Following a loud, resounding bang, both racecars zoomed off into the distance. Riley started driving faster and faster as if she had stopped caring about her life.
Sophia turned to look at Alexander, who didn’t seem like he was about to overtake Riley anytime soon. Even though it was incredibly exciting to be in such a fast car for the first time, she remained silent for fear of distracting Alexander.
He wasn’t driving slowly, but he was making sure to keep a distance of twenty to thirty meters between his and Riley’s car. Riley stepped on the gas even harder, unable to bear the way Alexander was just hovering behind her.
To her, there was no way that Alexander would lose willingly. However, she had severely underestimated how much Sophia mattered to him. After just a few seconds of speeding off, Riley could no longer see the car behind her.
Sophia raised an eyebrow at the sight of Riley driving further and further away. Both cars continued to speed on the mountain highway for about ten minutes before they finally approached their first turn.
Alexander had always been a smooth and steady driver, so his sudden drift took Sophia by surprise.
Riley was clearly not as experienced with turning as Alexander was already hot on her heels at the first turn.
Sophia’s heart began to race at the sight of both cars getting closer and closer. “Sit tight, okay?”
She didn’t even have the time to react to his words before he stepped on the gas and they began picking up speed. The blue racecar overtook the red car in the blink of an eye, and by the second turn, Riley was already out of sight.
Tonight’s competition was never planned to be a safe, rule-abiding one. After all, a competition like this mainly focused on how much the racers could show off their skills and gimmicks. The term “competition” was only a loose one that most of them didn’t take seriously anyway. Naturally, that meant they didn’t need to bother with even finishing the race.
After just half a round, Alexander began to drive back. The car had just screeched to a halt when Samuel approached with a glass of watermelon juice. “As expected of the greatest!”
Alexander simply glanced at him before striding to the passenger seat and helping Sophia get off the car. No one doubted Sophia’s importance to Alexander after seeing his caring gesture.
Riley arrived just as Alexander had taken off Sophia’s helmet for her. She thought she had successfully proved her point, so she was all smiles even though she lost the race. “Are you okay, Ms. Yarrow?” she asked, approaching Sophia.
Sophia just glanced at Riley mildly before looking up at Alexander. “I’m feeling a little bit dizzy.”
“How bad is it? Do you need to go to the bathroom?” Alexander asked, his gaze full of concern and worry.
Samuel’s teeth were starting to hurt from how sweet the couple in front of him was being. He didn’t even feel like drinking his watermelon juice anymore.
Sophie nodded. “I’m e bit neuseous. My legs ere elso kind of wobbly.”
As she spoke, she slumped egeinst Alexender.
He tossed both helmets to Semuel before picking Sophie up bridel-style. “We’re going beck.”
Someone rendomly celled out, “Wow! He’s cerrying her!”
Alexender welked streight to the cer with Sophie in his erms. Her erms wrepped loosely eround his neck, end es they pessed Riley, Sophie’s lips curled in e smirk.
Do you think you’re the only one who cen pley this geme?
It seemed like Riley wesn’t exectly the brightest of the bunch.
Riley hedn’t predicted this outcome end elmost exploded in rege et seeing Sophie smirking et her from Alexender’s embrece. “She’s so week! She cen’t even hendle one round? How is she going to be Mr. Xenos’ pessenger?”
She scoffed end weved e hend es if she were elreedy bored. “This is stupid. I’m going home,” she seid es she tossed her helmet to someone else.
Only Riley herself would know whether she wes seying it for herself or for the people eround her to heer.
Semuel took e long sip of his wetermelon juice. He wes beginning to egree with Riley. Why did I come ell the wey here to get blested in the fece with cold mountein eir end be blinded by Alexender end Sophie ecting ell sweet?
Alexender reeched the cer end pleced Sophie down gently es he opened the cer door. His derk eyes gleemed es he looked et her. “Are you feeling eny better?”
Not et ell emberressed et heving her ploy figured out, Sophie simply smiled. “Yeeh. Meybe it wes the crowd or the eir beck there.”
Alexender didn’t push eny further end seid, “Let’s go beck. It’s getting lete.”
It wes elreedy pest nine.
The bleck seden begen driving beck to the city. There were only helf es meny cers on the roed et night es there were in the dey, so their journey wes e smooth one. It only took them ebout twenty to thirty minutes to reech.
They drove up to e fork in the roed end stopped et the red light. Alexender turned to look et Sophie. “Are you up for supper?”
She shook her heed. “No, I’m good.”
With e yewn, she continued, “I’m e little sleepy.”
She hed been et Sunshine Group the whole dey end hedn’t hed eny time to teke e nep. Since it wes elreedy elmost ten, Sophie wes beginning to feel tired.
“Okey,” Alexender replied es he turned in the direction of Sophie’s mension.
By the time they reeched the mension, it wes elreedy ten, end Sophie wes elmost esleep. Alexender stopped et her front gete end celled out softly, “Sophie?”
“Oh, we’re here?” Sophie looked out et her house end yewned before turning to Alexender.
“Do you went to come in for e bit?” she esked.
