CHAPTER 4: CHAPTER 4: NATALIE VAUGHN TAKES AN INTEREST IN ZANE THORNE

Natalie Vaughn hated that feeling of being scrutinized, once at the bar, and just now again. She couldn’t figure it out, she just felt a chill down her spine, like seeing the protagonist in a movie being stared down by a wild beast.

Phoebe Quinn finished her call on the other side, saw Natalie standing there dazed, and walked over.

"What’s wrong?"

Natalie snapped back to reality, looked at Phoebe, recalling how obsessed Phoebe was with racing back in high school and college. At that time, Natalie had no particular feeling about racing, so she didn’t follow along. That rally race, if she remembered correctly, Phoebe went because of Zane Thorne.

"Yana, do you remember Zane Thorne?"

Hearing the name Zane Thorne from Natalie’s mouth surprised Phoebe a bit.

"Of course, he was my idol during my youth, but why do you suddenly bring him up?"

Since Zane Thorne retired at the peak of his career, her passion for racing had waned considerably, plus she was busy studying and helping with her family business.

Natalie didn’t explain; she thought of the hand resting on the window in the bar’s private room.

"Do you still have his photo on your phone?"

After saying that, Natalie furrowed her brow, cursing James Vaughn in her mind for not having a single photo of Zane Thorne in that portfolio.

Though puzzled, Phoebe took out her phone, searched for a while, and finally found the photo.

"This is the picture I took when I went to watch his race in senior year. Speaking of which, you watched that race too."

Natalie was stunned for a moment, lowering her eyes to look at the photo on the phone.

The man in the photo had just gotten off the race car, dressed in a racing suit, raising his hand to take off his helmet. Although the photo didn’t show the man’s face, his physique outlined by the racing suit was showcased vividly. Very robust, very sexy, the overwhelming male hormones, and that rebellious and unrestrained aura.

It perfectly overlapped with the vague figure in her mind.

Natalie’s attention fell on the hand of the man taking off the helmet.

His palm was large, joints distinct, with a bit of roughness, the veins on the back of his hand protruding attractively, looking very much like the hand in the private room.

The same audacity, the same arrogance.

She could completely imagine the nature of the person owning this hand just through this picture.

Natalie’s lips pressed into a straight line, suddenly realizing she had done something foolish tonight. She handed the phone back to Phoebe without a word and walked towards the car.

Phoebe followed, asking from behind.

"Nina, what’s the matter?"

Natalie threw herself into the back seat of the car, raising her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. Phoebe and Aaron Channing, who got in one after the other, exchanged glances.

"Which clueless guy made our Nina angry? Tell me, and I’ll get back at him for you."

Natalie was still immersed in annoyance, thinking more and more that what she did tonight was childish. What difference did it make to meet in advance? She would still have to go on the arranged date on Friday, there was no escape.

She admitted she went to the bar out of curiosity, but the thought of Zane Thorne seeing everything in the private room, and the sentence she said before leaving.

It was so embarrassing.

Natalie had never encountered a man like Zane Thorne before, just the identity of being a racer, the figure in her memory, that hand, that photo, made her lose her composure.

Seeing her not speaking, Phoebe and Aaron weren’t in a hurry to ask anything.

The three returned to Phoebe’s apartment. Aaron was responsible for ordering takeout, while Phoebe took out some alcohol from the fridge. She looked at Natalie, who was still sitting on the sofa with a cold face.

"Speak, why did you go to a bar alone tonight to drink, and tell the truth about Zane Thorne."

Natalie looked up, took the drink, having just done her nails, she tried several times to pull the ring but couldn’t. Aaron opened it for her, looking curious as well.

"Who upset you?"

Natalie drank half the wine before finally revealing the upcoming matchmaking with Zane Thorne.

Phoebe was taken aback, even Aaron put down his wine in surprise.

"Nina, damn, is it really Zane Thorne?"

No wonder she suddenly wanted to see the photos on her phone.

"Damn, I’ve always admired Zane Thorne. I always wanted to meet him, but he didn’t play with people in our league, so it never happened."

"Nina, what’s there to worry about? Trust me, Zane Thorne is absolutely different from the men you know. This is a great opportunity!"

"Nina, who would have thought you’d have a matchmaking with God Thorne! He’s my idol! My idol is going to have a date with my best friend!"

God Thorne...

Natalie thought of all the information she’d seen.

A natural talent, arrogant, reckless, a legend capable of impacting international events, retired at the peak of his career.

A powerful and mysterious man.

Looking at Phoebe’s shining eyes and excited expression, Natalie found it amusing yet helpless. Her youth was mostly about fighting and studying, pretty bland, she couldn’t understand Phoebe’s feelings.

But she did see that race in her senior year, saw that spirited man. Even though she had no feeling for racing back then, she still remembered the champion’s figure.

Phoebe grasped Natalie’s shoulder, shaking her, unable to conceal her excitement.

"Sweetheart, just go. He’s definitely a special person, definitely worthwhile! Remember, agreeing to a matchmaking isn’t the same as marriage, right? Just help me get his WeChat, okay Nina~"

Natalie’s appearance was too harmless, luring men into thinking she was a docile person, previously enjoying how others were deceived by her looks, this kind of fooling often brought some joy to her monotonous life.

But over time, Natalie lost interest.

Such men, whose intentions were easily seen through, were too boring.

She had to admit, her brother understood her well, knowing what kind of person could pique her curiosity and... a strange competitive urge.

Thinking over Phoebe’s words, Natalie slowly calmed down from her earlier annoyance.

She couldn’t lose her composure.

The proud Vaughn Family’s eldest daughter wouldn’t allow herself to be defeated before battle.

It’s just a man; the more mysterious and difficult to control, the more challenging and interesting, isn’t it?

After figuring it out, Natalie finally smiled.

Unlike Natalie and Phoebe, Aaron had more interactions with the rich kids in their circle, occasionally hearing about Zane Thorne. But previously, he never mentioned Zane Thorne in front of them, since Phoebe was too obsessed with racing.

Now that Zane Thorne was having a matchmaking with Natalie, and Phoebe was excited about it, it seemed she merely idolized Zane Thorne from her youth, so Aaron willingly shared what he knew.

For instance, Zane Thorne stayed in Altara for a while after retiring, opened a racing club but didn’t coach, and in recent years, he began various investments and became a notable figure in the industry.

Natalie wasn’t a strong drinker and was already a bit dizzy now.

"Why did he retire?"

Aaron shook his head, even Phoebe, as a fan, didn’t understand either; the year Zane retired was when she happened to go abroad to study.

"Oh, by the way, there’s a rally race the day after tomorrow, someone from Zane’s club is participating."

In Natalie’s mind, the photo of Zane in the racing suit flashed again.

She wondered what kind of face would be under that helmet.

"Will Zane be there?"