Chapter 209
Chapter 209:
“Look at you. You’ve grown so tall…” Brinley instinctively reached out to ruffle Felix’s hair the way she always used to. This time, though, she had to rise onto her toes just to reach him. “You’ve gotten stronger too. All that training overseas has clearly paid off p>
Felix’s ears flushed at her praise, and he scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. “Of course. I can even lift a racing tire with one hand now p>
Puffing out his chest proudly, he leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Brinley… how’s your relationship with Austin? You’re not being forced into this marriage, right p>
Nearby, Brandon watched the exchange, a quiet warmth softening his expression. He continued trimming the leaves in his hands, deliberately pretending not to hear.
Meeting the curiosity sparkling in Felix’s eyes, Brinley smiled gently. “We’re doing well. We’ve been enjoying our time together p>
“That’s amazing!” Felix nearly bounced with excitement, clapping his hands together. “Austin is miles better than that scumbag Colin. He’s dependable, powerful, and he’ll keep you safe p>
Still buzzing with enthusiasm, Felix tugged Brinley toward the living room and launched into an animated retelling of his overseas racing experiences. He described everything vividly—from the thrill of overtaking rivals on the track to the ridiculous pranks he’d pulled with his teammates—hardly pausing to breathe.
𝘛𝘩е 𝘮𝗼𝗌𝗍 рo𝘱𝘶𝗹𝖺𝗋 𝗻𝗈𝗏e𝗹s 𝗈𝗻
Brinley listened patiently, chiming in now and then, their laughter filling the living room with the unmistakable warmth of a family reunited after two long years apart.
Standing by the doorway, Brandon quietly instructed the staff, “Serve the freshly stewed soup and slice some of those mangoes Brinley likes p>
Turning to the chef, he added, “And prepare tonight’s menu just as I mentioned. Make sure there are a few hearty dishes Felix enjoys p>
Eventually, after Felix had exhausted himself with talking, he gulped down the steaming soup the staff brought over. Halfway through, a sudden thought struck him. He set the bowl down abruptly, leaned toward Brinley, and said, “You actually won the championship at that international exhibition. All this time, you’ve been hiding your skills from me p>
He arched a brow, his tone half playful, half demanding. “I was stunned when I saw the news. Tell me, when did you become a professional racer? How could you keep something this big from me p>
Brinley laughed softly at his interrogation, picked up a slice of mango, and popped it into his mouth to silence him. “Eat first p>
Felix chewed, his words muffled but stubborn. “Don’t think that’ll work. You can’t brush me off. Tell me the truth. Did you secretly start training ages ago p>
Brinley sighed and finally relented. “Remember how you always dragged me to the racetrack p>
“Of course!” Felix’s eyes lit up. “I took you there almost every day. But you always sat in the stands, glued to your phone, complaining that the noise was unbearable p>
“Exactly.” Brinley smiled, a touch of nostalgia in her expression. “While you were out there learning to drift with the coach, I honestly found it boring. Then one day, I noticed a few abandoned cars parked off to the side. My curiosity got the better of me, so I asked the staff for the keys and drove one around the empty lot p>
She paused, momentarily lost in the memory. “At first, I was awful. I could barely manage the gears and just drove around aimlessly. But the more I practiced, the more I fell in love with it. The feeling of gripping the wheel, the wind rushing past—it was exhilarating p>
“And then?” Felix urged, leaning closer without realizing it.
“And then I couldn’t stop,” Brinley said with a quiet laugh. “I scraped together some money to buy a secondhand race car from a friend and practiced whenever you weren’t around. I made countless mistakes at first. Sometimes I took corners too sharply and nearly slammed into the guardrail, or I lost control of the throttle and skidded right off the road. I even took a few nasty falls. See this scar p>
She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a faint mark on her forearm.
Felix brushed his fingers over it, his expression darkening. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve trained with you p>
Brinley raised a brow. “Back then, you were too busy chasing youth championships. You were gone every single day p>
Felix winced and scratched his head awkwardly. “Fair point. But how did you jump from practicing in secret to racing internationally p>
“Well, after a while, I wanted to see how I’d do in a real competition,” Brinley explained casually. “A friend suggested I join a small race. I gave it a try and, surprisingly, came in third. After that, I entered more races, and my skills kept improving. Each time, the stage grew bigger p>
This last exhibition was by…
“…special invitation, and it would’ve been rude to turn it down. I honestly didn’t expect to win p>
Felix’s eyes widened. “Brinley, that was an international exhibition, packed with seasoned veterans and rising stars of racing. Beating all of them to take the championship? That’s real skill p>