The engines of all the cars rumbled, with some revving excitedly as they awaited the signal. Soon, the overhead lights began to blink from red to orange, and the drivers increased their revs in anticipation, eagerly waiting for the light to turn green.


    However, Hera kept her revving calm, giving the engine just a couple of gentle bursts to warm it up.


    She intentionally avoided the incessant noise that the others created, choosing instead to project a sense of control.


    Her understated approach was both intimidating andposed, a stark contrast to the impatient eagerness radiating from the other participants.


    Before the light turned green, Hera nced to her right and noticed Milly with her window down and helmet raised, staring directly at her.


    Milly then defiantly raised her hand and shed Hera the middle finger.


    Just then, as if on cue, the signal light shifted to green. The cars in the front row surged forward, clearing the path, while the second row followed suit, creating a wave of roaring engines as they elerated away.


    Milly and the others in Hera’s row took off, leaving her behind in a cloud of dust. Hera let out a heartyugh, her eyes following Milly’s car as it sped away.


    But as theughter faded, her expression shifted—her yful eyes sharpened, suddenly fierce, like a lion stirred from its slumber.


    Then, with calm precision, Hera shifted gears and pressed down on the gas. Her focus was unwavering, eyes locked straight ahead on the road, every movement deliberate and controlled.


    The national team couldn’t help butugh when they saw Hera being left behind, dismissing her as no realpetition. They exchanged smug nces, confident she wouldn’t be a threat.


    Milly’s brother smirked as he nced at his rearview mirror, thinking, <i>’I knew it. She doesn’t even know how to handle the car. She’s just trying to impress Dave. Such a pretentious woman.’</i> His confidence surged, convinced Hera was no real threat on the track.


    "What a clown!"


    "Ha! She doesn’t even know how to start the car!"


    "That’s why she should’ve done a test run or let Dave exin the controls before pretending to know what she’s doing!"


    They had barely gained a few meters on Hera when, with a determined bite of her lower lip, her tires screeched violently against the asphalt.


    The front tires held firm, but the rear ones spun furiously, creating a cloud of smoke and leaving dark tire marks.


    Then, with a swift gear shift, Hera’s car shot forward like an arrow unleashed from a bow.


    "Whoa! D-did you see that?" the sickly guy stammered in disbelief, nearly shouting as he stared at the monitor. Hera’s car hadunched forward like an arrow shot from a bow, leaving him in awe.


    The man sitting beside him, however, remained quiet, his gaze fixed on the monitor, lost in deep contemtion.


    Hera’s eyes quickly scanned the cars ahead, searching for an opening to overtake the one deliberately blocking her path.


    Every time she shifted to the right, the car in front mirrored her move, cutting off her escape and leaving barely enough space.


    If she tried to force her way through, she risked pancaking her car between the fence and the opponent’s vehicle.


    Approaching the curve, her options narrowed—she either had to brake to reduce speed or risk a dangerous head-on collision with the track’s railings.


    Hera could now see just how far they were willing to go to push her aside, and it only fueled her resolve.


    Her eyes narrowed in focus as she realized there was no time left for games. With just twops and only a few kilometers before the finish line, she decided she wouldn’t hold back anymore.


    There was no more room for restraint; it was time to make her move.


    Hera deftly maneuvered her car to the left in anticipation of the approaching curve.


    Rather than easing off the gas to drift and brake as one might expect, she chose an audacious strategy: she elerated onto the grass.


    This bold move startled the national team driver who was obstructing her, catching him off guard as he realized she was not willing to yield her position easily.


    He thought Hera got mad because he was bullying her and decided to ram the nose of his car on the next curve that might either throw his car rolling or veering off course before crashing into the rails, either way, it would only mean an ident for him or both of them —an uneptable oue, especially with the national team gearing up for an uing national grand prix selection before heading to the international stage.


    He gritted his teeth as he began to drift through the curve, maintaining a cautious distance from the inner edge.


    Seizing the opportunity, Hera expertly maneuvered past him, drifting smoothly into the innerne. As soon as she cleared the curve, she stepped on the gas, elerating away and leaving him behind her trail.


    As they approached a tight 180-degree turn, Hera found herself sandwiched between two members of the national team.


    They were determined not to let her pass, underestimating her skills and assuming that her earlier maneuver had been mere luck.


    They believed that her bold move, while impressive,cked the technical finesse required to sustain it.


    As a beginner, they were convinced that she wouldn’t be able to pull it off and had merely panicked during her earlier attempt, nearly grazing the front of their teammate’s car.


    With this assumption, they chose to sandwich her between them, effectively blocking any opportunity for her to make a move.