Betty’s sidepsed into silence, a quiet moment that was honored by the other party.


    Meanwhile, Dave took the opportunity to lead Hera back to the VIP room, recognizing that lingering in the middle of the racetrack felt a bit foolish.


    Hera didn’t object; she was beginning to feel parched as well, and the idea of resting in a morefortable setting was wee.


    The other young masters trailed behind Dave and Hera, while the coach and manager, further back, opted to return as well. They figured it would be more conducive to sit and converse with Betty in a quieter environment.


    Before long, they all reached the VIP room, where Dave settled Hera onto the plush couch.


    He retrieved a bottle of cold water, expertly opening the cap for her. After she took a few sips, he gently took the bottle from her, causing Hera to look up at him with a puzzled expression and raised eyebrows.


    "You can’t drink too much cold water; it’s not good for your health," Dave advised, leaning closer to Hera and whispering,


    "Or you’ll end up like my mom, who always gets stomach cramps during her period." He straightened up, leaning back against the sofa with a smirk before taking a swig from the same bottle Hera had just used.


    Hera didn’t feel shy at all when she heard Dave speak like that. In this day and age, men were bing increasingly aware of women’s struggles, including issues like period cramps and pregnancy. Instead of feeling embarrassed, she felt a sense of admiration for him.


    His willingness to discuss such matters revealed how much he cared for his mother, taking the time to understand her condition and wanting to spare Hera from experiencing the same difort.


    In a way, Dave’sments were his way of expressing care and a desire to protect Hera in any way he could.


    He showed no hesitation or embarrassment in bringing it up, unlike many other men who often dismissed such matters as unworthy of concern.


    They might feel disgusted at the sight of a bloodstain on a woman’s clothing or bedsheets, despite understanding that these urrences are a normal part of a woman’s life and biology.


    Sometimes, she couldn’t help but harbor resentment toward men like that—those who only seemed to appreciate a woman’s body without any understanding of her struggles.


    Hera had vowed to herself to steer clear of such men. In fact, she had always assumed that the male leads would fit this stereotype, so she was genuinely surprised to hear Dave speak with such care instead of disgust.


    On the opposite side of the room, the young masters observed Hera and Dave’s intimate interaction, quickly concluding that the two were romantically involved.


    Engrossed in their own fulfilling lives, they hadn’t closely followed the entertainment industry and were unaware of the news spreading about Dave, his friends, and Hera.


    The other young masters watched in amazement as Dave interacted with Hera so naturally.


    Normally, when girls tried to flirt with him by drinking from the same ss or bottle, he’d recoil in disgust, often opting to break the ss or toss the bottle aside to avoid sharing.


    The thought of drinking from someone else’s ss made him even more repulsed, but here he was, rxed and unbothered.


    But just look at him now—he was happily gulping down water from the very same bottle that Hera had just sipped from, managing to finish everyst drop.


    While everyone was still reeling in amazement, lost in their own thoughts about Dave and Hera, the room erupted withughter when the manager let out a hearty guffaw, drawing everyone’s attention to him. Even the coach wore a broad smile at the scene.


    However, as Hera took in the cheerful atmosphere, unease washed over her, and she felt her expression darken.


    "Thank you so much, Manager Dwane, for understanding our situation!" Hera’s heart raced as the manager’s voice boomed, her brows furrowing in surprise. From the weight of his words, she sensed that Betty had unexpectedly agreed to let her race under the banner of the national team.


    Still simmering with frustration, Hera watched as the manager approached her and handed over his phone. She noticed the call was still connected, with Betty patiently waiting on the other end for Hera to take the call.


    The phone remained on speaker as Hera spoke up. "Hello? This is Hera. Could you please fill me in on the details?"


    "There you are! I had no idea you could race!" Betty eximed, her tone cheerful and genuinely surprised. Hera couldn’t tell if Betty was a fan of car racing or if there was a past connection between Betty and the national team’s manager that influenced her decision to ept the manager’s proposal.


    Ultimately, Hera felt a sense of defeat, as if she had willingly ced her neck on the chopping block.


    Hera remained silent, ignoring Betty’s lighthearted chatter. Sensing her frustration, Betty immediately grew serious and began to exin her reasons for epting the offer.


    "First of all, Hera, the national team’s manager presented a substantial contract offer. We’ll receive half of the prize money, including the signup fee, since you’ll be the ace racer moving forward and will need to support the entire team. This arrangement is fair given the circumstances."


    When Hera still didn’t respond, Betty recognized that with Hera’s support and recalling how wealthy she appeared, money wouldn’t be a concern for her. Hera could even choose to do something for free if she truly wanted to.


    And so, Betty started to list her own considerations as to why she epted the job for Hera. She didn’t want Hera to be angry and eventually use the power of her backing to make her way out of it and turn down the offer without fully understanding Betty’s n.


    After all, Betty was an A-list manager who had worked with numerous top artists and understood the best opportunities to help her artists stand out from the rest.


    "So, here’s why I epted the offer. First, didn’t you mention that I need to keep an eye on the films directed by that award-winning director that would participate in this year’s Oscars? Well, he is indeed set to film a movie, but this time, instead of a historical action piece, he’ll be creating a female-led action film set in a zombie apocalypse."


    "What do you think would be more appealing to a director than having a main female lead who excels at both fighting and racing? There will be numerous scenes where the female lead will perform incredible stunts behind the wheel."


    "With your exceptional driving skills, you might not even need a stunt double, allowing the director to capture close-up shots of you driving, which would expand his filming options."


    "While fighting skills can be learned, mastering the driving maneuvers the director envisions will be challenging. Plus, racing for your country is an honor that will demonstrate to your fans that you’re more than just a pretty face; it could significantly boost your poprity even more than they are now. With this in mind, the film’s director might even invite you personally to be his female lead."