So, she had been feigning a coquettish smile all along, trying to buy time for the toxins to drift toward Ray.

But Ray didn't give her the chance.

He patted Katie on the shoulder. "Take them all out."

The bet was clear—Katie had lost.

The hulking men, trapped by the spatial compression, could barely breathe. Their bones cracked under the pressure, threatening to snap at any moment. But when they heard Ray's command, panic overtook them. They scrambled for mercy.

"Please, miss, we were wrong