"Daniella, wait..." Daniel jogged after the Mercedes driver as soon as he saw her in the paddock. He wanted to talk to her and apologize for telling Max everything before she got the chance.
Daniella ignored the McLaren driver, not even sparing him a glance, and went inside the Mercedes hospitality. Daniel can't help but feel guilty.
He knew it was not his place but once Max started opening up to him he, by mistake, let it slip and before he knew it Max started asking questions and he caved and told him everything.
Everyone noticed Daniella was not in a good mood. She was barely talking, and each of her smiles was forced and fake.
"What happened to you?" Lewis asked after observing her for a few minutes.
"Nothing," Daniella plainly replied, scrolling through her phone and drinking her coffee on the balcony of the hospitality.
Lewis didn't believe her and pulled a chair to sit in front of her.
"You are not very good at lying," He commented.
"I am not lying," She looked at him, trying her best to mask her emotions. "I am just not feeling well.."
Lewis shook his head slightly, letting her know he is not believing a single word.
"You can look at me like that all you want but my answer is going to be the same," Daniella stubbornly replied.
***
There was a slight bruise on Carlos' cheek but only visible from a closer distance, unlike Max's. Everyone was asking the Red Bull driver what happened but he just didn't reply and radiated his anger.
Carlos was hoping Daniella would show a bit of concern but she didn't even look at him. He can tell by her look that things got bad between her and Max, and honestly he never thought his intentions were going to lead up to what happened last night.
"Did you fall and hit your face like I did last month?" Charles joked as he took a closer look at the bruise.
"Something like that," Carlos lied. He knows he can't tell the truth without dragging Daniella's name.
***
"What the hell did you do?" Daniel scolded the Red Bull driver. They were only an hour away from the race to start.
Max looked guilty but also had a moody look. He realized what he did and said last night was wrong but is too stubborn and arrogant to admit it.
"I told you to go and calmly talked to Dani, let her confess everything to you first but you lashed out instead," Daniel tried to keep his voice low. "First you went and beat up Carlos, but judging but both of your states it looks like he beat you up. And then you went and lashed out at Dani?" He sounded disappointed.
"I was angry and... I mean he kissed my girlfriend.." Max argued.
"And what did you do in Miami?" Daniel snapped back.
"That was different," Max looked pissed yet guilty. "I thought we were over."
"Dani thought the same." Daniel pointed out.
"And what about what in the club, huh? She could have told me about Carlos the next day but didn't."
"You could have told her about the publicity stunt as soon as you found out but you didn't," Daniel argued. "You really are a hypocrite. I don't know why Daniella loves you."
Max was taken aback by the last sentence and looked shocked.
"If she loves me then she would have told me about Carlos..."
"She didn't know how to tell you, you idiot. She really loves and was scared you were going to do something... very Max like which you actually did. She was scared of losing you, you hypocrite."
***
The race so far was going great for Daniella but the car was starting to cause her pain, the bouncing was getting severe the more she tried to pick up the pace, but the drivers are always very competitive and rarely care about their health.
Carlos was the first one to be out of the race which made his weekend go from bad to worse. But his departure awarded Daniella a position. Next was Lance Stroll, he hit the barricade and it brought out the safety car.
The team didn't waste any time and called Daniella in for the pit stop and changed her tyres. Red Bull and the only Ferrari also went for their pit stops but they came out almost around the same time.
Charles got his lead back and Daniella was right behind him. The Red Bulls came out behind her and immediately Sergio started putting pressure on her, trying to overtake.
"I think plan A is the safer option right now," Daniella said to her race engineer, talking about the strategy that they discussed for hours the previous day.
"Agreed," Nate replied. "But try to keep the Red Bulls behind you."
After a few more laps Charles' car broke down and he had to retire from the race, giving Daniella the opportunity to lead the race.
With both the Ferraris out the leading Mercedes was the only competition for the Red Bulls since Lewis was not about to catch up to the top three.
Sergio was doing his best to overtake Daniella but she was defending well, pushing the car as much as she could, not caring about the creeping back and neck pain.
The gap between the Mercedes and Red Bull increased as Sergio started to lose his pace a little bit which resulted in him getting orders from the team to not compete with Max.
Max easily moved past his teammate, determined to take the lead from Daniella but he is aware it was not going to be easy.
"My back is killing me," Daniella complained.
"Lewis just said the same thing," Nate replied. "But remember, your back is more important than the win. Don't push too hard if it's affecting you."
"It's like you don't know me at all," Daniella scoffed in disbelief.
"Well.. In that case, Angela is booking an acupuncture session for both you and Lewis as we speak."
"Yay needles!" Daniella said sarcastically. "More pain for me."
***
Max was frustrated that he was trying his best but was not able to overtake his former teammate and his girlfriend while his teammate dropped behind a few seconds.
"Dani is complaining about her back hurting. She might slow down and back out, so be ready," Max's race engineer informed him.
