The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 61

**Dreams Rise Again by Braxton**
**Chapter 61**

The pool erupted into a chaotic symphony of splashes and laughter, a scene of pure exhilaration. Shane, momentarily dazed, barely turned his head to glimpse the menacing figure of Misty Fang. Her fangs sparkled maliciously in the sunlight, a sight that sent a chill racing down his spine.

“Help—” Shane’s voice erupted from his throat, a frantic shriek that echoed with the rawness of panic. Instinct kicked in, and he was off like a shot, arms flailing wildly, moving so quickly it felt as if he was leaving trails of himself behind.

In hot pursuit, Misty Fang slithered through the water, her tongue flicking out in excitement. “Wow, look at those slim ankles on Shane! Man, I’d just love to coil around him,” she gushed, her voice dripping with a mix of admiration and mischief.

On the sidelines, Eddie clutched the stopwatch tightly, his eyes darting between the device and the spectacle unfolding before him. He was torn between the urge to check the time and the thrill of witnessing Shane’s astonishing performance.

“Whoa! Shane’s swimming so fast, he even has time to glance back! If he did that in a race, his opponents would be fuming,” Eddie exclaimed, his voice laced with awe.

The rest of the team stood mesmerized, watching Shane cut through the water with such speed that he was almost unrecognizable.

“Shane keeps saying he’s getting old, but look at him go! He’s totally pulling a fast one on us,” someone blurted out, disbelief coloring their tone.

“Old? Please! He’s so freaked out right now he could be our team mascot!” another teammate chimed in, laughter bubbling up around them.

“It’s like someone hit the turbo button,” one teammate said, still in shock, eyes wide as saucers.

“That’s not swimming; he’s practically gliding over the surface of the water!” another exclaimed, their voice filled with incredulity.

The crowd gathered poolside was utterly captivated, not just by Shane’s extraordinary speed, but also by Nina’s unconventional training methods that had led to such a display.

“Unbelievable! This is like some sort of demonic cultivation! Ms. Summer, you’re a savage!” someone from the audience shouted, their voice rising above the cheers.

“This training is on another level!” another joked, laughter ringing out.

Nina scratched her head, a hint of shyness creeping into her demeanor. “Honestly, I only came up with this because of Mr. Warren’s pep talk,” she admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly.

“When survival instincts kick in, people can truly surpass their limits and unleash their real potential,” she continued, her voice growing more animated.

She gestured toward Misty Fang, who was writhing playfully in the water. “This little troublemaker wouldn’t stop pestering me about wanting to hang out with you guys up close.”

The team shuddered collectively, forcing out strained chuckles. “Getting up close? Yeah, we think we’ll pass on that!”

“Right? Our swim team is practically a bunch of introverts,” one of them joked, eliciting more laughter.

As Shane reached the end of the pool, he scrambled out, dragging himself up onto the edge with a sense of urgency. Once he was out, he collapsed flat on his back, looking utterly spent, as if he had given every ounce of energy he possessed to that sprint.

The entire team gathered around him, and the atmosphere erupted into a chorus of thunderous applause, celebrating his incredible achievement.

The assistant coach was nearly bouncing off the walls with excitement. “Shane, do you even have any idea how long that just took you?” he shouted, his enthusiasm palpable.

Still lying flat, gasping for air like a broken engine, Shane waved him off dismissively. “Mr. Welch, can we save that chat for later? Did you renew my life insurance this year?” he quipped, still struggling to catch his breath.

Laughter erupted around the pool, the tension breaking into joyous camaraderie. Nina reached out to Misty Fang still floating in the water. “Good job, sweetie. Come on up,” she called.

Misty Fang, her long, slender body gliding through the water, let out a dramatic sigh. “Ugh, I’m completely out of energy. I guess I’ll have to hitch a ride by wrapping around Shane’s arm,” she said, her tone laced with playful mischief.

Nina was momentarily speechless. “Suit yourself, you pervy snake,” she shot back, rolling her eyes as she turned to walk away.

Meanwhile, Evan stepped in to help Shane up off the ground. As Shane finally regained his senses, relief washed over him. It was only then that he thought to ask about his time. “How long did that take me?” he inquired, curiosity piqued.

“46.92 seconds! The world record is 46.86 seconds. Dude, you were just 0.06 seconds away from smashing that record!” Eddie blurted out, practically vibrating with excitement.

Tony, unable to contain his enthusiasm, practically bounced on his feet. “Last year’s world champ did it in 47.15 seconds. With your time, you’d be the undisputed champ at the World Aquatics Championships!”

In the 100-meter freestyle, 47 seconds had always been the gold standard. Anyone who swam under that mark was practically guaranteed first place. Shane could hardly believe his ears when he heard his time.

‘Is this really something I, an aging athlete, could pull off?’ he thought, still reeling from the revelation.

He struggled to comprehend it all. “Mr. Warren, you’re not pulling my leg, are you?” he asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

Evan quickly pulled out his phone, eager to show him the evidence. “Shane, why don’t you check out how fast you were just now?”

Tony followed suit, pulling up a training video from that morning and placing it beside the recent performance for comparison. The difference was astounding, a clear testament to Shane’s improvement.

Shane was utterly floored. “Wait, that’s actually me in the video?” It was then that the realization hit him like a tidal wave: he wasn’t old, and his physical abilities hadn’t diminished. In fact, he was on the verge of breaking a world record.

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