Race.

The room fell silent again with the weight of his words sinking in. Little Thumb pressed a handkerchief to the cut on his neck, and while his expression was unreadable, his posture was tense. He knew better than to provoke a Valve serving Evangeline, especially one as dangerous as Amanda.

Amanda, for her part, didn't so much as flinch. She stood tall, her kunai still embedded in the floor; it was a silent reminder of her precision and lethality. Her smirk returned, though it lacked any warmth. "Smart move," she said with her voice being low and dangerous. "Now, get out of my bar before I decide to make an example out of you."

Little Thumb nodded curtly while signaling for his men to lower their weapons. They hesitated with their faces twisted with anger and humiliation, but they obeyed, retreating toward the alley entrance with muttered curses. As they left, Amanda's gaze followed them, with her eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.

Once they were gone, she let out a slow breath while her shoulders relaxed slightly. She bent down to retrieve her kunai while wiping the blade clean with a cloth before slipping it back into the hidden sheath on her thigh.

The alley was quiet again, but the tension lingered, like a cruel reminder of the fragile peace that held the underworld together and how easily it could shatter.

Meanwhile, a car rumbled through the narrow, dimly lit streets of the lower districts; the tension inside the vehicle was palpable.

One of Mama's Pistons, a young and brash enforcer, gripped the steering wheel tightly while his knuckles became white. "Sir!" he burst out, unable to contain his frustration. "Why did you stop us back there? We could've easily killed her and dumped her body in another family's territory. We've done it before.... no one would've known it was us!"

Little Thumb, seated in the back, let out a low, weary sigh. He leaned his head back against the seat while closing his eyes as one of the Gearheads that worked as one of Mama's medics tended to the shallow cut on his neck.

"How long have you been working for Mama?" Little Thumb asked with his voice being calm but laced with an edge that made the Piston hesitate.

"This'll be my first year, boss," the Piston replied while puffing out his chest with pride.

Little Thumb's lips twitched into a faint, humorless smile. "That explains it," he said with his tone heavy with implication. "You don't know who Amanda is. And you definitely don't know how dangerous Evangeline can be. Even the Big Boss of the family wouldn't dare cross her."

The Piston frowned while his confidence wavered. "Why would the Big Boss be afraid of her? Isn't she just one of his Capos? Couldn't he just replace her and be done with it?"

Little Thumb's eyes remained closed, but his expression darkened. The question was naive, born of ignorance, but it stirred memories he'd rather forget.

Ten years ago, the family had been torn apart by a silent war, a war that had ended with the death of the last boss and the rise of Evangeline as the true power behind the throne.

The current Big Boss was little more than a figurehead, a 20-year-old puppet who had no idea how to manage the family and commanded no respect from the Capos.

The last boss had made the fatal mistake of underestimating Evangeline. He'd wanted her as his woman, and when his attempts to woo her failed, he grew jealous of the affection she showed to a young Alexius.

In a fit of rage and envy, he'd ordered his most trusted Capos to kill the boy. But Evangeline's spies had warned her, and hell had broken loose. The boss was dead within days, and Evangeline had emerged as the undisputed ruler of the family with her influence and power unmatched.

Little Thumb opened his eyes, his gaze distant as he finished recounting the events in his mind. He turned to the Piston and answered him with his voice low and grave.

"Listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this once. And you'd better spread the word to every Piston in Mama's crew: never, in your life or even after you're dead, go against Evangeline. I might not show her respect when I speak of her, but that doesn't mean I don't respect her power. If you value your life, shut up, keep driving, and act like tonight never happened."

The Piston swallowed hard, his earlier bravado evaporating. He nodded silently while his grip on the steering wheel tightened as he focused on the road ahead. The car fell into an uneasy silence, with the weight of Little Thumb's words hanging heavy in the air.

"Hey, Cheeto! I'm back. Did you get the letter ready?" Alexius called out as he strode into the garage, his boots clacking against the concrete floor. He was already prepping La Bastarda, checking the steam pressure and tightening a few bolts as he waited for Natalia's response.

