Bella's POV

It was a sunny morning in LA. I was working on my car in the background, enjoying the quiet. I wasn't the biggest racer in my family, but I did low-key races to earn money. My goal was to leave LA and move to London for a job.

I heard a car approaching and knew it was Dom and Letty, but I kept working. I wasn't particularly close to Dom after Jakob, but he was still my brother. He took care of Mia and me after Jakob left.

Dom and Letty walked up to me. I shut the hood and said, "Hi, Dom. I thought you were at the store."

Dom smiled. "I was, and so was Letty."

I knew for a fact Mia was still at the store. I never worked there because I hated it, and I had my own job. I would never tell Dom the real reason I refused to work with him.

Dom peeked under the hood of my car. "Did the blond guy come by again?" I asked.

Mia had told me about Brian stopping by the store.

Letty nodded. "Vince almost got into a fight with him, but Dom stopped them."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, Vince always starts fights."

I never liked Vince. He had once grabbed my arm and tried to kiss me, but I knew he was only interested in Mia. After that, I always stayed near Letty during family dinners. I never understood why Dom called them 'family' when most of them, except Letty, only cared about him and Mia.

Once, during a family dinner, the guys had been drinking. I left the room to work on a new car when Vince, drunk, came in and almost forced himself on me. I pushed him away and ran to the nearest person, which happened to be Dom. I tried to tell him, but he brushed it off—maybe he was drunk too. I dropped the subject and focused on racing in events Dom didn't attend.

"I have to go," I said, getting into my car. Dom simply nodded, and I drove off.

Letty's POV

I watched Bella drive off. I had tried telling Dom about Vince before, but he never listened. I knew Bella didn't feel safe, not even around her own family. She had her own group of friends, and from the start, she and I had gotten along. She was like a little sister to me. I would never let Vince near her. Mia and Bella both hated him, and I understood why.

Bella once told me she preferred British men over anyone here. Maybe that was another reason she wanted to leave for London.

I turned to Dom. "Dom, you can't force her to stay home. She's a free woman."

Dom looked at me. "She isn't. She can go out, but as soon as she comes home, she's staying—and she's marrying Vince."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Dom, do you even realize that Bella hates Vince? He tried to force himself on her."

Dom scoffed. "He didn't do anything. Vince told me she loves him. They're dating, Letty."

I clenched my fists. "You actually believe Vince over your sister? Bella has never lied to you. Every time she pushes him away, you ignore it."

Dom's face hardened. "She's Jakob's twin. She's just like him. Jakob was a liar, and so is she."

I was stunned. Dom believed Vince over Bella. No wonder she had given up trying to fix their relationship. She had found people who actually cared about her because even her own brother didn't believe her.

"No wonder Bella stopped trying," I said. "She gave up on you a long time ago, Dom." And with that, I walked away.

Dom yelled, "Letty, come back!"

I didn't stop. "No, Dom. I give up on trying to make you see the truth. You're never going to change." 

Bella's POV – Meanwhile on the Streets

A street race was underway, loud and wild. No cops in sight.

I got out of my car and approached the crowd. The announcer hyped up the racers, then called my name. "Give it up for Isabella Toretto!"

I got into my car, lining up with the other racers. The flag waved, and we were off.

The wind whipped through my hair as I sped ahead. Some racers used their nitrous too early. I held back, then timed mine perfectly, surging forward and crossing the finish line first. The second and third-place racers followed closely behind.

I stepped out, shaking hands with the others. "Good race. Hope you all had fun."

These racers were my real family. We had each other's backs. Unlike Dom's crew, this group wasn't about drama. I had a silent deal with Johnny Tran—he wouldn't mess with me, and I wouldn't mess with him. Unlike Dom, I had no interest in his war with Johnny.

Later, I grabbed some pizza to celebrate. I had finally saved enough money to leave LA.

When I got home, I collapsed onto my bed, exhausted. But soon, I heard Dom's crew return. I came downstairs and saw everyone except Mia.

"Where's Dom?" I asked.

Jesse shrugged. "No clue, Bella."

I clenched my fists. "What do you mean you don't know? HE IS MY FUCKING BROTHER!"

The room fell silent. Everyone knew I had a temper like Dom.

The door opened, and Dom walked in with a blonde guy.

"Izzy, I'm here," Dom said.

I ran to hug him, then stepped back and glanced at the blonde guy. "Who's this?"

"Brian," he said. "Nice to meet you, Isabella."

Something about him seemed off, but I remembered my father's words: Don't judge too quickly.

The Next Morning – Race Wars

I stuck by Letty at Race Wars, watching Jesse nervously prepare to race. I could read lips and saw Brian talking to him, but Dom called me before I could figure out what was said.

Jesse lost the race, and Dom was furious. I whispered, "Dom, that was a gift for his dad."

Dom's face softened before Jesse panicked and drove off. Dom told me to go home, so I did.

Mia rushed in later. "Brian is a cop."

I sighed. "I kinda figured."

Then, chaos erupted. Brian returned with a gun. Dom's shirt was bloody. Johnny Tran showed up and fired shots—one hitting Jesse.

Dom ran to him. Mia followed. I stood frozen, watching my friend die.

Brian and Dom went after Johnny. Mia collapsed into my arms, sobbing. "He can't be dead, Bella. He can't."

I held my sister close.

Jesse was gone.