Chapter 1

On the F1 racetrack, Grayson, the man who is my girlfriend could never have in her youth, cut my brake line.

I was about to floor the accelerator when the brakes suddenly gave out completely.

His arrogant laughter crackled through the intercom.

"This idiot — just like I figured, he hasn't noticed we've sabotaged the brakes!"

My girlfriend, Natalie, laughed along from somewhere beside him.

Rage tore through me. "Natalie! Weren't you the one who inspected my car?! Someone could die out here!"

Her voice drifted through the intercom, dripping with disdain.

"Grayson has depression. He doesn't get to feel what you feel behind the wheel — the speed, the rush. Cutting the brake line was the only way I could think of to cheer him up."

"Aren't you supposed to be the God of the Track? Consider this a test of your skills. Don't be so selfish — I know what I'm doing."

I knew then that no one was coming to save me. I had to save myself. With everything I had left, I slammed the emergency distress button on my waist.

"Now — activate the emergency protocol!"

When she heard me calling for help, Natalie's voice curled with contempt.

"Seriously? I've never seen you care this much about your own skin before. You're the God of the Track — scared of a little brake failure? You've been through this before. Why are you being so dramatic now?"

That last time the brakes failed, I'd nearly died saving her. Three months flat on my back in a hospital. I almost lost my career entirely. If I hadn't had nerves of steel, I might never have gotten behind the wheel again.

And she'd glossed over it like it was nothing — then weaponized it against me.

Now she wanted to put me through the same nightmare. Worse, even.

I ground my teeth together.

"Natalie, do you have any idea what you've done? My life matters too. Last time, I nearly died for you! And we're on a race circuit right now — if the brakes are gone, I'm dead!"

She sounded angrier than I was.

"You're not dead yet, are you? Ethan, stop being so dramatic. Do you have to throw that rescue in my face every single time? For your information, if you hadn't jumped in, Grayson would have saved me anyway."

"You think you're so impressive? Then prove it. How could someone like you possibly let himself die?"

She had no idea — back then, Grayson had been too busy running to save himself. If I hadn't been there, she'd already be a corpse.

Her words hit like a slap. The car lurched; I nearly lost control.

There was no time to dwell on it. I stopped wasting breath on her and tried to reach my teammates — but no matter how many times I hit the intercom, Natalie's voice was the only thing that came through.

She noticed and spoke flatly. "I modified the system so they can't reach you. You've got me. That's enough."

Another blow. Ice flooded my chest.

"You know this is a team race, right? No one survives this alone. Have you lost your mind? You're using me as a lab rat? Natalie, as team captain, I'm ordering you — fix this now. No brakes, no backup — that's a death sentence. Do you actually want me dead?"

"Stop whining. I told you, I know what I'm doing. You're only thinking about yourself. If you've got nothing useful to say, don't say anything."

And then Natalie cut the line.

I clenched my fist and forced my voice steady. I had no choice but to beg.

"Natalie, you can see what's happening to me right now. Please — alert the teammates behind me. Tell them to force my car to stop. I'm begging you."

Then Grayson's voice came through from the other side.

"Babe, don't stop. Keep going. I'm actually starting to feel it — the thrill of racing. I wish it were even more intense."

Natalie's voice instantly transformed — bright, breathless, sweeter than I'd ever heard it with me.

"Really? You don't want to die anymore? Oh, thank God. I'll speed things up right now."

The moment she finished speaking, my car surged completely out of control, accelerating wildly, swerving and lurching — and then it rocketed straight toward the cliff edge.