Chapter 5 The Man Behind The Mask

Over the following three days, Caylee poured herself into preparing Gerald's next treatment, leaving little room for distraction.

She could almost picture Brett stumbling over every step with Matthew, and, as if on cue, her phone buzzed with his name flashing across the screen.

"Sign the Walsh contract. One million for your trouble," the message read.

She let out a humorless laugh. The Walsh contract was worth billions, and this measly million was laughable.

She threw the phone aside and went to freshen up.

Returning a short while later, her phone was blown up with messages. Brett had hiked his "offer" from one million to fifty.

Still, it reeked of stinginess.

Caylee rolled her eyes and, without a second thought, blocked his number.

Some men needed to be cut off completely.

Race day came, and Caylee left early, her heart racing with excitement.

Every driver was required to wear a mask, and the winner could demand that one rival reveal their identity.

There was only one person she wanted to see beneath a mask-the mysterious man who had saved her life years before.

But before she could take in the scene, a voice she knew all too well rang out across the crowd.

"What are you doing here? Why didn't you answer my messages?" Brett demanded, walking toward her with long, purposeful steps.

Out of the corner of her eye, Caylee noticed Stacey staring. Just what she wanted.

She curled a finger, drawing Brett closer. He bent down, and the closeness between them could have fooled anyone into thinking it was intimate. However, instead of a gentle word, Caylee spoke quietly and coldly, four words that struck him like a knife.

"None. Of. Your. Business."

With that, she spun on her heel, her ponytail flicking across his cheek as she moved.

Brett stiffened. For three years of marriage, she had been the compliant, respectful wife, revolving around him completely.

And now, only days after their divorce, she moved with the grace and confidence of a queen, untouchable and proud.

For a brief moment, he was stunned until his eyes landed on Matthew, standing beside her.

Could a fake identity as "Zephyr" truly win Matthew's favor? Everyone knew he had no patience for women's games.

Then he recalled how effortlessly she had signed the divorce papers, without a single protest. Was it possible Caylee had been involved with Matthew all along? The thought made his hands clench into tight fists, burning with anger.

...

"Miss Jenkins," Matthew said smoothly.

Caylee looked up at him. He wasn't the usual polished executive in a crisp suit. Tonight, he gave off a relaxed, dangerous charm, the kind that could captivate a woman with just a single glance.

"Don't go too hard on me out there," he murmured.

Caylee blinked in surprise. "Wait, you're racing too?"

He leaned in to whisper something to her, but the words were almost swallowed by the cacophony of the crowd around them.

It sounded like he said, "I came here for you."

But before she could be certain, he pulled back and disappeared into the crowd.

There was no time to think; the race was about to start.

The stadium buzzed, engines revving and the crowd cheering loudly.

In the stands, Stacey held Brett's hand tightly, whispering anxiously, "What's wrong? You look so tense."

"Nothing. Just watch the race," Brett muttered, though his gaze kept darting toward Caylee.

Was she here for Matthew? Were they together?

The idea twisted his stomach.

Stacey had noticed how Brett's eyes lingered on Caylee, and that alone fueled her jealousy.

Caylee couldn't stay alive! She had to go.

The race began with a blast of the starting guns, and the crowd erupted in cheers, banners snapping in the wind as the cars sped down the track. At the front, a fierce battle unfolded-a sleek black car and a blazing red one, side by side, leading.

The black car belonged to Godspeed, the undefeated champion for three years. The red car was Caylee's.

Lap after lap, neither driver backed down. However, on the final turn, Caylee accelerated, surged ahead, and crossed the finish line first.

The stadium exploded, the roar of the crowd shaking the air.

She stepped out of her car, her heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through her. Her gaze shifted to the black car parked nearby. Through the tinted window, she saw a helmeted man with her narrowed eyes.

It was the man behind the mask.