Page 24 of A Billionaire's Secret

“Oh yes, the ‘business dinner’ guy, huh?” Lizzie poked my ribs.

“I swear sometimes I’m this close to getting married to a stranger if only that would shut you both up.” I scoffed and looked out the window.

My dad’s snail-like driving finally came to a stop, so I rushed out of the car and almost tripped over some bags that fell out. My parents and sister yelled ‘good luck’, but their voices were a distant sound as I ran through the doors of Hillsdale Downs.

Upon entering the changing rooms, I saw Diana sitting down, biting her lip, and staring into space.

“Hi, Diana.” I approached her quietly, trying not to startle her.

“Oh, hey,’ she acknowledged me and looked up with an empty gaze.

“How are you? Ready?” I sat down next to her.

“I guess,” she answered shortly, with doubt and uncertainty.

“You are! I know it.” I cheered her on. “Come on, do some mediation with me.”

“Nah, that’s your thing,” she faked a smile and got up to finish dressing.

I watched her move slowly and hesitantly as if the world's weight was on her shoulders. She tightened her belt, stepped into her boots, grabbed her helmet, and walked to the door.

“Thank you, Victoria. Good luck,” she turned around to say right before exiting.

My heart ached for her. Whatever was bothering her, finding out about her father and I would have only made it worse.

I straightened up my posture and exhaled. All of that would have to wait. For now, I had a race to win. Or drown.

My body felt fit and tight as a string. I had spent the last weeks working out twice daily and practically living at the stables. My endurance could be matched to that of my horse. And what’s more—memories of Christian’s passion ran through my veins and fueled me with determination.

As if on autopilot, I found myself near my horse, waiting for instruction and the deafening sound of the whistle. I kept my eyes still and fixated on the racetrack. I avoided looking at the other jockeys or the crowd, fearing that seeing Christian or Diana would upset my crystal-clear mind.

Nothing else matters right now. Everything else can wait.

My Grandfather’s words echoed in my mind, cementing my feet to the ground in a firm, determined stance. I loved the power I had over my destiny in those brief moments. Blocking the world around me was not only necessary but also expected. The crowd could have been exploding, and I wouldn’t have known it. I heard and felt nothing. My mind—empty of all burdens, doubts, and fears.

I saddled Sahara and placed my hands on her muscular neck. Our pulses synchronized, and our spirits became one. The magical relationship between a horse and a human could not be explained, only felt. That type of trust rarely existed between two humans, but it was palpable between Sahara and me.

“You’ll do amazing, my love,” I whispered to her right before the whistle blew. She nodded. And then we took off.

No one else existed but us. I didn’t care who was around me. Little did I know, they were all behind me. My legs gripping the saddle, my hands blistering under the tight grasp of the reins, my body almost parallel to Sahara’s back, my eyes sharply staring straight ahead, we zipped past the screaming crowd.

Being completely in tune with Sahara, I knew we would win even before we did. This kind of horse-to-human communication doesn't need confirmation from a judge. I had taken great care of her, and she was paying me back with grace and endurance. Unwavering all the way to the finish line.

We slowed to a gallop, and I began letting in sounds and visuals from the outside world. I looked around and saw people clapping and cheering before I could hear them. In slow motion, I turned around to see the score and the judge’s table. Sahara’s name shone brightly. But I already knew that.

We strutted to the winner’s circle, I accepted the trophy and searched for my family’s smiling faces. My sister was jumping up and down, my father was wiping off a tear from my mother’s face.

And not too far from them, Christian smiled composedly in my direction and nodded as soon as my eyes landed on his. He wasn’t allowed to rejoice. He was captive to his daughter’s loss. My eyes roamed the field for her, but some news reporters distracted me with their urgent questions. I brushed them off as quickly as I could and headed toward the jockey rooms.

I speed-walked past John Harrison’s beaming face and compliments, Tony’s high-fives, and my parents’ hugs. My heart sank when I swung open the door to the changing rooms. Diana was throwing her stuff in a duffle bag, sobbing uncontrollably.

I gently touched her shoulder and waited for her to turn around. Her arms flew over my shoulders, and she buried her head in my neck.

“Hey, it’s OK, Diana. No one wins every single time. It’s part of the game,” I tried to console her, guilt escalating to my chest.

“I’ve been lying to myself, Vicky,” she confessed, pulling away from our hug. “I do these things. I want to prove myself, but I don’t have the courage to keep going. I could never do what you do. I don’t have it in me.”

“Bullshit! You just need to train more. Hell,I alsoneed to train more.” I assured her.

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