Chapter 2 Motorcycle Racing
“Fine,” Sephora said, then turned and walked out of the room, looking pretty down.
But halfway there, she turned back and saw the couple staring at her with their eyes wide open.
She added, “As I said, I didn’t push her into the water.”
Then she left.
She didn’t care if the people in the room believed her or not.
Christine wearily leaned on Gerald’s shoulder. “How’s Bridie doing? Can you go check on her with me?”
Gerald, still pondering over Sephora’s words, blurted out, “Maybe it wasn’t Sephie. She seems like she doesn’t care about anything.”
Christine waved her hand. “When I brought Bridie upstairs, she told me it was Sephora. She wouldn’t lie about that.
“This is the second time Sephora has caused trouble. The first time, I saw with my own eyes that she pushed Bridie down the stairs. If Bridie hadn’t grabbed the railing in time, she might still be in the hospital
now.
“How come our own daughter is even worse than the adopted one?”
As they were talking, Bridgette burst into the room with a blanket wrapped around her. She grabbed Christine’s hand and asked
Chapter 2 Motorcycle Racing
worriedly, “Mom, are you okay? Why did you jump in to save me? The water was freezing!”
Gerald and Christine exchanged a look and decided to drop the subject.
“Bridie, Sephora said…”
Before Christine could finish, Bridgette cut in, “I know. Sephora was not thinking straight. She didn’t mean to do it. Mom, Dad, she’s your real daughter. If anyone should take the blame, it’s me.”
Christine started crying again. “Bridie, you’re too mature for your age. It breaks my heart to see you like this.”
Sephora put on a mask, grabbed her keys, and headed out. She hailed a taxi and said, “Austin Plaza.”
Before long, the plaza came into sight. She walked in and said her name at the front desk. Her voice was a little scratchy from the dry, cold winter air. “Sephora Garcia, password **.”
“Ms. Garcia, your motorcycle is in Garage 24,” the lady at the front desk said, handing her a card. “Hold on a sec.”
She stepped away for a minute. When she came back, she had a waiter with her. “Ms. Garcia, have some hot coffee. It’s cold out there on the track, and your voice sounds a bit rough.”
“Thanks,” Sephora said, gulping down the coffee in one go. Then she took the card and went to find her motorcycle.
“Maxwell, see that flame–colored motorcycle up ahead? It’s crazy fast. Go catch it!”
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At Austin Plaza, two motorcycles were racing each other on the track.
The one in front was bright red. Sephora, all suited up, leaned over her motorcycle and did a perfect drift at a turn, then revved up and sped like a bullet toward the finish line.
But right behind her, a blue–and–white motorcycle was right on her tail.
As she glanced back out of the corner of her eye, her face got serious. Was that guy even thinking about safety? Didn’t he know how to keep a safe distance?
If she kept going straight, they’d crash at the finish line.
Just before the finish line, she suddenly switched lanes. The
motorcycle behind her zoomed past her and crossed the finish line first.
If she were at home with the track all to herself, this wouldn’t have happened!
Sephora got off her motorcycle with a stern look and walked straight
to the blue–and–white motorcycle.
xwell Gilmore got off his motorcycle and took off his helmet. He stared at her and chuckled. “I knew it. You really are a girl.”
“Yeah, so what?” With that, Sephora swung her fist and punched him. right in the face. Before he could react, she kneed him in the stomach.
“Watch where you’re driving next time,” she said coldly, then stomped on his hand for good measure before turning and walking away from the track.
Maxwell was knocked to the ground by the surprise attack and lay
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there, his stomach aching so badly that he couldn’t get up for a while.
Rodney Gilmore and Lowell Austin, who had been watching from a distance with binoculars, saw what happened and walked over.
Rodney grinned as he helped Maxwell up, teasing him, “Hahaha, serves you right for trying to hit on girls! Got your butt kicked, huh?”
Maxwell glared at him through gritted teeth. “Who the hell told me over the walkie–talkie to chase her? You’re asking for a beating! Ouch! That girl hit hard! It hurts like hell!”
“Lowe, what’s that?” Rodney suddenly pointed to something by the foot of the man in a suit standing next to them.
A small ring lay quietly on the ground, with an irregular floral pattern around it and a thin silver chain attached.
Lowell bent down and picked it up, taking a quick look. “It’s a platinum chain. It must be what that girl dropped earlier.”
He tossed it to Maxwell, but Maxwell pushed it right back into his hand like it was something he didn’t want to touch. “Come on, I’m not dealing with a girl like that. She’s too fierce. If you see her again, you can give it back to her.”
Rodney grinned as he watched Lowell, who had a straight face. Then he whispered. “I think Lowe and that girl would be a good match.”
“Match? Are you serious?” Maxwell said, picking up his helmet and wiping off the dust.
“She punched you the first time you met. Same moves. Didn’t it feel familiar when you got hit just now?”
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“Are you asking for trouble?”
The two were joking around.
Lowell glanced at the ring in his hand, remembering how sharp and quick that girl had been. He then put the ring in his pocket.
Sephora was in a bad mood after what happened on the track. After leaving Austin Plaza, she grabbed some food and went to the movies.
Meanwhile, the Levine family was tearing their hair out trying to find
her.
“It’s getting dark. Sephora has only been in Frostford for a few days and didn’t take any money with her. Where could she have gone?” Christine held Gerald’s hand, frantic with worry.
Gerald was stone–faced. “What an unruly girl! She ran off just because I told her off a little. When we find her. I’m gonna give her a good talking–to!”
“You’re all talk. Hurry up and figure out how to find her!”
“The police won’t do anything for three days. What am I supposed to do? She couldn’t have gone far. I’m going to look for her myself. You stay home and get some rest!”
Gerald threw on a big coat, grabbed a flashlight, and headed out, taking the butler and a few helpers with him.
He wouldn’t come back until he found Sephora.
Bridgette comforted Christine, whose eyes were all puffy from crying, saying, “Mom, it’s my fault. I’m the bad one.”
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But Christine didn’t care about who was right
or
wrong at the moment.
“It’s good to have Sephora back. Don’t fight with her. She has got a bad temper. Just let her have her way. How could I have such a disobedient daughter?”
Hearing this, Bridgette felt a chill, even though she was in a warm
room.
She wanted to ask if they were going to forget that Sephora pushed her into the pool.
But as Christine was crying bitterly, she bit her lip and said softly, “I know. This family is supposed to be hers. I’m the one who doesn’t fit in.”
Christine didn’t say anything against it.
Bridgette felt even more upset. She quietly thought to herself that she couldn’t let that rude girl from the countryside stay in the family.
anymore.
