Seb made it to Q3 during his last qualifying 🥹
Enjoy!
*****
March 10, 2025 - Monaco
As soon as I entered the office, Remi and Sara ambushed me. I didn't have any meetings in the morning so it was around eleven when I walked through the office doors. I took advantage of sleeping in since Charles and I arrived back from Bahrain at two in the morning with me only getting a few hours of sleep on the plane.
I was accompanying him to Australia during the first race and in between, we decided to schedule a dinner so that people wouldn't just see me whenever we were on the paddock. The Instagram story he posted had gone viral and my presence during pre-season testing only confirmed that he was in a relationship once again.
In a span of three days, they've already discovered my name as well as my professional history since the cases I worked on were open to the public. From what Gabby told me, there has been a lot of talk and the reactions were both positive and negative, most of it being negative. I wasn't surprised, though, because seeing how huge Charles' fanbase is, there are bound to be fans who criticize the people around him.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Remi asked, palms holding his cheeks as he stared at the floor.
"Oh my god. Charles Leclerc is your boyfriend. Is that why you moved to Monaco?" Sara asked and I shook my head.
"Nope."
"Why are you so relaxed?"
"Because he's just Charles." I shrugged, opening one of the folders placed over my desk.
"That's both adorable and incredibly infuriating." Remi said, finally regaining his composure as he walked to stand in front of my desk. Sara had taken his previous position, lifting her feet onto the corner of the sofa and placing a hand over her forehead as if she was having a fever. "You're dating the golden boy of Monaco."
"I'm so glad you work here." Sara said and I raised an eyebrow at her statement, her eyes widening. "I mean, you're also an amazing lawyer. Your past performances in court were immaculate, but you know, you're practically in a relationship with the greatest driver of our generation."
They continued to absorb the news until Megan knocked on my office door, saying the files they asked for were ready in the conference room. I breathed a sigh of relief once the door to my office closed shut.
I was only interrupted a few hours later by a soft knock before the door opened and revealed Adeline. She reminded me a lot of Imara but she had a less intimidating exterior than my previous boss. I have yet to hear from Imara again aside from a frustrating email saying that the case was put on hold. Apparently, there was a need to change the jury, most likely something the Congressman was the root of again.
"Do you have a few minutes?" Adeline asked and I nodded my head, standing up as she entered the room. Adeline was an elegant woman, always dressed like she came from old money. When Remi was giving me a rundown of everyone in the office, he said Adeline was originally from Berlin and has been a part of the UN ever since she graduated college and before she went to law school. She wasn't a house name yet but with how she's gone up the ladder, it's expected she will be when she retires.
"What can I do for you?" I asked as we both moved to the two chairs set in front of my desk. It felt weird to sit on the other side with her being my new boss.
"I was made aware of a few things this morning." She stated and I expected to see a frown on her face but instead, there was a smile.
I already knew Remi was the one who talked to her and besides, I think it was partly because he was with Human Resources as well. "Would that be a problem?"
Adeline laughed lightly before shaking her head. "I only wanted to make sure that it wouldn't affect your case load. Everyone in Monaco knows how big Formula One is and you'll see it here in May."
My ears perked up at the schedule race in May, knowing that it was one of the important ones. Charles was the only Monegasque driving for the season and has won the race in Monaco the past two years. When we went over the contract, I could see it in his eyes that this grand prix was definitely in his top three.
"Thank you, but I think things will go well." I reassured her, offering a small smile of my own.
"Alright, I'll let you get back into it." Adeline stood up and lightly tapped my shoulder. I stood up as well to return to my seat but she once again caught my attention when she stopped by the door. "By the way, I've got a list of more private spots in Monaco if you're interested." She said, giving me a wink before closing the door behind her.
Why would Adeline need that kind of list?
The rest of the day, I went back in forth from my office to the conference room where Sara and Remi were working since they'd ask for my opinion from time to time. I decided to forgo going across the street to grab some coffee and settled for the ones in the pantry.
By the time the clock struck to show that it was seven in the evening, I cleared my desk and began heading out. Sara and Remi were still in the conference room when I stepped out of my office so I decided to bid them goodbye.
"I feel so envious. I want to go home, too." Remi frowned at Sara who was opening a new box of files.
"Sorry, but the earliest we'll be out is at eight." Sara said, smiling sheepishly at him.
"That's not bad." I said, putting on my coat over the green dress I was wearing.
"In the morning."
"The fuck." Remi cursed, staring wide eyed at the table that was filled with files. "If we're going to be at this all night, fancy some dinner and coffee? I feel like my body's going to give up on me if I don't eat something."
"Sure. We can go to the Chinese restaurant a block from here." They accompanied me in heading out. I was only planning to walk home since I decided not to use my bicycle this morning, wanting to take advantage of getting a lot of steps.
"Are you coming with?" Sara asked me as we crossed the lobby.
