Scott's eyes widened when he saw the blur in his side mirror. She was coming — fast. Too fast.
Impossible, he thought, tightening his grip on the handlebars. No one can push a bike that hard!
But Fidelia did.
She tore past him like a comet, engine howling, tires screeching as sparks sprayed behind her. The crowd exploded in disbelief.
"She overtook him! She overtook Scott!"
"She's.. she's gonna win!"
Scott tried to counter, twisting his throttle, but it was too late. The finish line was already in her reflection.
Fidelia leaned forward, eyes cold and steady. For every name on my list. For every lie they told me.
She crossed the line first.
The timer hit zero. The lights flared. The scoreboard flashed her name in bright, burning letters
WINNER: FIDELIA CRAWFORD.
The crowd went wild. Cheers, disbelief, laughter a chaos of noise. Cameras zoomed in as she slowed the bike, smoke curling from the wheels.
She removed her helmet slowly, her hair tumbling out, face glowing under the floodlights. Scott pulled up beside her, helmet still on, breathing hard.
For a long moment, no one spoke. The drone hovered above, capturing the perfect shot Fidelia's calm smile, the look of a woman who had just declared war without saying a word.
You underestimated me, she thought, glancing sideways at him. Big mistake.
And somewhere behind the crowd, Andrian watched hands in his pockets, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
That's my wife. Andrian moved closer to her.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Fidelia screamed, her laughter echoing through the crowd. God, it had been forever since she'd felt this alive. Her life with him lately had been a wild ride—ups, downs, heartbreaks, and chaos. But now... now she felt like herself again. Just a girl having fun.
She dropped her helmet onto her bike and ran straight toward Andrian as her heart beat fast. He caught her by the wrist, holding her firm.
"For a second," she breathed, "I didn't doubt you."
"Liar," he said with a teasing smirk.
Something inside her pulled her to him and before she could stop herself, she crashed into him. Their lips met.
The crowd gasped, eyes wide as the two of them kissed like they were the only people in the world. What started as a spark turned into a fast sexual desire. Andrian slid one hand from her wrist, the other tucked coolly in his pocket, while Fidelia wrapped her arms around his neck.
The kiss deepened as the tongues met, breath mingling, hearts racing. It was electrifying and intoxicating. She could taste everything she'd tried so hard to resist.
She wanted to stop. She should have stopped.
But she didn't
Because for once, it felt too good to let go.
"Whoa…what was that for?" Andrian asked after catching his breath, a smile started forming on his face.
"That was for the camera," Fidelia said, turning away from his eyes with a playful grin.
"You sure? I kind of felt that it was a bit more intense."
"Shut it," Fidelia replied, still smiling as she adjusted her hair and walked off toward the crowd.
Meanwhile the crowds were already enjoying and capturing the scene. Some were even cheering for them and clapping, then it died down when the host started speaking.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" the host announced over the mic, his voice echoing across the area. "Fidelia Crawford has surprisingly won the race just at the right time with an amazing boost! And now, she will be awarded the second bike! Isn't that something awesome..?"
But as he spoke, he caught the deadly glare from Scott and instantly swallowed his words.
'He still hasn't paid his balance… better not push it', the host thought.
He cleared his throat. "Let's call it a night. Thank you, everyone, for coming!"
Andrian walked up to Scott and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "You know, this would have all worked out well if you had already sold the bike to me. Anyway, you know where I stay…please ship it there tomorrow. Thanks."
Then he turned and went to meet Fidelia. "Let's get out of here. We have a family meeting. I'll be right back."
Fidelia nodded and went to change into her outfit. It didn't take her long before she returned, and together they walked out of the arena.
Andrian and Fidelia walked out of the company building and headed toward where Sarah had parked the car. When she knocked on the window, Sarah was already asleep, her head resting against the seat. She woke up suddenly, startled, quickly trying to get herself together.
"You're back," Sarah said, rubbing her eyes.
"Yes," Fidelia replied. "You look tired."
"No, I'm fine, ma'am. Don't worry."
"You can go now. I'll drive." Andrian spoke in a commanding tone that left no space for questions.
Sarah hesitated, then nodded. Andrian took the car keys and moved to the driver's seat while Sarah shifted to the passenger side.
As the car started, silence filled the air.
"So… what's going on?" Fidelia asked after a moment.
"What do you mean?" Andrian said, eyes fixed on the road.
"I've been with you for quite a number of days now, and I've never seen this side of you," Fidelia continued quietly. "So, what's actually going on? I was expecting you to be angry—but instead, there's something else I see."
Andrian didn't answer immediately. His face remained calm.
"After I watched you jump down the bridge, I knew something was wrong," Adrian said. "I should have guessed. I went to see Dr. Thompson."
"At first, he was acting tough," he continued, "but… I touched him up a bit."
"You beat him up?" Fidelia asked, startled.
He shook his head slightly. "No, no. Just a hit to remind him. But he thought he could hide things. I had some people dig it up, and with that, he told me what happened—about your DID. We had a little heart-to-heart talk."
He leaned closer. "So tell me, how exactly does it feel when you switch to another alter?"
Fidelia sighed, her voice low. "There's nothing much I can say. It's not a good feeling knowing my body is being used by me. I feel possessed. Imagine doing things I can't even remember. And yet, all this was caused by a normal person—by me—from a past that I created."
"Slow down," Adrian said. "That's where you're wrong. From what the doctor told me, maybe you created these personalities but there's no doubt, they're all still you. Even if you try to deny it. And from what he told me, they helped you survive."
He paused, then added, "I told him about what happened a few days ago about your step mom and sister locking you up in your room. He said that was the trigger that released one of your personalities."