Chapter 74

Austin blinked, clearly caught off guard by Brinley's question. After a beat, a wider grin spread across his face. "I'm more invested in the woman sitting here with me than in any racer hidden behind a helmet."

His eyes lingered on her with disarming sincerity."You get to eat my cooking. The one in the helmet doesn't get this privilege."

Heat crept into Brinley's cheeks, and she let out a sharp little scoff. "You really are a shameless sweet-talker."

"I'm only stating facts," Austin countered lightly, his tone threaded with amusement. "Tomorrow I'll have Miguel drop off a set of racing documentaries-deep dives into classic events. Since you're working on that interview segment, they could prove useful."

The suggestion came off casual, yet deliberate, a seamless blend of generosity and another gentle nudge toward racing.

Brinley recognized it instantly as one of his subtle probes, but no excuse came to mind strong enough to turn him down. "Thanks," she murmured, spearinga bite of food. Then her voice softened. "But watching documentaries only gives theories. Maybe... when you have a chance,you could explain it to me in person? You clearly know cars, and nothing beats firsthand knowledge."

With that, she tilted her head, offering him a faint, sly smile.

If there was no escaping his game, she might as well take the lead and see where it carried them.

Austin caught the spark of defiance dancing in her eyes and let out a low chuckle. "I'd be glad to."

He slid another rib onto her plate with casual ease."Go on, eat before they cool off-doesn't taste the same once they lose the heat."

The dinner carried a quiet undercurrent, a balance between comfort and tension.

Their talk drifted from updates on work projects to the occasional detour into racing.

As the conversation stretched on, Brinley became aware that Austin's manner wasn't intrusive.

He wasn't prying or stripping away her defenses.Instead,it felt like a subtle game played in silence, one where both knew the rules without spelling them out. Every so often, he lobbed a question her way,gauging her reaction with sharp eyes, then effortlessly pivoted to a different subject.

A strange tingle ran through her chest. Logic told her to be wary, but instead of resistance, a quiet spark of anticipation stirred in her veins.

Brinley gave her head a sharp shake, dismissing the absurd thought, and lowered her gaze to the rib waiting on her plate.

The sweet-and-sour glaze coated her tongue,its layered flavors echoing her own mood-tangled,bittersweet, impossible to name.

Across town, Milly reclined on a cushioned spa bed, a cool mudpack spread evenly over her face.

The beautician's hands kneaded her shoulders with practiced ease, working slow, steady circles along her tense neck.

Though the treatment should have been indulgent,a crease remained etched between Milly's brows, her troubled thoughts refusing to loosen their grip.

Her phone buzzed with a curt text from Colin. "Dinner party tonight. Won't be back."

Milly's chest tightened as she stared at the screen, emotions tangling inside her

Since Brinley launched her flashy racing-themed real estate project, Colin's visits home had dwindled.

On the rare nights he did appear, he sat glued to his laptop, the glow of the monitor often revealing Brinley's company page.

Unease clung to Milly like a shadow. Brinley's name lingered everywhere-on Colin's lips, in his work, in his thoughts.

Brinley wasn't just climbing higher in her career;she seemed determined to reclaim the very place Milly held most dear-Colin's attention.

Milly couldn't accept it!

On the next bed, a woman reclined with her phone pressed to her ear, her voice lilting with syrupy sweetness as she gossiped about love and romance.

All at once, the conversation shifted. "What did you just say? Rosara's staging a comeback? Seriously?"

Milly blinked her eyes. Her ears caught every word.

Rosara?

The name struck a chord-wasn't that the female racer who had once dominated headlines, only to vanish without a trace?

"She will attend the upcoming exhibition race? Really?"the woman asked, her voice rising with excitement.

The conversation dissolved into noise,and Milly barely paid attention until a particular name cut through.

"Brinley? You mean the one leading that racing-themed project? She's entering the race herself?" the woman asked in surprise.

The words jolted Milly so hard her pulse skipped,nearly propelling her upright off the bed.

Milly reeled at the thought-Brinley entering a car race?

The revelation tore through her haze like a flash of lightning

For weeks she had been clawing for a weakness, yet every angle crumbled against Brinley's spotless project and Austin's steadfast support. Any frontal attack would have been a suicide mission.

But this changed everything. A real estate developer participating in an exhibition race was bound to spark whispers.

With the right push, the spectacle could be twisted into a circus act-a shameless ploy for attention dressed up as ambition. Milly's thoughts spun in circles.

Brinley was determined to secure her place as a rising star in real estate while simultaneously dazzling the racing world.

Yet that daring two-front campaign was as dangerous as wielding a blade with no handle-one wrong move,and it could slice straight through her. The spectacle could collapse into disaster.

"Take this mask off, now," Milly ordered abruptly,her voice sharp with urgency.

The beautician froze, startled. "But the treatment isn't finished yet..."

"Take it off. Now!" Milly insisted.

The beautician peeled away the mudpack, and Milly wasted no time. She swept on a layer of makeup with brisk strokes, snapped her compact shut, and slung her bag over her shoulder before striding out of the beauty salon.

Sliding into the back seat of her car, she immediately punched in a number.

On the other end was an entertainment reporter Colin had once introduced her to-a man who thrived on scandals and click-bait headlines "I've got something worth your while," Milly murmured,lowering her voice with a deliberate air of secrecy."A crossover bombshell-real estate colliding with racing.The kind of story that'll set the internet on fire."