Chapter 126:
“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day,” Ralphy commented, a playful glint in his eye as he leaned toward Dylan. “Miss Jones actually pulled this off? That’s something I didn’t expect.”
“Yeah, I didn’t see her beating Elliott either.” Dylan’s tone was flat, his attention fixed on the events playing out on the screen.
Ralphy gave him a nudge and shot him a sideways grin. “So, any idea where Skybreaker disappeared to after retirement? Skybreaker just vanished—no gossip, no trace. I’d give anything to see a match-up between you two. That’d be legendary.”
Dylan didn’t react, his gaze unwavering. After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice low and measured. “Watch her closely. Doesn’t her driving remind you of Skybreaker?”
Ralphy’s eyes went wide, and his jaw nearly dropped. “Wait, you’re not suggesting… she might actually be Skybreaker?” He stared at Dylan, his face etched with shock and utter disbelief.
A single, deliberate nod from Dylan was all the confirmation he gave. He meant every word.
Ralphy’s jaw snapped shut, and he spun back to the screen, replaying every second of the race in his mind. Each sharp turn and calculated maneuver reminded him of Skybreaker’s unmatched skill, though he had to admit, there was still a noticeable difference. Christina wasn’t quite at that level yet.
“Some of her moves look like Skybreaker’s, I guess,” Ralphy mumbled, barely loud enough for Dylan to hear. “But Skybreaker’s a guy. She’s definitely not.”
Dylan glanced at him, his expression unreadable. “Have you ever seen Skybreaker in person?”
“No, never.” Ralphy paused, caught off guard. “Then what makes you so certain Skybreaker isn’t a woman?” Dylan’s words cut through the doubt like a cold wind.
𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝗀ⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀․𝗰𝗼𝗺
Ralphy’s mind went into overdrive, his mental image of the legendary driver suddenly blending with Christina’s silhouette. For a moment, he looked like he’d seen a ghost. “You’re messing with me, right? There’s just no way!” He stared at Dylan, searching his face for a hint of a joke.
“Wait. Don’t tell me you’ve already figured it out?”
Dylan’s lips curled into the faintest smirk. “Care to place a wager?”
It took Ralphy a second to recover. “Nope. Not this time. I know better than to bet against you. You’re up to something, aren’t you?”
Ralphy had lost enough bets to Dylan to recognize a trap when he saw one.
When Dylan’s sly smile deepened, Ralphy couldn’t help but shiver. “Geez! I nearly walked right into it!”
“I’m good, thanks. I trust your hunch. Let’s skip the bet,” Ralphy said quickly, waving his hands in surrender. “Too bad… That plot of land in the north would’ve been a nice prize.”
Dylan let out a mock sigh, his eyes glinting.
Ralphy shot him a look of exaggerated outrage. “I knew it! So that’s what you’ve been after all along, my property in the north end!” With a smug little tilt of his chin, Ralphy added, “Good thing I’ve been on my toes since I was a kid. No way I was letting you trick me.”
Dylan raised an eyebrow and shot back, “Really? Haven’t you fallen for enough of my traps by now? Let’s not forget—”
“Enough! Don’t you dare bring that up,” Ralphy quickly cut Dylan off, waving his hands to silence him before he could dig up any old embarrassments. “That’s exactly why I’ve learned my lesson. After being burned so many times, I became wiser.”
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