18 Trackside Truths and a Rival’s Allure
ra’s POV
The grandstand vibrated with the roars of the engines and the crowd’s excitement as ra made her way through a sea of enthusiastic spectators. She scanned the bustling arena, trying to spot Ethan among the racers preparing at the starting line.
“Come on!” Ethan waved enthusiastically from the front row of the spectator section. His earlier racing suit was gone, reced by casual jeans and a t–shirt. “You won’t be able to see anything from back there!”
Confusion crossed ra’s face. “I thought you were racing?”
Ethanughed, shaking his head. “My heat finished twenty minutes ago. I ced third!” His eyes gleamed with pride. “The main event is about to start. Vixen’s racing tonight!”
“Vixen?” ra asked, settling reluctantly into the seat beside him.
“Only the best female driver on the amateur circuit,” Ethan replied, his voice filled with admiration. “She’s incredible–fearless, precise,pletely untouchable on the track.”
ra checked her watch. “Ethan, your mother sent me to bring you home. We really
should-”
“Just one more race!” Ethan pleaded, his expression so earnest that ra was reminded of Cora when she begged for five more minutes of ytime. “You can’t leave without seeing Vixen race. It’s like watching magic happen.”
A collective hush fell over the crowd before erupting into thunderous apuse. ra
turned toward the source of themotion.
A woman in a striking red racing suit strutted toward her vehicle. Her helmet was tucked under her arm<b>, </b>revealing a cascade of dark hair that caught the stadium lights. Her movements were deliberate, confident–almost predatory. She acknowledged the crowd with a casual wave that somehow managed to seem both dismissive and
appreciative.
“There she is!” Ethan practically bounced in his seat. “Isn’t she amazing? Look at that
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18 Trackside Truths and a Rival’s Allure
swagger!”
ra’s stomach twisted with hunger pangs. She’d skipped dinner to rush to the speedway on Victoria’s orders. “I can barely see her from here.”
“Here,” Ethan thrust a pair of binocrs into her hands. “You have to see her up close.”
Sighing, ra raised the binocrs to her eyes and adjusted the focus. The woman’s face came into sharp rity, and ra’s breath caught in her throat.
Vivienne Dubois.
Her half–sister’s piercing eyes swept the crowd with cool detachment. Her perfectly sculpted features were set in an expression of confident determination. The red racing suit clung to her curves like a second skin, making her look both dangerous and alluring.
“She’s unbelievable,” Ethan continued, oblivious to ra’s shock. “Always so focused, like nothing else in the world matters but the race.”
ra couldn’t pull her gaze away. In all the years she’d known about Vivienne, she’d never seen this side of her rival–this raw, unapologetic power that radiated from her every movement. It was mesmerizing, even to ra.
“She’s going for her fifth straight win tonight,” Ethan exined enthusiastically. “Nobody’s been able to touch her since she startedpeting six months ago.”
ra lowered the binocrs slightly. “Six months ago…” she murmured. That aligned perfectly with when Damien had be even more distant.
On impulse, she panned the binocrs across the VIP section. It didn’t take long to find what she was looking for–Damien Thorne, standing tall and imposing in an expertly tailored suit, his eyes fixed on Vivienne’s every move.
The intensity of his gaze made ra’s chest ache. In seven years of marriage, he had never once looked at her with such raw admiration.
She adjusted the focus again, taking in more details. Beside Damien stood Cora, bouncing with excitement as she waved a small red g. The entire group of Damien’s friends surrounded them–all here to support Vivienne.
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18 Trackside Truths and a Rival’s Allure
“Vixen’s going to crush it tonight, Ethan said, nudging ra with his elbow. “The track conditions are perfect for her driving style.”
ra lowered the binocrs, her fingers trembling slightly. “How often does she race
here?”
“Every other weekend,” Ethan replied. “Though the rumor is she’s going pro soon. Too
talented to stay amateur.”
The announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers, introducing the racers. When Vivienne’s name was called, the crowd erupted. ra watched as Vivienne raised her helmet above her head in acknowledgment, soaking in the adoration like it was her birthright.
ra nced back toward Damien. His expression had softened into something she had never seen before–pride mixed with something deeper, more intimate. Beside him, Cora jumped up and down, calling out a name that was lost in the roar of the
crowd.
