His face twisted into aical, almost duck-like expression, his lips curving upward in a sharp triangle as heughed obnoxiously—almost like ’Hanamichi Sakuragi from <i>m Dunk’</i>.


    With both arms confidently nted on his hips, he looked unbearably smug.


    It just so happened that Hera’s phone, still connected to the live stream, was in Dave’s hand, broadcasting every second of their antics.


    Hera’s fans and other viewers had been watching it all unfold,ughing along with the crew, who—despite their losses—were too entertained to care.


    They all celebrated Hera’s victory, treating her like the queen she was. Michael’s fans fell silent the moment she floored the gas, climbing the ranks and eliminating Michael and his team.


    Now, they stood dumbfounded, watching the big screen that disyed Hera’s record-breaking speed, while her team celebrated in the garage, waiting eagerly for her to pull up beside them.


    If they could, her team would have sprinted to meet Hera on the track, but they waited patiently, faces beaming with pride.


    By now, the entire country knew that Hera was the mysterious Phantom.


    For those who hadn’t yet connected the dots, fans hadpiled race footage of Phantom side by side with Hera’s, proving the undeniable truth.


    Not only did she win by a huge margin, but now everyone knew she would be representing the country in the uing international race.


    The inte buzzed with excitement, and Hera dominated the top ten trending topics.


    Not long after, Betty’s phone began buzzing nonstop, and her eyes curved into delighted crescents.


    Those who had dismissed her and Hera when BMW and the PGA Tour initially withdrew their support were now scrambling to reach out.


    Even those who had turned them away outright were shamelessly calling, and when they couldn’t get through, they sent a flood of messages.


    Betty hadn’t felt this happy even when her actors reached the pinnacle of their careers. Hera’s future in the entertainment industry had now skyrocketed—not only was she representing the country on the international stage, but the overwhelming support pouring in was proving her impact was real.


    Even the locally-made products featuring Hera’s name and image sold outpletely, bringing in huge profits for local vendors.


    Some shop owners were so grateful that they invited Hera and her entire team to dine in their establishments for free.


    Others sent so many gifts and supplies that, even before Hera parked her car in front of the garage, the space was already overflowing with tokens of appreciation.


    ...


    [Athena_Lowery: Ha ha ha! Now, where’s that loudmouth bitch who said this was just a publicity stunt and that Hera would ruin the National Race Team? Is your face hurting yet?]


    [Athena_Lowery: Good thing Hera stepped up and reced the so-called "NRT Ace," or we’d have missed the international stage entirely! Nothing like serving a reality check to sore losers full of hot air!]


    [Athena_Lowery: Losing once wasn’t enough for them? Guess they just loveing back for more, don’t they? Ha ha ha!]


    [HeraIsMySister: That person got pped so hard, they forgot how to make a sound! Or maybe they’re hiding from all the embarrassment after running their mouths. Even the arrogant Michael is probably embarrassed and fuming right now. Ha ha ha!]


    [RealPowerSpeaks: This is what it means to let actions do the talking. Real power doesn’t need empty promises—just win the trophy, set records, and show what you can do! Ha ha ha! I’m actually crying right now, this is so satisfying.]


    [PasserByGod: God, I can’t even say anything. ? л??a?a?a]


    [XOXO: This had meughing out loud! Ha ha ha, I almost forgot about that one person... was it @MyBrotherIsASuperRacer? Hahaha, calling you out! Let’s hear you say what you said before.]


    [XOXO: @MyBrotherIsASuperRacer ?━━o(｀?′o メ）～→]


    [MyBrotherIsASuperRacer: ...]


    [HeraIsLove: @MyBrotherIsASuperRacer Does your face hurt?! ? л??a?a?a]


    [HeraIsLife: @MyBrotherIsASuperRacer Who you said can’t race? (*≧▽≦)??]


    ...


    "Ugh!"


    Crash-


    A loud crash echoed from the neighboring garage as Milly, exasperated, threw her phone after reading the endlessments berating her for everything she’d said about Hera online.


    Her social media was flooded—not just by Hera’s fans but by random people eager to mock her now that Hera had proven herself on national TV.


    Each notification felt like another p in the face, and there was no escaping the bacsh.


    Some even taunted her, hurling insults at her and her brother—some of which were too painful to bear. Her eyes stung as she stared at the ground, fists clenched tightly with her nails digging into her palms.


    She stood alone, with no one tofort her; her brother was off sulking in the garage, and the rest of the team had isted them, their anger barely contained, as if they might spit at them if they could.


    There was nothing more humiliating than this. After everything she’d said onlineparing Hera to her brother and nearly calling her names—Hera’s victory had left her as nothing more than the butt of the joke.


    The moment Hera stepped out of the car, she was met with warm smiles from Leo, Luke, Zhane, Xavier, and Dave.


    Leo, grinning widely, swept her off her feet and spun her into the air. Hera, caught off guard, let out a surprised squeal that quickly turned intoughter as she settled into the unexpected joy of the moment.


    Hera wrapped her arms around Leo’s neck, leaning back and giggling in his embrace.


    "Congrattions, wifey. I knew you could do it," Leo said with a grin, his lips hovering near her neck in a way that felt both yful and tender.


    Luke stepped closer, though he kept some distance as Leo continued to spin Hera gently. "Congrattions, that drift was incredible," he said, a soft smile lighting up his golden eyes. At that moment, he looked almost angelic—like a god even.