Dumping The Ice King His Mini-Tyrant novel Chapter 484

This time, Annalise Johnston watched helplessly as Selene sped past the finish line in her go-kart.

It wasn’t just the sting of losing to someone else—what truly gnawed at her was knowing exactly who was in front of her, impossibly out of reach.

No matter how hard she pushed herself, she simply couldn’t catch up.

And this time, she’d driven a perfect lap, not a single mistake on the corners.

When Annalise finally rolled to a stop, she sat in her seat, dazed and bewildered.

How did she lose to Selene?

In the office, she could almost accept Selene pulling strings behind the scenes. But here, on the track, she’d switched karts with Selene, raced twice, and still lost.

Was this some secret superpower gained from years as a stay-at-home mom, chauffeuring kids around town?

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She stared blankly, refusing to accept that she’d been beaten by Selene.

A sudden cheer snapped her out of it.

Selene climbed out of her go-kart to a chorus of applause and shouts:

“You’re amazing, Director Johnston!”

“Director, you broke your own record again!”

The employees crowded around, eager to congratulate “Annalise Johnston.” Their flattery was almost comical.

Right then, Selene pulled off her helmet. The group fell silent, staring in confusion as her face was revealed.

“Mr. Thompson?”

“Wait, that was Mr. Thompson?”

They exchanged bewildered glances.

Looking past Selene, they saw Annalise removing her own helmet. The employees’ astonished expressions said it all: How could she have lost?

Annalise’s face darkened further.

“Altair, I’m—”

Altair flinched the moment she touched him, recoiling as if stung, and quickly pulled away.

Daph spoke gently, “He’s not comfortable with being touched, ma’am.”

Annalise watched as Altair hid behind Selene, reaching for her hand as if she were a lifeline in a stormy sea.

A sharp pang tightened in Annalise’s chest.

“Altair and Mr. Thompson seem awfully close,” she remarked.

Selene answered calmly, “I spent a lot of time with Altair when he was younger. He’s less guarded around people he knows well.”

“People he knows?” Annalise let out a bitter laugh.

“Mr. Thompson, you realize I’m far closer to Altair than you are! Sure, you may have spent more time with him, but I only left because I had no choice!”