Battle of The Gods

Quarantasei

The days that followed were all dedicated to hard work for the Italian team principal, quickly getting back into her routine of being the first in Gestione Sportiva early in the morning, and the last one to leave. But apart from working with the team to make sure that the car is ready for Zandvoort and the races that followed, it was also Alessandra that was the one occupying the simulator, changing her office attire to a Ferrari t-shirt and short, spending hours sat down in the state of the art contraption in the middle of the dark room, helmet over her head and screen in front of her, memorising the track in the Netherlands, getting used to the glimpse of the feel of competing in the F2004 and improved on her racing skills.

When she wasn't in Gestiona, she was at the track in Fiorano, as after the team's hard work, they prepared the F2004 for her to test in racing conditions. She was suited in tight bright red fireproofs, the 2024 race suit with her name and the italian flag on her hip and her custom red and white helmet under her arm as she talked to the engineers whilst standing next to the car. She felt every thought about her work, her personal life, her problems, all disappear when pulled the baklava over her head, slid the helmet on and arranged the HANS device as she got in the car, only focusing on the loud sound of the engine and the track under her whilst spending more hours pushing to the limit in her favourite Schumacher car.

On the outside, she looked calm and composed everytime she got in and out of the car after clocking over a hundred laps each time, with her lap times only getting better, as if she was a professional racing driver and done this a thousand times, but the adrenaline rush she was getting was one she hasn't felt in a long time, and that feeling made her immensely happy, giddy with excitement to actually race on a track again.

However, when she got home late at night after reviewing her data and planning with her group of engineers and mechanics what needs to be improved before finishing the day off with reading data related to the 2024 car, a wave of loneliness accumulated, and it started the day she went back home after dropping Toto at the airport. She had never felt it before, being so used to having her independence and finding solace in herself and her work, so she couldn't understand why she was almost expecting Toto to come out from one of the rooms in her house to greet her.

The loneliness almost kept her up the first night she spent alone since Toto left, trying to understand how her mind and body became so accustomed to sleeping in his arms, even if it was only for three nights in a row that they did. Truth be told, whenever she had her one night stands, or was in a friends with benefits phase, she either left right after or spent the night but left before the guy woke up. She was never really interested in the whole waking up to the guy and spending the morning with him after sex. That was, however until Toto really came into the picture.

The feelings that erupted through her even just by the thought of him were overwhelming, her confused mind becoming even more distraught as she tried to figure out what they meant and why she was feeling the way she did. And her text exchanges with Toto were not helping her, as she missed him much more than she wished to admit, and with every text message she was close to asking him to come back. But she restrained herself, she knew that she had to focus on herself, her father and her work, so as much as she missed Toto, she used everything around her as a distraction, to fully get back into what she loves the most before she went to Monaco to meet with Charles.

And after days of data analysing, simulator training, hundreds of laps under her belt done in Fiorano and taking her dad to his last few appointments before taking his needed vacation, she was pleased with her progress and satisfied enough to be able to relax without have to worry about anything related to work. So, she made her way to Monaco.

The moment she told Charles about her arrival in Monaco, the world champion was quick to invite her over for a family lunch at Pascale's place the next day, which she happily accepted. She enjoyed helping Pascale and Lorenzo set up the table on the terrace, the sun warm and bright over them as they chatted over a nice salad, giving each other a quick catching up since they only saw each other last a bit over a week ago at her god daughter's baptism.