Liam tightened his grip on the wheel and edged the Nova slightly toward the left side of the road.
At nearly 190 miles per hour, the pressure on Blackwood was immense.
The world outside had blurred into streaks of light and shadow.
Through his side mirror, Blackwood saw it clearly.
Liam was pulling up alongside him.
Trying to pass.
Blackwood’s jaw clenched tight.
“You want to overtake me?” he growled under his breath.
“Go to hell.” The moment Liam’s front bumper aligned with the Mustang’s left flank, Blackwood snapped the wheel hard left.
He didn’t hesitate.
He went for the kill.
At that speed, even the slightest touch could send a car spinning violently into the guardrail.
Blackwood intended to slam Liam off the road completely and end it.
Mia saw it instantly.
Her body tensed, hands clenching together in her lap.
“He’s coming in!
Liam, watch out!” “Hold on,” Liam said calmly, his voice steady despite the chaos.
Then everything happened at once.
Brake.
Handbrake.
The Nova’s speed dropped violently.
Mia’s body lurched forward, barely held in place by the seatbelt.
From the outside, it looked like a fatal mistake.
At extreme speed, locking the brakes could destroy traction completely.
The rear would lift, the car would flip.
That’s what everyone expected.
But Liam didn’t stop there.
In the same instant, he snapped the wheel hard to the right.
The rear of the car whipped around under the force.
A full 180-degree spin.
Clean.
Controlled.
Impossible.
The Nova stabilized instantly, tires screaming as it locked into position facing the opposite direction.
Blackwood never saw it coming.
He had already committed to the collision.
When Liam suddenly vanished from his trajectory, there was nothing left to hit but the guardrail.
The Mustang slammed into it at full speed.
Sparks exploded in a violent shower.
The car launched into the air.
Mia stared, frozen between shock and disbelief.
“Liam… the car… it’s coming down!” “Relax,” Liam said.
“We’re finishing this.” His hands never stopped moving.
Reverse gear.
Throttle.
Brake control.
The Nova roared in place for a split second, tires burning against the asphalt.
In the rearview mirror, the Mustang flipped through the air.
Boom.
It hit the ground hard.
Then bounced.
It was about to slam down again.
Liam timed it perfectly.
He released the brake.
The Nova shot backward like a missile.
At the exact moment the Mustang crashed down again, Liam’s car tore underneath its falling arc, missing it by less than a second.
Behind them, the Mustang hit the ground and burst into flames.
Liam didn’t look back.
He kept accelerating in reverse, building speed over nearly a mile.
Then, with another precise input, he pulled the handbrake, turned the wheel, and spun the car around in a flawless drift.
Forward again.
Full speed.
There were no rivals left.
Only 300 meters to the finish line.
Liam glanced at Mia, who was pale but wide-eyed with adrenaline.
He gave her a small, calm smile.
“Put on some music.” “…What?
Oh—yeah.” She fumbled with the controls for a moment.
A heavy, high-energy track blasted through the speakers.
The engine roared in sync with the beat, creating a perfect rhythm of power and sound.
Liam floored the accelerator.
The Nova surged forward.
Sound.
Speed.
Rhythm.
Everything fused into one.
He crossed the finish line.
The crowd exploded.
Champagne sprayed into the air.
Music thundered from every direction.
People rushed forward from all sides.
Cars, cash, bodies, lights — the entire scene erupted into chaos and celebration.
“He actually won!” “No way… Blackwood lost?” “Did you see the replay?
Blackwood’s car is gone.
Total wreck.” “They’re pulling his passenger out.
She’s still alive… barely.” The Nova rolled to a smooth stop.
The engine finally went quiet.
Liam opened the door and stepped out.
Silence spread through the crowd almost instantly.
Every eye locked onto him.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Awe.
Mia stepped out beside him, still catching her breath.
The race organizer approached, looking dazed, and handed over a thick stack of cash.
“All bets collected.
Ten grand.
It’s all there.” Mia took it, then walked straight to Liam.
“This is yours,” she said, holding it out.
“You earned it.” Liam took the money without hesitation and slipped it into his pocket.
He already knew he couldn’t take it back with him.
But that didn’t matter.
What was earned… stayed earned.