Chapter 40: The Ride

Chapter 40: The RideThe low purr of the McLaren Sabre’s twin-turbo V8 filled the parking garage like a beast awakening from slumber. Its glossy red body gleamed under the fluorescent lights, almost as if the car itself sensed the importance of this ride.

Jayden rubbed his palms, smiling faintly.

"Wow..." Lynna murmured from behind him as he approached. "This is yours?"

Jayden turned, remote key in hand, as the car’s butterfly doors slowly hissed upward.

"Do you still think I drive a bike?"

Lynna said nothing, only adjusted her dress with a nervous look on her face.

Her confidence, which was once thick enough to choke an elephant, was now thinned into cautious curiosity.

Even now, dressed in a modest black dress and heeled sandals, she still had that mature charm that could easily turn heads in a crowd.

She might really be in her late thirties or early forties, but to be frank, it almost looked like there was no difference between her and her daughter.

"Come on," Jayden said. "You ever been in a Sabre?"

"No..." she said quickly. "Not even close."



Jayden smirked. "Well, you’re in for a treat."

They both entered the hypercar, and the doors sealed shut with a pneumatic hiss. The interior smelled of fresh leather and ambition. Jayden tapped the touchscreen on the dash, selecting Track Mode.


A deep rumble vibrated the seats.

"You like speed?" Jayden then asked, glancing at her.

"I—uh—I’m more of a comfort driver..." Lynna hesitated before replying.

Jayden chuckled and buckled in anyway.

"Then you’re about to experience uncomfortable luxury," he commented, his eyes sharp as he took off.

As he pulled out of the underground lot, the sunlight bounced off the windshield. Lynna shielded her eyes for a moment before glancing at him.

"I still don’t get it," she said. "Why are you doing this? Why take me for a ride like this? After everything that happened... my daughter... me..."

Jayden didn’t even bother looking at her as she spoke. His eyes were locked on the road ahead. "You’ll find that I don’t do things just to forgive or forget. Sometimes, I do things to reset the board," he replied.

Lynna furrowed her brows, but before she could ask further, Jayden pressed down hard on the accelerator.

Truly, he didn’t want to hear another ear-burning question from her again.

The Sabre launched like a missile, pressing them into the seats as the car screamed past slower vehicles. Lynna gasped, gripping the door and center console like her life depended on it.

"Oh my God! Jayden!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, like someone terrified of losing her life.

Jayden just smiled, his grip firm, gaze cold but sharp.

They hit the freeway and Jayden swerved into the fast lane. He was weaving between vehicles like a ghost through a forest, hitting nearly 180 km/h. Then, with the smoothness of a skilled racer, he executed a controlled drift around an exit curve, letting the back tires swing with graceful precision before slamming the throttle and re-stabilizing the car without skipping a beat.

Lynna was speechless.

Terrified.

Awestruck.

"You... actually know how to drive this beast," she murmured, breathless, eyes wide.

Jayden didn’t reply immediately. He simply shifted gears, slowing down once they entered the coastal road that curved beside the ocean. The sun sparkled on the water’s surface, painting the Sabre’s dashboard in amber colors.

"That’s the thing about power," he finally said. "It’s not just having it. It’s knowing how to use it. And knowing when."



Lynna looked at him with a different gaze now, after those little moments. Less fear. More intrigue. Maybe even admiration.

The next ten minutes were calmer. He drove gently now, giving her time to breathe again. She even chuckled at some point when he made a casual remark about drivers who brake on empty roads.

"You’re not what I expected," she said softly, after trying hard to be a grown-up woman by staying quiet longer than expected—but failed.

"I get that a lot," he replied.

"Not just about the ride," she added. "But this whole... vibe. You don’t seem like the Jayden I met when Sofia was with you."

Jayden gave a dry laugh.

"That guy died. Guess that same daughter of yours killed him," he said.

Lynna’s face turned sour again, and yet she saw the frequent "don’t talk about it" face on Jayden, which only made her shrug and sigh, not ruining the fun.

By the time they returned to the city, Jayden pulled the car into an open-air parking lot near a scenic skyline view. The sun was now dipping behind the tallest buildings, casting golden shadows.

"This is where I’m going to be staying soon. At least for a while," Jayden said, nodding at a tall white tower in the distance. "Lightboard Penthouse. Ever heard of it?"

Lynna’s eyes widened. "Wait... That Lightboard? The one that costs—"

"Three hundred grand per fortnight. Right." He cut her off like it was nothing. "I rented it for just a week, but I could even consider extending my stay."

Lynna blinked in shock. "Why... Why are you telling me this?"

Now her curiosity grew, clear suspicion following up as well.

Jayden stepped out of the car and walked to her side, helping her out by opening the door. She followed slowly, confused but intrigued.

"I want you to come there in three days," he suddenly said. "It’s a place to reset. Think of it like a calm before the storm. You’ll start work after that. But for now, just... be there."

"Why me?" she asked, half-whispering. "You could’ve picked anyone. You shouldn’t be doing this." Lynna’s face was visibly unsettled.

Jayden met her gaze with unwavering coolness. "Because I want to. And because you need it more than you realize."

Lynna’s heart thumped at the honesty in his tone. No seduction. No promises. Just a raw confidence that unsettled and soothed her at the same time.

It took her longer than expected to come to a decision... a reply...

"Okay..." she whispered, finally giving an answer. "I’ll come."

A positive answer after a while of thinking was worth it.

Jayden smiled and nodded. "I’ll have someone send the details."



They returned to the car, but the silence now was different. Less tension, more questions floating in the air. She didn’t voice them. He didn’t explain.

He now had a second lady for the task, with only one left.

He didn’t know how he had gotten Lynna to agree to this, but whatever the case, Jayden was liking it.

He couldn’t even imagine the sweetness that would hit his mind when Sofia found out that her mother, who had been the director of her gold-digging moves, was now having an affair with her ex-boyfriend...

That would be a big hit between them by turning mother and daughter against each, but Jayden was really looking forward to it.

However, to make any of these things possible, he knew he had to make an effort. He needed to make Lynna a harem member, even if only temporary—for the sake of his revenge intentions and her loyalty as General Accountant—and raise her Affection to the required level where it best worked.

60 unforgiving percents or even more...

As far as it didn’t reach the insane 100%

It was the start of something really crazy.

.

.

[A/N: Please let’s try to support the book with gifts, power stones and golden tickets. It fuels my motivation. Thanks for reading!]