For racing, you have to be professional," Claire said with a smile.
"Peter!"
V waved toward Peter when she saw him standing beside Claire.
"Come on!" Peter encouraged her with a smile.
"Alright, it's time for me to get in the car and face off against V. You guys wait for us at the finish line," Claire said before walking toward V's Mizutani Falcon.
"Hey, Claire, where did you find this new driver? Such a shame—she looks pretty, but driving with you means she's bound to die sooner or later! Hahaha!"
Sampson sneered at Claire as he leaned against his car.
"F*** you, scum! Shut your filthy mouth!" Claire snapped, her usual calm demeanor replaced by pure rage.
At that, Sampson only smirked, taunting her even further. "In the end, your husband was just another cocky driver who got too arrogant and paid the price."
Claire's fists clenched, her breathing heavy with fury.
"If you're only good at running your mouth, let's settle this on the track," V said, stepping up beside Claire and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Her gaze was cold as she looked Sampson in the eye.
"Alright, alright," Sampson chuckled mockingly. "Since the pretty lady insists, I'll be waiting to see the outcome."
Sampson had never heard of V in Night City's racing scene, so he didn't take her seriously.
As Claire climbed into the car, her face was still twisted with anger. V, who had always known Claire to be calm and composed, found this side of her unsettling.
She had completely lost control just because of Sampson's trash talk. That wasn't like her at all.
"Forget it. Let's focus on the race and crush that bastard," V said, trying to ease the tension.
Hearing that, Claire took a deep breath and nodded, her expression returning to its usual calm.
V didn't ask any more questions and turned her attention to the Mizutani Falcon. They had spent the past two days modifying this car from the engine to the tires, fine-tuning it for maximum performance.
The announcer's voice echoed through the speakers:
"Alright, racers! Get ready! Smash the metal and take down your opponents!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
As the countdown hit zero, V slammed on the accelerator, and the Mizutani Falcon shot forward.
Because they had started in the back, V had little room to maneuver, forcing her to stay behind the other racers for the time being.
At the front, Sampson leaned out of his car window, making a thumbs-down gesture toward the racers behind him.
Everyone knew exactly who the gesture was meant for.
V, however, didn't take the bait. She remained focused, analyzing the race. Right now, her only goal was to keep up and not let the lead cars pull too far ahead.
Meanwhile, Peter and Lucy had already driven through a shortcut and arrived at the finish line.
"Peter, do you think V can win? She's in a really bad position," Lucy asked, watching the race updates with concern.
"Don't worry," Peter said confidently. "You probably don't know how crazy V's driving was when we were back home. She's been waiting for this moment."
V, sitting in the driver's seat, glanced at the map on the dashboard.
A wide turn was coming up in 300 meters.
A plan instantly formed in her mind.
Sampson was still in the lead. It made sense—he was the previous champion, after all.
"Now, approaching the big turn! Sampson is slowing down. He knows better than to risk rolling over at this speed!" the announcer's voice rang out.
But just because Sampson wouldn't take the risk didn't mean V wouldn't.
Seeing Sampson decelerate, V veered onto the other side of the road and slammed her foot on the gas.
BOOM!
The Mizutani Falcon's engine roared as it hit 180 km/h.
She passed Sampson with ease.
"Stupid chick," Sampson scoffed. He almost laughed out loud. At this speed, if she lost control during the turn, she would roll over and crash straight into the surrounding buildings.
Even he, a seasoned champion, wouldn't attempt something that reckless.
SCREEEEECH!
The tires screeched as they skidded against the pavement, white smoke billowing from under the Mizutani Falcon.
But V didn't lose control. She executed the turn flawlessly.
Then, she activated the nitrous Claire had installed.
BOOM!
The exhaust let out an explosive roar. The sudden burst of speed widened the gap between her and Sampson instantly.
"F*! St!"
Sampson cursed as he realized he had completely lost track of her.
The remaining portion of the track was all straight roads. His car was built for cornering, but now that they were past the turn, he had no advantage left.
The Mizutani Falcon sped across the finish line first.
At the finish line, cheers erupted.
"And the winners of this race are… V and Claire!" the announcer declared.
V and Claire stepped out of the car, but Claire's expression was dark and stormy, showing no hint of joy.
"Claire, we need to talk," V said, walking up to her.
"You don't understand!" Claire suddenly yelled, her voice filled with pain and fury. "That bastard! He killed my husband! I'm not here to win some f***ing race! I'm here for revenge!"
"What's going on?"
Peter and Lucy approached, hearing Claire's outburst.
"It's nothing," Claire said, shaking her head. "V, you don't need to be my partner for the next race. I'll find someone else. I'll send you your winnings later."
With that, Claire turned and walked away.
"V, what just happened with Claire?" Lucy asked, confused.
V sighed. "She told me in the car. Sampson killed her husband."
Lucy frowned. "That means Sampson—"
V nodded. "Yeah. But technically, in these races, everyone accepts the risk of death. It's not exactly murder in the usual sense."
Lucy fell silent, considering the weight of those words.
The truth was, V could have killed Sampson during the race. It would have been simple—just ram his car at high speed and flip him over. Given Sampson's speed, a crash like that would have been fatal.
And with the reinforced bumper Claire had installed, the Mizutani Falcon wouldn't have even taken much damage.
But V hadn't done it.
Maybe because, deep down, she still believed that racing should be about skill, not revenge.
"Forget it," Peter finally said, breaking the silence. "Let's head home. We'll deal with this later."
He patted V on the shoulder.
Peter knew that all she really wanted was to enjoy the race.
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