Chapter 205: Fall from Grace
The race car crossed the finish line, and Victoria's time was locked in.
Isabella had won by an absolute margin over second-place Joseph, finally delivering the result her team had desperately hoped for.
As she climbed out of the car, Isabella spotted Wayne in the distance, screaming in fury. Even without hearing his voice, she could read the profanity pouring from his lips.
The pre-race betting pool on Zachary's victory had exceeded five billion dollars. Wayne's backers had lost catastrophically, and Isabella doubted he could survive their wrath.
Watching the official racing association collect her blood sample for verification, surrounded by teammates roaring their excitement, Isabella still felt a sense of unreality.
Samantha leaped down from the command station. Joseph, overcome with emotion, threw his arms around Isabella, sobbing uncontrollably.
Isabella could already envision the aftermath—once today's broadcast aired, the team's value would skyrocket. Their nearly bankrupt club had finally seized its chance at redemption.
Yet Isabella felt no surge of triumph. She had more important business to attend to.
Samantha grabbed her arm anxiously. "This isn't over yet. Are you ready?"
"Soon," Isabella replied calmly. "Today we'll have closure—for Zack, and for everyone Snake Racing has destroyed."
Samantha remained troubled by her plan. "If you don't want to reveal your identity, we can still have Tina stand in for the interviews."
That had been their original arrangement.
After this race, Isabella was supposed to return to her normal life.
Choosing to reveal herself on the podium meant Isabella would permanently forfeit any chance of reclaiming that quiet existence.
But...
Isabella thought of the evidence she'd reviewed before the race.
She'd finally realized what those files were missing.
An eyewitness. A victim willing to testify on record.
Standing in the spotlight, Isabella recognized this as the perfect opportunity.
She could use her platform to force the world to confront the truth.
After wrestling with the decision, Isabella firmly shook her head at Samantha.
"I have to accept the trophy myself today."
As the globally broadcast event reached its conclusion, comments flooded the livestream: "Victoria is incredible!" Search traffic for Romantic Racing was spiking exponentially.
The award ceremony began. Isabella stood at the podium, trophy in hand, helmet still on. "I have something to say."
The host, assuming she wanted to share a victory speech, eagerly thrust the microphone toward her.
Isabella hoisted the trophy, her gaze sweeping across the crowd below.
"I believe that for many racers, winning the Canvia Championship represents a lifelong dream. Just competing here is the culmination of everything they've worked for."
The seemingly simple phrase "world qualifying rounds" obscured a brutal reality—fewer than ten teams ultimately made it to this track.
These were the world's elite, risking everything on the most dangerous course imaginable, all to determine a single champion.
"I'm incredibly fortunate to have won this year's Canvia Championship. But I don't believe this victory belongs to me alone. My teammates lifted me up. They convinced me to return, again and again. Without them, I wouldn't be standing here."
If Joseph hadn't shown up with that cocky attitude, Isabella would probably be sitting at her computer right now, watching the livestream and reminiscing about her days as a professional racer.
Isabella's arms tired. She handed the trophy to Samantha but remained at the microphone.
Then, as the crowd watched in stunned silence, Isabella reached up and touched her helmet.
She slowly removed it. Her hair tumbled free. When her beautiful, delicate features were revealed to the world, everyone froze in shock.
Isabella wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled at the broadcast camera.
"Let me reintroduce myself. Hello, everyone. I'm Victoria, professional driver for Romantic Racing."
That single sentence crashed Romantic Racing's official livestream servers.
Isabella's face reveal didn't just stun the venue—it detonated across the internet.
In the stands, Nathan and William stood paralyzed. They stared in disbelief at Isabella, who was supposed to be missing, suddenly appearing before them.
Not only appearing—but casually claiming the Canvia Championship as Victoria.
The revelation hit with seismic force, leaving everyone's minds reeling.
Olivia screamed encouragement at the top of her lungs. She didn't care about secret identities—she only knew her mom had won, and that was enough to send her over the moon.
"I'm taking this opportunity today to formally report Snake Racing as a victim. Their team has engaged in systematic match-fixing and financial fraud. Team principal Wayne has authorized his drivers to throw races for profit. Because of their corruption, many racers with bright futures ahead of them were forced out of the sport. Some were left permanently disabled, confined to wheelchairs, never able to race again."
Isabella's voice rang out with crystalline clarity, echoing across the mountain valley. Even the snowflakes seemed to understand her words, drifting down in solemn witness.