Chapter 356: Chapter 355: It’s Just A Car
Politicians pretended to care about the people, shaking hands and kissing babies while secretly signing documents that could kill thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.. Businessmen pretended to care about their employees, giving heartfelt speeches about "family culture" while already planning to sack them, if profit margins aren’t ideal.
In the end, the world ran on layers of performance. Everyone was pretending about something. So really, what was wrong with him pretending he wasn’t basking in the trio’s admiration right now?
he slipped a hand into his pocket, and said with the most casual tone"No need to make such a big fuss. At the end of the day, it’s just a car."
Then, as if to prove his point, he pressed the key fob. The sharp click of the locks unlocking echoed through the lot, and the car lights blinked alive for a split second. He gave Sophie a sideways glance, lips quirking at her barely contained excitement.
"You can take a look inside if you want," he added, still sounding like it was no big deal.
That was all Sophie needed to hear, she squealed like Christmas had come early and practically bolted for the door handle, her face glowing with the kind of joy Rex’s nonchalance was designed to downplay.
She slid inside with the reverence of someone stepping into a sacred temple, hands hovering over the leather wheel before gripping it like it might disappear if she didn’t. "Oh my god, Rex, the interior!" she gasped, running her fingers across the red-stitched leather, her eyes darting from the sculpted dashboard to the gleaming paddles behind the wheel. "This isn’t just driving, this is... living inside a spaceship."
She hit the seatback like a kid in an amusement park ride, her grin widening as she spotted the carbon fiber trim, the minimalist console, the iconic ferreri prancing horse embossed on the steering wheel. "Do you even get
how insane this is?" she laughed, already shifting left and right as if she were about to race down an open highway.Her feet didn’t even touch the pedals yet, but she acted like she could already feel the engine’s roar vibrating through her bones. She leaned forward, eyes sparkling at the sleek digital display, and then craned her neck toward the passenger side. "The seats! Look at these seats! They’re molded like they were designed by aliens with a taste for luxury."
After some time, of course, after thoroughly looking at every nook and cranny, pressing buttons, tracing the stitching on the seats, and even adjusting the mirrors just to see how it felt... Sophie finally climbed out. She was muttering under her breath the whole time, things like "God, the leather smell," and "that wheel, that wheel," as if she’d just returned from a sacred pilgrimage.
Her face was glowing, eyes glassy with excitement, like she’d just witnessed something life-changing. Hannah gave her a small shake of the head, half-amused, half-speechless at her over-the-top reaction. Daisy only raised a brow, a faint smile tugging at her lips, while Elara glanced away the second Sophie looked up, hiding the flicker of curiosity she still carried.
It wasn’t a long discussion, just the kind of knowing exchange girls shared when one of them went full fangirl mode.
Rex leaned against the hood with a faint smirk, watching Sophie practically float back to the group like she’d just stepped out of heaven. "Done drooling?" he asked casually, one brow arched.
Sophie’s head snapped toward him, eyes still sparkling. "Drooling? Excuse you, I was appreciating. There’s a difference."
"Mm-hm." Rex didn’t look convinced, his tone dripping with mock seriousness. "If appreciation involves pawing at every button and mirror like you’re trying to marry the car, then sure, let’s call it that."
That got Hannah to chuckle softly, while Daisy outright snorted. Even Elara, quiet as always, tried to hide a small laugh behind her hand. Sophie, of course, puffed her cheeks and jabbed a finger at Rex. "Hater. You just don’t understand true love when you see it."
"True love?" Rex shot back smoothly. "Oh! I thought you were just trying to figure out how to steal it."
"Tempting," Sophie admitted without shame, eyes twinkling as she slid closer to the car again.
But soon another issue presented itself, one that couldn’t be brushed off with jokes. The ferreri, glorious as it was, had one glaring limitation. Two seats. Four girls. Rex glanced at the group, then at the car, then back at them with a shrug. "Yeah... I’m not stuffing you all in like clowns at a circus. Figure it out amongst yourselves. Survival of the fittest."
That instantly set off sparks. Sophie’s hand shot up. "Shotgun! I called it first!"
"No way," Hannah countered coolly, arms crossed. "Calling it doesn’t count. That’s childish."
Daisy adjusted her glasses, shaking her head. "We’re not fighting over this like kids—"
"Rock-paper-scissors?" Sophie cut in, eyes gleaming with determination.
There was a pause. Then, somehow, they all agreed.
What followed looked less like a casual game and more like an Olympic showdown. Fingers snapped open and closed, each round met with cheers, groans, or Sophie accusing the others of reading her mind. Elara, surprisingly, made it to the semifinals, only to lose to Hannah. Hannah herself was taken down by Sophie after an intense best-of-three. Daisy, who swore she didn’t care, surprisingly,l tried her hardest but lost early on.
Finally, Sophie emerged victorious, arms raised in triumph like she’d just won a championship belt. "Destiny chose me!" she declared dramatically before sliding into the passenger seat like it was her rightful throne. She immediately started looking around again, touching the dash and tracing the stitching with a grin that refused to leave her face.
The others could only watch as she basked in her victory. Hannah sighed and shook her head, Daisy muttered something about "childish competitions," and Elara simply accepted the outcome without complaint.
In the end, the three had no choice but to head toward Daisy’s car, leaving Sophie to sit in the ferreri, practically glowing.
(End Of Chapter)
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