She pulled out her phone, scrolling quickly with one thumb. “The Vegas clip worked. Comments have flipped. No more ‘just for publicity’ or ‘sibling vibes.’ Now it’s…” She turned the screen toward him.
He glanced down. Throat tightening.
“I bet he makes her scream his name.”
“Wonder if he drives her as hard as he drives that car.”
“That kiss was NOT staged. Look at the way he’s holding her. Man’s starving.”
“They’re definitely banging. No way that chemistry is fake.”
Jax’s mouth went dry. He handed the phone back, forcing a slow, lazy grin—the one he usually pulled out for cameras when he needed to look unbothered.
“Wow. They really went there.” He let out a low whistle, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, I’m flattered they think I’ve got that kind of stamina. Should probably add it to my LinkedIn: ‘Professional driver, occasional scream-inducer.’”
Aria laughed—soft, surprised—but her eyes flicked over his face like she was checking for cracks.
He kept the grin in place, leaning back against the wall with exaggerated nonchalance. “Good news for the narrative, though. Publicity is cooking. Sponsors will be thrilled. Min-Jae’s texting up a storm, right?”
“Yeah.” She hesitated, voice softening. “He wants to meet up when I’m back in Seoul. Says we need to talk things out. I think…” She looked down at her phone, thumb hovering. “I think he might actually want me back.”
The words landed like a quiet punch. Something cold and sharp twisted in Jax’s chest—unexpected, unwelcome. He felt it settle there, heavy, but he swallowed it down fast.
He nodded once, slow, keeping his tone light. “That’s the win, then. Mission accomplished.” He flashed another grin, this one a little tighter at the edges. “Guess I’m officially the best fake boyfriend in the paddock. Should get a trophy for that too.”
Aria’s smile was small, almost apologetic. “Jax…”
He waved it off, quick and casual, like it was nothing. “Nah, seriously.” He pushed off the wall, stepping just close enough to bump her shoulder lightly with his. “Go get your soulmate back, super star.”
His voice stayed easy, teasing, but the words hung a fraction too long, and his eyes didn’t quite match the grin.
Aria laughed, but it was softer this time, quieter. “Thanks, Jax.”
“Anytime.” He gave her one last wink—quick, playful—then turned toward the garage exit. “Catch you later, fake girlfriend.”
He walked away without looking back.
But the cold thing in his chest didn’t leave with him.
???
He signed his contract extension the next morning—two more years with Ashworth. Marcus shook his hand hard in the team principal’s makeshift office, grinning like a proud father. “You’veearned this, kid. Keep driving like you have been. This new you—the focused one, the committed one—it’s paying off.”
Jax nodded, the ink still wet on the page. It should have felt like victory. Instead, it felt like another layer of the performance locking into place.
They celebrated that night in his hotel suite: instant ramen from the convenience store down the street, cold beers, the desert skyline glittering beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows like a sea of stars fallen to earth. Aria sat cross-legged on the couch in leggings and an oversized hoodie, slurping noodles with unselfconscious glee, laughing when he burned his tongue on the first bite and cursed under his breath.
“Seoul’s going to feel quiet after all this,” she said, twirling noodles around her chopsticks. “I’m looking forward to it. Home. Normal life. And…” She glanced at him, expression shifting to something more serious. “We’ll need to plan the breakup announcement once Min-Jae confirms he wants me back. Something clean. Mutual respect. No drama.”
Jax took a long pull from his beer, the cold fizz doing nothing to ease the sudden tightness in his throat. “Yeah. Clean break.”
She smiled, soft and hopeful. “Thank you, Jax. For all of this. It’s working.”
He nodded. Didn’t trust himself to say more. The ramen sat heavy in his stomach, the celebration feeling hollow despite the contract, despite the points, despite everything.
???
The next day before qualifying, Lucas found Jax in the garage, leaning against the wall near the data screens, staring at nothing.
