The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 651

Before the race, Jonah had gone out of his way-pulling strings and spending a small fortune to hire a coach from the Skysunder Ridge Circuit, someone with serious international credentials and a reputation that made even money an unreliable guarantee of their time.

Just a few days earlier, the coach had spent several sessions running lap after lap with Jonah on the Ridge, outlining every nuance of the course-how to handle the trickiest turns, time-saving shortcuts, and the art of drifting through the hairpins. Every critical detail was drilled into him.

By now, Jonah knew the track inside out. He could push the speed just a notch and still keep things under control—a feat that, on this treacherous course, would already be tough for most professional drivers to match.

It had been raining steadily. The mountain road was slick, and every so often, a rock would tumble from the slopes, ramping up the danger by several degrees.

An hour slipped by. Jonah had left Wade far behind.

Despite the brutal weather and the ever-present risk of spinning out, Jonah seemed unfazed. Each drift was so precise it looked almost effortless, as if he'd anticipated every patch of slick pavement.

Minutes later, Jonah shot across the finish line, alone.

Wade was still somewhere on the course. Anxious but determined, he kept his cool, constantly scanning the road and the stormy sky-he knew a single mistake could mean disaster on these twisting cliffs.

He didn't push for speed. By the time he crested the summit and crossed the finish, Jonah had already been waiting twenty minutes.

result was clear. Wade had lost, but his

the end,

who'd been basking in victory just moments before, watched as Wade's car

car in disbelief, not quite accepting

Monica's eyes swept over him from head to toe, checking for any sign of injury Only when she saw he was

loud. "Thank God. You've got

surged forward to

a forceful grin. “I told you,

really pulled it off-impressive,

shook his head,

1.n

you crashed. Didn't expect you to keep your cool

him, Wade felt a satisfaction deeper than any

Citrine stepped forward. She hesitated for a second, searching for words,

to resist, he reached out to