RED LINE [3]

23:00

Madeline Scott:

"Wake up. Now" I smack Jack on the knee with the newspaper that was in my hand as I step into the trailer.

Jack jumps and as I slam the newspaper down onto the table in front of Maddy who also jumps at the action, "what the fuck, is this," I scowl. They both peer down at the headline and Maddy sinks down into her chair, Jack letting out a low whistle, "yeah can't help you with this one Maddy."

OSBOURNE AND THAYER GO AT IT AGAIN!

A picture printed on the front of Maddy pouring a bottle of champagne onto Talia's head, in colour. Maddy was laughing, Jack in the back with his hands over his eyes while it looked like Talia was screaming.

I stand with my hands on my hips, Jack tries to sneak past, but I loop my finger under his collar, pulling him back down to sit on the couch beside Maddy, "God help you, because you better have a good explanation for this. It was a charity ball for Christ sakes."

Jack opens his mouth to speak but I hold up a finger, "she made a comment," Maddy starts, and I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose, "how many times Maddy, bite. Your. Tongue." I clap as I speak, my voice growing louder with anger, "if I acted on everything that irked me, I'd be in jail for a lifetime."

Maddy looks down at her lap as she talks quietly, "she made a comment about you."

My eyes flick between her and Jack who had his lips pulled in, I narrow my eyes at him, and he nods his head, confirming what Maddy had said.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I stand taller, "and what did she say?" I ask, remembering seeing Natasha and Talia together shortly after I had out bided her.

"She said that you were a... "she looks at Jack again, "Talia said you were a whore, that you sleep with Charles behind Natasha's back and that Maddy would soon be following in your footsteps with Bailey." Jack says with a sigh, "she also said Maddy was milking her injuries and the case against her was not her fault, but your doing – with Charles only agreeing to it, because the two of you sleep together."

I turned to the mirror, not saying a word as I flattened my shirt against my low rise jeans, placing my sunglasses back over my eyes, heading towards the door.

I won't let my anger show in front of them about this.

"The pair of you, come with me," I say, not looking behind me as I jog down the stairs of the trailer.

They fall into step beside me quickly, I could see from the corner of my eyes as they looked at one another while we headed to the Ferrari garage, a few workers giving concerning looks as I marched through the tunnel.

I spot Amanda, leaning against a stack of tyres as she spoke on the phone – as I edged closer her eyes grew wider, "I have to go," she says into the phone, hanging up, "Madeline-"

"Where are they."

"Board room 2."

I nod my head and turn down the corridor to the board rooms where they usually had meetings before and after the race about their shit strategies. I click onto Dee's contact on my phone as I walk, she picks up after two rings, "board room 2, Ferrari, now." I hang up before she can reply.

I could see through the misted glass there were no more than 3 people in there. I stutter with my hand hovering over the handle, I turn back to Jack and Maddy.

"When someone does something to damage your reputation badly, there are a lot of ways you can handle it – in this situation, we're going by the books." I speak to them lowly and they nod their heads.