The taste of blood filled my mouth as I staggered backward from Caspian's brutal counter-punch. My vision blurred, the room spinning around me as I fought to stay conscious. My body screamed for surrender, but I refused to listen.
"Stay down," Caspian growled, his earlier composure shattered by the lucky punch I'd landed on his face. "You've made your point."
I spat blood onto my apartment floor and pushed myself up on trembling arms. Every muscle in my body protested as I forced myself to stand once more, swaying like a drunk man.
"I'm not... finished," I managed, my words slurring through swollen lips.
Harrison Ashworth observed from the corner, his expression unreadable. "This is becoming unnecessary, Mr. Knight. Your determination is noted, but there's no shame in acknowledging when you're outmatched."
I ignored him, focusing solely on Caspian's irritated face. The small red mark on his jaw—the only evidence I'd managed to touch him—gave me a perverse satisfaction.
