Chapter 161 Not Favored
A new day.
The sun had just risen, casting a soft golden glow over the vast grassland.
Wind blew from the distant forest valley, rolling up waves of green grass.
I walked along the track decorated with thousands of family banners on both sides, heading into the morning breeze to see my horse.
There was a horse race this morning, and I would be competing on behalf of my family.
By the time the sun was fully up, the stands were packed.
The racecourse stretched over a thousand yards along a gentle slope. More than a dozen uniformly dressed people pushed carts back and forth on the sandy surface, flattening the track and checking for any sharp objects.
Over a hundred competing horses were nervously pawing the ground in the starting area.
I wore a black satin riding outfit that fit close to my body, my hair tied in a bun to show off the smooth lines of my neck. My hand rested on my horse's neck, stroking along the direction of its coat.
The horse that had grown up with me since childhood had died five years ago in that massacre. Today's horse was a gift from Gale—he'd specially picked out a purebred racehorse for me. I named it "Golden."
Though Golden and I had only known each other a short time, it was very gentle and smart, turning its head now and then to nuzzle into my arms.
A crisp sound of hoofbeats approached from the distance.
Sophie rode up on a pure white horse named Snowy, stopping beside me with a proud posture.
She gently stroked its mane and said "good morning" to me in a friendly way.
Just as I was wondering why she'd suddenly changed her attitude toward me, she said, "This is Snowy. I've been feeding it myself since it was weaned. Lucas even helped me feed it before. Once during a heavy rain, I stayed with Snowy when it was sick, and Lucas came over specially. Without him, Snowy couldn't have grown up so healthy."
Her words had hidden meaning. She was telling me that she and Lucas grew up together, sharing memories I could never be part of.
But how could I be defeated by a few words from her?
"So you're saying this is a sick horse?" I deliberately twisted her meaning and asked loudly, "Can it even compete?"
The other competitors around us turned to look. Sophie loudly denied it, "Don't talk nonsense! Snowy is not a sick horse. Snowy has competed in several international races and even won championships!"
"That impressive?" I sounded a bit surprised.
"Of course!" Sophie answered proudly.
"Then what happens when you lose to me later?" I asked with a smile.
Sophie pointed at me angrily, "Lose to you? Ridiculous! I'm the one who won multiple international championships riding Snowy. How could I possibly lose to you!"
I didn't respond to her challenge. Instead, I turned my head to look at her carefully and asked in confusion, "If you like Lucas, why don't you tell him?"
The smugness on Sophie's face instantly shattered, her eyes churning with years of suppressed hurt and resentment. "What do you know?"
"As long as I don't confess, I'll always be his friend, always able to care about him and stay by his side without question!"
Sophie gripped the reins tightly, not noticing that Snowy was becoming uncomfortable and uneasy from her movements.
"When Amelia suddenly appeared and took him away, I put up with it. I finally convinced myself to accept it, and then you showed up. And you became his wife. Why? You're the one who stole Lucas!"
My eyebrow lifted slightly as I exposed her bluff, "You're just a coward. Even without me or Amelia, Lucas would never choose you."
Sophie's face went pale with anger. She laughed coldly with undisguised mockery, "Can you even ride? A doctor better be careful—don't break your hands!"
Golden seemed to sense Sophie's hostility and snorted loudly at Snowy. Snowy nervously dodged to the side, pulling Sophie along and making her stumble awkwardly.
I patted Golden's mane in praise and said to Sophie with a smile, "Thanks for your concern."
Sophie left in anger. I thought I could finally have some peace, but then another person showed up.
"Isabella, did you fight with Sophie?" Amelia asked gleefully.
"Your injuries healed?" I asked back. "I remember you had a black eye and swollen face a few days ago. Didn't Michelle slap you a few times?"
Amelia interrupted me, embarrassed and annoyed, "Do you know? Everyone outside is placing bets right now, and your odds are the lowest. Nobody thinks you'll win."
"So what?" I tilted my head to look at her.
"My odds are second place." Amelia raised her chin, looking down her nose at people. "You didn't know, did you? I'm very good at horseback riding!"
Amelia was lucky—coming home at this time meant she caught the hunting competition. If it weren't for hoping she'd bring glory to the Gambino family in the equestrian competition, Colin and Michelle would definitely have kept her locked at home and never let her out again.
"But you're still not first place," I said, shaking my head at her in disappointment.
"First place is Sophie. If I'd learned riding from childhood like her, I'd definitely be better than her!" Amelia huffed. "Don't rush to mock me—think about how you'll avoid looking too pathetic when you lose later!"
She smiled smugly, "Let me remind you, Sophie is Lucas's childhood friend. It's no secret in Dawnharbor that she likes Lucas."
"Thanks for the reminder." I calmly put on my leather gloves, slowly curling my fingers, then looked up with eyes as sharp as an unsheathed blade. "The winner will be me."
Whether in the equestrian competition or in love.
The preparatory bell rang over the loudspeaker. I mounted my horse, left the prep area, and came to the starting line.
The noise and chatter from the stands became clear.
"This year's first place should be Sophie, no doubt!"
"You're betting on her? I'm betting on Amelia!"
"Why are you both betting on contestants from minor families? The five major families are more likely to win!"
"What do you know? Sophie and Amelia are the favorites! Look over there, someone's even betting on Isabella from the Sorelli family!"
"Can she even ride? I've only heard she's good at medicine."
I looked toward the betting area. Gale threw a thick stack of chips on the table with a loud thud. "Adding to my bet. I'm betting Isabella takes first place."
Marcus followed right after, his right hand on the counter, his tone cocky and certain. "Ten million dollars. I'm also betting Bella wins!"
The crowd was still buzzing with shock when Lucas walked over. Alfred carried a heavy black case, opening it to reveal stacks of cash that made everyone gasp!
"Who's he betting on? Must be Amelia—they almost got married before."
"They broke up ages ago! I bet Lucas will bet on Sophie. He and she are childhood friends. In past years, Lucas has always supported Sophie."
Lucas coldly surveyed the crowd, then walked over to Gale and Marcus. "I believe in Isabella!"
Donald happened to come over to place a bet too and cursed angrily, "You bastard! Not supporting the family is one thing, but spending this much money on a woman! Let's see if you can afford to lose!"
Marcus clicked his tongue, pointing at Lucas, then at Donald. "The money he spends on women—is it more than what you spend on women?"
Everyone in Dawnharbor knew that Donald was the biggest playboy!
The crowd burst into laughter.
Lucas laughed too, then looked toward me on the track. His voice was low but powerful, cutting through all the noise. "None of you think she'll win, but she won't just win—she'll win beautifully. Just watch."