Zoey clutched the neckband of Harriet's hoodie, breathing in the faint trace of Harriet's scent lingering in the fabric. It was comforting, but the scene before her gives the opposite feeling. Inside the ring, Harriet dropped to one knee, clutching her abdomen after taking another brutal hit from Vien.
The two were locked in a Muay Thai combat, their hands wrapped in bandages instead of gloves, lending an edge of raw intensity to the fight. Zoey flinched as Vera, seated beside her, muttered, "What's going on with Harriet? If she keeps this up, she'll be at a disadvantage." Zoey glanced briefly at Vera, then turned her focus back to the ring, her heart pounding as Harriet wiped blood from the corner of her mouth before rising to her feet.
She noticed Vien's smug smile as she circled Harriet. Harriet was holding back, staying on the defensive and absorbing blow after blow, each one making Zoey's heart race faster. Vien prepared to launch another punch, but this time Harriet moved first, landing a solid hit to Vien's face. Zoey's breath caught as Harriet followed with a series of swift strikes, finally forcing Vien to stagger back.
Harriet paused, wiping her mouth with her arm, watching as Vien laughed with wild, taunting eyes. "Wow, still got that strength in you, huh?" Vien sneered, her laughter echoing through the room as she steadied herself.
Zoey swallowed hard, feeling both relief and fear as she watched Harriet. She could tell Harriet was exhausted, but the fire in her eyes was still strong, unwilling to back down.
"Vien," Harriet mumbled, finding herself cornered as Vien landed another punch to her abdomen. She flinched but couldn't help but laugh through the pain. "Are you mad because of your knuckles or because you wasted your face over nothing?" With a swift push, Harriet created space and delivered a sharp knee kick to Vien's stomach.
Vien shrugged off the hit, her confidence unshaken. She attempted a kick to Harriet's face, but Harriet quickly shielded herself, dodging the blow. "Still not wanting to get hit in the face?" Vien taunted, a wicked smile spreading across her lips.
"Of course! It's all natural," Harriet shot back with a laugh. "Why would I ever let someone ruin this face?" She positioned herself defensively, keeping her guard up as Vien tried to close in again.
"Come on, Harriet," Vien urged, attempting to corner her once more. "Show your little girlfriend over there who you really are. Let's see if she'll stick around for someone who's... different."
Harriet hitched her breath, a chuckle escaping her lips, but there was a shift in her demeanor. As she threw another punch at Vien, her brow furrowed, realizing something was off. "Sure," she replied, stretching her neck and shaking off the tension, ready to re-engage.
Zoey's heart raced at the change she saw in Harriet. She bit her lower lip, feeling anxious as Harriet unleashed a flurry of blows against Vien. With each punch, Zoey felt her pulse quicken, anxiety creeping in as she saw Vien stumble and fall to the ground. Harriet seized the opportunity, sitting on Vien's abdomen and unleashing punches.
"Shit," Vera hissed, her concern palpable. Nyx and Riley stood, drawn in by the escalating intensity of the fight, while Sienna watched with bated breath. "You need to stop Harriet now, honey," Vera urged, glancing at Zoey.
Zoey's mind raced as she observed Harriet's relentless assault. "She's being overwhelmed," Vera added, gently tapping Zoey's shoulder.
Determined, Zoey blinked rapidly and hastily ran closer to the ring. "Harriet!" she called out, her voice trembling with urgency. "Harriet, stop it!"
At her desperate plea, Harriet froze mid-punch, her fist just inches from Vien's face. Zoey held her breath, watching as Harriet's expression softened, the fierceness fading from her gaze. Harriet glanced back at Vien, then stood up, leaving the ring and making her way toward Zoey.
"What the hell were you planning to do? You were about to kill her!" Zoey murmured, worry etched on her face as she confronted Harriet.
Harriet swallowed hard, clenching her fists. Zoey noticed the tremor in her hands and instinctively took hold of them, trying to steady her. "I... I don't know," Harriet admitted, her voice barely above a whisper, shaken by her own intensity. "I lost myself for a moment."
