Karate Champion Picked the Wrong Waitress to Impress His Friends — Then the Room Fell Silent
Chapter 8
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Derek let out a scoffing laugh, though it sounded incredibly nervous. "Wait—you think she's some kind of pro? She's a nobody!"Donovan slowly turned his head back to Derek; the look in his eyes was so chilling that Derek instinctively took a half-step backward. "Kid," Donovan said softly, "the woman you tried to assault last night is Harper Hayes. She won the Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Championship at 21. She went undefeated in submission grappling for three years. She used to spar with my heavyweight fighters and tap them out just to warm up. The only reason she isn't on a billboard in Times Square right now is a bad knee."Donovan reached into his back pocket, pulled out a thick, sealed envelope, and tossed it onto the table in front of Garrett Vandenberg."What is this?" Garrett demanded, looking at the envelope as if it were a bomb."That is a cease-and-desist order drafted by Vanguard Syndicate's legal team," Donovan stated smoothly. "It clearly states that if you, your son, or anyone associated with your car dealerships attempts to harass, sue, or intimidate Harper Hayes in any way, we will countersue for assault, battery, and emotional distress. And we will use the video your idiot son's friend uploaded as Exhibit A."Garrett's face turned the color of old oatmeal. He looked at his son, then at the envelope, suddenly realizing the massive PR nightmare he was standing in the middle of: suing a local waitress was easy; picking a legal battle with a multi-million-dollar sports syndicate was corporate suicide.Donovan turned his back on the Vandenbergs, dismissing them entirely, and walked over to Harper, holding out his hand. "Vanguard is offering you a full coaching position, Harper," Donovan said, his voice loud enough for the entire room to hear. "Full salary, full benefits, and we cover your knee surgery and your physical therapy with the best sports medicine doctors in Chicago. When you're healed, if you want to compete again, we back you 100%. If you just want to teach, the mat is yours."Harper stared at Donovan's outstretched hand. For five years, she had carried the weight of a shattered dream, punishing herself with a mundane, invisible life. She looked at her grease-stained apron draped over the chair; she looked at Mr. Henderson, who was staring at her with newfound, terrified respect; and finally, she looked at Derek, whose ego had been entirely atomized, standing silently next to his defeated father.Slowly, a fierce, brilliant spark returned to Harper's dark eyes—the spark of the dragon waking up for good. She reached out and firmly grasped Donovan's hand, shaking it."I'll pack my bags tonight," Harper said, a real smile finally breaking across her face.Harper walked past the Vandenbergs without giving them a second glance. She paused just before pushing open the front doors, looking over her shoulder at the disgraced karate champion."Keep your chin tucked, Derek," Harper advised calmly, "and maybe learn to respect the people handling your food."With that, she pushed through the heavy wooden doors, leaving the smell of stale beer and fried food behind her forever, stepping out into the cold Michigan air, ready to reclaim her throne.