"She is not going to give up so easily," Max replied. He knows the only way Daniella is going to give up is if her car breaks down.
***
The pain was becoming excruciating for Daniella as well as her teammate. She tried her best to numb out all sensations as the last lap started. She was already exhausted from defending her position from Max at every corner and straights while trying to tune out the back and neck pain.
"Okay last lap Dani," Nate calmly told her. "You know you can do it."
Daniella didn't reply and just concentrated on the track. Max was at his limits, frustrated and annoyed, complaining on the radio, while Daniella was silent.
She knows his driving style too well to predict almost all his moves and without even listening she can tell he is cursing right now.
The Mercedes garage cheered as Daniel crossed the chequered flag, winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. She immediately eased up, and suddenly felt all the pain, making her almost light-headed.
"That's gotta be one of the worst races for me," Daniella tiredly said, the win holding very little meaning for her right now.
"But you did it, you won," Nate tried to cheer her up. "I won't say it's worth the pain but..."
"Defeating Red Bull is worth the pain," She replied, not caring that everyone heard her.
"That was unbelievable Daniella," Toto said in a calm yet proud and happy voice. "Once again you exceeded our expectations. I am really sorry about the car, you and Lewis deserve much better."
"Thanks, Toto," Daniella replied. "I know everyone is working hard to improve the car.. We will get there eventually."
Daniella parked her car and took a deep breath. She didn't step out of it immediately like she usually does as she was overwhelmed with emotions and pain.
Both the Red Bull who finished second and third parked on both sides. Sergio got out of the car and went to his team but Max stayed in his car. He looked at Daniella but she wasn't looking at him, with her helmet on it was hard to tell what she was feeling or thinking.
She slowly stood up and got out of the car, she waved at the fans before going over to the team. They were all happy and cheering but the race winner was the opposite, but for the sake of the team, she put on a smile and acted a bit excited.
Usually, Max and Daniella share a hug whenever they finish on the top three but this time she didn't dare look at him, knowing that she hurt him and his words did hurt her last night.
After the quick post-race interview the Red Bull drivers went to the cool-down room but Daniella was stopped by Lewis. He was happy for her and wanted to check on her since he knows she suffered a lot during the race just like he did.
"You really deserve the win today," He proudly said as he hugged her.
Daniella immediately wrapped her arms around her and Lewis immediately knew something was bothering her.
"Are you okay?" He softly asked.
"No," Daniella replied, her voice almost breaking. "Just... just hug me for a minute, please."
Lewis didn't say anything else and gently tightened the hug, giving her a bit of comfort as some lucky photographers captured the moment.
***
Daniella went to the cool-down room, putting on an arrogant facade so she won't have to talk to anyone. Max stood up from his seat when he saw her but the guilt washed over him as she ignored him.
She congratulated Sergio on his podium but didn't say a word to Max.
The second Red Bull driver was also confused as the former teammate usually won't stop talking after a race but now one of them is not acknowledging the other one.
"Daniella can we..."
Max was interrupted as Sergio was called out to the podium.
"Daniella we need to talk about last night," Max quickly said as soon as his teammate left the room.
The Mercedes driver just gave him a glance for the first time but then he was asked to go out to the podium.
Daniella let out a deep breath and followed after him. She was soon joined by Toto who was there to collect the constructor's trophy.
Everyone noticed Max looking at her as the trophies were distributed but she didn't look at him, only smiling at her team who were cheering for her.
As soon as the anthems stopped playing Daniella picked up her trophy and the champagne bottle and left the podium, leaving Max stunned and Sergio confused.
Toto shot the Red Bull drivers a fake smile which turned into a smirk before following his driver.
The Red Bull drivers had no choice but to pop the champagne and spray it on each other, which made it more awkward since it was evident that neither of them was happy with the second and third position.
***
Daniella handed her trophy and the champagne to her team who popped it and sprayed it on everyone, celebrating the win. She then went to her motorhome to change out of her racing suit and take a ten to fifteen minute rest before going to the media pen.
Almost all the questions for her were the same. They were mostly about her car and the bouncing, how it's affecting her, and why she left the podium like that. She just replied that she was not feeling well which was mostly true but the media is fixated on painting it as the Red Bull and Mercedes rivalry.
"Is there any way I can skip the conference with Max and Checo?" Daniella asked Myra. "My back is killing me."
"I really wish you could Dani but they are not going to let you," Myra gave her a sympathetic look.
"What if I run away?"
"The FIA will make you pay a huge fine."
"Ehh.. I can afford it though, and I don't think Toto is going to say anything," Daniella lightly joked.
Her smile faded when Carlos approached her, making the atmosphere tense.
"Congrats on the win Daniella," He politely smiled.
"Thanks," Daniella replied and walked past him, not wanting to deal with his tactics.
Myra shot the Ferrari driver an apologetic look before running after the Mercedes driver.
Carlos knew he messed up but he felt like Max and Daniella were equally at fault.
