Rise from Fire and Steel

Later, Alanna was lucky enough to be paired with a relatively competent partner, but during a collision test, she was falsely accused by a rival and banned from competition for a year.

She had devoted herself to climbing the ranks to become a race organizer, to give everyone a fair chance.

Yet, she was dealt a tough card again.

After she was assigned Jack Foyt as her partner, she often complained to me about his poor sense of direction.

Many times, he had nearly taken the wrong path, putting both car and driver at risk.

I didn’t want her in danger, so I hired her as my navigator at three times the market rate.

I was an independent driver with my own company, preferring solitude to working in a large team.

On the track, I had always been alone, but I enjoyed having Alanna by my side.

She had accepted my offer cheerfully.

Yet later, perhaps due to Jack, she grew distracted and never joined me on the track anymore.

She and Jack began exchanging messages and small gifts frequently.

I noticed the subtle change in her feelings toward Jack and brought it up, but she frowned and dismissed my concerns.

“What do you mean? Jack and I are just partners.

“We do this only to build rapport and improve coordination so we can win the championship,” she said.

“Do you need me to fight with him for you to be happy?”

She used the championship as an excuse, but I discovered by chance that she had rejected invitations from more promising drivers to favor Jack.

Her heart had already begun to lean toward him.

I never expected her to betray her principles for him.

Suddenly, a reporter asked, “In previous years, the championship always belonged to your fiancé, Lewis Senna. This time, it’s you and Jack.

“So…Whose win makes you happier?”

Alanna fell silent.

It was a sign of her unease. After all, this championship had been wrongfully snatched from me.

Jack stepped in front of her.

“Sorry, this is a race. We don’t mix our work and personal lives.

“Competing seriously is a sign of respect towards every racer.

“In the past, even in defeat, we were honorable. I believe Lewis is, too.”

Listening to his grandiose words, I sneered.

“But on the other hand,” Jack continued, fanning the flames, “it’s incredible that Lewis didn’t even make the rankings this time.”

Fans who had once supported me cursed and shouted at him.

“Where’s Lewis Senna? What’s going on?”

“Refund! Refund!”

“Impossible! This race is rigged!”

Alanna had no intention of speaking up for me.

“It’s the way of life to win or lose a race. I’ll make sure Lewis practices harder, so he doesn’t disappoint his fans.”

The crowd erupted again.

My situation was quickly buried as attention returned to the couple.

The loudest were the fans who wanted to see the pair together.

I had seen many of their video edits before, and I had always dismissed them as fan fantasies.

Only now did I realize the torrent of affection in their gazes.

The commotion continued.

Suddenly, a staff member shouted, “A driver went off the track and fell into the sea! They’ve not been rescued yet.”

Some dissatisfied fans near me sneered, “Could it be Lewis? He hasn’t shown up yet.”

Hearing this, Alanna froze mid-pose.

…

Rally racing was, after all, a dangerous sport, where crashes and fatalities were never unexpected.