Chapter 147
Some women's intuition is remarkably accurate. At first glance, they sensed Ashley was deeply affected. Many men felt pity for Ashley. But seeing Selina, their sympathies were divided. Both women were beautiful, leaving the men present unsure whom to support.
"Lloyd!" Ashley cried, frightened. Quickly retrieving a tissue, she dabbed at the stains on Lloyd's clothes. "Lloyd, are you alright? God! Selina, you can do whatever you want to me, but how could you treat Lloyd like that? You've gone too far!"
Selina rolled her eyes. "I have. Since you know I'm such a cruel person, why involve yourself? In the future, avoid me; pretend we're strangers. Just stay out of my way!"
Lloyd's jaw clenched, his eyes blazing with barely contained fury. Selina sneered, "What? Are you going to hit me?"
Before Lloyd could respond, Lydia approached, a milkshake in hand. "Why is the Harvey family haunting us again? I'm fed up. If you want a fight, Selina doesn't need to be involved. I can handle this myself."
Lloyd said, "I won't fight you, but Selina, you didn't apologize to Ashley and you splashed me with this milkshake. You should explain that, shouldn't you?"
Selina scoffed, "What if I don't? What are you going to do? Bite me?"
Lloyd, calmer now, stated his true intention. "Compete with me again in Ravencrest Mountain, just the two of us!" He wanted to assess Selina's true strength and confirm if she was Flying Shadow. This was his chance.
Ashley was stunned. She expected Lloyd to force Selina to atone, not challenge her to another race. Ashley, jealous of Selina's recent fame and the attention she'd drawn from Lloyd, found it hard to believe, even with the Harvey family's knowledge of the event. To avoid upsetting Lloyd, she pretended ignorance, as did he. She'd cautiously questioned Manuel, who'd only confirmed Selina's championship win was legitimate. Ashley remained unconvinced.
Lydia, with a disgusted curl of her lip, declared, "Selina, let's go. Don't waste time on this loser." She raised her middle finger in disdain. "I feel the same way," Selina agreed, taking the milkshake from Lydia, and they left hand-in-hand.
Seeing them depart, Lloyd shouted, "Selina, if you beat me again, I'll announce my retirement on the spot and leave the racing circle!"
His words stopped Selina. Everyone stared at Lloyd in astonishment. Selina turned, her gaze intense. "Lloyd, are you sure about this?"
Lloyd nodded firmly. "I won't lie. I want another race. If you win, I admit defeat and retire!"
Lydia whistled. "Well, I'll take that back. This man is interesting. I'm going to watch a good show!"
Ashley pleaded, "Lloyd, are you serious? You'll give up your career and dreams!"
"Ashley, I've made up my mind," Lloyd insisted. "Selina, will you accept this challenge?" His eyes burned with determination. He'd set the trap, and he believed Selina wouldn't refuse.
"Let's go somewhere other than Ravencrest Mountain," Selina replied. "I'm tired of those five consecutive curves. I'll send you the address."
"Okay," Lloyd agreed.
As they left, Lydia commented, "Honestly, Selina, I didn't expect Lloyd to make this bet. He seems confident this time, determined to beat you." Lydia, having watched the video of their previous race, wasn't a racing expert, but she recalled Selina's statement that Lloyd underestimated her.
It wasn't that Lloyd hadn't given his all before. Against Flying Shadow, he hadn't perceived a true threat. Selina's skillful navigation of the curves and her acceleration, overtaking him at the five consecutive hairpin turns, had taken him by surprise. This time, Lloyd was determined not to underestimate her. He would use his full strength.
Selina replied, "It's fine. I have my ways. Since Lloyd's willing to gamble his career, I can't refuse."
Lydia smiled. "Then I'll wait to see you beat him. Let me know when; I'll be front row."
"Of course," Selina agreed. "You can't miss this."
The news spread like wildfire, becoming a trending topic. World champion Lloyd betting his career against Selina, the Ravencrest Mountain victor, caused a stir. The video of Lloyd's promise fueled a new wave of fan conflict. Lloyd's fans insisted he couldn't have lost fairly, while Selina's fans reveled in the prospect of his retirement. Several professional drivers publicly declared their support, further intensifying the rivalry.
Upon returning home, Lloyd finally answered his agent's numerous calls. "Cindy, yes, the video is real. I'll keep my word. If I lose, I'm out of the racing circle. Tell the media." He hung up before Cindy could respond. Lloyd had considered the consequences; the worst being defeat. But he believed he would win, and he was determined to uncover Selina's true identity, confirming whether she was Flying Shadow.