MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat-Chapter 859: Nervous behavior

Soon Damon returned to his usual routine.

After resting the previous day, he woke up early the next morning and went out for a run. The air was cool and quiet, the streets mostly empty as he moved through his usual route. His body felt good. The fight hadn't taken anything out of him, and that had been the goal from the start.

When he got back home, he showered quickly and headed to the kitchen. He made breakfast for everyone before the day really started. Ava sat at the table talking about random things while Svetlana ate slowly, still waking up.

Once they were done, Damon grabbed his bag and headed to the gym.

He could have trained at home. His personal gym had everything he needed, and if he wanted something more advanced he could always enter the simulation through his system. But sometimes he needed the atmosphere of a real gym.

The day before, he had also called Victor.

They spoke for a while about FightExtreme, the promotion they had talked about taking over.

To be honest, Damon had almost forgotten about it. His attention had been fully on his career for a long time.

Business had never been something he cared much about. He couldn't imagine himself wearing a suit and sitting in long meetings talking about contracts and promotion schedules. He already had money, so there was no real hunger pushing him toward it.

Still, he owned a stake in it.

During the call he told Victor clearly that he preferred to stay a silent owner. Victor could handle the management side while Damon focused on fighting.

Of course Damon understood that his name had value. Once his time in the UFA ended, he could use his reputation to bring attention to FightExtreme. That alone would help the promotion grow.

But beyond that, Damon didn't see himself doing much business work.

If anything, he imagined himself spending more time at the gym. Maybe coaching younger fighters, helping them improve.

Those thoughts stayed in the back of his mind during the entire week.

His days followed a simple pattern.

Wake up.

Run.

Breakfast with the family.

Train.

Return home.

Rest and sleep.

Then repeat it the next day.

He didn't even get the chance to properly sit down and talk with Joey during the week, but everything else went smoothly. Training was going well, and his body felt sharp.

Luckily he didn't need to go through an extreme training camp.

When he prepared for the first fight of the event, the real focus had always been Anton.

Shenil Ardigon had been dangerous, but Anton was the real threat.

…

In the center of the city stood a tall building covered in glass and warm lights that shone onto the street below. Inside was a restaurant known for its quiet luxury. Soft music played in the background while people spoke calmly over dinner.

The main dining area was already busy, but deeper inside the restaurant the atmosphere changed.

A section separated by elegant partitions held fewer tables, each spaced far apart. The lighting was softer and the chairs were larger, giving the area a private feel. It was the type of place celebrities used when they wanted to eat without cameras or crowds watching them.

At one of the tables sat a young couple.

Joey and Ashley.

Both were dressed for the occasion. Joey wore a dark jacket with a simple shirt underneath, while Ashley wore a long dress that fit her well. Their outfits matched naturally, giving the impression they had planned it.

Ashley looked around the room while trying not to make it obvious.

"Wow… this place is amazing," she said.

Even though she sounded impressed, she kept her posture calm. Ashley grew up around wealth, so she knew how to carry herself in places like this.

Joey smiled.

The truth was that the dinner cost more than he used to make in a week back in the day. Still, with the money Damon paid him now, the price didn't matter much anymore. If he wanted to, he could probably buy a yacht and still have plenty left.

And Ashley had been encouraging him to invest his money more wisely instead of letting it sit in the bank.

"Yeah," Joey replied.

Unlike Ashley, subtlety wasn't his strength.

He turned his head openly, looking around the room with curiosity. His eyes moved from the tall wine displays to the polished floor and the massive windows showing the city lights outside.

Joey had grown up in the streets. His childhood wasn't as harsh as Damon's, but it was still far from places like this.

Ashley noticed the way he was looking around and couldn't help laughing.

"You know you're not supposed to stare at everything like that, right?" she said.

Joey looked back at her.

"What?" he said with a grin. "I'm just appreciating the scenery."

The two continued talking while the waiter brought menus to the table.

"Plus," Joey said with a small smile, "it's not every day we get out like this."

Ashley nodded. "Yeah… we should do this more often. Thank God your brother agreed to watch Theo."

Joey chuckled. "Yeah. He seemed happy to. Plus, those two hit it off."

Ashley smiled at that thought. Theo had been glued to Jake the moment they met earlier that day.

The date went on naturally after that. They ordered food and spent the next hour talking, laughing, and eating. The dishes arrived one after another, plates arranged carefully with rich sauces and well-cooked meat. The restaurant lived up to its reputation.

Most of their conversation slowly drifted into memories.

They talked about when they first met, about the strange situations they had found themselves in because of Damon's career, and the unexpected way their relationship had grown from all of it.

Ashley noticed something though.

Joey looked nervous.

It was subtle, but she knew him well enough to see it. His hands moved more than usual and he kept adjusting in his seat.

That alone was strange.

Joey had always been smooth around women. Before they got together he had plenty of experience, and confidence was never something he lacked.

Ashley already had her suspicions.

Meanwhile Joey kept talking, but inside his head he was sweating.

He had planned this carefully.

He had done research. He read about proposal mistakes and watched videos online. One thing he learned quickly was not to hide the ring inside food or drinks. If she choked on it, the moment would turn into a disaster.

It would end up worse than Damon's proposal attempt, which had ended in a hospital before he could even finish.

Even Damon had told him not to try anything fancy.

So Joey decided to keep it simple.

When the waiter returned to talk about dessert options, Ashley turned slightly to listen. The waiter began explaining the cake selection.

That was Joey's moment.

Under the table, he wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and carefully pulled a small box from his pocket. He looked at it for a second, took a deep breath, then slowly stood up.

He stepped back from the table and lowered himself onto one knee.

When Ashley turned back toward him, she froze.

Joey was kneeling in front of her with the ring box open.

Her hands flew to her mouth.

For a moment she didn't move.

She had suspected it. In fact she had been almost sure it was coming today. She had even pushed him about it the past couple of months, and his nervous behavior had given everything away.

But knowing it might happen didn't change how the moment felt.

Ashley stood up slowly because she couldn't stay seated anymore. Her eyes filled with tears while she looked at him, completely overwhelmed.