Still, they wanted Joshua on their side, so they couldn''t y all their cards just yet.


    "Aurora," Coleman said, "you mentioned that Joshua was looking for his long-lost love. Since you have an identical pair of earrings, why not use that angle?"<fn0450> Checktest chapters at f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn0450>


    Aurora smiled faintly. "I''ve decided against mentioning that. First, there was Rachel, then Simone. If I pop up iming to be her, only for the truth toe outter that it was Ste all along... the whole ''long-lost love'' trope has be cheap. Besides, after dealing with Rachel and Simone, he''s bound to be suspicious. The potential reward for such a risky lie is far too low."


    Aurora thrived on challenges, but after meeting Joshua, she felt a sliver of disappointment. He didn''t seem particrly special. She couldn''t understand Simone''s obsession with him.


    "Regardless," Coleman warned, "the man is dangerous. Whatever you do, try not to get in a car with him. If he has some kind of breakdown on the track, you could be in serious trouble."


    "I understand," Aurora said.


    ...


    The next day, Aurora arrived at the racetrack ten minutes early. To her surprise, Joshua wasn''t there yet. Whenever she had ns with Leonard or Sellers, they would be waiting at least half an hour in advance.


    With just two minutes to spare, apletely ordinary sedan pulled up beside her. Joshua stepped out.


    "Ms. Williams, sorry to keep you waiting."


    Her smile remained perfect. "Not at all. I just arrived myself." Her gaze fell on the unremarkable car behind him. "Is that your car, Joshua? Have you modified it?"


    "No, it''s just a standard car."


    "So," she said, a hint of confusion in her voice, "you intend to race me in that?"


    "Actually, Ms. Williams," Joshua said, "I invited you here today because I wanted to see your ''Dawnlight''."


    Dawnlight was Aurora''s legendary custom race car, a machine of superior performance that had


    carried her to countless victorien et


    Someone had once offered a billion dors for it, but she had refused. She didn''t need the money, and she would never sell her favorite car.


    Aurora rarely drove Dawnlight


    except for officialpetitions. The car she had brought today was not it. The racetrack they were at was her private facility, part of The Williams Group''s portfolio, and her a dedicated


    cars were kept in by a team of


    garage


    specialists. A request to see


    Dawnlight wasn''t entirely out of line.


    After a moment, Aurora nodded. "Very well. Follow me."


    Her private garage was only a ten-minute drive away. Inside, Joshua gazed at Dawnlight with admiration. "Ms. Williams, I''m a big fan of this car Would it be okay i if I took it for a drive


    Aurora''s expression stiffened. "A drive?"


    For a race car driver, their car was an extension of themselves. It was an unspoken rule that you didn''t let others touch it, let alone drive it.


    "It''s every racing enthusiast''s dream to drive Dawnlight," Joshua said smoothly. "If


    you would be willing to grant me this one dream, I would be incredibly grateful."