?Chapter 258:


    She acknowledged Dn’s appeal, but romance was thest thing on her mind.


    Ralphy kept his gaze locked on her, wine ss dangling from his hand. His careful observation found nothing but honesty in her demeanor. Actually, it seemed pretty fitting that someone as remarkable as Christina wasn’t swooning over Dn. Beyond her sharpshooting reputation, she’d managed to beat Dn twice when she yed as Rose. And the chances were that she was the legendary racer known as Skybreaker.


    In Ralphy’s eyes, only a woman with Christina’s grit could match up to Dn. Concerned that Dn’sck of emotional finesse might ruin his chances, he figured he should step in to y wingman. With a tilt of his head, he said, “Ever thought about giving Dn a chance? I’ve known him forever. He mighte off cold, but he’s the real deal. If he’s with you, he’s with you. Betrayal isn’t his style.”


    The way Ralphy emphasized “betrayal” made it clear he thought Christina should leave her ex in the past. When it came to loyalty, Brendon didn’t hold a candle to Dn, not even close.


    Slowly, Christina began swirling her wine, a mischievous glint flickering in her eyes. Instead of answering directly, she joked, “With all the gossip about you and your string of dates, why not hook Dn up with a few?”


    Ralphy threw his head back and said, “Oh, please! Those women only want my money or a free ride. No way Dn would go for any of them. He wouldn’t even consider it. He…”


    The words caught in his throat as realization set in. After a beat, he gave Christina a wary look. “Wait—you don’t think Dn and I are both yboys, and he just excels at hiding his yer side, do you?”


    Rather than reply, Christina just swirled her wine and let a sly, unreadable smile do all the talking.


    Ralphy caught the look on Christina’s face, frantically waving his hands as he tried to clear the air. “You’ve got it all wrong! Dn’s nothing like me. He’s never even been on a date. People are even starting to whisper that he doesn’t like women at all.”


    g?lnσν????s, the heart of storytelling


    A teasing grin spread across Christina’s face as she shot back, “You two are so tight. Maybe you are…” She trailed off, arching a brow and giving Ralphy a look loaded with mischief.


    “Absolutely not!” Ralphy yelled, pulling his brows together in protest. “It’s not what you think. We’re just friends. That’s it!”


    “Is that so?” Christina asked,ughter bubbling up as she watched him squirm.


    “I swear I’m telling you the truth!” Ralphy hastily said, every syble desperate for her trust. His insides churned with regret. His efforts in pumping up Dn’s image had backfired spectacrly. Digging a deeper hole with each word, he realized he’d made things worse. Could he possibly mess this up any more? There was a pleading note in his voice. “Please, you have to trust me. Dn isn’t into men, and neither am I…”


    Christina couldn’t help it—she burst intoughter, shaking her head. “Calm down, I’m just teasing you.”


    Relief washed over Ralphy, and he wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead. “You almost sent me into cardiac arrest,” he stated, feeling lucky he hadn’tpletely ruined things for Dn.


    Staring at Christina, he asked, “So, you believe Dn’s a stand-up guy, right?”


    A shrug was all she gave. “You are thepany you keep.”


    “Huh?” Ralphy stared, momentarily confused. Was she saying she didn’t think Dn was a nice guy? Kicking himself inside, he realized his own reputation might be casting a shadow over Dn’s.


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