It took Hera a mont to realize why Zhane was looking at her the way he was. It wasn’t just because of her comnt about liking eggs—it was sothing more.
The way his gaze lingered on her, she suddenly rembered the night they’d shared, the heat of the mont when her hands had slipped into his pants, touching him in ways that had made everything feel... unholy.
Her face flushed instantly as the mory hit her, and for a mont, she felt like her brain was short-circuiting. She could feel her heart racing, her chest tightening.
But she wasn’t the only one who noticed.
The n around her exchanged concerned glances, their eyes shifting between Hera and Zhane.
Leo, in particular, watched them both with growing suspicion, his sharp eyes catching the subtle change in Zhane’s deanor—the usually aloof man now visibly flustered.
Leo could sense that sothing had happened between them, sothing that went deeper than he’d anticipated.
It was the kind of thing he might not want to know if he wanted to keep his peace of mind.
Leo imdiately offered Hera a drink, but when he noticed her flushed face and the way she was looking at Zhane, he paused mid-air.
Instead of handing her the water, he gently patted her on the back, as if offering a quiet gesture of understanding.
Hera slowly shifted her gaze to him, her cheeks burning.
Leo gave her a knowing smile, one that only made her feel more bashful and guilty at the sa ti.
She had the distinct feeling that Leo knew sothing but was choosing to remain understanding—an awareness that made her feel like she’d been caught red-handed.
However, her guilt was montarily overshadowed by Dave, who had begun to dramatically sob in front of her, acting as though he’d been wronged.
His over-the-top theatrics made Leo roll his eyes in clear annoyance, but Hera couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
She grabbed a few tissues to wipe Dave’s face, all the while apologizing for his distress.
Dave, for his part, seed to revel in the attention, his coy expression almost purring with satisfaction.
anwhile, Zhane had managed to regain his composure, his expression now carefully neutral.
His heart was still racing, his thoughts scattered after the brief but intense rush of emotions.
Yet despite his best efforts, a noticeable tent had ford in his pants.
He quickly found a place to sit, remaining as still as possible while keeping his gaze fixed on Hera.
His mind was still reeling, but he focused on helping in any way he could, trying to distract himself from the growing tension.
Both Dave and Xavier were completely oblivious to the interaction between Hera and Zhane, but Leo and Luke, ever perceptive, had caught on.
Sensing Hera’s distraction, they both subtly worked to shift her focus, gently guiding her into engaging with the fans to take her mind off what Zhane’s reminder had stirred up.
Just then, Blake approached, having finished handling the aftermath of the accident that had delayed them. He took the opportunity to chat with Hera, offering a welco distraction as well.
"Blake, what are you doing here?" Dave stood up, his gaze narrowing as he shot his friend a questioning look, an eyebrow raised.
Blake grinned, unfazed. "What else? I’m here to deliver my racer’s car."
Dave’s expression shifted to confusion. "Your racer? Since when? And how co you didn’t ntion anything when I brought Hera to the track last weekend?"
He’d been aning to ask this for a while.
When he’d brought Hera to the race, Blake had acted as though he was eting her for the first ti, never once ntioning their connection.
Blake looked slightly embarrassed as he repeated his explanation to his friend.
"Well, Phantom just looked so different from how I rembered her a few months ago. At first, she seed familiar, but I couldn’t quite place why. I an, clothes really do make the person—she used to only wear t-shirts and jeans."
"But when you brought her to the track, she was all dolled up, with a completely different vibe. It didn’t click right away." He rubbed the tip of his nose and shrugged, his unease still evident.
At this ti, Betty and so of the staff had just finished installing a cara inside Hera’s car to record her while she’s driving.
The footage will be broadcast live on her stream at a later ti.
With just 30 minutes remaining before the race, Hera stood up from her seat, grabbed her race suit, and headed off to change and prepare for the competition.
Shortly after, Hera erged, her voluptuous figure perfectly accentuated by the tight race suit that hugged her body in all the right places.
Her curves were boldly outlined, leaving little to the imagination.
The most noticeable reaction ca from Hera’s n, who all stood in awe as they took in her stunning presence.
She radiated a new, powerful aura—wild and adventurous—with her eyes reflecting a blend of determination and confidence.
All their concerns about whether Hera would be alright vanished in an instant.
Her aura spoke volus, leaving no room for doubt. At that mont, they were all captivated by her presence.
Everything about her exuded an undeniable sense of dominance—a side of Hera that was completely new to Luke, Dave, Zhane, and Xavier.
Blake smirked to himself.
"Now that’s the Phantom I rember."
This was the Phantom he knew—dominant on the racetrack, even when surrounded by n behind the wheel.
She was the one who could make the impossible happen with her out-of-this-world maneuvers, moves no one else could replicate.
With his arms crossed smugly over his chest, he followed Hera around as they both inspected the sponsor logos on her car.
anwhile, the crew began removing the screen around the garage entrance, and so of the staff started moving the car toward the racetrack to position it for the upcoming race.
Hera didn’t imdiately follow the car out onto the racetrack; instead, she stood calmly in the garage, watching from a distance.
By this ti, other teams had already started pushing their cars onto the track after their inspections.
Hera’s car, number 18, was a bit behind the others.
But as soon as her car was rolled out, a wave of excitent and shock swept through the crowd—especially from the online viewers.
Hera’s dedicated fans, however, were in a slightly better position.
Before the car was pushed onto the track, Betty and her team had already set up a cara inside, capturing footage that was now rolling live.
This gave Hera’s fans an early advantage, as many had begun speculating about the car’s origins.
Dave also shared a few teasers, revealing bits and pieces of the car, which prompted fans to dig deeper and experience the sa shocking surprise that was unfolding for everyone else.
Now, more than ever, her fans were eagerly anticipating Hera taking the wheel, while others wondered if she had secretly hired soone else to race for her.
The louder the buzz grew, the wider Hera’s smile beca.
Even Michael, observing from his own position, was montarily shocked and flustered. He quickly glanced back at the garage where the car ca from, only to lock eyes with Hera, who stood there in her race suit, looking both glamorous and alluring.
In that instant, it all clicked in his mind.
A scornful smirk spread across his face as he turned and strode back to his seat.
He believed Hera’s team had figured out about Phantom, painting their car to resemble Phantom’s car, all in an effort to stir up more buzz and generate internet clout.
Now, Michael was certain that Hera and her team were just there to make fools of themselves.
While he could acknowledge Hera’s driving skills—after all, she had beaten him when he wasn’t taking it seriously—he knew that kind of victory only mattered in a casual race.
But this ti, it was different.
This was a real race, in front of the whole nation.
He was eager to wipe the floor with her and see how far her clout-chasing and overconfidence would get her, especially when compared to the ambitious, driven n she’d be up against.
Michael believed this race would be a rude awakening for Hera—these n wouldn’t make it easy for her, and she’d likely be left in the dust.
Milly, standing beside her brother, shared the sa thoughts as Michael.
At first, she was angry and jealous, seeing Hera surrounded by handso n who treated her like royalty.
But as she thought about it more, she imagined how those sa n would soon witness Hera’s embarrassnt firsthand.
The thought of it made her smile—she believed that once they saw her humiliation, their infatuation with Hera would fade.
They would realize how manipulative she was, using her fa for attention, and might even start seeing her for the gold-digger she truly was.
Milly could barely contain her excitent at the thought of seeing Hera’s downfall after the race, picturing her brother’s victory and the NRT team groveling at their feet, begging them to return.
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