Chapter 7 Right as Miranda's fist swung toward her , Narissa moved like a bolt of lightning . Her foot snapped up in a blur . Thwack ! The kick slammed into Miranda's gut , faster than any punch . Miranda crumpled , clutching her stomach , face twisted in pain as she hit her knees , too winded to even mutter a curse . The crowd froze , eyes bugging out , jaws dropped . A collective gasp ripped through the air as they thought , ' No freaking way … how's this even possible ? Isn't Narissa just some ordinary girl ? How'd she just floor Miranda , Sinney City's notorious " Little Tyrant " ? " " No … this can't be real ! " Miranda wheezed from the ground , her face a mess of shock and rage . She couldn't believe a nobody had just owned her . " That scrappy girl ? Beating me ? Something's seriously messed up ! " Most onlookers stood frozen , eyes wide like they'd seen a ghost . A few were too stunned to even blink . Narissa ? Cool as ice , not a flicker of doubt . " Lame , " she said with a smirk , her voice dripping with shade . 4 ' Does this girl seriously think she ca take me ? ' she wondered . +20 Narissa was a beast . She'd squared off with Bastien , the Rothialand War God , and held her own . World combat champ , multiple titles . Fighting , spying , stealing , tracking , even blowing stuff up - she was a pro at it all . Miranda's boxing skills ? Total small - time . If Narissa hadn't been dragged back to her family , she wouldn't have even noticed someone like Miranda . Total nobody . " You … you're gonna pay ! " Miranda hissed , trying to stand but wincing as pain shot through her gut . She wasn't done , though . " Big whoop , you got me once ! I'm just average in this school's fight club . " Wait till you meet the real pros . They'll mop the floor with you ! " Narissa just raised an eyebrow . " Yeah ? Why would I bother with them ? " She turned to bounce , done with this circus . That set Miranda off . " Because of that cocky attitude ! " she yelled , practically choking on her own rage . " Nobody's rolling out the welcome mat for a janitor ! " You're just some muscle - head , probably from hauling trash . Don't kid yourself - you're no hotshot . Someone's gonna school you in a real fight ! " The crowd jumped in , piling on . 1/3 16:45 Wed , Aug 13 D X +20 ) Chapter 7 " Yeah , she's all brawn . Against someone like Jaylen Presley ? She'd be done in a heartbeat ! " " Exactly ! A janitor's a janitor , even if she's playing rich girl now . If I were her family , I'd keep her locked up so she doesn't embarrass herself . " Miranda , fueled by the crowd , doubled down . " You hear that , Narissa ? You're just a lowlife . " You got lucky with a cheap shot , but wait till combat class . You're gonna crash and burn ! " More voices chimed in . " Yeah , reality's gonna hit her hard ! " The shade kept coming , but Narissa let it slide off her like nothing . She didn't even flinch . Her ? The Intelligence Office's top agent , codename 001 , getting worked up over these clowns ? Please . If word got out that she , the office's best , was bickering with a bunch of loudmouth kids , her old crew would never let her live it down . She had better things to do - like finding a spot to chill . Right then , a gorgeous piano melody swept through the room . 生 IFT " The song started fierce , with bold , fiery notes that hit like a storm , but it had this deep , soulful vibe that seemed to sink right into one's bones . 9 " 4 It was the kind of music that grabbed one's heart and didn't let go . The crowd went dead quiet , totally entranced , like they were under a spell . # EATE 11 27 This wasn't some classic piano piece anyone knew by heart . It felt raw , like the player was just letting their fingers fly , making it up as they went . But those notes were so perfect , they had everyone hooked from the jump . With skills like that , it didn't take long for people to clock who was behind the keys . " It's Cressida ! Only she could whip up something this fire ! " Л L " Totally her ! " Sure enough , all eyes swung to Narissa , and the shade came flying . But playing a banger like that right now was practically begging for a showdown .. H 4440 进 h " Man , both girls are Evertons , but Cressida's a queen , and Narissa ? She's just … ugh , basic . " 1 A16 " No lie . Even twins got a pecking order . " " Some folks just don't have that high - class vibe . You're born with it or you're not . " " Hey , Narissa ! You even heard a piano before , janitor girl ? Bet you grew up in a dump , never seen one up close ! " Narissa just raised an eyebrow , unfazed . She wasn't ignoring them because their jabs hurt . That piano piece ? It was ringing way too many bells . 2/3 16:45 Wed , Aug 13 10 X ( +20 Chapter 7 To the crowd , though , her silence screamed " outta her league . " Like she'd never even been near a piano . " Look at her , not saying a word . Bet she's clueless . " " Sad ! " " All she's got is grit . Zero finesse . " When the song ended , Cressida strolled out of the piano room , all swagger and smirks . " Narissa , know your place , yeah ? " she said , voice dripping with shade . She'd played a piece Narissa couldn't possibly know , setting this whole scene up to flex - showing her sister how wide the gap between them was . Cressida clearly wasn't feeling her sister . Narissa smirked . " That so ? I ain't impressed ." " What ?! " Cressida's face twitched , pissed . At Regality Academy , Cressida was straight - up royalty . So when Narissa clapped back at her own sister , the crowd lost it . " Narissa , who do you think you are , coming at our Cressida ? She's the best pianist we got ! " someone barked , glaring . " Damn straight ! " another voice shouted . " Only that masked piano legend Melissa , who Cressida totally stans , is even in her league , " a third person threw in , " Yeah , how you gonna talk to our queen like that ? " Narissa let the chatter slide , but when they name - dropped " Melissa " -Cressida's idol , the world - famous masked pianist - her brain lit up . ' No freaking way , ' she thought . The moment Cressida played that one piano piece , Narissa should've put it together . This " world - class Melissa " everyone was hyping up ? That was Narissa . A fake name she'd tossed out during an assassination gig . That piano piece was just something she'd made up on the fly to blend in during the mission . Wh lege at her ned he