Elle sat in the back seat, watching the two in front—one big, one small—with a faint, amused smile tugging at her lips.
"Black Mamba," she said lazily, "she's a colleague of mine. Female assassin. Ever since your Dove of Peace met her in New York, he's been obsessed—keeps asking me about her."
Luca: "…"
That was technically true.
But did she have to phrase it like that?
He was just asking whether Black Mamba had broken up, that's all.
Mathilda turned to Elle. "I think you mentioned her before."
"You remember right," Elle said. "I used to curse her and Bill all the time—those two bastards. But I've made peace with it. World's a big place. Plenty of things worth chasing. They can stay miserable together."
She paused, then smirked.
"But you, Dove… doesn't sound like you're ready to let Black Mamba go that easily."
Mathilda blinked in surprise and looked at Luca. "Big brother… what about that old woman?"
Luca stayed calm. "You believe everything Elle says?"
Mathilda hesitated and glanced back at Elle, suspicion creeping in.
Elle grinned. "Feeling guilty? Go on—tell her you didn't ask me about Black Mamba."
Luca sighed. He hated dealing with this kind of nonsense, but fine—he'd throw them a bone.
"There's something I need her to do," he said flatly. "And she's the only one who can do it."
Mathilda leaned forward. "What is it?"
"Pai Mei."
The moment that name dropped, Elle's expression changed instantly.
That white-haired and white-browed old monster…
He was the one person she hated more than anyone.
Back then, Bill had sent her to train under him. Elle had gone willingly—until she realized what kind of "teacher" Pai Mei really was. Violent, arrogant, completely disrespectful… and worst of all—
He gouged out one of her eyes.
Her eye.
That grudge never went away.
And in the end, she poisoned him, killing what might've been the most terrifying hand-to-hand fighter alive, right there in a quiet Taoist temple.
Pai Mei's strength bordered on myth. In a world without guns, almost no one could take him head-on.
So now, just hearing his name made Elle's expression turn cold.
"You know Pai Mei?" she asked.
"I don't," Luca replied, shaking his head. "But I've heard of him. He trained a lot of you Deadly Vipers—Bill, Black Mamba, you. All of you learned Martial Arts from him."
He paused slightly.
"I'm interested in that. And from what I hear… Black Mamba got the real teaching."
Elle frowned. "The real teaching? No way. That old bastard was stingy as hell. None of us got anything beyond the basics."
Luca just smiled. "Just because you didn't learn it doesn't mean she didn't."
After all…
That woman was practically built different.
No point explaining further—he'd confirm it himself when they met.
With that, Elle lost interest in teasing and leaned back.
Mathilda, on the other hand, was fully hooked now.
"So she's really that strong?" she asked.
"Stronger than your sister Elle."
"Dove!!"
Elle practically snapped, looking like she was ready to bite him on the spot.
The car filled with laughter and light bickering as they pulled into the race grounds.
The Mojave Desert at the end of August was brutal—heat shimmering off the sand like a mirage.
But the race scene?
Surprisingly lively.
Women in revealing outfits moved through the crowd, laughter and music mixing with the roar of engines. Off to one side, people were already betting on straight-line runs, watching cars blast down the strip.
Luca and the others quickly found Brian and Dominic Toretto's crew, who had claimed a corner and were chatting with other racers.
"Dove!" Brian waved him over and immediately started reporting. "Earlier, some Korean guy came around talking to teams—he's recruiting drivers. Says it's for Braga."
So Luca had been right.
Braga needed skilled drivers—guys who could cross the U.S.-Mexico border under pressure, moving drugs and cash.
And where do you find lunatics like that?
Underground races.
The kind of people who lived for speed were exactly the kind of people willing to risk everything.
"He talk to you?" Luca asked.
Brian shook his head. "I've been out of L.A. too long. He doesn't recognize me. But he went to Dom—he's got a reputation, and people know his record."
A manslaughter charge.
Ironically, that made him perfect.
"Dom turned him down," Brian added. "Not interested in running cargo for anyone."
Luca understood why.
In the original timeline, Toretto had approached the cartel for revenge. But now? No reason.
Same with Brian.
But Luca?
He had a reason.
"Where is he?" Luca asked.
Brian pointed. Not far away, the Korean recruiter stood next to Gisele, talking business.
"Toretto's a solid pick," the Korean was saying. "Everyone's seen what he can do."
He sounded frustrated. "Good drivers are hard to find these days. Braga keeps cycling through them—every few months. And the weird part? Most of them just… disappear. Nobody hears from them again."
He clicked his tongue. "I just recruited a batch last month. Now he wants more."
Gisele shot him a sideways glance. "You're getting curious?"
"I just don't have that many reliable guys."
"There's risk in this business," she said coolly. "Don't ask questions you don't want answered."
Then her eyes shifted.
She spotted Luca.
Leaning against the GTR, surrounded by women who looked like they belonged in a completely different world from the grease-covered racers around them.
Hard to miss.
"Who's that?" she asked.
"No idea," the Korean said, eyeing the car. "But anyone driving a GTR like that? Definitely loaded."
Gisele studied Luca for a moment, then smiled slightly and walked over.
"Nice car," she said.
Luca turned his head.
Among the crowd, she stood out immediately—tall, poised, confident.
"First time at one of these races?" she asked, her tone carrying just enough edge to make it clear—she was testing him.
Luca looked… mildly troubled.
"That's actually a tricky question."
Gisele raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"You're not the first to ask," Luca said, gesturing at the women nearby. "They all asked something similar, and I gave them the same answer. So… do you want the standard reply, or something different?"
Gisele chuckled. "So I'm different from them?"
"You've got your own skill set," Luca said with a faint smile. "That makes you… more interesting."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"Get in the car," Luca added, opening the door. "I'll explain."
After a brief pause, Gisele slid into the passenger seat, long legs folding in smoothly.
[Character: Gisele Yashar]
[Rank: A]
[Skill: Mossad Agent]
[Skill: Seduction]
Effect: Overall Charm increased by 10%, attraction from the opposite sex increased by 10%, making it significantly easier to bypass social guards and gain favor.
Learning Requirements:Bond Level: Friendship or higher | Cost: 80 Skill Fragments
[Bond: Attention]
Charm-type skills were rare.
But since she was practically offering it…
Luca saw no reason to refuse.
After all—
If he could win Jack over in a single day, handling Gisele?
That wouldn't take long.
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(TN: Just a heads-up: the author has been on a long hiatus. The last update was in September 2025, leaving the story at Chapter 242 + 1 Chapter note.)