"Full throttle, left turn."Right three. Downhill coming up, ease off the gas!" Theodore said.Elara had tried to memorize as much of the off-road course as possible through the route book, but there was no time to think at this speed.At this moment, Theodore was her brain.His commands were sharp and precise. Mount Clockwork's complex terrain had unfolded like a 3D model in his mind.Like a grandmaster surveying the chessboard, he guided Elara through every twist and turn."Harvey! Go for it!" Niamh noticed Harvey picking up speed and shouted in excitement.She had long forgotten where she had thrown the co-driver's route book. At this point, she was just along for the ride.Harvey didn't need a co-driver anyway. He only trusted his own judgment.He had personally helped design and plan the Mount Clockwork racecourse, so he knew every treacherous turn better than anyone.Black Hole raced alongside the other competitors in the second pack, while Corona had already left them
Theodore mentally mapped out the entire off-road track once again. A smirk played at the corners of his lips, and there was a flash of amusement in his eyes."The road ahead is clear. Luna, floor it!"Corona, still racing at full speed in complete darkness without headlights, surged forward. Elara trusted Theodore completely, and at last, they broke through the blackness and caught sight of the light.The roaring engines grew louder as the race cars approached. Spectators at the finish line craned their necks, anticipation thick in the air.After entering the blackout zone, the large screen behind the grandstands had also gone dark. It left everyone in suspense—no one knew which car would be the first to emerge from the darkness and hit the final stretch.Beau stood on the railing. His tiny frame was bracing against the cold wind as his wide eyes fixed on the distance.Suddenly, a sleek black race car burst into view. The massive screen flickered back to life, and the crowd erupt
When Corona crossed the finish line, Elara remained in a daze.Her hands still gripped the steering wheel, and she struggled to process what had just happened for a moment."Luna! You won!"Elara turned her head in a daze. Her gaze landed on Theodore, who had removed his helmet.His sharp, fox-like eyes gleamed with a triumphant light, and his smile was dazzling like scattered stars.He reached out, gently removing Elara's helmet. As he lifted it away, her dark, silky hair cascaded down like a waterfall.Elara tried to steady her breathing, her chest rising and falling from the intensity of the race. She looked up, meeting Theodore's gaze—his jewel-toned eyes reflected only her."Luna, welcome back!" She was a treasure in Theodore's eyes."You've always been the champion in my heart!" His tone was firm and unwavering.He was still high from the adrenaline rush, and his chest heaving. Even the temperature in the car was steadily rising.Elara studied him seriously and asked, "
Beau, who was raised under the careful guidance of the Fisher family, had seen plenty of powerful figures and grand occasions. Yet, as he stood by Corona's door to greet Luna, his heart pounded with nervous excitement.However, the person inside the car remained silent."Luna?" Beau called out as he stood on tiptoe, craning his neck curiously to peek inside.Niamh stepped out of her car and immediately felt a sense of crisis upon seeing both father and son standing by Corona's door.She strode over. "Luna, right? I've heard so much about you. I also ride heavy motorcycles. How about a one-on-one race? Let's see what you've got."Harvey had lost to Luna, so Niamh wanted to win back some dignity for him. She knew Luna was a professional race car driver, and she had heard that Luna also rode motorcycles.Yet in Niamh's mind, Luna's skills on a bike couldn't possibly be at a professional level.Plus, considering how much stamina Luna had burned during the off-road tournament, Niamh
Beau's voice barely registered in the chaos, but Niamh scoffed dismissively. Harvey didn't take his son's words seriously either.Beau stared at Luna's back, blinking in disbelief. This had to be a mistake! Confusing Luna with his attention-seeking mother? That was an insult to Luna!As soon as Niamh announced her challenge, a group of young elites crowded around Luna, each eager to offer their own bike."Luna, ride mine!""Luna, take my bike!"Elara recognized every single one of them. If she removed her helmet, their enthusiasm would evaporate in an instant.These guys were a part of Niamh's closest circle. When Elara returned to the Jones family at 18, they had all been openly hostile toward her.Later, they should have at least shown her some basic respect for his sake when she married Harvey. But Harvey's attitude toward her had set the tone—if he didn't care, neither did they.Niamh then rolled out her prized motorcycle, her fingers tightening around the handlebars. Watch
So much for the so-called number one female racer in Eucon—Luna was nothing special after all.Tonight, Niamh was determined to defeat Luna. Tomorrow, she would be the one making headlines!The first turn was approaching fast.Then, a sleek black motorcycle shot past Niamh with ease, leaving her in the dust.Niamh was stunned. How had Luna overtaken her in an instant?She cranked the throttle, pushing her bike to its limit in an attempt to catch up. But with each sharp turn, the gap between them only widened!"Holy shit! Luna didn't even slow down for the corners!""Unreal! This is her first time on this track—she didn't even warm up!""That's the skill of Eucon's top female racer! She's absolutely terrifying!"Niamh gritted her teeth so hard she thought they might crack. There was no way she could catch up to Elara on her own.She needed help.Just then, a plastic water bottle suddenly came flying through the air from the spectator stands, landing directly on the track.Ev
Niamh had been riding motorcycles for years, but for the first time, she truly understood what it meant to be powerless—what it meant to be utterly left in the dust.She and Luna weren't even in the same league. This was a one-sided demolition as Luna had utterly crushed her.Beau had been staring at Luna for so long that he only just now noticed Niamh lagging behind. He crossed his arms and puffed up his cheeks in dissatisfaction."Niamh is so slow! She's crawling like a turtle!"Harvey sat in his chair, still wearing his thick racing suit. The front was unzipped to reveal his solid, heaving chest as he caught his breath.His deep, knowing gaze remained locked on Luna. No one had ever held his attention like this before. Maybe this was the allure of extreme sports—the kind of thrill that made it impossible to look away.Elara had finished her third lap first, pulling up at the finish line before flashing Theodore a quick signal. Theodore immediately gestured to the event staff.
