Liam was next. He veered dangerously close, his car almost touching hers.

    Vanessa didn''t flinch.

    Instead, she played along.

    She pretended to be struggling, slightly jerking her steering wheel as if she was losing control.

    Liam took the bait.

    Smirking, he tried to squeeze her towards the barrier — but that was exactly what she wanted.

    At the last second, Vanessa cut right and used the barrier''s momentum to push herself forward, just enough to escape his trap.

    Liam, caught off guard, overcompensated his turn.

    His tires screeched.

    He spun out, barely avoiding a full crash as his car skidded into the side of the track.

    The crowd erupted.

    Two down.

    But Vanessa had no time to celebrate.

    Because Rina was still there.

    And she wasn''t like the others.

    Unlike Carlos and Liam, Rina wasn''t reckless.

    She was methodical.

    And Vanessa could tell from the way she positioned her car — she wasn''t here to compete.

    She was here to eliminate. Like a ticking time bomb.

    The two of them sped side by side, the tension thick between them.

    Rina''s intentions were clear.

    She was going to push Vanessa off the track.

    Vanessa refused to go down without a fight.

    The next section of the track was a tight tunnel, meaning that only one of them could stay on the racing line.

    A game of chicken.

    Vanessa''s grip on the wheel tightened.

    Rina was forcing her to decide—brake and lose position, or risk a crash.

    But Vanessa saw the flaw in Rina''s strategy.

    The Russian was pushing aggressively, but she was so focused on Vanessa that she wasn''t paying attention to the tunnel''s entrance.

    Vanessa made a split-second decision.

    She faked a swerve to the right — just enough to make Rina think she was backing off.

    Rina took the bait.

    She immediately adjusted her trajectory, trying to cut her off completely.

    But Vanessa had already moved.

    She braked for half a second, falling back just enough for Rina to take the lead — and then Vanessa floored the accelerator.

    Rina had positioned herself at the worst possible angle.

    The moment they entered the tunnel, Rina realized her mistake.

    She had taken the turn too wide.

    And the tunnel''s concrete wall was right there.

    Too late.

    She swerved — but it was already over.

    Her car clipped the edge of the tunnel at full speed.

    Sparks exploded.

    Her vehicle spun out, the impact throwing her out of the race as Vanessa shot forward, escaping the chaos.

    The crowd went wild.

    Vanessa seized the opportunity.

    She swung her car left, then immediately snapped right, cutting inside the turn just as Sora was recovering.

    His eyes widened in his side mirror — he realized what was happening.

    But it was too late.

    Vanessa''s car shot forward, slipping past him cleanly.

    For a brief moment, they were side by side.

    Sora clenched his jaw. He had underestimated her.

    But he wasn''t done yet.

    Vanessa could see it — the fire in his eyes.

    He refused to let her go.

    The moment they exited the turn, he retaliated, pushing his engine to the limit, trying to reclaim his position.

    His car speeding forward like a bullet.

    The crowd held their breath.

    They were neck and neck, neither willing to give an inch.

    The next section of the track was coming up fast — a narrow bridge with no room for error.

    One of them had to back down.

    Or neither would make it through.

    Vanessa''s pulse raced.

    Sora wasn''t backing down.

    She could feel it — the tension in the air.

    She knew what he was about to do.

    And she knew exactly how to beat him.

    The moment they reached the bridge, Sora jerked his car left, trying to force her into the guardrail.

    A high-speed elimination.

    Vanessa didn''t flinch.

    Instead, she did something he didn''t expect.

    She let go of the accelerator for half a second.

    Just enough for his car to pull slightly ahead.

    Sora thought he had her.

    Then Vanessa turned the tables.

    She slammed the throttle, using his own momentum against him.

    Her front bumper clipped his rear.

    Not enough to cause a full crash — but enough to send him off balance.

    His tires screeched.

    His car wobbled.

    And in the blink of an eye — he lost control for good this time.

    The crowd erupted as Sora''s car skidded sideways, slamming into the guardrail, his tires screeching against the pavement.

    His race was over.

    Vanessa didn''t look back.

    She was already gone.

    She had won their confrontation.

    And now, she was in second place.

    But she wasn''t satisfied.

    Because there was still one racer ahead of her.

    And Vanessa Carter wasn''t here for second place.

    She was here to win.