Chapter 6

As soon as Ivy pushed open the door to the private room, her eyes landed on Wade.

He was lounging on the sofa, idly twirling an empty glass in his hand, his gaze drifting lazily toward the big screen in front of him. He looked relaxed and effortlessly elegant.

Beside Wade, a short-haired woman in a denim outfit with a tomboyish vibe was practically draped over him, clutching a game controller and mashing the buttons like her life depended on it.

"I won!" Emily cheered a few seconds later, throwing her arm around Wade's shoulder and shaking him like crazy.

It was only then that she finally noticed Ivy standing at the doorway with a smile.

"Ivy, right?" Emily said brightly, waving in greeting. Even with Ivy there, she didn't bother to move off Wade.

Emily said, "Wade and I grew up together. We used to mess around like this all the time when we were kids. We're like brothers."

She threw her arm around Wade's shoulder again and added, "Hope you don't mind."

Then, without a second thought, she grabbed Wade's half-finished glass and polished off the rest in one gulp.

Ivy walked into the private room, calm and collected, not rushing to take a seat.

She'd seen all kinds of girls: sweet-and-innocent fakes, tomboys, you name it, all trying to get close to Wade.

Emily was just another one, only with the childhood friend angle. That didn't make her special.

Ivy smiled softly and said, "Why would I mind? Honestly, I'm surprised. Wade has never let anyone else drink from his glass before. Guess his clean freak days are finally over."

As soon as she finished, Wade's gaze dropped to the now-empty glass in front of him, and his brows knitted together.

Emily looked embarrassed as she said, "Oops. I grabbed the wrong one, didn't even notice."

Wade didn't say anything. He casually handed the glass to a nearby waiter, and the waiter promptly replaced it with a new one.

Once Ivy sat down, Emily leaned over and said, "Hey, wanna join the fun?

"Can you drive? How about we hit the racetrack outside? It's just been redone. Let's go tear it up together."

Wade frowned, looking unimpressed. He said, "No."

"Hey, we can't just play by ourselves and leave Ivy out. Come on, Ivy, don't be scared. We won't gang up on you, promise. Whoever loses just buys everyone a round," Emily said with a big grin.

Emily totally put Ivy on the spot: it was as if Ivy didn't say yes, she'd look like a chicken.

Ivy acted like she didn't notice the challenge and flashed a gentle smile. She said, "I'm game, whatever you say."

Emily whooped with excitement and was the first to rush out the door.

Soon, everyone changed into their racing suits and headed out to the track.

Ivy had her racing jacket hanging open, a cropped top underneath with her slim waist on display. Her long hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, giving her a sharp, striking look.

Wade couldn't help but steal a few extra glances at her.

"Let's race!" Emily shouted, throwing one arm around Wade and reaching for Ivy's shoulder, but Ivy subtly shrugged her off without making a fuss.

Emily said, "Wade and I are a duo. We've been a team since we were kids. No way you can split us up."

Not waiting for anyone else to chime in, she started assigning teams. She said, "Ivy, how about you pair up with Mark? He's won racing awards in the country, so you'll be in good hands."

Mark was another one of Wade's buddies, looking all refined and bookish with his glasses on.

Mark chuckled and said, "Please, it was just a consolation prize in the amateur league. And every time, you and Wade box me in at the back. I never even get a shot."

Emily laughed and said, "We won't pull any of those pro moves this time. Let's just mess around and give you a chance to impress the lady."

Mark paused. Something about Emily's words seemed odd: typically, one only teamed up with a girl if she was single. Ivy was Wade's fiancée; he should be the one partnering with her.

But before he could say anything, Ivy chimed in, "Sure, sounds fun."

Her face lit up with curiosity as she said, "I've never driven such an expensive car before. Can't wait to see what it's like."

Emily's grin got even wider. She said, "Don't worry, it's not that different from a regular car. You'll get the hang of it in no time."

Mark suggested, "Maybe we should let Ivy get a feel for the car first."

But before he could finish, Emily was already herding everyone toward the cars.

Ivy settled into the driver's seat and made a quick adjustment to get comfortable.

Moments later, the race official waved the flag, giving the signal to start.

Ivy was the fastest to hit the gas, leaving everyone else in the dust at the start. But Emily was way too focused on working with Wade to even notice Ivy's quick move.

Emily and Wade kept their cars side by side, and right after the first turn, they boxed Ivy and Mark in behind them. They weren't even trying to go fast, just straight-up blocking, making it impossible for Ivy and Mark to get ahead.

This was their so-called team strategy: forget about winning with speed; they were just playing defense and keeping the others stuck behind.