Harvey had always done things his way—everyone else had to play by his rules."I want the Black Hole, the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, and the Aston Martin Valkyrie."Elara spoke in Melcinian as she listed the three cars she wanted. These were the most expensive cars in Harvey's garage.The sharp glint in Harvey's eyes turned icy cold in an instant, as if he were trying to see through the helmet covering Elara's face."How do you know I have the La Voiture Noire and the Valkyrie in my garage?"His presence was so overwhelming that most people would have been trembling under his glare. But Elara had lived with him for years—his oppressive aura had long since lost its effect on her."A man capable of building a car like Black Hole must be a true car enthusiast. It wasn't hard to guess that these two high-performance hypercars would be in your collection. Mr. Fisher, are you willing to part with them?"Luna's explanation sounded reasonable—as a professional racer, she could easily ded
Leonard's eyelid twitched. His lower vantage point from the wheelchair gave him a clear view of Theodore hiding under the bed the moment he moved away.Their eyes met. The man sprawled beneath the mattress even had the audacity to wave at him.Leonard's expression remained impassive—the kind of unshakable calm he'd maintain even if discovering a naked man under the bed.He watched wordlessly as Theodore pulled out his phone. Moments later, Leonard's device buzzed with incoming messages."Don't misinterpret this, Leo. I was already in Elara's bed before you arrived. Just sparing you the shock."Can't help being faster than you."You mad?"This is our foreplay! Wouldn't expect the elderly to understand Hehe."Leonard closed his eyes, instinctively holding his breath as if he had been assaulted by overwhelming pretentiousness."Mm?" Xavier tilted his head at Leonard's sudden stillness.First, he'd been reluctant to leave; now Leonard was the one refusing to go?"Mr. Fisher, are
Theodore was acting as if he and Elara had been doing something illicit in this hospital room! Calling Theodore out from under the bed now would make the situation even more awkward in front of Leonard!Elara still cared about maintaining some dignity around Leonard—she needed to preserve her respectable image! Thanks to Theodore's antics, she hastily stuffed the abandoned stethoscope under the blankets.Now she genuinely looked like someone hiding an affair.The motorized wheelchair carried Leonard toward her while Fisher bodyguards remained stationed outside. Xavier followed behind, clutching a bouquet of pale pink tulips. His entire face lit up seeing Elara awake.He scampered to the bedside, his pale features blooming with a honey-sweet smile."Xav!"Elara pulled him into a half-hug, making the boy blush furiously. He bowed his head and raised the tulips with both hands."Are these for me?"At Xavier's vigorous nod, she accepted the flowers. "Thank you, Xavier. I love them.
