Race for the Throne | Formula One

66. Anger

I backed away from the table. "They were all killed by the same people."

"How is that possible?" Carlos asked.

The fact that other people were in the room came rushing back to me. "His killer was never found." I spun around and found Mateo. "I don't care what you have to do but I need you to find out whatever you can from Jacques. I don't care if you have to kill him, just do it."

Charles grabbed my arm. "Kat, stop. Killing him isn't the solution here. We will find the people responsible but killing isn't the answer."

"Meeting is ended." I pulled my arm away and left the room and the drivers behind, taking Mateo with me.

"I will find out whatever I can by any means I can, your highness." he inclined his head in my direction before splitting from me and down the hallway towards security.

I found my way to my music room and locked the door. All the progress I had made went out the window, the song I began was undeniably angry but more importantly it contained all the brokenness I felt. There was a knocking at the door.

"Kat, please let me in. Please talk to me." Charles begged.

I just played louder, ignoring him. Soon the knocking subsided but I didn't stop. I kept playing, by the time I stopped completely it was dark outside the windows. I closed the lid of the piano and rested my arms on the top, forehead on my arms, sucking in deep breaths.

How did we get here? How was any of this possible? How did Jacques know anything? He couldn't have been responsible for Adrian's death, he would have been too young. So how did he know anything about my family's death? Ever since I had cried earlier, I had been feeling so much and I just wanted it to stop which was the opposite of before. Automatically, I reached for my injured shoulder, pressing my hand against it, letting the pain wash over me. It wasn't to help me feel alive like before, this time it was to make me feel something other than the unbearable weight of despair that hung over me. Tears dropped onto the piano, partially from all the emotions weighing on me and partially from the pain I was inflicting on myself. I gasped as I released my shoulder.

I got to my feet unsteadily and walked to the door. Opening it, I nearly tripped. . Charles was lying across the doorway.

He scrambled to his feet. "I'm sorry, I know you wanted to be alone but I didn't want you to be by yourself."

Wordlessly, I wrapped my arms around him. He returned the hug. I hugged him so tightly it was like I was trying to use him to put myself back together.

"I know I can't make you let me in, but I wish you would. I want to help," he whispered.

"I know you do. I'm sorry I keep shutting you out. I'm sorry because you lost them too. I know how much they meant to you too and I'm sorry." My voice was muffled by his chest as I practically collapsed against him.

Charles picked me up, hands under my legs. "You don't need to apologize. But you do need to rest, you need to take care of yourself. We won't be able to find who did this if you don't take care of yourself."

"I can't sleep in there." I stopped him as he started walking towards my new room.

He nodded in understanding and carried me to my old room which had been set with new furniture as a guest room.

He set me on the bed. "Do you want me to go or stay? I will do whatever you need."

"Stay. Please." I grabbed his hand.

We crawled under the covers and Charles held me against his chest. I drifted to sleep with him stroking my hair.

Some time in the middle of the night I woke up with nightmares of Alvaro swirling through my head. Charles was still asleep. I moved carefully so as to not wake him. I crept out of the room and downstairs. Wandering through the dark halls, I looked for some semblance of home. It still looked the same but it felt completely different. I found myself standing outside the door to my father's study. Hesitantly, I opened the door. It was the same. His papers were still spread on the desk. The chess board was still in the corner, set for the next game. It was so painfully unchanged. I don't know which was worse, this or if I had come in here and had it been cleared out.

The bar cart caught my eye. I made my way to it, pulling the stopper out of one of the bottles.  Carrying the bottle with me, I turned on the lamp that was on the desk and sat in the chair. I rifled through the papers on the desk, I hadn't drunk anything yet but it was oddly comforting knowing that I could. My phone lit up with a notification.

Unknown Number
We need to talk, tell no one

Kathrine
What do you know

Unknown Number
I'll be in touch,  tell the driver and he's dead

I dropped my phone on the desk. I needed to find answers quickly before Charles could get hurt.
"Talk to me papa. Please," I whispered.

A few papers different from the others caught my attention. They weren't official documents, they were notebook paper, possibly drafts because my father's handwriting was on them.

Charles Marc Herve Perceval Leclerc has my permission and blessing to propose to my daughter, the Princess Kathrine Isabella Sabine Montagne.

I covered my mouth, tears streaming down my face. It was dated the day before the Abu Dhabi grand prix. The day everyone was acting so strange. The day before they were killed.

Inside job. Practice. Home Belgium. Threat on the border.

The second note had only thought fragments, bullet points. The word Belgium stood out because Jacques had warned me and he was Belgian.

My dearest Kat,

I'm leaving this here in case... it doesn't matter, I'll be back soon and I'll burn this letter, but just in case I can't. I love you. Your mother loves you. Alex loves you. You might not think it but you were born for this. No father wants to have to tell this to their child but I don't think I'll ever see you again. I have a sinking feeling that this is goodbye. I wish I had more time. I always found that amusing because no one would ever wish for less time so it goes without saying but now as I'm writing this, all I can say is I wish I had more time. I'm so proud of the woman you've become. You've overcome so much and you can overcome this. Keep hold of Charles. You will need each other, you complete each other, and I know that with time you will be so happy with him. Allow yourself to heal but don't cut him out in the process. Healing doesn't have to be a solitary journey. Keep your friends close. My dearest daughter, I love you more than words could describe and I am so sorry that I am not there for you any more. But I have complete faith in you. You are capable of great things and I'm sorry that I won't be there to see you accomplish them but I will always be watching over you. I will always be watching over you. Get the letters from Lionel, I hope you can understand and forgive me.

I love you,
Papa

The bottle dropped from my hand, shattering on the floor. He suspected he was going to die and he still went. Fury coursed through my veins. How could he do that? He didn't stop them. How did he know? Why didn't he stop it? Tears of rage dripped off my face as I stared at the letter.