Ridgeway Road was lit up like daylight. Rows of modified race cars lined up side by side.

Tania entered her private lounge and came out shortly after in a new outfit.

The black racing suit hugged her waist and long legs, adding a wild edge to her usual cool beauty. For a brief moment, the area around her fell into stunned silence.

She walked straight toward her silver-gray car. Just as her fingers touched the door handle, footsteps sounded behind her.

"Tania, your car is so cool!"

Noemi walked over arm-in-arm with Simone. Her white dress fluttered softly in the night breeze. "Simone, look! Tania's car is prettier than all the others."

Simone glanced at her. "If you like it, you can learn more about it later."

Tania watched them coldly and opened the car door. Just as she was about to get in, Simone called out, "Wait."

He stepped closer, frowning slightly. "It rained last night. There's water on the curves. Watch your speed."

Having stayed by Tania's side for all these years, he knew her habits better than anyone. Whenever she drove, he was always her navigator.

When she trained, he'd scout the road in advance, memorizing every dangerous turn.

But this time, Simone stayed beside Noemi. He only offered a reminder, with no intention of taking the navigator's seat.

"Thanks for the reminder," Tania replied flatly.

Before putting on her helmet, she glanced at Noemi. "You should watch the person next to you. Don't let her wander around."

Noemi's eyes immediately reddened. She tugged at Simone's sleeve, sounding wronged. "Simone, I didn't mean to bother Tania. I was just curious about racing…"

"Va bene," Simone said, patting the back of her hand. He looked at Tania with a hint of helplessness. "It's her first time. She's just curious."

Then, he looked toward an unused white race car nearby and said to Noemi, "I'll take you for a lap. We'll go slow. It won't be dangerous."

Noemi's eyes lit up. "Really? Simone, you can drive race cars too?"

"I picked up a bit back when I used to train with Ms. Tania."

His tone was casual, but no one knew how much effort he'd put in behind the scenes just to better protect Tania. His driving skills were already on par with professional racers.

Tania watched as he opened the white car's door and carefully helped Noemi into the passenger seat. Something stung lightly in her chest.

A navigator was the racer's other half.

All these years, Simone had been by her side. They worked in perfect sync. Even off the track, when she rested in the seat after training, he'd quietly hand her water and a towel, sometimes even offering a few pointers.

But now, the man who had once been her other half had effortlessly given that important place to someone else.

The rich heirs around them immediately started egging them on. "Why not make it a friendly race? Ms. Tania versus Mr. Lanzi. Let's see who's better!"

Tania didn't respond. She started the engine, and the car let out a deep, low roar.

Simone settled into the driver's seat as well. He turned to remind Noemi, "Hold on tight. Don't be scared."

His focus was steady, yet the corner of his eye kept drifting toward Tania. When he noticed a man leaning in to talk to her, his grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly.

He knew he didn't have feelings for Tania. And yet, seeing someone else get close to her stirred an inexplicable irritation.

The feeling unsettled him. To cover it up, he poured an even more patient tenderness into comforting Noemi.

The race was about to begin. The two cars lined up at the starting line.

The moment the starting gun fired, Tania floored the accelerator. Her car shot forward like an arrow, carving a flawless arc through the first curve at breathtaking speed.

Simone followed close behind. He had to watch Noemi in the passenger seat, yet his attention kept drifting to Tania ahead, afraid she might push too hard and lose control.

The road twisted sharply.

Tania stayed in the lead. Just as she was about to take the final sharp turn, she caught something in the rearview mirror.

Simone's right rear tire ran over a broken piece of guardrail and burst instantly. His car lurched out of control and hurtled toward the cliff's edge.

"Watch out!" Tania shouted instinctively. Without hesitation, she yanked the wheel. Her car slid sideways, slamming into his path and forcing itself between his car and the cliff.

A loud bang thundered through the valley.

