Liam Carter never believed one punch could change a life— until the night he threw his first. He was just a broke college kid trying to keep his mom alive and his head above water. Chicago didn’t care. The bills didn’t stop. And the world wasn’t about to hand him a miracle. But The Mirage did. Hidden behind velvet curtains and neon lies, the nightclub’s secret underground ring became the place where Liam’s quiet life ended—and his dangerous one began. One shocking knockout later, and he’s the new obsession of Vincent Rojas, the most feared man in the city’s underground. Suddenly Liam has money. A reputation. A target on his back. Each fight pulls him deeper. Each victory ties another chain around his neck. Each lie Vincent tells sounds almost like a promise. The only person who sees through the blood and adrenaline is Ava—the medic who patches him up and warns him that no one walks away clean. But when a fight goes wrong, secrets explode, and Liam becomes the center of a war between a mobster, a billionaire, and a federal investigation… running isn’t an option anymore. To save his mother. To protect Ava. To survive himself. Liam Carter has to decide if he’ll fight the system— or become the monster they tried to turn him into. One ring. One deal with the devil. One boy who refuses to break. Because in this world, you don’t just fight opponents— You fight debts, lies, and the men who write your script. And Liam Carter is about to discover how much a soul costs when the gloves come off and the devil wants a contract.
