Chapter 203: Zachary Loses It Again
Isabella firmly declined Richard's proposal.
Tampering with the backend data might sound feasible, but it would be all too easy to spook their targets. Once their programmers detected the intrusion, they'd immediately suspect someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
If the trail led back to Infinity Ventures Corporation, it could potentially damage Richard's interests.
Isabella was determined to use a safer approach.
Public curiosity never changed. The narrative would develop exactly as Isabella envisioned.
This method was foolproof.
Isabella was confident.
During the ninth day's practice race, all the drivers seemed to have coordinated in advance—every single one made deliberate mistakes.
Tina, playing Victoria, won the championship without dispute.
Wayne even specifically arranged for a newspaper photographer to capture the moment Tina removed her helmet and stepped out of the race car.
That image exploded online, quickly surpassing one million views, and Victoria's name rocketed back to the top of trending topics.
In the Canvia Championship's winner prediction rankings, Victoria rapidly displaced Zachary's position, leaping to first place as the most likely candidate to win.
At the same time, thanks to Tina's impeccable appearance, Victoria earned the title of "Racing Queen," triggering another wave of online archaeology. Newly converted fans even unearthed Victoria's old race footage, constantly sharing and dissecting the clips.
But alongside the soaring popularity, doubts about Victoria's identity began to surface.
Many detail-oriented observers keenly noticed that compared to her previous race videos, Victoria had undergone dramatic changes in numerous aspects.
In the new race footage, Victoria never once used her signature move. She drove through the entire course in a plain, steady manner—no flashy techniques whatsoever.
Completely unlike Victoria's flamboyant personality.
More people began cataloging the specific changes in Victoria's performance.
Messages flooded the internet. More and more users stormed the racing club's official account, demanding answers about what was really going on with Victoria.
These messages affected the underground betting pool to varying degrees. The rapidly climbing odds cooled down.
Nathan saw the online chatter and suddenly remembered the autograph he'd personally obtained.
He pulled it out and compared it with Victoria's previous signatures.
The more he looked, the more wrong it felt. From the first stroke to the last, there was virtually no similarity.
Nathan irritably tossed both photos onto the table.
Laura noticed Nathan's agitation and picked up the two photos from the table.
"What's wrong?"
Nathan pouted, his voice frustrated. "Everyone online is right. These two signatures are completely different. The Victoria now isn't the real Victoria at all!"
William heard Nathan's words and took the photos from Laura to examine them.
Tina's previous explanation had been far too flimsy, with too many questionable inconsistencies.
But Samantha and Zack insisted this person was Victoria. No matter how much skepticism existed externally, their word carried more weight.
William gently set down the two photos and rubbed his temples.
He suddenly felt something was off, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
Isabella had painstakingly compiled all the evidence they'd gathered before the race, forming a reasonably complete chain of proof.
According to Isabella's original plan, she should slip into Tina's changing room before the race and replace her silently.
But before that, Isabella had another matter to handle.
She quietly donned a staff uniform, blending into the crowd, weaving through the numerous changing rooms and lounges.
Finally, she stopped before a door bearing Zachary's nameplate.
He was the one who'd destroyed Zack's racing career, ensuring he'd never race again.
He was the one who'd helped Wayne scheme against countless talented racers, permanently barring them from the track.
Thinking of the despicable tactics they'd employed, Isabella felt her teeth grind with rage, wishing she could bring them to judgment immediately.
Yet Isabella stood frozen before that door for a long while.
She realized the truly hateful person was Wayne.
The ones truly guilty were those manipulating the race from behind the scenes.
Not Zachary, just one racer.
This tragedy was their collective creation. The responsibility couldn't be pinned entirely on Zachary alone.
At this thought, Isabella's mood grew even more bitter.
She deliberately lowered her voice, making it sound more sinister and eerie.
"Do you still remember me?"
No sound came from the room—silent, as if no one existed inside.
Isabella had personally watched Zachary enter the contestants' waiting area earlier.
He was definitely in there.
"I'm Isabella. Have you forgotten me?"
She continued speaking in that cold voice.
"Get out! Leave! I didn't do anything—why are you haunting me?"
The voice inside was shrill, almost hysterical, screaming at Isabella.
Isabella's expression remained icy. Hearing this, she actually laughed.
"Did you really do nothing wrong?"
"How did that car go over the cliff?"
"I'm so cold. Being submerged in freezing water feels so cold, Zachary... I'm so cold."
Isabella suddenly heard a sound from inside the room, as if something heavy had crashed to the floor.
Immediately after, the door was violently shoved open from within.
Zachary's already pale face looked even more ghostly now. He completely ignored Isabella, who kept her head down to obscure her face, and bolted out with large strides, looking somewhat out of control.
Isabella relaxed.
She knew her objective had been achieved.
The smoothness of it all was mainly thanks to Zachary's weak mental fortitude.
Isabella walked all the way to the waiting area entrance and heard that the Snake team had descended into chaos—a whole group of people couldn't control the frenzied Zachary.
"Zachary's lost it again!"
"Quick, find Wayne! A doctor! Get a doctor, now!"
Isabella watched from a distance as they all panicked, her eyes coldly observing everything.
If Wayne hadn't betrayed his principles, if Zachary hadn't been consumed by greed, perhaps none of this would have happened.
Everything was their own doing, Isabella thought coldly.
She turned and left, walking swiftly away from the commotion.