<b>Chapter </b>281
Xylia stopped going to the office.
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She needed to focus on the uing designpetition, so Josie suggested she stay home and concentrate on her drawings. Now that thepany was running smoothly, as the boss, Xylia could ck off for a <b>few </b>days.
Xylia was grateful to Josie, and figured she should carve out some time to adjust the equity split and give Josie a bigger share.
She spent several days just holed up in her apa
Joshua was right there with her the whole time.
They’d been practically glued together for two months now, and honestly, neither of them seemed even a little bit tired of it.
The afternoon sun nted through the floor–to–ceiling windows, bathing Xylia in a golden outline as she worked at her drawing board.
Joshua stepped into the patch of sunlight, moving quietly. His gaze lingered on the fluffy back of Xylia’s head before drifting to the dress that had already taken shape on her sketchpad.
Xylia had just wrapped up thest strokes and was staring hard at the design, her face shadowed with dissatisfaction.
She’d been working at it so long, but aside from a nagging sense that something felt off, she couldn’t spot any real problem.
She slumped a little, feeling deted.
Joshua’s voice suddenly piped up behind her, easy–going as ever. “How about we go out for a bit? Clear your head–you might just spot whatever’s bugging you when we get back.”
Xylia turned to face him. “Did you notice anything off?”
‘I didn’t even say there was a problem, but he just somehow knew. He must’ve noticed something! Xylia thought to herself.
But Joshua kept his secrets, only grinning and reaching out to gently ruffle her hair. “So, want to chill at home, or head out for a little adventure?”
Xylia’s shoulders were aching from hunching over her work.
She mulled it over for a moment, then decided to go out.
Being stuck in the apartment all day just wasn’t cutting it.
Suddenly, Hudson’s race track popped into her mind. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Joshua.
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“Can you race?” she asked.
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55 vouchers
Joshua arched a brow, amusement flickering in his eyes.
Two hourster, they showed up at Hudson’s racing club.
Hudson came out in person to greet Xylia, but when he caught sight of Joshua, his look was tinged with yful disdain.
“Why are you always tagging along behind my sister like her personal shadow?” Hudson joked.
Joshua was not only unashamed by Hudson’s teasing–he actually looked downright proud.
Hezily draped his arm over Xylia’s shoulders, boldly unting their couple vibe so much that Hudson instinctively kept his distance.
“Hey, sticking close to my wife isn’t anything to be embarrassed about. If you’re jealous, go find one for yourself to follow around,” Joshua quipped.
Hudson’s scowl just kept deepening, his fists bunching so tight you’d think he was about to pop a vein.
Honestly, it took everything in him not to just sock Joshua right then and there.
Hudson shot Xylia a stiff sideways nce. “Sis, seriously–he’s only still standing because you’re here.”
Xylia burst outughing; watching Joshua mess with her brothers was aedy show all on its own.
Xylia had been to the club before and had even helped out with the pit crew’s race strategy, so everyone in the club was pretty chummy with her.
“Hey, sis! Perfect timing–there’s a big race today. Come on in and watch!” someone shouted.
Xylia and Joshua headed into the track together.
Hudson’s club was massive, with a racetrack winding dramatically around the mountains. Giant screens sted live footage as the cars ripped through the circuit, engines screaming at full throttle.
The stands were packed to the brim, the audience going absolutely wild–shouts and cheers filled the air, everyone losing their voices in the excitement and pure speed happening on the track.
For a split second, Xylia found herself drawn right into the action, adrenaline surging and her heart thumping -she almost forgot all her worries.
She turned to Hudson, about to say something.
But Hudson shut her down before she could get a word out. “No way. Don’t even think about it.”
His tone was strict, and Xylia just pouted–she hadn’t even said anything yet!
“I know exactly what you’re nning, but you’ve only just recovered. You’re not cleared to race,” Hudson said, making it clear he wasn’t going to budge.
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#yum
He purposely turned his head so he wouldn’t have to look at her pleading eyes–he knew if she gave him <b>that </b>innocent look, he might just cave and let her race.
If anything happened to Xylia, he knew their parents would probablye back from the dead just to kick his ass<b>. </b>
Joshua pointed at a sleek sports car parked on the track and asked Hudson, “Is that your car?”
Hudson nced over where Joshua was pointing–there it was, his race car, decked out in a slick ck–and- gold paint job, sitting confidently at the starting line. The smooth, streamlined body made it look seriously cool.
He nodded with unmistakable pride. “Yep, that’s my pride and joy.”
Joshua nodded, asserting himself with unshakable confidence.
“Alright, this one’s mine–let me drive. I’ll race on your behalf,” he dered.
Hudson hesitated, reluctant to hand over his beloved car. But when he caught the sparkle in Xylia’s eyes, he gave in and handed Joshua the keys.
“Just make sure you treat her right,” Hudson warned, unable to hide how much the car meant to him.
“Rx, I’ve got this,” Joshua replied with a confident grin.
Joshua and Xylia hopped into the car, and as soon as she got her seatbelt on, Joshua floored it—the car sted ahead, tearing down the track in a burst of adrenaline.
That long–lost jolt of excitement surged through Xylia, washing away all the gloom she’d been carrying.
Joshua’s racing skills were absolutely elite–every sharp turn, every burst of speed, he handled with effortless finesse. The ck–and–gold machine tore across the road, leaving only a streak of color in its wake.
Hudson watched his car tearing up the track on the big screen, a wave of pride washing over him.
“Hudson, your brother–inw-” one of his teammates started.
The moment Hudson heard the word “brother–inw,” he shot the guy a cold, sharp look.
The teammate quickly backpedaled, changing his tune.
“Mr. Garcia! I mean, Mr. Garcia! I’ve never seen him on the track before, but damn, his skills are top–notch. If we could get him on our team, we’d be unstoppable!”
“Yeah,e on Hudson–if you asked, I bet Joshua would say yes, right?” one of the guys egged him on.
As soon as someone brought it up, the rest of the crew joined in, all hyping Hudson up.
Hudson just frowned, knowing they were all nervous about the big race overseas next month.
“You guys are the onespeting,” he said, “So do it on your own strength. Put your heads down and train
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hard.”
It was obvious–he wasn’t nning to drag Joshua into this.
The guys all knew how stubborn Hudson could be–once he made up his mind, there was no changing it. So they dropped the subject.
One by one, the cars rolled up to the finish line. Joshua and Xylia came in second, the car gliding in with a wless, drifting stop.
That stunt sent a wave of wild apuse crashing through the stands.
You’ve got to hand it to him–this was only a practice run, and Joshua started deadst, a full minute after the slowest car. But somehow, he crossed the line before anyone else.
Right as everyone expected the camera to focus on the door of the ck–and–gold sports car, the shot abruptly panned elsewhere.
From the stands, nobody could spot Joshua or Xylia anywhere.
A woman stepped out of the car that finished first and walked straight over just as Joshua and Xylia’s car came
to a stop.
She locked eyes with Joshua, her red lips curving into an enticing smile..
“Never seen anyone like you on this track before. Nice driving,” she said, her tone both admiring and <i>a </i>bit.petitive.
In her eyes flickered a mix of appreciation and possessiveness.
Xylia frowned, a hint of displeasure flickering in her eyes.
Joshua gave the woman the cold shoulder, taking Xylia’s hand and leading her away without a second thought. The woman’s face fell the moment she realized they were holding hands–wait, they were actually together?
‘Did I seriously just flirt with him right in front of his girlfriend?‘ the woman thought, instantly mortified and wishing she could disappear.
She gritted her teeth–this was hands down the most embarrassing thing she’d ever experienced.
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