Adrenaline: A Lestappen Story

30- Room 901

TW: Sexual scenes in this chapter may be triggering for sensible readers.

"Your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing."

-Dostoyevsky

There's a haunting irony in finding betrayal at the hands of the one you love. It's the kind of treachery that resonates through history, whispered alongside the name of Judas as a cautionary tale of the deepest betrayal.

Max returned to his hotel with a storm brewing within him, his emotions swirling like a tempest as he packed his bags with a sense of urgency. His departure from the country was timed to precision, setting his course for the Red Bull factory where he intended to immerse himself in the simulators for the remainder of the week before heading to Las Vegas.

In the room, Kelly sensed his anger but opted not to immediately approach the subject, allowing the weighty silence to fill the space between them. It wasn't until they found themselves aboard their private jet that Kelly finally addressed the tension that hung thick in the air.

"Did it finally hit you?" She mumbled at the man as he looked out the window.

No words came out from Max. She pushed the subject again.

"Did you realize that you can't win while you're with him? He won't let you win." Kelly's voice broke the heavy silence, her hand extending to touch Max's knee. "Max... I warned you that this wasn't going to end well."

In his chair, like the throne of a fallen king, Max slowly turned his head to meet her gaze, his eyes carrying a mixture of anger and frustration, a coldness to it that perfectly illustrated the way his father described him as — barely human.

At that moment, even Kelly feared him, seeing in the blond the stern eyes of his father, "Max," Kelly spoke calmly, her voice carrying a soothing quality as she attempted to pacify his anger. "I'd have stopped it all if I could, to avoid this situation, but there was nothing I could do. You didn't let me, you didn't listen," she continued, inching closer to him until she was seated beside him. "You had lost your shine. He drained it from you," she added, her hand gently resting on the side of his cheek as she seized the opportunity presented by his reluctance to push her away. "But I see it in your eyes now, that's the Max that I know."

The older woman's eyes shimmered as she gently guided his face to meet hers, narrowing the gap between them. "I know he hurt you—"

The mention of emotions prompted the blond to abruptly withdraw from her touch, turning his face away once more. Sensing his discomfort and determined not to undermine the fragile connection she had just established, the woman swiftly shifted the topic.

"You'll win in Las Vegas," she insisted, reaching out for his face once more, only to encounter resistance again, fueling her growing desperation, worried he might see her as a threat too and decide to not trust anyone around him. She needed to be careful with her words.

"You'll win, and you'll find a way to clinch this championship," she persisted, making a third attempt to touch his face, this time met with no resistance from him as she leaned closer. "And you know why?" she asked, seizing his face. "Because you're the best, Max, and you won't let that man cloud your true purpose again," she declared, her eyes shimmering with tears. "I'll bring Penelope to watch you, what do you think?" she offered with a smile, her thumbs gently caressing his cheekbones.

"The fun is over, Max," she affirmed, running her fingers through his hair. "Remind him of it."

LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX