We're experiencing a lot of jumps hehehe
Enjoy!
*****
May 31, 2026 - Monaco
"Is that?"
"Yes." Charles said, nodding his head, as he continued to pull me hand towards a group of people in the Ferrari garage.
"Charles." I hissed, tugging on my hand but he wouldn't let go. "I am not prepared for this."
"No one is, Nova." He grinned and I looked around to find an escape route but I found none. "Now, smile. By the way, we have to address him as Your Serene Highness."
I schooled my face as the Prince of Monaco— the real and legitimate Prince of Monaco— turned his head in our direction. His smile widened when he saw Charles and he quickly made his way toward us. "Charles!" Prince Albert cheered.
"Your Serene Highness." Charles smiled, accepting the hand of the prince to shake it lightly. "I'd like to introduct my fiancée, Nadia Kaplan."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Serene Highness." Charles didn't bow so I guess I don't have to, but I did give a small nod of my head to show my respect.
"Do you live in Monaco as well?"
I nodded my head and smiled. "I moved here a year ago after living in Boston."
"And how do you think of it?" The prince asked, although it was obvious that he was doing so to entertain his curiosity. There was a sense of peace around the royal and as I glanced at the other people behind him, it didn't seem like they were in the midst of the country's leader. It was like he was just an average man watching the race.
"It's lovely and I happen to have a few favorite spots that I visit occasionally." Charles and I continued to talk to the prince, the two of them taking lead of the conversation most of the time.
When it was almost time for him to get inside the car, we bid goodbye to the prince who wished Charles goodluck in the race.
"I'm going to kill you." I pinched his side as soon as we were out of earshot and Charles laughed at the expression on my face. "You could've given me a warning."
"I did." He grinned, fingers grazing my jaw as he leaned in to kiss my lips. "I figured ten seconds of preparation was enough for you."
I pushed his face away when he tried to kiss me again, only making him laugh harder as Andrea watched us with amusement on the side. He was holding Charles' helmet and balaclava, plus the ziploc bag where he always puts his bracelets.
I need to get him something more sustainable because that ziploc looks like it's been travelling all over the world with him. I let the two of them work, standing on the side as everyone else around me worked and made some last minute touches before Charles had to leave the garage and head to the grid.
As per usual, the atmosphere of the Monaco Grand Prix displayed the elegance of Formula One. It was one of the tracks, or street circuits to be more specific, that everyone knew would be jam packed with the world's elites. It wasn't like Miami where most of the attendees were Hollywood celebrities and influencers. The guests of Monaco were close to being royalty. From all the races I've attended, this was the one where most of the previos F1 champions and drivers were present.
"I love you." I told Charles before he put on his balaclava, our lips meeting shortly for a kiss.
"I love you." He replied back, giving me a wink before the white fabric covered his face for a few seconds.
Charles was on the first row today, right behind Max. It was going to be a challenge because Checo was starting at P3 while Ocon followed behind him. Carlos was all the way in the back of the grid because he had to take a penalty which caused him to lose places. Charles was literally being sandwiched by the Red Bulls and I'm thankful that this was Monaco or else we'd be having one hell of a dogfight by the first turn. He really tried to push it during yesterday's qualifying, knowing that grid positions were vital in this track. For him to win it, he'd have to perform a dangerous move or Ferrari would have a strategy that would leave him in front of Max after heading to the pits. It didn't help either that Checo was known for conquering street circuits.
I was sitting down on one of the chairs placed on Charles' side of the garage, red headphones placed over my ears. My hands were placed over my lip, fingers playing with my ring as the nerves crept in. The start of the race was as expected, all twenty drivers remaining in their qualifying positions as they tried to widen the gap from the person behind them. Charles wasn't letting go of Max, though, and Checo was doing the same to him. I only wish Ocon's car was capable of rushing for the Red Bull, but the Alpine just wasn't on the same level as the top teams. He couldn't put any pressure on Checo and was instead protecting himself from Lewis who was right behind him.
A few overtakes had happened at the back of the grid while some places changed when the first few drivers began making their pitstops. Most of the drivers were on hards, including Charles. He was doing as much as he could to maintain the race pace while still managing the tire degradation on the Ferrari. It's been an issue for years, but he's done great work of taking care of them. A visual flashed on the screen of the expected tire strategies of the teams and I glanced at Arthur who was with Gabby and the other spectators. He caught my eye and mouthed the word one, telling me that Charles was going for a one-stop.
He was nearing the fifty-fifth lap, managing to gain a gap from Checo when he got into an altercation during his pitstop. The wheel gun was stuck to the car and it delayed him by about twelve more seconds, the Red Bull garage growing frustrated.
My eyes moved to Xavi as he spoke into his microphone and then a few seconds later, Charles began heading to the pits. They needed to make this perfect since the pitstop window was tight against Checo.
I leaned forward on my knees, hands clasped together as my eyes zeroed in on the mechanics who were ready to receive him. The sound of his engine grew louder before the Ferrari came into view. I was thankful for the headphones since those wheel guns were so loud it became too painful to hear the more I frequented the races.