"Elara, is someone with you? Who's there?"Harvey's rapid-fire questions instantly smothered the emotions clogging Elara's chest."Since when do you have jurisdiction over my life?" she countered.Harvey's voice sharpened. "Beau's right here, yet you're with another man? Have you no consideration for his feelings?"Elara rolled her eyes with practiced elegance. "When you draped yourself over your 'bro,' wasn't Beau present too?"Beau piped up, "Does Mommy mean it's her guy-best friend?""There's no such thing as guy-bestfriends!" Harvey exploded, fury erupting like a geyser.A thousand powder kegs detonated in his chest.His mind raced through possibilities—Finnegan's darker complexion ruled him out. That hand caressing Elara's face could only belong to Theodore or Lesley!The angle suggested that the man sat right on her hospital bed. How dare she let another man perch there!When Harvey checked again, the call had ended. His face darkened like smoke billowing from a wildfir
The instant after her warning to Harvey, Beau's voice burst through the phone, his childlike cry rooting Elara to the spot."Mommy!"Harvey angled the camera, bringing Beau's face into view on her screen.The boy had grown alarmingly gaunt overnight. His sunken eye sockets made his dark pupils resemble bottomless voids. He wore only a thin hoodie, and the oversized neckline exposed his sharp collarbones.No Fisher employee would ever allow Beau outside so underdressed in this weather. Red windburn patches mottled his cheeks as he stared wide-eyed at Elara's image. Raw longing flooded his expression.Such was a child's fickle heart—yesterday's resentment was now replaced by desperate need. All he wanted was to bury himself in her arms, recounting every hardship he had endured."Mommy, Daddy and I are at Atkina Church. Grandfather shaved both our heads."He bowed to show his bare scalp. A finger-length scar bisected the right side, and the sight made Elara's left eyelid twitch vio
Holy! Why was Theodore posing like some willing sacrifice? Now Elara had no idea where to place the sensor in her hand.He really was… so very pink!The room's air rapidly stole body heat from exposed skin, raising tiny goosebumps across formerly smooth terrain. It resembled rose petals scattered across vanilla frosting.Harsh fluorescent lighting from above highlighted every contour of his pale, sculpted torso."Ms. Jones, why stop the examination? Did I fail some medical standard?" he asked.The man's face was half-buried in a bundled sweater, and those bedroom eyes were now glazed with faux innocence."Just tell me how much to remove."This was outright cheating! Heat flooded Elara's nose, cheeks, even her vision—until her phone's jarring ringtone shattered the moment. The sensor slipped from her fingers as she scrambled for the device.Harvey's secretary, Cyrus, appeared on the video call. It was understandable since Jones Group maintained business ties with Fisher Corp. So
Elara slept soundly through the night. When she opened her eyes to the sterile white ceiling, her mind blanked for several seconds before she reached up to remove the oxygen mask.Sitting up, she scanned the unfamiliar surroundings—the medical equipment, the zero-gravity hospital bed, the decor that clearly wasn't a hotel. She must have been admitted after losing consciousness.This had to be a VIP suite at a private hospital. Since she and Xavier were rescued together, Leonard likely arranged this room. She began to wonder about Xavier's condition.Her fingers had just closed around the phone on the nightstand when the door swung open. A white-coated doctor entered. His hair was concealed under a surgical cap, his face was masked, and there were amber-tinted glasses perched on his noseHis tall frame moved with an almost wind-swept confidence. Something about him felt... familiar."When did you regain consciousness?"The muffled voice made her ears tingle. It was recognizable ye
When Zachary entered his study, he discovered the desk already covered with matchmaking resumes. A headache immediately pulsed behind his temples.There was no need to guess—this was undoubtedly Leonard's doing. His younger brother always acted more than he spoke. Wiping cold sweat from his forehead, Zachary abruptly ended the call.Meanwhile, Harvey and Ethel took nearly four hours to reach the summit, with frequent stops when Ethel's stamina failed. During the final 500 yards, Ethel needed oxygen after every step.When Atkina Church's grand architecture finally appeared before them, Ethel collapsed to the ground, wailing uncontrollably.Zachary awaited them inside the church. As Harvey entered the sanctuary, he stated coldly, "Leonard ordered me to perform your tonsure personally."The father bears the child's sins—with no mother to guide Beau, you must take full responsibility. From now on, no more incidents!"Harvey remained silent. He knelt stiffly on the prayer cushion at Z
"In a few years, when he's more mature, we'll arrange for top psychologists. So long as he wants to, he'll regain his voice!"Thomas's heavy gaze shifted from Beau to Harvey, the weight of his scrutiny pressing down on Harvey like a physical force. He then let out a drawn-out sigh.Harvey's heart plunged into an abyss when he heard it. His face paled as inexplicable dread gripped him.Though barely younger than Leonard, Harvey had been designated the Fisher heir shortly after birth. When Leonard's extraordinary intellect attracted attention from Capitol scholars, Thomas allowed him to pursue academia instead.It was more so due to indulgence on Thomas' part. After all, Fisher Corp would have Harvey.Now, Thomas' regret hung thick in the air. Harvey recognized that disappointed look. It was directed at him, and doubly so at Beau.How had things deteriorated so badly?Life had become chaotic since divorcing Elara. She'd never let parenting concerns burden him before. Only now did
Leonard's words struck everyone's ears like thunder. Thomas' expression finally shifted."You!" Harvey started to protest, but Zachary cut him off sharply."Enough! The father bears responsibility for the child's misdeeds. Beau ordering the auditorium arson has already caused irreparable damage!"Zachary snapped impatiently, "You three, pack your things immediately. I'm sending a car to take you to the mountain base tonight."Ethel cried out, "Can't we wait until morning? Why this midnight rush to the foothills?""Do you really want to perform the Penitent's Ascent up Atkina Church at dawn, with crowds of pilgrims watching?" Zachary retorted."In this digital age, the moment you begin your atonement climb, someone will film and post it online! You may not care about dignity, but I do!"After decades of marital harmony, Zachary had never shouted at Ethel like this.Though prone to petty tantrums, Ethel had always enjoyed Zachary's indulgence—until now. His outburst fueled her in