Chapter 3

Before I could even finish my sentence, Natalie cut me off, her voice dripping with irritation.

"When are you going to stop being so stubborn, Benjamin? If you aren't drowning in regret, why else would you be out here trying to race? You've spent years throwing yourself into this, and you still haven't made anything of yourself. Just swallow your pride and admit you messed up."

Cody looked at me with total impatience.

"Dad, why do you always twist Mom's words? We've been trying to get ahold of you for years, but you've ghosted us. You're throwing a tantrum. Now that you see Mom is finally moving on and marrying Mr. Maddox, you're freaking out, aren't you?"

Looking at Cody with a calm expression, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The apple truly didn't fall far from the tree. He had inherited every bit of his mother's sharp, biting malice.

I was the one who had poured years and endless effort into raising him, yet he never missed an opportunity to stab me in the back just to take her side.

I had nothing left to say to either of them.

The podium ceremony was about to start, and I only cared about sharing this milestone with my wife, Lauren Keegan, and our daughter.

Those two had been teasing some massive surprise all morning, but they were taking forever to get ready.

Nevertheless, just thinking about Lauren brought a genuine smile to my face.

We met about six months after I moved to Aeloria, back when I was pushing my body to the limit in training.

Every single day, an anonymous sender would leave lunch for me at the track. My guard was up at the time, so I threw them straight into the trash.

Once Lauren realized what I was doing, she started leaving notes with the meals.

It didn't take a genius to figure out she liked me, but my first marriage had left me broken, so I quietly kept my distance.

Lauren didn't push, but she never missed a single one of my races. She would stand in the crowd, cheer her heart out, and slip away when it ended.

It went on like that until I discovered she was secretly bankrolling my entire racing sponsorship.

Her friend finally got fed up with the secrecy, brushed Lauren aside, and told me the truth with a laugh. As it turned out, Lauren had been harboring a massive crush on me for 13 years.

Suddenly, everything clicked.

It explained the vintage autographed photo of me she kept, and why she looked at me like we were old souls the first day we met.

Even then, I didn't jump into a relationship with her.

It wasn't until I fought my way back to the top of the podium and saw her celebrating harder than I was that I knew she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

It turned out her family practically ran the business world across Elandor, but they never once looked down on me.

Instead, they treated me with nothing but respect.

Hence, all I wanted now was to cherish the family I had built and enjoy the career I had earned.

Blinking back to reality, I tried to step around Natalie and her entourage to head toward the restrooms.

Natalie grabbed my arm by instinct. "Where are you going?"

Shane let out a condescending laugh, casually reaching out to grab her wrist. "The award ceremony is about to start. He's probably making a run for it so he doesn't end up embarrassed."

Cody smirked. "Come on, Mr. Maddox. If my dad finds out you're taking home a trophy today, he'll be green with envy."

Upon hearing this, I stopped in my tracks.

I knew exactly what trophy Shane was getting. It was a participation prize.

Natalie had essentially dumped millions of dollars into the event sponsors just to buy him a trophy.

Deciding they weren't worth another second of my time, I turned on my heel and headed into the restroom.

Just as I stepped back out into the hallway, my phone lit up with an incoming call from my daughter, Daphne Hudson.

"Daddy, Mommy and I are almost there!"

Daphne's cheerful tone completely melted away my annoyance, and my tone softened instantly.

"Hey there, Daphne. What are you in the mood for tonight?"

"You won the championship, so dealer's choice!"

I heard Lauren chuckle softly on the other end before she took the phone, sounding playfully jealous. "Oh, I see how it is. It's all about your daughter now? No love for me?"

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Come on, you're a grown woman. Besides, it's her birthday today, remember? I already have her present—"

The words abruptly died in my throat as I froze where I stood.