Senna's Daughter

Chapter 24 - It is impossible not to love her.

Carlos Sainz's POV:

My days in London have been fantastic. I've visited Woking a couple of times for sim sessions, but aside from that, my time has been spent training and maintaining a healthy diet. I've enjoyed spending plenty of quality time with Gabriela; it's been an ideal prep for Silverstone. With media day approaching, we opted to stay at the Hilton Hotel next to the circuit to avoid the hassle of commuting from London for the next four days.

We were starting our days early as usual; I squeezed in some gym time first thing in the morning. Then, Lily and Sarah joined us for breakfast. After breakfast, I decided to head out for my usual morning run, leaving Gabriela to catch up with the ladies.

I bid them goodbye and stepped out, but about five minutes later, I realized I'd left my phone in the bedroom. I doubled back to retrieve it. As I entered the house, I noticed the living room was quiet except for the faint murmur of Gabi, Lily and Sarah's voices. They hadn't noticed my return.

As I grabbed my phone and was about to head out again, their hushed tones from the living room caught my attention. I paused in the hallway, unintentionally overhearing fragments of their conversation.

"I can't believe Lewis used to visit you every two weeks back in Barcelona," Sarah said, her voice tinged with surprise.

Gabriela sighed. "Yeah, it was complicated. He had feelings for me, but I made it clear that I didn't reciprocate."

My heart skipped a beat as I processed the words. Lewis, visiting Gabriela regularly? The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Without a word, I quietly retreated, my mind racing with a mix of disbelief and anger. I didn't confront Gabriela immediately; instead, I slipped away silently, not wanting to disrupt their conversation or say something in the heat of the moment that I might regret later.

Heading to Hyde Park, I ran for an hour, using the physical exertion to clear my head. Eventually, I found solace under a tree, where I stretched and sipped on a coffee, watching the peaceful scenes around me. The serenity of the park helped calm my racing thoughts, allowing me to gather myself.

Choosing the long route home, I hoped to ensure that Sarah and Lily had already left by the time I returned. I unlocked the door quietly, making my way to the living room.

"Hey, love. You did a pretty long run today?" Gabriela asked because I was never gone for that long and she was right.

"Yeah, I needed some fresh air," I replied, keeping my tone neutral.

"Then, I should join you next time," she suggested, smiling.

I smiled back and nodded. "I'll take a quick shower and be right back," I said, excusing myself. When I come back, I will have the talk with her I decided.

I took my time in the shower to clear my head and mulled over how to broach the topic with Gabriela, determined to have an open and honest conversation.

When I came back from the shower, the tension in the room was palpable as we were sitting while facing each other.

Gabriela broke the silence first, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"What is happening, Carlos? Why are you looking at me like that?" She was already predicting something was wrong.

"I heard you. I heard your conversation with Lily and Sarah when I came back to grab my phone."

"Carlos, what? Were you here? I... I'm sorry you had to find out like that."

My jaw tightened, and my eyes were betraying a storm of conflicting emotions. "Yeah, well, I wish I hadn't," I replied, my tone laced with bitterness. "I never knew Lewis had feelings for you. And the fact that he used to visit you every two weeks..."