The Bull Prince | Max Verstappen

SEQUEL - Chapter 27

The answer is clear as the day. She could never bare it. Being anything but the child's mother at Max's side. It was egoistic and maybe even narcissistic. A disgrace. But how could she care about her name or her reputation any longer when all this separation had brought her was sadness, pain and bitterness.

Then fucking have me.

Yes. She wanted him. But was that fair? Was she bringing enough to the table? Joanna always felt lacking in that respect. Max's love was unconditional, pure, passionate and genuine. He was ready to give up so much for her, showing his adoration for her was never an issue for him. For Joanna, on the other hand, it was. Even though he had told her over and over again that he knew about her feelings and that he didn't really care about how often she expressed it.

She had wondered often what it was that was so wrong with her. Why it was such a struggle for her to tell him more often how she felt? That she loved him with all her heart, her entire existence. Not only in simple words and awkward movements, and gestures.

Max deserved more. Her offer was the same, there was no proof that she had changed. No reason for him to believe her that finally, she was ready to be his, wholly and completely. That running away belonged in the past. That she was ready for the commitment. She would become his wife without a second thought now, the mistakes of the past she made were haunting her. All she had to do was say yes in the right moment and her life would be so very different. They would be married, happily together and expecting their first child. Joanna destroyed that option.

She had to bring something else to the table. Joanna had to make sure Max felt that he could trust her. Utterly and completely.

Slightly letting her nails scratch over the glass, Joanna felt overly unbothered by the sound of it, but it was the sound of steps which caused the Austrian to pause.

"What is it, Adrian?" Joanna wondered, her fingers moving again as if she was painting an invisible picture onto the glass.

"The council of the Lauda foundation would like to speak with you, concerning the baby," Adrian spoke, causing Joanna to look over her shoulder at the older Austrian, a confused look in her eyes.

"Concerning the baby?" Joanna echoed. "My son is of no concern to the foundation."

Joanna knew what it meant when the Lauda foundation got a hand on a Lauda child. She knew what her half-siblings went through after the foundation took over guardiancies. Something like that never happened to Joanna, she was only her father's bastard, such luck her half-siblings weren't having. So, if Joanna knew one thing, then that the Lauda foundation would never get hold of her son. Even if it meant, they would take everything from her, her father left for the family, but there was another problem.

Joanna was the Lauda heir but once the child is born, it's him. It's the little boy, who soon will be left alone in this world. His sick mother gone and with a father, who has no right to the child once the boy carries the name of Lauda. Unable to help him escape, what the remaining Lauda's couldn't. It was Joanna's oldest brother, who would take over the guardian role over the Lauda heir as per Joanna's request so they would buy them more time. Once Joanna is dead and with Max as just the father, but not the legal guardian. The younger Lauda knew that Matthias would be good to him. He had suffered under the foundation all throughout his childhood, he would protect her boy. As much as he could.

Joanna had hoped she would never have to face the foundation, but now she knew one thing, if she wanted to protect her child, she had only few options and none of them were preferable.

"I'm afraid that's not the case, Miss Lauda," Adrian spoke up, before handing Joanna a pile of documents with the official logo of the Lauda Foundation, the foundation that administered the Lauda assets and properties.