Apex | Charles Leclerc

Chapter 76

Twenty-seven–

A sob escaped my lips when she grabbed my arms and turned me to face her, immediately enveloping me in a bone-crushing hug. My hands held onto her arms in a vicelike grip, feeling the tears fall down my cheeks as I felt her own on my shoulder. She didn't say anything, only the sound of her quiet cries filling the kitchen walls as she held me, just like how she did back in Mrs. Yilmaz's house. Gabby knew that sometimes words were never enough to give the comfort that someone needed. Sometimes, their presence alone was all you needed.

It was Max's reaction that I didn't expect. I waited in the kitchen with Charles as Gabby moved back to the living room to tell them the real reason why Manuele was behind bars and why Charles left the team he dreamt of being part of ever since he was a kid. Mick was the first one to come in, having the same reaction as Gabby who followed behind.

Max stayed rooted by the entrance of the kitchen as Mick talked to me, wiping the tears that didn't seem to stop coming out. When I finally looked at him, he was shaking with rage, blue eyes felt like stone-cold daggers that would pierce through you. I've never seen him like this because in the three years I've known him, Max was always positive and looked at the important people in his life using eyes filled with warmth.

I took a step towards him and Max stiffened but he didn't step back. "Nads." He said, clenching his jaw as if he was keeping himself from letting everything out.

"I'm okay." I reassured him, holding his face with my hands. Max shook his head and closed his eyes, making a piece of my heart break when he opened them again and a tear slipped out. "I'm okay." I repeated, although my voice cracked in the end. He pulled me towards him and I kept repeating those words as I moved my hand up and down his back until he finally calmed down.

When he did, the first words that came out of his mouth were, "Tell me we're going to do something about this because we're not going to let them think you're anything but the Nadia Kaplan we know."

*****

August 05, 2028 - France

There were so many people.

Jardin des Tuileries was filled with people who were either here for the event or for the park itself. Estelle told me that the city organization allowed them to use half of the available space which meant the setup had to be simple.

A stage had been placed in front as people milled around, a couple of booths set up that housed different information about mental illnesses while some of them were more interactive to ensure that the participants wouldn't get bored during the entire afternoon. I didn't think there would be this kind of turnout, especially with the amount of press.

I'm confident enough to think that the only reason there were so many journalists walking around was because Charles posted about the event on his Instagram story. People would've assumed that it was a simple show of his support, but they grew intrigued when Max and Mick did the same.

News about the article last week hadn't died down and things only became harder when we came across Rose while walking in Monaco. It was already late and thankfully, there were no other citizens or tourists walking on that street. I don't need anyone to add fuel to the fire.

"Hey." She greeted us, stopping when she noticed we were the ones she was passing by.

I acted like she wasn't there, feeling Gabby envelope my hand with hers as she glared at Rose. We all knew she was the source since she was the only one who had the motive to do it. Manuele wouldn't dare make a move like this because doing so would only decrease his chances of parole and the early release I knew he was hoping for.