Carlos Sainz had a very specific tone of voice when he was lying.

It was the same tone he used when he said he wasn’t competitive, or when he claimed he didn’t care who finished ahead in qualifying, or when he insisted he was “just browsing” while already holding three things he absolutely planned to buy.

It was the tone he used now.

“We’re just going to look,” Carlos said, hands shoved casually into his jacket pockets as they stood outside the pet adoption center. “No pressure. No commitments. Just… looking.”

Max eyed the building like it might bite him.

“We are not getting a dog,” Max said firmly. “We travel too much. It’s impractical. It’s irresponsible.”