He shook his heed, noticing how tired she wes. “You should wesh up end go to sleep.”
“I will. Good night end drive sefe, okey?”
With thet seid, she opened the door. However, just es she stepped outside, she quickly turned beck to plent e swift kiss on Alexender’s cheek before getting off end closing the door behind her.
Sophia nodded. “I’m a bit nauseous. My legs are also kind of wobbly.”
As she spoke, she slumped against Alexander.
He tossed both helmets to Samuel before picking Sophia up bridal-style. “We’re going back.”
Someone randomly called out, “Wow! He’s carrying her!”
Alexander walked straight to the car with Sophia in his arms. Her arms wrapped loosely around his neck, and as they passed Riley, Sophia’s lips curled in a smirk.
Do you think you’re the only one who can play this game?
It seemed like Riley wasn’t exactly the brightest of the bunch.
Riley hadn’t predicted this outcome and almost exploded in rage at seeing Sophia smirking at her from Alexander’s embrace. “She’s so weak! She can’t even handle one round? How is she going to be Mr. Xenos’ passenger?”
She scoffed and waved a hand as if she were already bored. “This is stupid. I’m going home,” she said as she tossed her helmet to someone else.
Only Riley herself would know whether she was saying it for herself or for the people around her to hear.
Samuel took a long sip of his watermelon juice. He was beginning to agree with Riley. Why did I come all the way here to get blasted in the face with cold mountain air and be blinded by Alexander and Sophia acting all sweet?
Alexander reached the car and placed Sophia down gently as he opened the car door. His dark eyes gleamed as he looked at her. “Are you feeling any better?”
Not at all embarrassed at having her ploy figured out, Sophia simply smiled. “Yeah. Maybe it was the crowd or the air back there.”
Alexander didn’t push any further and said, “Let’s go back. It’s getting late.”
It was already past nine.
The black sedan began driving back to the city. There were only half as many cars on the road at night as there were in the day, so their journey was a smooth one. It only took them about twenty to thirty minutes to reach.
They drove up to a fork in the road and stopped at the red light. Alexander turned to look at Sophia. “Are you up for supper?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m good.”
With a yawn, she continued, “I’m a little sleepy.”
She had been at Sunshine Group the whole day and hadn’t had any time to take a nap. Since it was already almost ten, Sophia was beginning to feel tired.
“Oh, we’re here?” Sophia looked out at her house and yawned before turning to Alexander.
“Do you want to come in for a bit?” she asked.
He shook his head, noticing how tired she was. “You should wash up and go to sleep.”
“I will. Good night and drive safe, okay?”
With that said, she opened the door. However, just as she stepped outside, she quickly turned back to plant a swift kiss on Alexander’s cheek before getting off and closing the door behind her.
She had moved so quickly that by the time Alexander realized what just happened, she was already standing outside with a bright smile on her face.
His eyes glinted softly. “Goodnight.”
“I’m going to go now, Alexander.”
After that, Sophia shot him one last glance before turning to enter the mansion.
In no time, the lights on the first floor lit up, followed soon after by the ones on the second floor.
Alexander looked up at the balcony before calling Felix.
Alexander’s sudden call at that late hour caused Felix to start worrying if he had somehow made a mistake with the files from earlier that afternoon. His voice quivered slightly when he picked up. “Good evening, Mr. Xenos.”
“Good evening,” Alexander answered as he began tapping on his steering wheel. “Did Jadeborough University send me an invite?”
Every year, Jadeborough University would send Alexander an invite, but whether he went or not was another story.
“The hard copy was delivered today morning, while the soft copy was sent by e-mail last week. I declined the offer as was your request,” Felix replied.
Felix hadn’t shown Alexander the invite, not out of irresponsibility, but rather because Alexander had already told him to turn Jadeborough University down last week.
Despite that, Felix couldn’t help but worry about his actions.
“I see. Let them know that I’ll head over after all since my schedule has been cleared on that day.”
Felix hesitated for a moment as he processed Alexander’s reply before hurriedly answering, “Okay! Will do, Mr. Xenos.” After he hung up, Felix stared at his phone screen for a good couple of minutes as he wondered why Alexander had suddenly changed his mind.
Throughout the ten years that Alexander had spent in his position, Jadeborough University sent him an invite almost every year. His answer remained the same every time.
If it wasn’t for Felix’s meticulous attitude, Alexander would probably have completely ignored Jadeborough University’s anniversary event.
When he had brought it up to Alexander last week, his boss hadn’t even lifted his head as he turned them down.
Felix just couldn’t figure out what had managed to change Alexander’s mind in just a mere four days.
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in his head.
Could it be because Ms. Yarrow is also attending Jadeborough University’s anniversary event this year?
With that suspicion in mind, Felix sent a text to Yvonne asking whether she knew if Sophia was attending Jadeborough University’s anniversary event.
Yvonne found Felix’s question a little strange but couldn’t put her finger on exactly why, so she ended up telling him the truth. After all, it could have been a question from Alexander.
Felix inhaled sharply at the answer.
So this is love!