"No, thank you. I was just planning to—"
"Have dinner with your boyfriend?" Remi asked, an amused smile on his lips. He wasn't looking at us so Sara and I followed his gaze only to see Charles leaning against his car which was parked outside. He had his left ankle crossed over his right as he scrolled through his phone.
His head looked up at the sound of us walking out and his eyes immediately met mine. "What are you doing here?" I asked when I stopped in front of him while Sara and Remi stayed a few feet back, glancing at us.
"I was going to ask if you wanted to grab something to eat." He said, putting away his phone and inclining his head to the side.
"That's not part of the schedule." I raised an eyebrow and he just shrugged his shoulders.
"I was also wondering if you wanted to come over afterwards." He smirked, stepping forward so that there were only a few inches in between us. I'm thankful that I was wearing heels because it was easier to look into his eyes.
"Is this my escape or yours?" Lately, I've been curious because Charles was someone who guarded his secrets with a wall so high I don't think anyone could ever climb over. He doesn't make it obvious since he's cheery with other people but it's surprising how he lets me see that side of him.
"Yours." He lied and I looked at him for a few seconds. I've been feeling good the past few days and I'm not sure if it's because my mind is filled with work or this fake dating thing with him.
I pursed my lips, glancing back at Sara and Remi who looked away once they saw me turn to them. I shook my head at them and gave Charles a small smirk. "Deal."
Charles' smile widened and he opened the passenger door for me. I sent a small wave to Sara and Remi, choosing to introduce them next time since I don't think I have any more energy within me to handle them gush over Charles.
He drove us to the Monaco pier where a few food trucks were parked. I gave him a confused look since I was expecting him to bring me to an expensive restaurant but he continues to surprise me. "I hope you like shawarma." He said as we both walked towards a food truck.
"I'm Turkish. It'd be a crime not to." I scoffed and he chuckled, placing a hand by the small of my back to guide me in the food truck's direction.
We found a nearby bench after ordering, him holding the food while I held two bottles of water. "So, why do you need an escape?" I asked as he passed me my shawarma and I gave him a bottle of water. He raised an eyebrow at me as I unwrapped my food and rolled my eyes in return. "You may fool the public but not me."
"Just because you told me your story doesn't mean I have to tell you mine." He said, voice colder than before and I raised my hands up in surrender.
"I wasn't forcing you to. I asked." I turned away from him and looked at the view in front of me. Despite it being a Monday night, there were a few people drinking on their yachts. It still astonishes me how luxurious everything here is, not absorbing how many rich people there are in Monaco.
We were wrapped in silence for a few minutes where I could sometimes feel Charles looking at me. I didn't meet his eyes. If he wasn't willing to talk then we won't talk. I'm an easy person to talk to and forcing him to explain himself would only make it difficult for this partnership.
Partnership. What a way to spend my first few weeks in Monaco. Is this still called a partnership? He's seen me at my worst and we've done one of the most intimate acts two people could do together. I wouldn't call it a situationship either because there were no feelings involved, only sex.
"I saw my ex today." I didn't turn around but made sure to show him that I was listening by turning my body a bit towards his direction. "She and I broke up last December with me ending things. We were together for three years so it was a surprise for everyone to hear about it. When I was nineteen, I lost my dad." Upon hearing those words, I couldn't help but look at him only to see that he was the one with his eyes on the horizon. His green eyes were darker and cold but the slight shakiness in his voice gave him away. "It broke my mother's heart, still does actually. When I was younger, about seventeen, I lost one of my best friends and the same thing happened with his girlfriend. All around me, I witnessed relationships falling apart and I lost all hope for mine. The last straw was when my brother filed for a divorce with his wife."
"I'm sorry about your dad and your friend." I said, knowing how it feels to lose someone important.
He only gave me a soft smile in return. "I stopped believing in relationships back then, not wanting to feel that kind of pain and inflict it on someone as well. Seeing her today just set me on edge, I guess."
"What'd she say?" I asked.
"She was angry." He let out a bitter laugh, taking a deep breath and running his hand through his hair. "I guess my plan of not hurting her in the end was only possible if I hurt her early on."
"Everyone gets hurt in love."
"Are you going to start throwing quotes at me now?" He teased and I threw a balled up napkin at him.
"I'm trying to give some advice and you're being a dick." I glared at him and he only laughed, throwing back the napkin.
"The comfort I'm asking for doesn't require verbal communication." Charles replied, giving me a smirk and even sending a wink my way. "Although, it is very much welcome."
"Noted on that." I smirked back before turning my eyes back to the view.
He's been through pain like me. It's different but it's still pain. If I hadn't met him, maybe I'd be on the brink of becoming an alcoholic by now or drowning myself in sorrows and continuously having breakdowns without any way of saving myself. Instead, I find myself being linked to a man who's known all over the world, portraying an image in return for his offer for a sweet escape.
It's definitely better than being alone.
*****
Gonna be another busy week for me so idk when I'm going to update 😂
✧Reese✧