Nia's smirk shattered. Her eyes narrowed, and for the first time her dagger hand trembled with anger instead of control.
"Don't you dare lecture me about debts, Belle!" she snapped, blinking forward in a frenzy. Her blade slashed in rapid arcs, no longer precise, just furious. Sparks scattered as Belle parried with her pistol, backpedaling, her boots skidding against the bloodstained floor.
Belle fired another round, the bullet curving midair toward Nia's head. Nia barely managed to blink aside, but too late, the shot grazed her cheek, leaving a burning line across her skin.
Her composure cracked completely. "You—!" she hissed, clutching the wound. "You think you're better than me just because he picked you now?!"
Belle's breath came hard, but her voice was steady. "This isn't about who he picked. It's about who he saved. And you can't stand the fact that you threw that away."
