Julian's POV
The same woman. The one who had beaten me. The one in the circuit is called Catwoman.
The crowd reacted in that subtle way crowds do when a familiar story returns, the murmur shifting, the energy tightening, as people remembered what happened the last time we were on the same track, and I stood still for a moment, watching her slide into her car with a calm that irritated me more than arrogance ever could, because arrogance is loud, but calm is confidence so deep it doesn’t require proving.
Zane leaned toward me slightly, his voice muffled through his own gear. “Don’t do something dramatic just because your ego feels threatened.”
“I’m going to beat her,” I answered, and my voice came out steady, which was the most dangerous kind of intention, because it meant I wasn’t joki