***
Daniella just gave short and simple answers at the media conference, not entertaining the reporters much. Max would try to involve her in his answers but she tactfully avoided talking to him.
As soon as the conference was over Daniella left the room and Max rushed after her, Daniel's words playing in his mind.
"Are you really going to avoid me like this?" He asked. "Dani..."
The Mercedes driver went to her motorhome and before she could shut the door Max stopped her and went inside, making her feel annoyed and cornered, with nowhere to escape.
"Would you please just look at me?" Max asked, desperation in his voice as he held her arm and made her turn to face him.
The look on her face broke his heart.
"I looked at you, now you can leave," Daniella bluntly said.
"No, we are going to talk," Max sternly said, a hint of hope in his voice.
"Talk?" Daniella sounded annoyed. "Okay, let's talk."
Max looked a little relieved.
"Look, last night I was not thinking... my head was not..."
"Oh, by the way, I heard you and Daniel talking today," Daniella interrupted him. "I went to apologize to you earlier and heard you two having a nice conversation."
The slight evidence of hope on his face disappeared immediately and the tough realization hit him.
"What do you do in Miami?" She asked, her voice dangerously calm.
"Dani.."
"Sorry, I didn't phrase the question right," She interrupted. "Who did you do in Miami?"
Max stood there speechless, not having a clue what to say or how to defend himself.
"I am surprised you forgot to yell at me about that last night," Daniella calmly said but it felt like every word was stabbing Max.
"Look... it was a mistake..." Max replied. "I thought we broke up and I just..."
"You what? You were heartbroken and then ran to your ex?" Daniella asked.
"That's what I was about to tell you now," Max sounded helpless. "We both made mistakes and I shouldn't have yelled at you last night... but I was so angry and..."
"Do you think only you are entitled to the truth, and not me?" Daniella argued. "Only you deserve to express your anger and jealousy?"
"I am sorry, okay?" Max begged for forgiveness. "I was unreasonable and I should have told you the truth but... I know we can work through this. We can forgive each other and move ahead now." He held her hand, trying to find a hint or a sign that everything is going to be okay.
Daniella shook her head and pulled her hand away.
"Dani..."
"I forgive you," She softly said. "And I don't care if you forgive me or not because I know I made a huge mistake by not telling you about Carlos. But I don't think we can move ahead together."
"Wha.. What are you talking about?" Max couldn't believe the words he was hearing. "We can do this. We belong together. Daniel said, ''You love me and I love y..."
"Daniel lied," The Mercedes driver cut in. "He lied to you, just like he lied to me that he was not going to tell you anything until I get the chance."
Max felt his heart shatter.
"All that's been going on is not healthy," Daniella added. "And to be honest it is not... I don't think it's working between us. You hide things from me and I do the same... a relationship doesn't work like that."
"So what?" Max snapped. "You are running to Carlos now?"
Daniella gave a sad smile and shook her head.
"He was never an option, and he never will be."
Max's face softened up, lips slightly parted.
"You once told me that it's not wise to date another driver on the grid and now I realized how right you were," Daniella gave a sad smile.
"I only said that because I didn't want you to date anyone else but me," Max argued. "Dani, we can work through this. I know we can. I lo.."
"But I don't want to," Daniella replied. "My only focus should be the championship and my priority should be my team."
"No.." Max shook his head. "You always do this. Whenever things get hard you just run away like a coward."
"That's because I don't want to fight, Max," Daniella softly replied. "A relationship shouldn't be this hard."
Max looked angry and heartbroken, his fists tightly closed, trying to control himself to not hit anything.
"So that's it?" He asked, pain and anger in his voice. "We are done."
Daniella nodded, trying to hold back her tears.
"Okay," Max gave in, sounding bitter. "But remember, you got yourself a new rival now and I won't play nice on the track. Just like you, my priority is going to be the championship and my team."
The look he was giving made Daniella feel like he hated her the most but in reality, it was the opposite. They love each other.
Both their eyes were bored into each other's souls, their broken hearts beating barely.
The moment was interrupted when the door opened and Lewis walked in.
"I just came to check... What is he doing here?" He pointed at the Red Bull driver.
"Just came to give her a warning to my rival," Max glared at his ex-girlfriend before walking past Lewis and stepping out of the motorhome.
Daniella almost broke down as Lewis rushed to her.
"Hey," He supported her. "Are you okay?"
The look on her face was enough to answer his question.
**********
A/N: The chapter you all have been waiting for👀😬😬 Thoughts?
So Max "did someone" in Miami when he thought the relationship was over. Care to share your judgment?
Dani broke up with Max and now it seems like he hates her👀
I feel like Daniel is the one to be blamed for all this drama. All these would have worked out much better if he had kept his mouth shut and waited for Daniella to talk to Max.
Thoughts on Dani's decision to break up with Max?
So Daniella and Max went from friends to lovers to now enemies?👀
I know Max won the actual race but for the sake of the story, Dani won the race and Max came second.
What do you think will happen next? because I have no idea how to move forward from this.