're so hotshot, tell me your plan."
Sophia leaned in and whispered in Aileen's ear.
Aileen eyed her skeptically. "You can pull this off?"
"Or do you have a better alternative?" Sophia shot back.
Aileen fell silent. If she really had a better way, she wouldn't have lost to Zoe time and again, or even got humiliated by her. Just thinking about Zoe's mockery made her seethe with rage.
Sophia looked Aileen in the eye and said, "Trust me, Aileen. Right now, this is your only option, isn't it?"
After a few more exchanges, Sophia took her leave. She didn't tell Aileen where she was staying. Given Aileen's short-sightedness, it never occurred to her to tail Sophia—her mind was entirely fixated on destroying Zoe.
Before arriving in this country, Sophia had already made contact with a group of formidable operatives through certain channels. Now, she was finally going to meet them.
Sophia walked into the boss's office of an underground fight club.
Elliot Lane, the boss, raised a brow. "Well, you've got some nerve coming here alone."
Sophia said calmly, "I know your code. If you dare lay hands on your client, your business won't stay afloat for long."
"Exactly. Pay enough and we'll even kill for you," Elliot said, his eyes gleaming with greed.
Sophia knew these people wouldn't lift a finger without seeing the money first. She placed a bank card on the table and said, "The PIN is six zeros. There's 3 million on the card."
"Straight shooter," Elliot said, then immediately had someone check the card's balance. "Now spill—what's the job?"
Sophia handed Zoe's photo to Elliot. "I want you to send your best fighters to confront this woman, and make sure the whole fight is recorded."
Elliot looked puzzled. "You paid this much just to watch my men fight this woman? I've got plenty of elite fighters here—taking her out would be child's play."
"Save the bragging until you actually kill her," Sophia sneered. "And remember, I want the footage. Fail this mission, and you'll regret it."
Elliot grinned. "Just a fight and some footage? Piece of cake."
After Sophia left, Elliot immediately summoned two of his top enforcers and ordered them to handle the job.
After checking into the hotel that day, Zoe got a dinner invitation from Shawn. She was starving anyway, so she said yes on the spot.
Zoe arrived early at the hotel lobby where she and Shawn had agreed to meet, but Shawn was nowhere to be seen. As she waited, two men suddenly appeared and surrounded her.
Zoe eyed them warily, her voice icy. "What's your game?"
"Someone's got a bone to pick with you, and we're here to teach you a lesson," the lead guy growled.
The two men were built like tanks, and they had the nerve to pick a fight with her right under the surveillance cameras—a level of audacity Zoe rarely encountered. She glanced at the cameras, figuring their arrival wasn't a coincidence.
"Get her!" one of the thugs barked. Without hesitation, the two lunged straight at Zoe, fists cocked to pound her into the ground.
Just then, several contestants happened to come out. Noticing the scene, they burst out laughing.
"Are these punks trying to pick a fight with that Clusian woman?"
"Guess even street punks know Clusians are easy pickings. They're trying to send a message before the match even starts."
"Come on, hit her! That Clusian woman's just a weakling. You guys can't take her down?"
Zoe swept an icy glare over the contestants, which only made their laughter grow even more exaggerated.
"See that? She's even glaring at me."
"This woman's got some nerve. Is she asking for all of us to jump her at once?"
"No, she's just too weak. She's practically begging for help."
The jeers drew more onlookers. Though everyone could see Zoe was in danger, no one lifted a finger. Instead, they were eager to watch her get beaten. Zoe remained silent, which fueled the crowd's sneers.
"Move it, you chicken. Gonna fight or just stand there?" someone shouted.
Another turned to the two men. "She's hot. You guys might as well get some free feels while you're at it."
"If you can't handle it, step aside. Let me show you how it's done," a third scoffed, itching to jump in.
The two men had their orders. Failing to act would mean facing Elliot's wrath. With the crowd egging them on, they threw caution to the wind and lunged at Zoe, aiming to take her down in one swift move.
Zoe struck immediately. Before anyone could react, two heavy thuds rang out.
When Zoe dropped her arms, both guys were already flat on their backs, unable to move. They never expected her to be so tough that two trained fighters like themselves could be taken down with just a single move.
"No way she's that good," a contestant said.
Another sneered, "Are these two in on it with her? Probably just a staged show to make her look good.!"
"I'll take you on!" a third shouted and charged forward.
Zoe just sent him flying with a single kick.
The remaining contestants were fuming. They'd all come to fight for the championship, and they had to take the cocky and powerful Zoe down. Otherwise, they'd be the laughingstock back home.
So they attacked her in waves, planning to wear her down with a relay assault. Zoe remained ice-calm, taking down each challenger with precise movements—never losing her composure.
Unknown to her, the entire confrontation was clearly captured by the surveillance cameras.
When Shawn finally arrived, Zoe had floored all her challengers. He stared at the scene and muttered, "What's going on?"
"I'm starving. Let's eat," Zoe said, grabbing Shawn's arm and walking off without offering any explanation.
The defeated guys sprawled on the ground stared up at Zoe with a mix of terror and hatred. 'This Clusian woman is too powerful. This competition's gonna go off the rails. Who knows who'll take the championship now?' they thought.
Elliot soon got the footage of the fight. After watching it, he turned to the two men he had sent to challenge Zoe and asked, "How dangerous is this woman?"
One replied, "She's insanely good. Her moves are practically flawless."
"Honestly, I don't think she was even trying her hardest," the other said.
Elliot's expression shifted. "Seems we've taken on one hell of a tricky contract."