It felt like everyone in the garage held their breathe as the digital clock begun counting. The pump jack lifts the front portion of Charles' car as the wheel guns loosen the hold on the old tires. These are taken out and replaced with brand new soft tires before the wheel gun comes into view again. The moment the wheel gun pulls away, the pump jack is removed and Charles is zooming out of the pits, a successful pitstop behind him.
Andrea squeezed my shoulder as the two of us grinned, watching Charles' car head to the pit exit. Checo was behind him and there was a fifty-fifty chance that Charles would come out second. My hand was clasped with Andrea's as the two of us watched in anticipation. As soon as Charles crossed the line that granted him to drive higher than the pitlane speed limit, everyone in the garage cheered as the Ferrari came out before the Red Bull.
The remaining twenty-three laps were spent trying to catch up to Max while defending against Checo. The first proved to be difficult since there was a five-second gap between the two of them during the last three laps. The best outcome he could get for the race was P2 and right now, he was doing everything he can to maintain that position.
Cheers came from the Red Bull garage when Max crossed the finish line, Charles and Checo following not far behind. I knew that Charles hoped for a back-to-back win in his home race, but a podium finish was still a good result.
There was still a smile on his face when he got out of the car at parc ferme, heading over to where we were. The mechanics gave him a hug and a pat on the head before he moved on to where I was standing with Gabby beside me, her camera clicking with every photo she took.
"You did great." I smiled, kissing the side of his head as he wrapped an arm around me.
Charles gave me a sad smile, hand cupping my right cheek. "It could've been better."
"Don't." I said, glaring at him. Charles' smile widened upon seeing my face and he gave me one last kiss on the lips before heading to the cool down room. On his way there, he passed by Max who just parked his car a few minutes ago. The two congratulated one another, eyes crinkled as one of them probably made a joke. Charles continued with his path while Max headed the opposite way. The Red Bull team was on our other side, just by Gabby. I couldn't help the smirk that formed on my face when Max kept looking around until his eyes landed on Gabby who was looking at the photos on her camera. "Give me that." I said, grabbing it from her.
"Hey!" She exclaimed, hands reaching for the camera as I raised it in front of my eyes. She was turned away from Max who was making his way toward her. You could see the worry in her eyes at having another person hold her camera and I restrained myself from rolling my eyes.
"Calm down, and turn around." I said, pushing her closer to the barricade.
Gabby's eyes widened when they landed on Max. "Congrats!" She immediately cheered, a huge smile on her face which was matched by Max's.
"Thank you, Gabs." Max said before he stepped forward and pulled her in for a hug. Gabby froze for a second before she returned it. I took a few photos of them, catching the moment where she blushed and Max grinned down at her before giving her a wink.
"You're welcome." I told her when I passed back her camera and Max left to head to the cool down room.
"Shut up." She grumbled, fingers playing with the buttons on her camera. Gabby was glaring at me, but her smile said otherwise as she tried so hard to keep the smile on her face from widening further.
"We don't have a guest bedroom at home, so maybe you could sleepover at Max's." I whispered so that no one else other than Gabby would hear.
The blush on her face reddened as she nudged my ribs with her elbow, making me laugh at her obvious frustration. "I already am." I heard her mumbler under her breath which caused me to laugh harder as the people around us gave me weird looks.
July 18, 2026 - Hungary
It was the last race before the summer break and less than a month until the wedding.
The past few days have been spent making last-minute preparations. I can't even count the number of times we've had dinner at Pascale's house to talk about the wedding. We covered everything from the arrival of the guests for the wedding weekend, who would be staying at the chateau and the farmhouse respectively, to the wedding rehearsal, the ceremony, and the reception.
It amazed me how Charles managed to work on everything while still preparing for the races. With regard to the small details, he wouldn't bother asking me about it and would just simply inform me of the decision, knowing that I would just throw back the question. He did, however, ask my opinion on the overall program of the reception such as the cake cutting, the first dance, and if I wanted to say anything to the guests.
My dresses were almost done. I had a final fitting next week with Gabby when she arrives from Boston. I was only planning on wearing one dress for the entire night, but then she convinced me to get another one. I was prepared to say no up until I saw the designs that had been laid out in front of me and two of them caught my eye. They were simple dresses– nothing too extravagant and loud– but they were also timeless.
"Should I start calling you Mrs. Leclerc the next time you're in the paddock?" Mick asked as the two of us had our usual dessert session in between the motorhome walls.
"I actually wanted to hyphenate, but Charles said no." Mick's eyebrows shot up in surprise, probably having the same thoughts as me. "I know. He made a joke about calling me Mrs. Leclerc before but then he took it back."
"Why?"
"Would you believe me if I told you he gave me a fifteen-minute lecture as to the reason why?" I asked and Mick burst out laughing, popping another Ferrero into his mouth. "He was almost on board with hyphenating but then we realized the amount of work that will need to be done. Aside from that, he went on a rant about how important my name was for me and he doesn't want me to replace it with his."
