Chapter 170: You're Asking for Another Beating
After hanging up the phone, the terrible mood still lodged itself in Isabella's chest, refusing to settle.
She wished she could finalize the divorce with William tomorrow.
Isabella leaned back against the sofa, tilting her head back and letting out a long breath.
Only after the moment passed did she realize—trying to spite William was the stupidest thing she'd ever done.
She had actually deluded herself into thinking William could understand her.
Her gaze naturally drifted behind her, and Isabella was startled to discover Olivia standing not far away, clutching the stuffed rabbit they'd bought at the amusement park last time.
Isabella immediately panicked and straightened up.
Mary hurried out from the children's room, quickly pulling Olivia close and apologizing to Isabella. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Capulet. I looked away for just a second and Olivia ran out."
Isabella shook her head gently, extending her arms toward Olivia to come closer.
Olivia obediently walked into Isabella's embrace, her lips pressed tightly together, her thoughts unreadable.
"Did I frighten you just now?" Isabella asked softly, her voice gentle.
"Were you on the phone with Dad?" Olivia asked. As soon as the words left her mouth, she pouted in frustration. "Besides Dad, you never fight with anyone like that."
William was definitely an exception where Isabella was concerned.
After a brief pause, Isabella felt an overwhelming wave of guilt wash over her.
As parents, neither she nor William had provided Olivia with a secure enough family environment.
"Don't fight with Dad anymore, Mommy. Don't be angry because of them," Olivia said, gripping Isabella's hand.
The warm little hand clutched Isabella's tightly, as if afraid she might leave.
She must be so scared right now.
In an instant, all of Isabella's anger evaporated, leaving only guilt toward Olivia.
She stroked Olivia's head gently. "Be good. Go back to bed with Mary. Tomorrow I'll take you to watch Joseph practice racing."
Olivia nodded even more obediently and followed Mary back into the children's room.
This small incident left Isabella's emotions even more complicated.
Getting divorced as soon as possible and taking Olivia to live somewhere without William became an even more urgent goal for Isabella.
The next day, before they could leave, a light drizzle began pattering against the windows.
Olivia stood by the window, asking Isabella curiously, "Mommy, it's raining today. Will Joseph still practice?"
Isabella was helping Mary prepare breakfast and glanced outside.
"The rain isn't too heavy. Training will go on as normal." After a pause, she instructed Olivia, "Since it's raining, go put on a jacket."
Olivia hummed in agreement and ran to her room to get her clothes.
Mary thoughtfully prepared a cup of honey water and handed it to Isabella.
"Olivia doesn't like plain water. She might want soda when we're out, but honey water prepared at home is better."
Isabella took the cup and smiled at Mary.
Having her around had indeed solved many problems and saved Isabella considerable trouble.
When they arrived at the training facility with Olivia, Joseph had already entered the track.
He seemed somewhat surprised to see Isabella with Olivia.
"Didn't you say before that exposing Olivia to racing was too dangerous right now?" Joseph asked, taking the towel Isabella handed him and wiping his sweat.
"She's just sitting in the stands watching. Nothing dangerous about that. How were today's times?"
"Two seconds faster than last time." Joseph puffed out his chest proudly.
For top-tier racers like them, even shaving off a single second was monumentally difficult, requiring years of dedicated training.
Isabella nodded, her expression satisfied, like a coach evaluating her driver.
"That's about right. Your times during the actual race should be even better."
As they were talking, a voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"I knew you'd both be here." Richard walked toward them with two bottles of electrolyte water, dressed in gray casual athletic wear.
Isabella rarely saw him in sportswear. Without his usual sharp edge, his demeanor appeared much softer.
Joseph, who'd been trying to set him and Isabella up, smiled even more brightly upon seeing him.
"Mr. Spencer came too!"
"Came to check on your training progress. I'll also be attending the Canvia Championship in person, and I'm considering increasing the investment."
According to insider information, Richard had increased his investment in the Snake Racing Team, seemingly preparing for an all-out confrontation with the Romantic Team.
Isabella hadn't started training yet. She took the water and held it in her hand. "The current investment is sufficient. According to preliminary calculations from Samantha and the team, there's even surplus. We shouldn't blindly follow their pace and add more investment. The board of directors probably wouldn't approve anyway, would they?"
Richard was the CEO of Infinity Ventures Corporation, yes, but he was still bound by the board of directors and shareholders. He couldn't just throw company money around recklessly.
Richard shrugged. "The current price hasn't reached the board's expected threshold yet, and the online response and expectations for your participation are very positive. The board has agreed to additional investment."
He smiled again. "Even if the board didn't agree, I'd add more investment in my personal capacity. When it comes to money, you don't need to worry."
With another person there, Isabella felt comfortable entrusting Olivia to Richard's care while she climbed over the barrier to train.
Joseph immediately slapped the railing and jumped back into his car without hesitation, ready to race Isabella.
From the looks of it—whether in terms of investment or online predictions—the Romantic Team was in far better shape than before.
They were just waiting for this do-or-die battle to completely turn the tide of public opinion.
For most of the first lap, Joseph and Isabella maintained nearly identical speeds. As they approached the first major turn, Isabella deployed her signature move once again—flooring the accelerator while simultaneously controlling the brakes with perfect precision.
In the end, she crossed the finish line a full minute ahead of Joseph.
Olivia excitedly broke free from Richard's hand and jumped up, cheering for Isabella.
Isabella removed her helmet and walked toward the edge of the track with Joseph.
"I'm afraid I'll never master that move of Isabella's in this lifetime. I still can't overcome my fear when taking those turns," Joseph admitted.
Isabella unscrewed her water bottle and took a sip, smiling. "Everyone has their strengths. If everyone could do it, my signature move would be worthless, wouldn't it?"
"What's the point of being fast in practice? No matter how much you train, you'll never match Victoria!"
A childish, mocking voice suddenly came from nearby. Isabella and Joseph both looked up simultaneously.
Nathan and William had appeared at the entrance at some point, his voice cold and derisive.
Those who knew the truth could barely suppress their laughter.
Isabella found the scene even more amusing.
What expression would Nathan have if he knew she was Victoria herself?
"Nathan, even if someone is destined to be a loser, we shouldn't mock them like this," William said, his lips curling into a cold smirk.
Joseph immediately clenched his fists. "I think you're asking for another beating!"