When Tania's racing car airbags deployed, she slammed into hard surfaces in rapid succession. Pain tore through her instantly.

Blood blurred her vision. Her left arm felt shattered, completely numb.

Simone's car was stopped by the impact, coming to a halt just inches from the cliff.

Ignoring the cuts on his arms from shattered glass, he kicked the door open and ran toward Tania's car like he'd lost his mind. He wrenched the twisted door open with brute force.

"Tania!" His voice shook with panic he'd never felt before. He reached out to check her breathing. Relief flashed through his eyes when he felt it.

But the sight of her covered in blood and her ghostly pale face made his chest tighten so hard he could barely breathe. "Hang in there. I'm calling an ambulance!"

He was reaching for his phone when a soft sound came from behind him.

Noemi, clutching her forehead, whimpered weakly, "Simone. I feel dizzy…"

He hesitated for a moment.

The next second, he turned to the people rushing over. "Presto! Take Noemi to the hospital first. She's badly shaken!"

He turned back, scooped Noemi into his arms, and hurried toward a car by the road.

Through blurred vision, Tania watched his frantic retreat. Blood seeped from the corner of her lips.

The man she had protected with everything she had chose Noemi, who'd barely been hurt, while her own life hung in the balance.

It turned out that all her sacrifices never weighed as much to him as a single tear from Noemi.

Tania woke in a blur. Every breath was a jagged pull against the sharp agony of her ribs.

"Simone, this is all my fault… If I hadn't insisted on watching the race, Tania wouldn't have ended up like this."

Noemi's sobbing came from beside the hospital bed. "I'm so scared. If anything happened to her, I'd never forgive myself."

"It's not your fault," Simone said nearby. "It was an accident. No one could've predicted a punctured tire. Besides, she drove over on her own. Getting hurt was on her. Don't blame yourself. You should rest. I'll stay here."

Tania listened to the familiar exchange and felt nothing but irony.

She had nearly died, yet it was all deserved.

Pain and disappointment tangled in her chest, and she couldn't stop herself from coughing.

The sudden sound froze Noemi and Simone.

Noemi lunged toward the bed. "Tania, you're finally awake! How do you feel? Are you feeling pain anywhere?"

Her voice was anxious and tender, as if she were genuinely worried.

Watching her performance, Tania replied hoarsely, "Thanks to you, I'm not dead yet."

Noemi's eyes immediately reddened. She turned to Simone with a hurtful look. "Simone, I-I didn't mean it like that. I was just worried about Tania…"

Simone frowned. "Ms. Tania, Noemi stayed here the whole time taking care of you. She was so worried she couldn't sleep. How could you talk to her like that?"

"Taking care of me?" Tania laughed, but the movement caught her wounds, forcing a sharp gasp.

"Open your eyes, Mr. Lanzi. Look at these injuries. Would I even be lying here if I hadn't nearly died saving the two of you?"

Her words landed like a heavy blow. Simone's chest tightened as the crash replayed in his mind.

"Mi dispiace. I—" He leaned closer, wanting to check her injuries.

But before he could, Noemi suddenly pressed a hand to her chest.

"I don't feel well. I think I'm still shaken from earlier," she said, already turning toward the door.

Her voice trembled as she continued, "Simone, I'll go rest first. I'll come see Tania again when she's better."

"Noemi!" Simone called out instinctively and chased after her without hesitation. He didn't even leave a single word behind for Tania.

Lying there alone, she finally let the tears fall.

No matter how badly she was hurt or how much she had given up for him, Noemi would always come first.

Her desperate rescue had been reduced to a pathetic joke.

…

A week passed, and Tania never saw Simone again.

On the day of her discharge, no one came to get her.

She dragged her injured body into a cab and returned to the Giordano residence. The moment she pushed open the door, noise and laughter flooded in.

Rino had his arm around Noemi, grinning as guests raised their glasses to celebrate her survival.

And there stood Simone, right beside her.