“Her performance stats are insane,” Ethan continued, pulling ra from her
observations. “She’s got the fastest reaction time on the circuit. Watch how she takes the first turn–it’s masterful.”
The engines roared to life, drowning out any possibility of conversation. Vivienne slid into her car with practiced grace, her movements fluid and confident. She pulled on her helmet, adjusted her mirrors, and settled into position.
The starting lights shed, counting down from red to green. The cars shot forward, a
blur of color and sound.
Ethan grabbed ra’s arm. “Quick! Use the binocrs! You’ll miss it!”
Almost against her will, ra raised the binocrs again. Vivienne’s car–a sleek red machine as bold as its driver–was already positioned perfectly for the first turn.
“Watch this!” Ethan shouted over the engines‘ roar.
As the pack of cars approached the first sharp curve, Vivienne made her move. While others slowed or took the safer outside route, she dove toward the inside line, Her timing was impable, her control absolute. The car drifted through the turn with
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18 Trackside Truths and a Rival’s Allure
mere inches to spare, overtaking twopetitors in one smooth motion.
The crowd went wild. ra couldn’t help but gasp.
“Did you see that?” Ethan shouted, his face lit with excitement. “That’s why they call her Vixen! Fearless and cunning!”
ra kept the binocrs trained on Vivienne’s car as it elerated out of the turn, already hunting down the nextpetitor. There was something hypnotic about watching her drive–the perfect bnce of calcted risk and technical skill.
Panning back to the VIP section, ra found Damien again. His eyes never left Vivienne’s car, his expression a mixture of tension and pride. When she executed another daring pass, his lips curved into a smile that reached his eyes–a genuine reaction that ra had rarely witnessed.
Cora jumped with excitement, clutching Damien’s hand. They looked like a perfect father–daughter pair, sharing in the joy of watching someone they both clearly adored.
The race continued, Vivienne steadily working her way forward through the pack. Each move was more impressive than thest–threading impossible needles, anticipating herpetitors‘ actions before they made them.
“She’s going to do it again!” Ethan shouted, grabbing ra’s arm in excitement. “Five in
a row!”
As Vivienne crossed the finish line in first ce, the crowd erupted. ra watched through the binocrs as Vivienne pulled off her helmet, dark hair spilling free. Her face was flushed with victory, eyes bright with adrenaline, lips curved into a knowing smile that seemed to say she’d never doubted the oue for a second.
The cameras captured her triumphant expression on the giant screens around the track. ra lowered her binocrs slowly, staring at Vivienne’s magnified face.
In that moment, watching both Vivienne’s undeniable skill and Damien’s transfixed admiration, something shifted inside ra. A piece of understanding slotted into ce -painful but rifying.
Suddenly, she understood why Damien was infatuated with Vivienne. It made perfect
sense.
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18 Trackside Truths and a Rival’s Allure
This wasn’t just about beauty or charm. Vivienne possessed something far more powerful–a maic confidence, a fearless approach to life that demanded attention. On the track, she was glory personified, taking risks that others wouldn’t dare and making them look effortless.
ra turned to look at Ethan, who was still cheering wildly. Even Damien’s brother had fallen under Vivienne’s spell without knowing her true identity.
“Ready to go now?” she asked quietly, her.voice nearly lost in the continuing roar of the
crowd.
Ethan turned to her, his face flushed with excitement. “Are you kidding? That was incredible! Did you see how she-”
“I saw,” ra interrupted gently. “But we should really head back before your mother sends out a search party.”
The mention of Victoria dimmed Ethan’s enthusiasm slightly. He nodded, though his eyes lingered on the track where Vivienne was now epting a trophy, her smile dazzling under the stadium lights.
As they made their way toward the exit, ra took onest look at the VIP section. Damien was making his way down to the winner’s circle, Cora’s hand firmly in his. They were going to celebrate with Vivienne, as a family.
The family that ra had once desperately hoped to build with Damien, but never
could.
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