Chapter 29: Mark her face

"Has he gone mad?" Mia exclaimed irritably, her gaze fixed in a sharp glare at Quinn. 

"Is that his new lover?" 

"He can't seem to get enough of them. I wonder how his wife feels." 

"She's quite beautiful, though." 

Murmurs rippled through the arena as onlookers turned their scrutiny toward Belle. She sat frozen, as though paralyzed, unable to muster words or actions. The suddenness of Quinn's declaration left her reeling, and now the weight of countless stares pinned her in place like a rare, prized artifact. 

"I… I am not his woman," she stammered, her voice trembling and barely audible. Even Mia and Aurora, seated right beside her, failed to catch her words over the crowd's noise. 

"Why does it even matter? We are here for the fight, not your woman!" A frustrated woman from the audience shouted. Her outburst quickly garnered roaring approval from others.