𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐅𝐅, ᵐᵃˣ ᵛᵉʳˢᵗᵃᵖᵖᵉⁿ

NINE

"Dad I'd love to explain it to you, and I will later I promise. I'll phone you once I'm home, I'm out with Millie the now," she told him, her eyes on Millie. Her father could tell she was distracted. "Sorry Principessina, I'll let you get back to work, phone me later yes? Your brothers will be over for dinner so maybe we could facetime." He asked, Ella nodded. "Sounds great Dad, talk to you later. Love you bye."

"Elsy! My Dad won!" Millie celebrated, Ella lifted Millie onto her back as the paddock got busier and busier.

"So, tonight I'm going to tell my family that you're my boss." Ella told Max at dinner, after Millie had finished her food and went to her room to play.

"They still don't know?" Max laughed, Ella shook her head. "I'm worried about their reaction. My father phoned me during the sprint race today and asked me when I would next be in Italy."

"About that, I was going to give you next weekend off if you wanted it - since it's your birthday." Max offered, Ella was flattered he thought of that, but declined the offer. "I told him I would see him during the summer break, and then we are supposed to be in Italy the first weekend of September so."

"Well I was also thinking, you're holiday starts the 31st of July, I'll buy you a ticket that day to return to Italy and then you can stay there and go back to work on the first of September, when I'm in Italy."

"But what about Zandvoort?" She asked, Max was shocked she had bothered to learn the name of the track, and had remembered when it was. "Well it's my home race, my parents will be there and so you don't have to come if you don't want to."

"I would like to if that's okay." She smiled delicately, Max furrowed his eyebrows.

"Antonella I will still pay you whether or not you come, you know that right?" He said as if it was obvious. "I know! But I want to go, I can't miss your home race can I?" She insisted, Max agreed if she was sure that was what she wanted. He turned away as he felt his cheeks heat up. "Thank you for dinner Antonella, it was lovely. I'll do the dishes, go call your family." He instructed, Ella checked he was sure and thanked him. "I'll get right on it. I should warn you, they might not like it. My Dad will never approve.."

"That's okay, I'm used to earning father's approval." Max smiled.

"Hey Dad," she greeted her father, and the rest of her family from her bedroom. Her mother was cooking, while her brothers were sat around the table waiting. Antonella had four brothers. The oldest was Alfonzo Salvatore, he was turning 27. Then came the twins, Adriano Adornetto and Alessandra Alberto, both nearing 25. Antonella Vittoria was born after the twins and was supposed to be the last of the Bonardi line. But a surprise Angelo Massimo was born 19 years ago.

Growing up, the house was chaos, but Antonella loved having so many brothers. And because of the amount of cousins in the family, she didn't feel as if she was missing out on a sister. "So sister," Adriano (the most protective of the lot) began the interrogation. "Papá said you avoided the question earlier when asked what your boss does for a living."

"How much bag he making?" The youngest, Angelo, teased. "He must be rich rich look at her face!"

"Guys! I'm not going to tell you if you will be like this."

"Don't listen to them Ella, you can trust me," Alfonzo bargained, motioning for her to text him privately. "Alfonzo! You at your big age should not be acting like this."

"Ouchhh, tough one to take brother," Alessandro laughed, "Ales you're nearly mid twenties."

"Papá she's being mean!"

"Principessina, I think it's time we all know. It's for your own safety, I mean you live with this man. And yet I don't even know his name!"

"Okay fine, but I want everyone to sit down and listen." She said as authoritatively as she could manage. Each of her brothers took their seat at the table, her father's phone was propped against a glass at the end of the table. "Mama!" Antonella called.

Her mother rushed from the kitchen and took her seat.

"Okay so I don't want you guys to freak out on me. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner and I know this is a big surprise to you but I just want you to know he has been nothing but considerate and respectful to me. So I don't need any protective older brothers or dads to fly to Monaco and kick his ass, got it?"

Every one of the boys nodded. "Just tell us who!" Her mother pleaded, "why would it even matter what his job and name is? It's not like we are gonna know him? Is he a mafia boss?"

"My boss is Max Verstappen." Antonella revealed. Nobody said anything, she was met with silence and confused faces. "I'm sorry! I didn't know when I took the job. But he's really nice and nothing like the villain you make him out as!"

"You're telling me he's not a show off in real life?" Adriano questioned, Ella stuttered for words. "Well..."

"Why are you only telling us now? You mean you've been going to every single Grand Prix since you moved to Monaco and you didn't tell us a thing? I told you when you were younger I never want you to attend a grand prix, do you know how dangerous that environment is for little girls like you?" Her father ranted. Ella couldn't believe his words.

"It's not dangerous Dad! And I'm not a little girl."

"I'm not going to tell you to quit because you are the happiest I've ever seen you. But I'm disappointed in you Ella, and your lies." And with those words, her father hung up the phone. Ella sighed and rushed to the bathroom where she washed her face to stop her from crying. She calmed herself down, she knew deep down this would all blow over in a week maximum. But still she thought her families reaction would be better than that.

A knock at the door made Ella flinch, "Antonella, is everything okay? I heard shouting." Max shouted through the door, "Yeah I'm fine! Thank you!" She replied, her voice shaking a bit more than she would have liked.

Max wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't believe that what he wanted to do most was burst through the door and give her a hug. What was Antonella Bonardi doing to Max Verstappen?