Chapter 242

The racetrack thundered with the deafening roar of engines.

Lillian slipped into her sleek racing suit, excitement coursing through every fiber of her being.

Settling into the driver's seat, she flashed Eleanor in the passenger seat a confident smile. "Eleanor,hold on tight!"

Their car rocketed forward in a heartbeat.

Lillian's driving had always been impressive, and with Eleanor's steady guidance through the curve data,they moved as one perfectly synchronized unit.

Within moments, Lillian executed a flawless drift and blazed across the finish line first.

Wild cheers exploded around them.

Triumphantly, Lillian pulled off her helmet.

A man in a garish floral shirt sauntered over, whistling casually while his eyes locked onto Eleanor with obvious interest. Casually leaning against their car door, he attempted what he clearly thought was a suave hair flip. "Hey there,gorgeous.How about letting me take you for a real ride and show you what true excitement feels like?"

Lillian instantly stepped in front of Eleanor,chin raised in fierce defiance. "Not a chance. Get lost."

Having a woman dismiss him so bluntly clearly bruised his ego more than expected.

His gaze swept over Lillian wwith open disdain before returning to Eleanor. "Your friend's way too aggressive.That's not attractive at all. Become my woman, and I promise you'll live like a queen."

Lillian burst out laughing.

Who did this arrogant fool think he was, trying to steal Nolan's girlfriend?

Crossing her arms, she spoke with icy calm. "Do you have any idea whose girl she is?"

The man shrugged dismissively. "Don't care whose girl she is. Winner takes all around here. Those are the rules we live by."

Lillian's laugh turned cold and mocking as she slowly dropped a single name. "He is Nolan Stewart. Think he needs to follow your precious rules?" Every trace of color drained from the man's face.

Nolan Stewart?

The man who had turned the entire city upside down,throwing around a hundred million just to see one woman smile?

Everyone knew Nolan's reputation for being ruthlessly unpredictable, and the woman he loved was completely/off-limits.

Nobody in this city could afford to cross him.

The man's face was drained of color, and he finally managed a smile. "Oh wow, would you look at that.Just remembered I left the stove on at home. Really gotta run!"

He bolted like his life depended on it, practically tripping over himself to escape.

Eleanor watched his panicked retreat,caught between laughter and disbelief.

Lillian sauntered over and looped her arm through Eleanor's with a satisfied grin. "Pretty smooth,right?Guys like that only understand one language, so you've got to hit them fast and hard!"

They chatted and laughed together. Just as they prepared to leave, a familiar figure suddenly emerged in their line of sight.

Jonny stood there before them.

His suit was wrinkled beyond repair, hairsticking up at odd angles, and dark shadows ringed his eyes.

All traces of his once-confident swagger had completely vanished.

Slowly, he approached and stopped several meters away,his voice rough and strained. "Eleanor. Could we speak privately?"

Lillian snorted with disgust. "What, the woman you love is rotting in jail, so now you come crawling back to Eleanor? Get lost!"

Eleanor shook her head gently at Lillian, and turned to face Jonny. "Alright."

Eleanor walked a few steps away from Lillian. Jonny followed, carefully keeping his distance out of respect.

His gaze found hers, eyes swimming with tangled emotions. Regret, anguish, and a desperate plea he didn't even realize he was making.

"|am sorry." Finally,those three words escaped his lips.

"Now I know everything about Lainey. I've come to realize what a complete fool l've been, blind to everything that mattered, and I... I lost you."

Once he started, the words seemed to pour out easier."I believed you loved me so deeply that you'd do anything for me. I convinced myself my family's success came from my own brilliance. I thought my leg healing was some kind of miracle... Turns out it was all because of you. Eleanor, I was wrong.Horribly,unforgivably wrong."

Each word seemed to physically pain him as he spoke.

Everything he had once felt proud of, every bit of contempt he had harbored, now turned into knives cutting him from the inside.

Eleanor stood perfectly still, listening with a blank expression.

Her willingness to hear him out stemmed purely from respect forSallie.

Perhaps her patience might help Jonny find some peace, give him the strength to rebuild himself and become the support Sallie would need in her golden years. At least then this conversation wouldn't be completely pointless. When silence finally fell, Eleanor spoke with complete emotional detachment. "Have you finished? If so, I'll be going now."

Jonny could only stare at her retreating figure for what felt like an eternity