#Chapter 34: Toy Car

Aria’s POV The office buzzed with the typical hum of activity—people typing, phones ringing, muted conversations in the background. But none of that noise reached me. “You’re not listening to me, Liam,” I snapped, leaning forward in my chair. The conference room felt too small, like his frustration was crowding the space. “This plan is reckless. If you push Jackson to start with that strategy, we’ll burn through tires before the second stint.” Liam threw his hands up. “You think I don’t know how to manage tires? It’s not about the tires, Aria. It’s about getting ahead—*now*. The data backs me up.” “And you’re ignoring the bigger picture,” I shot back, pulse pounding. “A lead in the first ten laps means nothing if we can’t hold onto it. We’ll be eaten alive on the straights when the tires go. Jackson will be a sitting duck.” “Always so cautious,” Liam muttered, shaking his head. “This is F1, not a Sunday drive.” “And this isn’t a gamble with Jackson’s career,” I said,