Chapter 121 Evil genius

Words : 1376 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Noah squared his stance, rolling his shoulders as he met Sophie's gaze. "Alright," he said, voice steady, calm. "Let's make it interesting." Sophie tilted her head, intrigued. "Oh?" He took a measured step forward, watching as she mirrored the movement, circling him on the mat. The air between them was charged—not just with competition, but something else. A quiet thrill. "The Sequence Game," Noah announced, keeping his tone casual, almost playful. "Every wrestling move is a sequence—a start and an end. You win if you complete three sequences." Sophie's brows lifted slightly, but she didn't interrupt. "Here's the twist," he continued. "Each sequence must end with you in a different position than where you started. If you aren't able to complete a sequence you either admit defeat or we just remain here until you can," Silence stretched between them for a beat. Then— Sophie smirked. "That's it?" Noah shrugged. "That's it." Her smirk widened. "So, let me get this straight. If I throw you, pin you, or flip you three times—but each one ends in a different position—I win?" Noah gave a small nod. "Exactly." She chuckled, eyes gleaming. "That's not a challenge, Noah. That's an open invitation for me to wreck you." 'That's what I want you to think.' He didn't respond to the taunt, just kept circling her, letting her confidence settle. From her perspective, the bet was practically a gift. A contest designed to favor her strengths. He hadn't limited her techniques. He hadn't imposed any tricky restrictions. Three moves. Three positions. Easy. 'Except it's not.' Noah let the thought roll over him, quiet and patient. He wasn't here to overpower her. That wasn't the point. The game had already begun. Sophie stretched her arms overhead, then rolled out her shoulders, loose and ready. "You sure about this?" she asked, voice teasing. "Because I'm not gonna hold back." Noah exhaled slowly, his smirk small but certain. "Neither am I." Noah danced around Sophie, light on his feet, staying just outside her reach. He knew better than to engage her head-on. The longer he kept her moving, the more frustrated she'd get. And a frustrated opponent made mistakes. But Sophie wasn't just any opponent. Her smile hadn't faded, not once. She was patient. Confident. Every time he pivoted, she adjusted. Every time he backpedaled, she advanced. A hunter closing in. Minutes passed. The space between them shrank. Then— She lunged. Noah twisted, nearly slipping away again— Smack. Her hands locked onto his wrist like iron shackles. "Got you." His stomach tightened. Before he could break free, Sophie ripped him forward, shifting her weight masterfully. His feet left the ground. Sequence One. The mat slammed against his back, knocking the air from his lungs. Sophie straddled him in a dominant top position, pressing his shoulders down. "Standing to mat!" she called out, grinning. "One down!" Noah sucked in a breath. 'Okay. That was expected.' Sophie pushed off him and stood, giving him just enough space to scramble up as well. She didn't hesitate. The second he got to his feet, she was already setting up the next move. She faked a shot to his legs. He reflexively lowered his stance— Wrong move. Her arms wrapped around his waist. 'Shit.' A powerful arch of her back, a swift explosion of force— Noah felt himself flip. Sequence Two. His world inverted for a split second before he crashed down onto the mat. His back hit first, followed by his shoulders, but this time, Sophie didn't stay on top. She rolled off the moment he landed, popping back up with ease. "Mat to standing!" she announced triumphantly. "That's two!" Noah groaned, pushing himself up, his breaths coming rougher now. Sophie wasn't just strong—she was calculated. Each movement was fluid, controlled, precise. And now she was grinning down at him like she'd already won. "You're on your last legs, Babe," she teased. "One more and this is over." Noah wiped sweat from his brow, inhaling deeply. He needed to sell this. Needed to make her believe he was barely holding on. 'Come on, Sophie. Take the final step.' "You got me," she admitted, voice low. Noah swallowed. 'Oh. Oh shit.' Then, just as quickly, she shoved him back, releasing him with a satisfied look. "But don't get cocky, Babe," she warned, turning on her heel. "This isn't over." Noah exhaled, steadying himself. 'Yeah. I figured as much.' She went to stand by a support beam still processing it all. He guessed she took losing not so well but that didn't show at all. Sophie stared at him for a long moment, her arms still crossed, her weight shifted onto one leg. Then, abruptly, she let out a groan—one filled with equal parts frustration and reluctant admiration. Noah barely had time to react before she reached out and grabbed his face. Her fingers squished his cheeks together as she shook him lightly, voice pitching up in a way that was downright aggressive in its enthusiasm. "You little shit," she huffed, shaking him once more. "How the hell did you even come up with that?!" Noah flailed slightly, pulling back, but she held firm. "Sophie—" "No, no, no, no," she cut him off, eyes bright with curiosity and—annoyingly—giddy excitement. "Explain. Right now. Walk me through whatever evil genius thought process led you to hustle me on my own damn mat!" She finally let go, and Noah rubbed his jaw, exhaling. "I mean... it was kind of the only way." Sophie narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?" Noah sighed, hands on his hips. "Really? I mean, come on. If I fought you straight up, I was gonna get wrecked." He gestured vaguely to the mat, where he'd already been wrecked multiple times. "You're by far more skilled, just outrightly...better. There was no version of this where I out-wrestled you. So..." He tapped his temple. "I just outsmarted you." Sophie made a face—like she wanted to argue but couldn't because he wasn't wrong. Still, she wasn't letting it go that easily. "Yeah, but how did you even figure it out?" Noah let out a breath. "Wrestling has two default positions, right?" He lifted a hand. "Standing." Then he lowered it. "Mat. Every single move, throw, or takedown ends in one of those." Sophie nodded, following so far. "But you set a rule that each sequence needed to end in a different position than the last," Noah continued. "Which means the first two are easy. I go from standing to mat. Then mat to standing. But..." He paused for dramatic effect. Sophie's eyes widened slightly. "The third one," she murmured. Noah grinned. "Exactly. There is no third position." Her brows scrunched, and Noah could see the exact moment her brain retraced everything—back to the moment she realized she couldn't finish the sequence. Her hands clenched into fists. Then— She let out a full-body wiggle. Noah took a cautious step back. "What—what are you—?" "Ughhhh!" she groaned, throwing her head back before pointing at him accusingly. "That was diabolical!" Noah smirked. "You're just mad you walked right into it." Sophie huffed. Then, before he could react, she reached out— Flick. Her finger bounced off his nose. Noah flinched, scowling. "Ow! What the hell was that for?!" Sophie grinned, crossing her arms again. "For cheating. And for being a nerd." Noah rubbed his nose, glaring. "That wasn't cheating. That was strategy." She tilted her head. "Yeah? Well, strategize your way out of this." Noah frowned. "Out of what?" Her grin widened. "You just earned yourself a trip to my apartment." Noah blinked. His brain short-circuited. Sophie turned on her heel, heading toward the gym doors like she hadn't just said that. Noah stood frozen for a moment before his legs finally kicked into gear, chasing after her. "Wait. Wait. What does that mean?! Sophie—" somehow he got exactly what he wanted but now it sounded like a threat. She just laughed, pushing open the door. Noah swallowed. 'Oh, I'm so screwed.'

Chapter 121 Evil genius

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