Chapter 3

Once everything was set, Nicole sat back in the driver's seat. Her co-driver, Sue, took a deep breath and asked nervously, "Do you still have the confidence to break your previous record?" Nicole fastened her seatbelt, shifted the gears, and stepped on the clutch. She suddenly turned to Sue and smiled radiantly. "I'm fine, but…" Before she could finish, the whistle blew. Nicole slammed the accelerator hard. With a loud roar, the car shot out like an arrow. "I don't know if you can handle it." The red car was far ahead and created afterimages with its lighting speed on the brightly lit racetrack. From above, it looked like a crimson ribbon was weaving through all the racing cars. "Damn! Rosa is truly unbeatable. Even after three years of hiatus, the rest are nothing but toys to her. Looks like the Black Crown is hers." Tyler was thrilled. He turned around and saw Jacob frowning. Jacob's cold gaze was fixated on the car, showing no sign of joy. Suddenly, he asked, "I can't shake the feeling that Rosa looks like someone I know…" Tyler frowned in confusion. "No way. Rosa retired from racing three years ago after winning the Black Crown. There hasn't been any new genius racer since then. How could you possibly know her?" Jacob shook his head. "No, she looks like…" Sudden knocks on the door interrupted their conversation. Tyler saw the grim look on Jacob's face. He hesitated before walking over to open the door. It was Sarah. "Jacob, Mrs. Blake was asking why she couldn't reach you on the phone?" Jacob simply glanced at his phone, which was on silent mode. It was set aside quietly as if nothing had happened. "What's the matter?" Seeing that Jacob didn't try to chase her away, Sarah walked into the room and stood by his side. "There's a family lunch at Blake Residence tomorrow. Mrs. Blake wants to know when you'll be going, and she wants you to—" Sarah lowered her eyes shyly. "—to take me with you." Jacob simply nodded. His eyes never left the red car on the racetrack. "Got it." Without his permission, Sarah didn't dare to sit down, but she also didn't want to leave. So, she stood in silence. Tyler felt exceptionally awkward, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, a gunshot echoed from the underground, followed by cheers of victory. "Congratulations to Rosa for winning the Black Crown again!" Tyler's eyes lit up. He turned and rushed out. "I'll bring her over!" Jacob slowly stood up from the couch and walked to the window. He watched Rosa step onto the podium and receive the award amidst the cheers. His gaze grew deeper. Who was Rosa, exactly? All his attention was focused on the podium below. He didn't notice Sarah reaching out for his wine and dropping a white pill into it. Nicole declined all the interviews and autographs. She headed straight to her private dressing room to change her clothes. Sue handed her a room card and said, "The VIP suite is on the third floor. The person in charge is waiting for you there." Nicole zipped up her back. "Can't we meet in the lounge? Why does it have to be in a private suite?" Sue was helpless as well. "They have some sort of a special identity that can't be revealed, so…" "What? Are they an endangered species or something? So precious." She grabbed the room card and walked out. She couldn't help but mutter, "Just like Jacob, always making a big deal out of things." The elevator arrived at the third floor. Nicole walked out and stepped on a soft wool carpet. The entire floor was silent. Not even the waiters were around. It was clear that the entire floor had been booked out. She held the room card between her fingers and walked past each door. Finally, she stopped at the last room. She swiped the card over the lock. With a soft click, the door opened slightly, letting out a strong smell of smoke and alcohol. Nicole frowned and wanted to retreat, but she remembered the tender project. She hesitated but finally forced herself to open the door. "Hello, may I ask if you are the person in charge of the developmental project of Sofita Resort?" A sudden heat wave hit Nicole. The aphrodisiac aroma mixed with red wine instantly swept over her, making her brain foggy and dizzy. Just before she lost consciousness, the alarms went off in her head. She turned to escape. But before she could take a step, someone held her waist and forcefully tugged her into a room. A pair of cold lips were pressed against her burning ear, making her entire body go weak. All her strength seemed to vanish. As she was about to succumb to the situation, Jacob's icy and disgusted voice sounded. "Stop using such despicable tricks…" Nicole shuddered. The last bit of consciousness made her realize the danger she was in. Instinctively, she raised her hand to push away his kisses that were falling all over her body. "Jacob, look closely at who I am! Stop behaving like an animal in heat!" However, the aphrodisiac scent sapped her strength bit by bit. The significant physical difference between them allowed Jacob to hold her firmly. The sound of fabric tearing sounded across the room. Despaired, Nicole realized her dress had been torn in half. Jacob's ruthless voice spoke in her ear, "Does it matter who you are? Didn't you come here on your own will?" Like an ultimatum before execution, the intense heat engulfed her entirely. Her delicate fingers clasped on his shoulder. Her desperate struggle was crushed by his brute force. "Please stop…" Her neck arched back from the sudden pain. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her eyelashes were fluttering. She was being thrown onto a couch wider than a bed before she lost consciousness. She raised her head. She could see the podium she had just stepped off through the lights. The next moment, her sight was completely covered by Jacob's face, sending her into a completely foreign world. When Nicole woke up again, she was sore all over. Her body was covered in bruises, as if she had endured some kind of torture. Jacob was sleeping soundly beside her, and he even had a satisfied smile on his lips. Nicole raised her arm high, ready to slap him. But just as she was about to, she hesitated. She was worried that waking Jacob would make things difficult for her. In the end, she lightly slapped his face a few times. She gritted her teeth and threatened him. "Just you wait. I'll get the chance and slap you to death, you bastard!"