Chapter 91
Harvey had no particular obsession with winning this race. He wasn’t a professional racer–driving Black Hole on the track was simply his way of honoring Dawn’s memory,
Theodore settled into the passenger seat of Corona and immediately noticed Elara staring at Black Hole, lost in thought.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Elara blinked at him. Her expression was hidden beneath her helmet.
“I don’t like that car.
Theodore’s tone was relaxed and teasing. “Win first place, and you can pick three cars from Harvey’s garage. Then you can send Black Hole straight to the junkyard.”
Elara let out a laugh, and the heavy weight in her chest was lifted.
She still remembered the first time she had seen Black Hole in the Fisher residence garage. The sleek, powerful machine had drawn her in.
The door had been unlocked, so she had slipped into the driver’s seat, running her fingers over the leather Interior to marvel at the craftsmanship.
Then Harvey had yanked her out.
At the time, she was pregnant with the twins. Her swollen belly made her movements clumsy, and she had fallen hard onto the cold garage floor.
Harvey had loomed over her with an unreadable expression and the frost in his eyes formed an impenetrable barrier as he spat, “Don’t dirty my car,”
“Harvey, I’m your wife…”
She had wanted to tell him that she understood racing, that she had been thrilled to find such a modified supercar in the Fisher residence garage. She had wanted to share that moment, to imagine what it would be like to see Black Hole and Corona racing side by side.
She had thought, “I’m his wife. Why would sitting in his car be a problem?”
“Black Hole is worth more than you, Elara Jones. Don’t ever let me catch you touching it again.”
His words had been as ruthless as his expression. Harvey had locked the car and walked past her without a second glance, making no move to help her up.
Elara had reached out, fingers brushing against the door in an attempt to push herself up, but then she had felt it
an icy pressure, a silent command to stop.
She had turned to see Harvey standing by the elevator, watching her. He hadn’t left. That suffocating aura of his had wrapped around her like a vice.
Her fingertips trembled, and she withdrew her hand. She had strugglingly placed one hand on her belly, the other on the ground, and forced herself upright.
Now, shaking off the memory, she focused on the race. “I was just looking at the route map. The track is complicated. I might….
Elara hesitated. It had been six years since her last off–road rournament. Racing wasn’t like math–math allowed
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Chapter 91
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time for careful thought, while racing depended entirely on instinct.
A fraction of a second too slow, and the consequences could be deadly.
Theodore secured his six–point harness and spoke with quiet confidence. “I’ll guide you through every turn, every slope. As long as I’m here, you won’t lose.”
At the starting line, the race lights illuminated, and the countdown flashed across the giant screen. Elara’s sharp eyes locked onto the track ahead.
The starting horn blared, and dozens of race cars launched forward like beasts unchained. The crowd erupted into cheers.
“Daddy! Go, go! Niamh, you got this!” Beau waved his flag excitedly from the stands.
Corona roared to life, surging ahead with a forceful acceleration that pinned them to their seats, as if they were being flung skyward.
Not even three seconds into the race,
two cars flanked Corona, attempting to force her off the track.
It was clear they were trying to take control of the lane and push Corona back–on this track, falling behind even for a second could make it nearly impossible to catch up.
However, slowing down would be the safer choice with both cars squeezing in simultaneously, but refusing yield meant the risk of a high–speed collision.