CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37: ZANE THORNE FLIRTS WITH NATALIE VAUGHN IN PUBLIC

Zane Thorne’s club is located in the suburbs, right next to a mountain, and the winding road up the mountain is an ideal venue for racing.

As they arrived at the club, the group of young men he had just spoken to on the phone were gathered at the entrance, and upon seeing Zane’s car from afar, they began to shout.

Natalie Vaughn suddenly became excited, her heart thumping in rhythm with those shouts, like a dance.

She saw the club’s signboard, the flamboyant logo, the row of parked race cars, and the group of passionate young people.

This signified her entry into Zane Thorne’s world of racing, a realization that filled her with unstoppable joy.

As the car stopped, Zane turned to look at Natalie beside him, his eyes radiant like obsidian gems in the sunlight.

He suddenly gave a reminder.

"These people tend to be rowdy, just ignore them."

As soon as Natalie got out of the car, she understood what Zane meant.

The moment they saw her getting out of his car, they swarmed around her.

"Mr. Thorne, is this sis-in-law?"

For all these years, Zane had never had a woman by his side, let alone someone sitting in his passenger seat.

"Tone down your rambunctiousness, don’t scare her away."

When he said this, Zane had a smile at the corner of his mouth and laughter in his eyes, exuding a relaxed and casual charm.

Natalie couldn’t help but stare at him for a while.

Even though Zane had retired from racing, tempering his edge, here he seemed as comfortable as a fish in water, effortlessly showcasing his brilliance and charisma.

"Oh, Mr. Thorne, you’re really protective!"

The group started to cheer teasingly, causing Zane to chuckle and curse them.

Natalie finally redirected her gaze from Zane to these young men, recognizing one of them as the person she saw in the tent on the day of the rally.

With confident grace, she smiled.

"Hello, everyone."

In unison, the group of young men responded.

"Hello, sis-in-law!"

Their greeting was deafening.

Natalie, however, lifted her lips in a smile; being addressed as "sis-in-law" greatly satisfied her vanity.

This was a group close to Zane, perhaps through them she could capture glimpses of his past self from years ago.

Dean Dempsey noticed the rings on both their hands, and with surprise, he winked at Natalie.

"Sis-in-law, remember me?"

Natalie nodded.

"Didn’t expect you to win over Mr. Thorne so quickly; impressive."

Dean couldn’t help but give her a thumbs-up. Natalie had once visited both the bar and the racing venue looking for Zane, leading Dean to believe she was pursuing him.

Natalie smiled without explaining.

As Zane listened to this, he furrowed his brow, giving Dean a kick.

The whole group was overly curious about Natalie; the call earlier clearly told them Zane broke his rule for her.

"Sis-in-law, how did you do it?"

Natalie made it seem mysterious.

"Why don’t you ask him directly?"

Everyone turned their gaze to Zane, who was casually leaning against the car with a cigarette in his mouth and his eyes slightly squinted.

He lifted his gaze slightly, slowly saying.

"Anyone who asks again won’t be racing later."

The group collectively fell silent: ...

"We won’t ask, we won’t ask. Bottom line, sis-in-law is amazing."

Natalie watched these guys being controlled by Zane, and couldn’t help laughing out loud.

"You guys are so timid."

One of them, a bit more mischievous, named Jay Sterling, spoke.

"Sis-in-law, you can’t say that. We’re smart enough to recognize the circumstances; we aren’t like you, Mr. Thorne never spoils us."

Natalie’s eyes flickered, thinking Zane wouldn’t spoil her either.

She looked up and met Zane’s gaze; she raised her eyebrows and curved her lips.

"Indeed, your Mr. Thorne spoils me; he brings me anything I want and takes me to see him race whenever I wish."

Natalie flattered Zane with glowing praise, smiling broadly at him, waiting for his reaction.

Zane stared at her for a while, then removed the cigarette from his mouth, lifting the corner of his lips in a muffled laugh, his eyes brimming with mischief; he suddenly leaned forward toward Natalie.

Word by word.

"It’s mainly because your sis-in-law is so obedient."

He returned the compliment back to her.

Natalie: ...

Zane, that petty old man, truly couldn’t bear to be slighted.

The man was so close, the smoke was a bit choking, yet mixed with his scent, Natalie found it incredibly pleasant, sniffing it addictively, only to look up and see the playful look in Zane’s eyes.

Natalie: ...

Her earlobes began to turn red, her eyelashes fluttering.

Zane chuckled again, probably amused; he raised a hand to pinch her earlobe.

The group began to cheer loudly.

No matter how bold Natalie was, being teased by Zane in front of so many people made her face burn with embarrassment.

Zane’s eyes were full of laughter; seeing Natalie’s growing awkwardness, he finally stood up straight.

"Alright, hurry and change clothes."

They had lingered over their meal and spent more than an hour on the road; now the time was getting late.

Zane led Natalie inside, where the manager had already prepared the racing suit and helmet for her in advance.

Natalie looked surprised at the man beside her.

"Just to ensure your life safety."

"I trust you."

She trusted the god of Cinnabar’s racing arena.

Zane lowered his gaze toward Natalie, understanding her intent, and raised his hand to tousle her hair.

"You still have to wear it; it’s the final guarantee."

Zane paused and continued speaking.

"Don’t worry, as long as I’m here, nothing will happen to you."

Natalie nodded with a smile, took the items from the manager’s hands, and went into the changing room.

Zane, meanwhile, stood waiting for a long while.

By the time she emerged dressed, Phoebe Quinn had arrived along with Felix Langdon, Theodore Langdon, and Aaron Channing.

Natalie’s outfit matched Zane’s, evoking a couple’s ensemble look.

However, Natalie’s mind wasn’t occupied with such thoughts.

She focused on the sight of Zane in his racing suit for a long time.

Long enough to have his figure from memory overlap with reality, creating a sense of timelessness as if transcending through time.

The man’s robust aura melded perfectly with the racing suit, his buzz cut bold and audacious. His eyes were no longer indifferent; they mirrored a waking wild panther—dark and piercing. Red and black collided, signifying a bold display of fervor and primal energy.

Zane Thorne was, by nature, a man meant for racing.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he moved step by step, approaching the car he adored.

As man and machine appeared together in the scene, they transformed into the most striking spectacle under the clear sky.

Natalie was mesmerized, her eyes locked only on the man in his racing suit, standing by the car with a helmet in hand, then casting a gaze her way.

Thump thump.

Everyone watched this scene in silent awe and satisfaction.

Zane stretched out his hand toward Natalie.

"Come over."

His voice remained deep, with a touch of rugged hoarseness. It seemed magical, prompting Natalie to instinctively lift her legs and walk toward him, closing in.