Chapter 217: Is May Blushing?

May opened up the throttle, and the powerbike sliced through the crisp early-morning air.

With my arms wrapped firmly around her waist, I could feel every slight shift in her movement. She mumbled something under her breath about me being “too clingy,” but she didn’t say it loud enough for me to actually hear—and she definitely didn’t push my hands away. Her body relaxed against mine as we carved through the empty streets, comfortable with the closeness even if her pride wouldn’t let her admit it out loud.

We rode until the sky began to turn a faint, soft purple on the horizon. The ride seemed to finally clear the heavy fog from her head, leaving her noticeably calmer by the time we pulled back into the estate driveway.

We slipped off the bike, put it away silently, and snuck back inside the quiet house.

“Thanks, Ethan,” May murmured softly in the hallway before heading toward her room, giving me a rare, genuine smile. “For the ride… and the chocolate.”

“Anytime, May,” I replied quietly. “Get some rest.”

I headed back upstairs, carefully slipping back into bed between Ruby, Chloe, and Patricia without disturbing any of them. With May’s mind finally at ease for the night, the knot in my own chest loosened, and I drifted back off to sleep.

By the time morning rolled around, the high-tech Zenith facility was completely operational and locked down for our private use.

I drove over with May, who was practically vibrating with energy. The late-night ride had cleared out her gloom, replacing it with a ferocious, hungry focus. Behind us, Ruby, Chloe, Patricia, and Tiana arrived in a convoy of luxury SUVs to cheer her on and support her first official trial.

The compound was breathtaking—a massive, state-of-the-art facility dripping in polished chrome, matte black accents, and glowing cyan ZENITH branding.

“I actually acquired this compound a few months ago,” Tiana explained smoothly as she walked us through the glass double doors, gesturing toward the high-tech biomechanics tracks, motion-capture arrays, and custom hyperbaric pods. “It sat unused while we finalized the sports-tech division. I spent the last twenty-four hours upgrading the diagnostic tech to suit May’s exact sprinting metrics. Total cost landed right around $1 million.”

“I’ll write you a check right now,” I offered immediately, pulling out my phone to transfer the funds.

Tiana held up a hand with a confident, teasing laugh. “Keep your money, Ethan. We’re partners, and your investment is already working overtime inside Zenith. Consider this our mutual contribution to taking back what’s ours.”

Right on cue, the golden, holographic interface of my system flashed silently in my vision:

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Event Triggered: Indirect Investment in Protégé (May). Amount Allocated: $1,000,000 USD (Zenith High-Tech Compound).

Passive Benefit: 100x Cashback Multiplier Activated ($100,000,000 USD).

Condition: Funds will unlock upon May officially reclaiming her World Record.

A slow, satisfied smirk tugged at the corner of my lips as the notification faded away. $100 million riding on her comeback—and I knew she had it in her.

I turned toward the main track where May was already tightening her laces, her eyes locked on the custom biomechanic baseline gates.

“Alright, team,” I said, stepping up to the control console alongside Tiana and the girls. “Let’s kick this off. Set up the first training module and run her baseline tests.”

May stepped onto the high-tech track, doing a quick warm-up stretch before settling into the starting blocks for the baseline trial. The diagnostic sensors along the lane blinked red, ready to analyze every micro-adjustment of her stride, force output, and reaction time.

“Alright, May! Show them what you’ve got!” Ruby cheered from near the glass control booth, while Chloe and Patricia gave her encouraging nods.

Tiana initiated the sequence on the digital console. “Starting 100-meter baseline run in three, two, one…”

The electronic gun chimed, and May burst off the blocks.

She looked fast—her form was crisp and her explosive start had that world-class punch—but as she crossed the finish line, the massive overhead digital display flashed her time.

11.82 seconds.

Silence fell over the track. It wasn’t just a slight lag—it was nearly a full second behind her prime world-record pace. For an elite sprinter, a whole second gap on a 100-meter dash wasn’t just a minor slip; it was an absolute eternity.

“That… can’t be right,” Tiana muttered, staring down at the real-time biomechanics readouts. “Her muscle output, stride frequency, and ground contact force are all within peak physical range. The equipment is brand new and calibrated to the millisecond. Physically, she’s firing on all cylinders, but the time isn’t translating.”

May stood near the finish line, staring up at the screen with wide, disbelief-filled eyes. Her shoulders slouched, and the high-energy hype she had brought into the facility instantly evaporated.

Instead of walking back over to the team or coming toward me to review her diagnostic breakdown, she immediately wiped her face with her towel, avoided everyone’s gaze, and headed straight toward the far corner of the warm-up area to pack her gear. She was hiding, retreating back into her head just like she did last night.

I grabbed a bottle of water and walked over to her, stopping right in front of her bench before she could slip out to the locker room.

“May,” I said softly, holding out the water bottle to her. “Talk to me.”

May kept her head down, busying herself with stuffing her wrist wraps back into her duffel bag, her movements overly hurried and tense.

“I’m fine, Ethan,” she mumbled, not looking up. “Seriously, I’m good. The tech is just… different. My body’s adjusting. I’ll just try again next time, no big deal.”

She was totally avoiding my eyes, pulling her shoulders inward and trying to brush past me toward the exit. But I wasn’t about to let her slide back into that lonely spiral.

I stepped right into her path, reaching out and gently taking her arm. Before she could pull away or put up her usual bro-ish defense, I drew her close, leaning in to press a soft, lingering peck against her temple.

“Hey,” I murmured, holding her firmly by her waist so she had to stay right there with me. “Look at me. I love you, May. You don’t have to carry whatever is eating at you all by yourself. If there’s anything bothering you—on the track or in your head—you know you can tell me, right?”

May froze completely. Her breath hitched in her throat, and the tough, unbothered front she’d been desperately clinging to completely shattered. Right before my eyes, a deep, unmistakable blush flooded up her neck, painting her cheeks a bright, brilliant crimson. Her eyes darted everywhere except my face, her lips parting in shock.

A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Wait… are you blushing?”

“W-What?! No!” she stuttered out, instantly panicking as her hands pushed against my chest to gain some distance. She tried her absolute hardest to sound rough and tough, but her voice cracked slightly. “Who’s blushing?! I’m not blushing! It’s—it’s just hot in here from the sprint! Why the hell would I blush over you?!”

She snatched her duffel bag off the bench, threw it over her shoulder, and practically sprinted toward the locker room doors, her face still burning red.

“I’m going to take a shower!” she shouted over her shoulder, refusing to look back.

I chuckled softly, letting her go for now as the locker room door swung shut behind her. The physical test had failed, but the real obstacle was finally out in the open—her heart was completely at war with her mind, and until she faced what she was feeling for me, those blocks were never going to let her fly.

“Take your time, May,” I murmured to myself, turning back toward Tiana and the girls at the control console. “We’ll get you right where you belong.”

Crippled Hunter: My Three Wives Investment Gets 10,000x Upgrade

Crippled Hunter: My Three Wives Investment Gets 10,000x Upgrade