"Yes, it's all done," Natalia said with her voice sounding soft but steady. She handed him the neatly folded letter with her fingers brushing against his for the briefest moment. A faint blush crept across her cheeks, and she quickly looked away, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Thank you for this. Once I get the chance, I'll repay you for everything you've done for me."

Alexius smirked once his sharp eyes caught the way her face flushed. It was crystal clear to him now that the Cheeto girl had developed feelings for him.

And Alexius, being neither a gentleman nor a saint, couldn't resist teasing her. In one swift motion, he grabbed her arm while his other hand settled on her hip as he pulled her close.

"Oh?" he said with his voice being low and teasing. "That's not good, little Cheeto. You shouldn't fall for someone like me. I'm a total womanizer, you know. I could end up hurting your feelings." His olive eyes bore into hers, while his devilish smirk widened as he watched her squirm.

Natalia's breath hitched while her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it. She wanted to look away, to push him back, but she couldn't. There was something about that smirk, those eyes... that she had started to call it the "devil charm" that held her captive.

{That smile… those eyes… why can't I look away?}

Alexius, seeing that she wasn't resisting, tilted her chin up slightly, his face inching closer to hers. Natalia's heart raced even faster while her cheeks burned as his lips hovered dangerously close to hers. She was frozen, caught between the urge to pull away and the inexplicable desire to stay.

But then Alexius burst out laughing. "Pfft… hahahaha! That's even louder than my bike's steam engine!" He stepped back while releasing her as he doubled over with laughter. "You're too cute, Cheeto. I can't handle it."

Natalia's face turned beet red. She shoved him away while covering her face with her hands as she spun around, mortified.

{What was I about to do? It was the tanned devil charm again! This is the worst!}

Alexius wiped a tear from his eye while still chuckling. "Alright, I'm heading out now. Don't stay in the garage too long, or my aunt will come looking for you. And trust me, when she's mad, she's really scary." He turned to leave but then paused, with a mischievous glint appearing in his eye. He couldn't resist one last bit of teasing.

As the steam engine of La Bastarda roared to life, Alexius reached out and gave Natalia a loud, playful spank before hopping onto his bike.

"Kyaaa!" Natalia let out an involuntary squeal, her hands flying to cover the spot where he'd smacked her. The sound was so unexpectedly cute that even Alexius froze for a moment; even his smirk faltered as he stared at her.

"Kya?" he repeated with his voice tinged with amusement. "The hell… that was way too cute." He shook his head, as if trying to clear the image from his mind, before accelerating the engine and speeding off into the night, leaving a flustered and mortified Natalia behind.

Alexius navigated the winding streets of the lower districts while the hum of La Bastarda's steam engine echoed through the narrow alleys.

After a while, he finally arrived at the post station, a rundown building with flickering lights and a bored-looking clerk behind the counter. After handing over Natalia's letter and paying the obligatory "protection fee" because, in the lower districts, nothing moved without a little grease, he hopped back on his bike and headed for the outskirts of the city.

The transition from the grimy streets of the lower districts to the vast, open desert was breath-taking. The air grew drier, the sky wider, and the horizon stretched endlessly.

The desert served as a natural border between Valoria and Zephiria, a no-man's land where rules were more like suggestions. After an hour of riding, Alexius arrived at his destination: an illegal racing track carved into the dunes, centered around an ancient grain cannon that loomed like a silent sentinel.

The place was alive with energy. Hundreds of people had gathered while their bikes gleamed under the moonlight. The roar of engines, the smell of oil and sweat, and the buzz of anticipation filled the air. Alexius parked La Bastarda and was immediately greeted by a booming voice.

"Hey, Alexius, my man! Back for revenge?"

Alexius turned to see Fitz, his towering frame and muscular build making him hard to miss. Fitz was one of Alexius's closest friends, a giant of a man with a heart as big as his biceps.

They bumped fists, and Alexius grinned. "Hey, Fitz! Glad to see you're still alive. Last race, I thought you were a goner when you went straight for the cliff."