Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 519

Miles away in Lynwood City, Stella was also sitting at a bar with a drink in her hand.

She had come out purely because her mind was a chaotic mess.

With her striking looks and the fact that she was drinking alone, it didn't take long for men to start approaching her.

"Hey gorgeous, drinking alone is no fun. Let me buy you a round."

Without waiting for an answer, the man signaled the bartender. "Get this beautiful lady a glass of Irish Mist."

Stella chuckled inwardly. An Irish Mist? This guy wasn't even trying to hide his intentions.

The Irish Mist was infamous for being a "sweet trap." To an amateur, it tasted exactly like a harmless coffee milkshake, making it incredibly easy to lower one's guard and down it quickly.

But once the alcohol hit, it made the drinker feel light, floaty, and entirely pliant. The mind would turn to absolute mush.

The bartender slid the glass onto the counter. "One Irish Mist."

Stella picked it up, tapped it against the man's glass, and downed the whole thing without a second thought.

"Wow, you can really hold your liquor! Let's get anoth—"

Before the man could finish his sentence, Stella cut him off.

"It's only polite to return the favor. You bought me a drink, so naturally, I should buy you one. Bartender, get this gentleman a Negroni."

A Negroni—made with Campari and stirred over ice—was notorious for its intense bitterness and potent kick. One glass was enough to make anyone rethink their life choices.

The man clearly hadn't expected this seemingly innocent, beautiful girl to know her way around a bar. But he couldn't exactly turn down a drink a woman was buying for him, so he reluctantly picked it up and clinked glasses with her.

"My apologies for underestimating you earlier. Can I get your name?"

"Married. Not interested."

The man awkwardly excused himself and slinked away.

"Stella? Why are you drinking all alone out here? Where's Julius?"

Stella turned her head and recognized Vernon Lowell.

He had heard that getting Stella's contact info was notoriously difficult. Steward Shipley loved bragging to their friend group about how he had been on her contacts list for ages.

...

The next day.

Stella followed the GPS pin Vernon had sent and arrived at his racing club.

Vernon was already waiting for her.

"Stella, get in! My team is already at the track. We need to hurry, the races are about to start."

"Alright."

By the time they pulled into the professional circuit, the pit crews from all the competing clubs were furiously prepping their cars.

"Boss, what took you so long? We've been freaking out. We don't know if Ajax got food poisoning or what, but he's been running to the bathroom all morning. He's definitely not going to be able to race today."

"What? Are you kidding me? Do we have anyone else who can take the wheel?" Vernon demanded, panic setting in.