Ryan suddenly shouted:
“I DIDN’T HIT YOU!”
Jason stopped.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Jason nodded.
“You’re right.”
Ryan looked confused.
Jason continued.
“You didn’t hit me.”
He pointed toward Marcus.
“He did.”
Marcus lowered his eyes.
Jason took another step.
“But you lit the match.”
Ryan stared at him.
“And you’ve been pretending you had nothing to do with the fire ever since.”
The silence that followed was heavier than any punch.
Then Ryan did something nobody expected.
He laughed.
A short, ugly laugh.
“You all came here to make me apologize?”
Victor answered.
“Yes.”
Ryan turned.
Victor stood straight.
“You owe Emily an apology. You owe Caleb an apology. And you owe everyone who trusted this gym an explanation.”
Ryan stared.
Then shook his head.
“No.”
Victor nodded slowly.
“Then you’re done here.”
Ryan froze.
“What?”
“Your contract is terminated.”
Ryan laughed again.
“You can’t.”
“I can.”
“You’ll regret it.”
Victor looked at him.
“Maybe.”
He paused.
“But I’ll regret keeping you more.”
Ryan stared around the room.
Nobody defended him.
For the first time in years, he had no audience willing to laugh.
No camera framing him as the hero.
No crowd waiting for someone else to be humiliated.
Only people who had finally stopped pretending his behavior was harmless.
Ryan turned toward Marcus.
His face twisted.
“This is your fault.”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
Ryan stepped closer.
“You ruined my career.”
Marcus looked at him.
“You did that yourself.”
Ryan shoved him.
Hard.
Marcus stumbled backward.
Emily gasped.
Victor shouted:
“Ryan!”
But Ryan wasn’t finished.
He swung.
A fast right hand.
Marcus moved.
Not dramatically.
Not with a flashy technique.
He simply stepped aside.
Ryan’s fist missed.
Ryan turned and swung again.
Marcus blocked the strike and moved backward.
“Stop.”
Ryan rushed him.
Marcus caught his arm, redirected his momentum, and guided him against the padded cage wall.
No punch.
No kick.
No attempt to injure him.
Just enough control to stop the attack.
Ryan struggled.
Marcus held him.
“It’s over.”
Ryan cursed.
Marcus waited.
Then slowly released him.
Ryan stumbled backward.
His face was red.
