Back then, Ste was aplete novice behind the wheel-her driving was so terrible, it was almost painful to watch.
Sherman had only bothered to coach her a handful of times before quickly losing interest. He couldn''t be bothered to waste another afternoon. Instead, he just told their mutual friends to show her no mercy during practice.
And from those friends, Sherman heard nothing but tales of Ste''s spectacr failures.
That was always the story he got.
So much so that, when their n went into action, he''d nearly forgotten about that distant chapter.
But when Ste''s car swerved past them several times, leaving their own in the dust, the memory came rushing back.
Sherman''s breath caught in his throat.
If Ste could pull off these maneuvers after just a short stint of practice, then- well, her natural talent was something else.
"She''s driving a car way less powerful than yours, Uncle," Sherman said, trying to sound confident. "We''ll catch up to her sooner orter."
Sellers'' face darkened, his expression thunderous.
The fact that he needed the superior performance of his car just to keep up with Ste was humiliating.
But right now, hispetitive streak was ring up again.
He couldn''t stand the thought of losing to a woman he''d never even bothered to take seriously.
He mmed the gas pedal to the floor.
That''s when Sherman suddenly let out a panicked shout.
"What the hell is she trying to do?!"
Up ahead, Ste''s car braked hard, then spun a perfect one-eighty, tires
shrieking, smoke and sparks flying from the pavement.
Sellers'' eyes narrowed, catching on immediately to her intentions, a mocking smile ying at his lips.
"Trying to run?" he scoffed. "Keep dreaming."
Sherman shook his head, exasperated. “She thinks a little skill makes her
invincible? Pulling this kind of stunt in front of a pro racer like my uncle... Is she in a hurry to get herself killed?"
If she''d just surrendered quietly, maybe she''d have gotten away with a minor injury.
But picking a fight with Sellers like this? She was either going to end up dead or in pieces.
Even if the brakes failed, with Sellers'' skill, he''d find a way to regain control.
Just as everyone thought Ste was
about to make a break for it, another screech echoed through the
Wel
night-her car spun again, time
pulling in directly behind them.
Before anyone could process what she was doing, their car jolted from a hard hit
at the rear.
Sherman lost hisposurepletely. "Is she out of her mind?!"
Haynes was just as stunned by Ste''s move.
"Ste, what are you doing?" he demanded.
At first, Haynes had assumed she''d spun her car around to make a getaway.
But Ste didn''t flee. Instead, she pulled up behind Sellers'' car-and rammed straight into it.
"Settling the score, of course," Ste replied coldly. "How many times did he ram me just now?"
Haynes'' voice tightened. "Ste, his brakes are gone. What you''re doing could get him killed."
Ste let out a mockingugh. "Oh, and what about what he just did? That could have killed me, too."
Haynes realized she''d
misunderstood his point. "Sellers is the future head of the Burton family. He''s Mr. Burton''s only son. If you end up killing him, the Burtons won''t let you off the hook. Not even the Williams family could protect you."
Ste wasn''t interested in his warnings. "Rx. I''m not stupid
enough tomit murder in be content belongs to
A cold, seductive smile curled on her lips. "I''m just helping them stop the car."
And with that, she rammed them again, pinning Sellers'' car in ce.
Of course, before she helped them stop, she was going to make sure they paid for what they''d done.
...
At the hospital, Jonathan stormed in, face grim.
"How did Aurora end up in a car crash? What the hell happened?" he demanded.
Aurora sat in the treatment room, a nurse tending to her wounds.
Her hair was a tangled mess, and there were bloody scratches on her forehead and cheek.
On anyone else, it would have looked pitiful.
But on Aurora, the smudges of blood only added to her raw, dangerous allure.