Coach Lee and Vince the Mechanic watched the scene with beaming faces. Since the day Ethan passed away, the atmosphere at the team had been stagnant and suffocating. It had been a long time since they felt this kind of electric excitement.
While the race roared on, Chloe Bishop walked over to the row of mangled vehicles. Her brow was furrowed with concern. Competitive race cars in the country were almost entirely imported; with the National Qualifiers so close, she wondered how Xavier Grayson planned to solve the hardware problem in such a short window.
Fortunately, as she popped several hoods to inspect the configurations, she confirmed that the destruction was mostly cosmetic. The high-value internal components—the heart of the machines—remained largely intact.
The crew watched her curiously. Was she not at all worried that Lyra might lose?
Vince voiced that very question to Coach Lee, who simply chuckled. "The result was decided before the engines even started."
He was right. By the third lap, Julian was overtaken. By the time the sixth and final lap concluded, Lyra had claimed victory with a staggering half-lap lead.
Julian climbed out of his car, looking utterly dejected. Leo, showing a rare bit of conscience, patted his shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up. It wasn't that big of a gap."
Just then, Lyra sauntered past them. She paused, tossing a playful look over her shoulder. "Hey, 'seniors.' Just so you know, I went easy on you in that last turn to save a bit of your 'manly dignity.'"
With a proud, rhythmic stride, she walked away. Julian and Leo looked like they were on the verge of actual tears. Why are women these days so formidable? How are we supposed to survive?
Amidst the cheers of the staff, Lyra reached Chloe. "Well? Did I make you look good?"
Chloe laughed. "You did. But I thought you said you weren't leaving the house today?"
Lyra thought back to the "indescribable" morning she had spent with Victor on her living room sofa and let out an awkward cough. "I saw the news about the raid in the racing group chats. As your best friend, obviously I had to come and back you up."
"And back me up you shall," Chloe said with a mischievous glint in her eye. She turned to the crowd and clapped her hands. "Everyone! Lyra is treating us all to a massive feast and karaoke at The Grand Prestige tonight!"
The crew erupted in cheers. Even Julian and Leo’s depression was instantly cured by the prospect of a high-end party.
Lyra’s face fell. "Chloe Bishop! You’re setting me up again!"
Late That Night
After disappearing for two days and two nights, Liam Martin finally returned to the Martin estate. As he entered the living room, he found Lana waiting for him on the sofa. Her gaze was sharp, her expression as cold as stone.
Liam walked over and sat opposite her. "Is Snow asleep?"
"She just went down," Lana replied.
After that brief exchange, the atmosphere began to freeze, inch by inch. Liam looked at Lana, deciding to cut straight to the point. "You know what’s happened over the last forty-eight hours. I’m canceling the wedding."
Lana’s face instantly darkened, her voice dropping to a dangerous hiss. "And why would you go back on your word now?"
Liam has finally made his move to end the engagement, but Lana isn't the type to go quietly. With Chloe now firmly under the protection of the Grayson Group, will Liam's desperate attempt to reclaim his past only lead to a more violent confrontation with the "Demon CEO"?
What do you think Lana’s next move will be to stop the cancellation?