I fell in love with him even more after his explanation.
"Nova, you worked hard with that name. People know you as Nadia Kaplan, not Nadia Leclerc, and I don't want to take that away from you. Plus, it's out of respect for your family. I'd switch mine to Kaplan, but we both know you'd make the same argument if I do that."
"There you are." A voice from my right and I saw Charles peek through the gap before he walked in. His eyes moved to Mick before he noticed the chocolates he was holding. "You're trainer is going to kill you."
"Unless he finds out?" Mick asks, silently praying that Charles wouldn't rat him out.
"Give me one and I'll forget about this little pre-race ritual." Mick tossed him a chocolate before Charles stood beside me on the wall. "So, this is where you run off to before the race?"
"Mick would die if I don't feed him the Ferrari chocolates."
I was staying at the motorhome for the race. Because of the few days off that I'm taking after the wedding, I went through everything at work so that I wouldn't be passing on a heavy caseload to Sarah. Adeline reassured me that I didn't have to do that since it was perfectly normal to take a leave for one's honeymoon, but I resisted, the American work ethic winning over me. I've been up all night the past few weeks and was only able to take a red eye to Hungary for the race, so my body still hadn't adjusted properly to get some rest.
Ferarri had high hopes for this race since they brought some upgrades. The car performed really well during the free practice sessions, resulting to a front row start for Charles and Carlos. They were aiming to end the first half of the season on a good note and I had no doubt they'd be able to do it flawlessly.
An hour and a half later, I moved to Charles' driver's room to take a quick nap before he packed up to return to the hotel. He ended up winning second place while Carlos won. Charles received some damage to the car after Esteban's front wing damaged his, so he did his best to maintain positions. He was going to have the post-race interviews plus the press conference for another hour, so that was plenty of time for me to recharge.
If only I knew I was just preparing myself for a disaster.
I woke up to screaming coming from the other side of the door. My eyes snapped open, heart beating fast and fear creeping into me. I thought I was having a nightmare until I registered my surroundings, Charles' photo with his dad placed on one of the small tables.
The loud voices continued as they fought in Italian. I stood up and opened the door just in time to see Charles marching up the flight of stairs with Angelo behind him. He was the new team principal this year, replacing Manuele. From what I know he was one of the lead strategists of the team and was chosen to be promoted starting this season.
"What the fuck did I tell you?" Charles yelled at him angrily as Andrea and Nicolas followed behind them, worry etched on their faces. "I thought this problem had been dealt with properly."
"Charles, it wasn't up to me—"
"Did you know?" Charles asked, eyes on Nicolas who was watching the two with confusion.
"What's happening?"
A bitter laugh escaped Charles as he crossed his arms over his chest. "They're still working with Manuele." My body froze as my eyes moved to Angelo who looked away from Charles. It's been a while since I heard that name, but it never fails to send shivers down my spine.
People asked a lot of questions as to why there was a change of team principals in Ferrari but thankfully, everyone kept their mouth shut. The talk eventually died down when the season started and people focused on the current races.
"What?" Nicolas asked, tone growing deeper as he frowned at Angelo.
"The new upgrades on the car are because of him." Angelo said, running a hand over his face. "Management wanted to keep working with him because they believe he's still an asset to the team."
"If he's such a great asset, then you wouldn't mind losing another one." Charles said and it was like everyone froze as they realized what his words meant.
"Charles."
I don't care what happens to everyone or everything else.
Charles' words from Mexico reached the surface of my mind, knowing that this was something he's already decided on the minute he found out. I opened the door wider, catching their attention. My eyes met Charles and I wasn't surprised at the dark look in them, similar to when he found out about Manuele. This Charles was not going to back down no matter who talked to him.
I walked over to where he was and linked my hand with his. This was my decision as well, and I was deciding to stick by with whatever he wanted to do. I know I told him I wouldn't jeopardise his career for my sake, but he also promised that there were certain exceptions to that rule.
Manuele still managed to be present in our lives despite us moving on with our lives. I can never get back what he took from me— the choice that he ripped away from my fingers. I can, however, choose how I'm going to live every single day after that and I have Charles by my side during all those days.
Charles squeezed my hand and I gave him a small nod. He took a deep breath before turning to Angelo. "I'm done."
"Charles, please." Angelo pleaded and was about to take a step forward when Charles glared at him.
"How much is the buyout?" Charles asked Nicolas who hesitated, eyes moving from me, to Charles, and then to Angelo.
"Twenty million."
My eyes widened and I almost took a step back at the huge amount of money, but Charles' hand held me in place.
Holy shit.
"I'll have it transferred by the end of the week." Charles said, nodding his head. I didn't even ask how he can move that kind of money in a week, knowing how much he's earned ever since he entered Ferrari. "This is not the Ferrari I dreamed of being a part of. This used to be a team that valued every single member they had and held the morals that have been upheld for years. You better find a driver before the end of the summer break, because I'm not coming back to this disappointment you call a team."
*****
damnnnnnnn
✧Reese✧