Chapter 106: A race
Vivian turned toward the man standing beside her. "Bring me my horse."
"Yes, Miss."
A few moments later, he returned, leading a beautiful white horse.
"Miss, please be careful," he cautioned respectfully. "She is spirited. You have to stay calm around her. If she gets startled, she can become difficult to control."
Vivian shot him an icy glare. "I’ve been riding for years."
She snatched the reins from his hand. "I know exactly how to handle a horse."
Ignoring his warning, she mounted the horse with ease. A sharp kick against its sides sent the animal charging across the field.
The wind whipped through her hair as the horse surged forward. Her eyes remained locked on Elias. They were filled with determination and possessiveness.
Within moments, she caught up to him. "Enjoying the ride?" she asked with a confident smile as their horses ran side by side.
The warmth disappeared from Elias’s face the instant he saw her. His expression turned cold.
"What are you doing here?" he asked sharply.
Vivian merely smirked. "I’m a member of this club," she replied casually. "Have you forgotten? I can come here whenever I want."
Elias knew exactly why Vivian was here.
She hadn’t come for horseback riding. She had come because of him.
He had no intention of wasting his time on her. With a gentle pull on the reins, he turned his horse, intending to ride back to Elena.
"Since we are both here," Vivian called after him, "how about a race? We haven’t raced each other in a long time."
"I am not interested," he said without even glancing back at her.
"What?" she mocked. "Are you afraid of losing to me?"
Elias pulled on the reins, bringing the horse to a halt. He looked back at her with a slight frown.
Vivian guided her horse closer.
"I’ve trained a lot," she said confidently. "This time, defeating me won’t be so easy."
Elias knew she was trying to provoke him.
Normally, he would have ignored her and walked away. But she had challenged him directly. If he left now, she would think he was avoiding the race because he lacked confidence.
A scoff escaped his lips. "So confident? I like that. But unfortunately, you are going to lose again."
"We’ll see."
Vivian pointed toward a towering tree standing at the far end of the grassland.
"That tree will be the finish line. Whoever reaches it first wins. And this time..." A confident smile spread across her face. "I’m going to be the winner."
Elias followed her gaze before smirking.
"Keep thinking positively. It might help you ride faster." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Just don’t be disappointed when I beat you again."
Vivian let out a slow chuckle. "And what if I win?"
She tightened her grip on the reins, clearly ready for the race.
"That’s not happening," Elias replied.
Vivian let out a slow chuckle. "What if I win?"
She rolled her fingers around the rein. She was all set for the race.
"That’s not happening," Elias replied.
He wasn’t merely confident. He was certain. After all, he had never lost to her before.
Vivian, however, looked equally certain of her own victory. "If I win, you will have dinner with me."
Elias said nothing. He neither agreed nor refused. He only took a quick look at her before saying, "Let’s start the race."
The moment the words left his mouth, both riders urged their horses forward. The two magnificent animals burst across the grassland at breathtaking speed.
From a distance, Elena watched everything unfold.
At first, she couldn’t understand what was happening. She only saw Elias’s black horse racing across the field while another white horse kept pace beside him. Because of the distance, she couldn’t make out who the other rider was.
"What is going on?" she wondered, a deep frown etching her brow.
A second later, realization dawned on her.
"They are racing!"
The joy and excitement soon transformed into panic. She was afraid he would get hurt.
"Elias," she shouted. But she wasn’t sure he had heard her.
Her heartbeat quickened as she watched the white horse repeatedly surge ahead before Elias caught up again.
Unable to stay where she was, she ran after them.
"Where are they going?" she gasped, breathing heavily. "Elias. Stop... Come back..."
But Elias heard nothing. His entire focus remained fixed on the finish line.
To his surprise, Vivian had improved considerably. She was giving him a genuine challenge.
Even so, he refused to lose. He pressed his heels lightly against the stallion’s sides.
The black horse immediately lengthened its stride, charging across the field with renewed speed. Little by little, the distance between them widened.
Seeing Elias pulling ahead, Vivian’s face darkened. She urged her horse to run faster.
Still, she couldn’t close the gap.
"I can’t lose," she muttered desperately. "I have to win."
A vicious thought crossed her mind. Without slowing down, she reached behind her back and quietly pulled out a small pistol loaded with rubber bullets.
"Elias, don’t blame me for being ruthless." Her eyes turned cold. "You made me do this."
She aimed at the black horse’s hind leg and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew without a sound and struck the horse.
The stallion let out a sharp, agonized neigh. It came to an abrupt stop before rearing violently onto its hind legs, its front hooves thrashing through the air.
Elias couldn’t understand why it was behaving like this suddenly.
"Easy, boy," he called out, immediately tightening his grip on the reins while gently stroking the horse’s neck.
But the pain had driven the animal into a frenzy. The horse landed heavily, then began bucking violently.
It spun in frantic circles, kicked wildly with its hind legs, and tossed its head again and again. Terrified neighs echoed across the riding grounds.
Every violent buck threatened to throw Elias from the saddle. His body lurched forward and backward with each powerful movement. The reins dug painfully into his palms as he held on with all his strength.
Every muscle in his arms, shoulders, and back strained from the effort of keeping his balance. One careless movement, one loosened grip, and he would be thrown to the ground.
Still, he refused to let go.
"Easy..." His voice remained calm despite the chaos. "It’s alright..."
He continued soothing the terrified animal, gently rubbing its neck whenever he found the chance. But no matter how hard he tried, the horse refused to calm down.
Meanwhile, Vivian raced toward the finish line. A triumphant smile spread across her face.
"You can’t defeat me any longer, Elias."