Zoey hitched her breath as she took in the scene, glancing over her shoulder at Vien, who was shaking her head but still wore a sly smile as she climbed out of the ring. With both hands tucked in her pants pockets, Vien walked toward them. Zoey turned to face her, tilting her head and squinting, sensing something unusual about Vien.
Curious, Zoey looked back at Harriet and reached for her cheeks, stretching them playfully. "Ouch!" Harriet winced at the unexpected pinch. Zoey quickly turned to Vien, stepping forward. "Zoey," Harriet called, but she didn't try to stop her.
Vien raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What?" she asked, feigning innocence.
With a sigh, Zoey raised her hand, causing Vien to take a cautious step back. But before Vien could retreat completely, Zoey yanked something from Vien's face, breaking the silicone mask with a swift motion. "What theâ!" Vien hissed, surprised.
Gasps echoed from the onlookers, but Harriet just chuckled, finding amusement in the situation. Zoey held up the torn silicone, facing Harriet with a serious expression. "You noticed this beforehand, right?" she asked.
Harriet cleared her throat and nodded. "I scratched her face, but it didn't bleed, though," she shrugged, as if it were a minor detail.
Zoey squinted her eyes, stepping closer to Harriet. "So, you were punching her face because you noticed it wasn't bleeding? What were you thinking?" She flicked Harriet's forehead, making her rub the spot in response.
"It's not like I was going to kill her," Harriet said, glancing at Vien, who was now peeling off the remnants of the silicone.
Vien clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Ah, you just broke my silicone," she said, tossing the mask aside as she regarded Harriet. "Looks like I still haven't gotten my revenge," she added with a shrug.
"Thought you lost your mind over your accident a few years back," Harriet retorted, rubbing the corner of her mouth.
Vien chuckled, stepping closer to Zoey. Harriet instinctively pulled Zoey nearer, sensing Vien's approach. Vien laughed softly, "Come on, it's not like I'm going to hurt your little girlfriend here." She extended her hand to Zoey. "Vien Briar," she introduced herself.
Hesitant, Zoey glanced at Harriet before shaking Vien's hand. "Zoey Foster," she replied. She noticed how similar Vien looked to Vera, but while Vera seemed stern, Vien had a more gullible demeanor.
Vera chuckled incredulously and stepped forward, facing her twin sister. "So much for your scene, Vien," she said, shaking her head.
Harriet ushered Zoey back a step, letting the twins converse. She sat down near Nyx and Riley, both of whom were smiling at her. "Wow, look at your lips," Nyx teased, laughing. "Do you want me to fix them?"
Harriet rolled her eyes. "No, I'm all for natural beauty," she said dismissively. Although Vien's blow hadn't been strong, her lips were wounded. Harriet glanced at Zoey, who remained quiet after the encounter.
"Are you mad?" Harriet asked, leaning closer. Zoey shook her head and rummaged through her sling bag.
"Not mad, just worried," Zoey said, pulling out a saline wipe to dab at Harriet's bleeding lips.
"I didn't hurt my hands," Harriet replied proudly, but Zoey noticed blood seeping from one of her fingers.
"Yeah, you didn't, but look at your finger. It's bleeding," she pointed out, applying light pressure to Harriet's lips. Harriet flinched and chuckled but didn't say anything.
Harriet observed Vien and Vera, who were deep in discussion. "Right," she interjected. "Vien, you should go back to New York," she stated firmly.
Vera paused and turned to Harriet, while Vien raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I booked a ticket for you already," Harriet continued, standing up to retrieve her bag. She pulled out a plane ticket and held it out to Vien.
"Why would I even go back to New York?" Vien asked, attempting to play it cool.
Harriet shrugged, chuckling lightly. "You can drop the act. I know why you're here, really."
Vien tilted her head, scoffing at Harriet's words. "But your daughter needs you," Harriet continued, her tone softening. "The longer you stay here in Geneva, the more you risk missing out on seeing her," she added.
"Whatâ"
"Your daughter has a heart disease, right? That's why you're here," Harriet said, meeting Vien's intense gaze.
Vien clicked her tongue, clearly on the defensive. "Yeah, I'm here because you diagnosed my daughter correctly, and I also want to ask you to be the one to conduct her surgery," she replied, her voice tinged with urgency.