Chapter 34_ Fear

Within a matter of moments, Kane and Arya took their seats in the car, securing their seatbelts in anticipation of the impending race. Kane turned to Arya and posed the question, "Are you ready, tigress?"

Anxious, Arya nodded and nervously nibbled on her lip. With a roar, Kane's car devoured the road like a beast, hurtling down the track and causing Arya to hold her breath. As he pressed the accelerator, she felt her body being pulled back into the seat, her heart skipping multiple beats.

Seeking a distraction from her overwhelming fear, Arya gazed into the rearview mirror and noticed Piston's car rapidly approaching. "He's getting close —"

BANG!

Before Arya could finish her thought, their car shook violently as Piston rammed into their rear bumper. "Son of a b*tch!" Kane cursed.

"What is he doing?" Arya asked, her heart racing and eyes widening.

"He's resorting to his cheap tricks, but I can play dirty better than him." Kane muttered, deliberately slowing down and pretending to lose control. However, when Piston attempted to overtake, Kane revved up the engine and executed a precise drift, slamming Piston's car out of the way.

BANG!

Metal bent, tires screeched, and Piston's car collided with the guardrail, sending sparks flying. "This is madness." Arya commented with a shake of her head, her heart nearly jumping out of her chest at the daring move Kane had just pulled.

"This is street racing, baby." Kane replied, glancing at Arya with exhilaration. But upon seeing her pale face, concern replaced the excitement and he sighed, "I know it all seems crazy to you, but I've done this a million times, Arya. You're safe with me, I promise. You're doing great, just keep holding on for me, okay?"

Arya forced a smile and reassured him, "Don't worry about me. I know you're skilled at this, I'm managing for now and holding on."

"That's my brave tigress." Kane proclaimed with conviction as he revved the engine, his heart pulsing in tandem with the roar of the car. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the winding road ahead. The asphalt blurred, a ribbon of grey unraveling beneath his tires.

With Arya suppressing her fear during the ninety-minute drive, Kane glanced at her sideways and thought to himself, ‘She's doing remarkably well. Let's step up our game.’ His foot hovered over the accelerator, eager to unleash the beast within. As he saw the final lap approaching, a primal instinct took over and he slammed his foot down, propelling the car forward.

The spectators watching the race leapt to their feet in excitement, cheering and screaming for Kane's victory.

They all knew him as the king of the racetrack, with his name reverberating throughout the crowd. "Kane The King!" someone boomed, followed by another person boasting about placing all their bets on Kane and confidently proclaiming his victory. Despite their excitement, Alex and Chloe remained composed, their hearts racing with an unknown fear. They couldn't celebrate yet - not until Kane crossed the finish line.

Alonso, who had arrived at the venue when the race began to watch Kane, narrowed his eyes and focused intently on Kane's car. At that moment, everyone was certain that Kane would emerge as the winner and clinch the race.

Meanwhile, on the race track, Arya's voice resonated in the car. "Oh my God, what's that?" she exclaimed, pointing to the hairpin curve ahead of them.

"That's the hairpin, Arya," Kane replied.

"Shouldn't we slow down for that?" Arya asked, her tone tinged with fear. Kane shook his head as his eyes remained fixed on the road.

"Not exactly, Tigress. Not exactly," Kane murmured, revving up the engine and deftly maneuvering the curve by countersteering, narrowly skimming the inner wall. The mirror on Arya's side scraped the wall with a loud squeal, followed by a resounding thud.

THWACK!

The mirror flew off and Arya let out a sharp scream, "Aaaahhhhh."

"Look at me, Arya. We're okay, all right? We'll get out of this in a minute," Kane's voice boomed, trying to soothe her panic. Arya nodded, taking a deep breath. 'Just like that. Stay calm and composed, Arya. Keep breathing.' She thought to herself.

Suddenly, Piston's car appeared in front of them and Kane's grin turned wicked as he rammed into him, causing Piston to grind against the wall. But in doing so, Kane's tire screeched and smoked, the metal crumpling and the smell of burnt rubber filling the air. Fear gripped Arya, consuming her entirely.

"We're going to die, Kane! We're going to die!" she cried out, trembling all over. Kane looked at her with concern.

“No, Arya, keep your eyes forward. We're almost at the finish line, just one final push and victory will be ours, understood? It's all—-" Kane trailed off as Arya cut him off, muttering the same words over and over again

"WE'RE GOING TO DIE! WE'RE GOING TO DIE! WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" Arya kept shouting, the world around her blurring as her vision darkened. She was paralyzed with fear, unable to do anything else but scream in agony, her body trembling and tears streaming down her face.

“Aaaahhhhh."

Kane looked at the final lap, only a few feet away, one last effort and he would be victorious. But as he turned to see Arya's suffering, her face contorted with pain and terror, he felt a pang in his chest. Without a second thought, he veered off course, downshifted and hit the emergency ramp, bringing the car to a stop as he shut off the engine.

The spectators were stunned, wondering why Kane's car stopped just after he could have sped forward and won the race.