The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 2100

Henley furrowed his brow. "Better than you? You're a professional driver, and you're telling me you can't handle some woman?"

Leo was speechless for a moment. "I'm a pro, but so is she! How else would she be outdriving me? Why else would I be struggling?"

Henley was highly skeptical. "Is she really that good?"

"If you don't believe me, drop back and see for yourself," Leo retorted. "I don't even know her. Why the hell would I go easy on her?"

Henley fell silent.

He had assumed Stella had zero racing experience. Even if she knew the basics, he figured she was strictly amateur hour and posed no threat.

He never expected her to actually possess professional-level skills.

Still, there were massive skill gaps even among professionals.

"Henley, I definitely can't hold her off much longer," Leo urged. "If you don't come up with a plan, I'll have no choice but to let her pass."

Snapping back to reality, Henley ordered, "If you can't do it alone, get Yuri. Two pro drivers should be able to handle her, right?"

Leo hesitated. "This isn't a team relay. Isn't that crossing a line?"

"You and Yuri are around the same skill level," Henley insisted. "When she tries to pass you, box her in on the side. When you hit the turn, have Yuri cut her off from the front. With one in front and one on the side, it barely even counts as a coordinated block."

"But that's basically cheating in plain sight," Leo argued. "Any pro watching will instantly know we're double-teaming her. If word gets out, we'll be a laughingstock."

Henley scoffed. "Losing to a so-called rookie is what will make you a laughingstock."

"But she's not a rookie! I'm telling you, she's better than Aurora!"

"She might not be a novice, but that's what everyone out there believes," Henley shot back coldly. "If you lose to her, you're going to be humiliated regardless. The only choice you have now is whether you want to be humiliated as a winner or as a loser."

Leo let out a heavy sigh.

Pro Racer A muttered, "Holy shit, this Stella girl has serious chops. Even Leo can't keep her pinned down."

Pro Racer B frowned. "He actually called Yuri in for backup... Isn't that a blatant foul since this is a solo race?"

Pro Racer C grinned, loving the drama. "Heh, this section is full of tight micro-turns, so Stella doesn't have much room to maneuver. They might be able to suppress her for now. But the next sector is full of wide sweepers, leaving a ton of room for technical plays. Based on what she's shown so far, Yuri and Leo are going to have a hell of a time keeping her locked down."

Leo and Yuri were only able to keep Stella contained because the current stretch of asphalt was too narrow for her to force a pass.

But the upcoming section opened up into massive, sweeping corners that demanded elite technical mastery.

Neither man had any confidence that they could maintain the blockade.

Defeated, Yuri keyed his mic to Henley.

"Henley, Zephyr is an absolute beast on tracks like this. Leo probably told you how good she is. Not only can she handle the car perfectly, but she's pushing its specs to the absolute limit. Even if we were driving Zephyr out here, we'd struggle to maximize its potential like this. Once we hit the next sector, there's no guarantee we can hold her back."