Chapter 9

Watching the car fade from view, Zane was stunned. That wasn't how it was supposed to go. He had never meant to push Taryn away like that. Meanwhile, Bernice was over the moon. With her biggest rival gone, she was finally next in line to shine and win it all. A wave of panic hit Zane hard. His first instinct was to chase after Taryn and bring her back. Seeing what he was about to do, Bernice grabbed his arm to stop him. "Ms. Vant is probably just blowing off some steam, Zane. I heard she signed up for an international competition. "She'll have to come back for training, so you don't need to go after her. Besides our racetrack, there's no other facility that can provide the training she needs. She'll end up coming back." She calmed him down quickly with a couple of sentences. Zane thought Bernice had a point. Taryn would have to show up for the race, and she might even come crawling back to him. Lately, Taryn had been out of line. Teaching her a lesson didn't seem like such a bad idea. Zane fought to suppress the anxiety churning inside him. Meanwhile, Taryn turned to Eliot with an apologetic look. "I'm leaving, but you can stay. You don't have to go just because I am." Eliot sighed. "Redline Motorsports isn't what it used to be. There's no point in staying. But I'm still going to race. A friend invited me to join them. Do you want to come along?" Taryn fell silent. She had been thinking of forming her own team. After all, the prize money from the championships she'd won over the years might make it possible. But with the race so close, now wasn't the right time. Racing meant everything to her, and Eliot understood that exactly when he made the offer. Sensing her hesitation, he became more enthusiastic and doubled down on his pitch. "Even though the new team is just getting started, it has solid funding and puts drivers first. You're free to leave anytime." The idea of being able to walk away whenever she wished clicked instantly with her. After looking over the venue, she immediately agreed. The race was coming up fast, and she needed to start training right away. With Taryn being a top name and Vertex Motorsports spreading the word, everyone in the racing scene learned she had signed with a new club by the end of the day. The news left Zane unsettled and restless. He hadn't expected her to leave so cleanly, showing no attachment at all. Didn't she have feelings for him? How could she walk away so easily? He desperately searched for any news about her. Beside him, Bernice took it all in and felt a pang of jealousy. Even after driving Taryn away, Zane was still hung up on her. Bernice couldn't accept that. She lowered her collar and reached out to undo his buttons. "It's our first day together, Zane. I'm ready to take things to the next level." His shirt button came undone, and her hands were on his chest. But in the next moment, he shoved her away hard. She was completely unprepared and hit the ground, looking disheveled. Zane's brows furrowed, unsure what had come over him. He muttered an apology and turned to leave. He needed to clear his head. Bernice was his girlfriend. None of this should have felt wrong, yet he couldn't shake the discomfort. In fact, he even felt reluctant. Worst of all, Taryn crossed his mind at a time like this. Memories of their passionate moments flooded his thoughts. Zane felt like he was going crazy. After taking a hard drag on his cigarette, he finally calmed down. Leaving Bernice alone in the lounge like that wasn't right. After putting out his cigarette, he headed back to apologize to her. As he approached the door, he heard her on a call. His first instinct was to walk away. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but what she said next froze him in place. "Zane has no game at all. I threw myself at him, and he just shut me down. I've pretended to be the one who saved him instead of Taryn, and he still can't get over her." A deafening bang echoed as he slammed the door open, his eyes burning red. "What did you say? You took Taryn's place? So, she was the one who rescued me?"