Chapter 485
485
Reese couldn’t hold her tongue anymore and was about to snap back when Zora grabbed her arm.
“We didn’t say anything untrue. Don’t act like you’re innocent. You know exactly what you’ve done behind the scenes.”
In Zora’s mind, she had already convicted Caitlin as a woman with no morals, convinced that every man around her had something going on with her- including Yates, who she was sure was nothing more than a lovesick puppy.
“I’ve always been clear and clean with what I do. I don’t need reminders from people like you,” Caitlin said with a cold smile “But for you all? Let me give you a reminder–slandering others without evidence is a crime. And if it’s serious enough, it could land you in jail.”
After issuing her warning, Caitlin turned to leave. But just a few steps away, she looked back and added,
“Oh, and if you really can’t resist gossiping, why don’t you just debut as a group? I’ve even got a name for you: Trash Talk 4ever. What do you th
“Unbelievable! How can she say that?”
The women flushed with anger, cheeks burning in embarrassment and fury.
Zora wanted to argue, but Caitlin had already walked off, hands casually in her pockets, heading to the opposite section of the stands. She deliberately sat just a row across the aisle from them–close enough to hear everything they might say.
This move effectively silenced the group. None of them dared speak another word. They were seething, but too afraid to lash out face–to–face.
Out on the track, Sebastian spotted Caitlin and waved to her. She waved back, calm and composed.
The warm–up laps were starting. Yates and Abel were preparing to enter their cars when Sebastian suddenly suggested,
“Yates, since you and Abel are so close, why don’t you two switch cars? Let your good friend experience that elite configuration of yours.”
“Great idea!”
Yates was usually protective of his custom ride, but when it came to Abel, he was more than happy to share.
“Abel, come on–try my car! I’ve spent millions modifying it. Top–tier everything. This baby’s performance is unmatched!”
Abel’s expression tensed instantly. His forehead beaded with sweat.
“No, no, I’m good with this one-”
But Yates wasn’t taking no for an answer. He grabbed Abel and practically shoved him into the driver’s seat.
“You’ve got to try it! You’ll love it!”
Yates slammed the door shut and jogged to take Abel’s original car
Sebastian watched the exchange without a hint of expression.
“Alright,” he said to the group, “one warm–up lap first. Then we race.”
“ Got it!”
Connor was already buzzing with excitement. “Mr. Vanderbilt, maybe this time I’ll beat you!”
“That depends on your skill,” Sebastian replied as he strapped on his helmet and climbed into his car, engine rumbling to life ,
The four race cars lined up at the starting point. Engines revved. Abel sat behind the wheel of Yates’s car , hands trembling .
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Yates, noticing the hesitation, shouted across the car windows, “Don’t overthink it, Abel! Just drive! Let’s go!”
With that, Yates took off, and Connor followed.
Abel was trapped. If he bailed now, it would be too suspicious. But the longer he waited, the worse it looked.
From the left, Sebastian’s voice cut in, calm and cutting. “What’s wrong? Is there a problem with the car?”
“N–No… it’s fine…”
Abel had no choice but to start the engine and take off, nearly in sync with Sebastian.
The first lap was just a warm–up. Yates reached the start line first, followed by Connor, then Sebastian. Abel was last, his driving stiff and his face pale by the time he returned. His back was drenched in cold sweat.
But the break was short–lived. The signal lights flicked on.
The real race was starting.
Word had gotten out that Sebastian was racing today, and now crowds had gathered, hoping to witness it firsthand.
Engines roared as the four cars shot forward. Abel reluctantly crossed the starting line behind the others.
“Awesome!”
“Hell yeah!”
Fans in the crowd shouted, some recognizing Sebastian’s car with wide–eyed admiration.
In the stands, Caitlin sat silently, eyes fixed on Sebastian’s car as it zipped around the track.
Nearby, the other women watched too.
“Look, the one in front–that’s my boyfriend’s car!” Yasmin said proudly.
“Yeah, Connor’s doing well! Who’s driving the last one? Is that Yates?” another asked.
“No, that’s his friend,” someone answered. “Yates let him drive his top–tier custom ride. But the guy’s not great–he was the slowest during warm–up.”
Zora frowned as she watched the last–place car. That was Abel. Why was he driving so poorly?
Even though no one knew about her connection to Abel, it was still embarrassing to see him falling behind like that.
The race continued. The cars entered the twisting curves of the track. Live footage from overhead cameras displayed the action on the stadium’s big
screen.
Yates maneuvered skillfully around a bend, overtaking Connor. Connor, competitive as ever, pushed harder to catch up.
Sebastian maintained a steady pace in third, neither/aggressive nor lagging, keeping a careful distance from both the front and rear.
The rules were simple–ten laps. Fastest overall time wins.
At lap five, Abel had started to relax. The car was performing perfectly–smooth, powerful , responsive.
Gaining confidence, he began to speed up. He wasn’t just going to survive this race. He wanted to win.
Suddenly, the roar of his engine grew louder as he overtook Sebastian’s car .
The audience erupted.
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“ Is Sebastian not fully recovered? Why isn’t he accelerating?”
“He’s falling behind!”
Zora smirked. “Once the king of the track, now dead last. What a joke.”
“That’s Sebastian in last? So much for being a racing god,” Reese snarked.
The jabs were aimed at Caitlin, but she didn’t react. She didn’t
Care if Sebastian
or
long as he came back safe.
As the race entered its final stage, the cars all began pushing toward max speed.
Just when everyone thought they’d all cruise past the finish line without a hitch–something unexpected happened.
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