❝They hate each other.❞
❝No, they don't. Not really.❞
In the high-stakes world of Formula 1 racing, Aurora Prince faces her toughest challenge yet as she makes her debut with Porsche during the 2025 season. Haunted by grief and fueled by determinati...
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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE;
The Night We Met
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FOURTEEN MONTHS AGO
Ezra McAllister was going insane.
He stood in the Carlin garage, his eyes fixed on the sleek F2 car as it rolled in beside them. The bustling energy of the Monaco GP surrounded him, but he felt a heavy weight pressing down on his chest. An engine problem had cost him another win, a bitter pill to swallow, especially as his girlfriend, Aurora, had just claimed first place. She walked into the garage, high-fiving the mechanics on her team, their congratulations echoing around her. They ruffled her hair and pulled her into celebratory hugs as she made her way towards him.
"Hey, you," she greeted, her smile radiant as she moved to embrace him. But he stepped away, and her smile faltered into a frown. "Ez?"
"Well done," he forced out, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. He hated how his jealousy seeped through, and from the look on her face, he knew she saw right through his facade.
"Are we really doing this?" she asked, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"Doing what?" he tried to deflect, raising an eyebrow.
She sighed, frustration evident. "Are we really pretending nothing's going on with you right now? You've been weird since you met with the sponsors last week. What's going on?"
"Nothing," he lied, his heart clenching. It wasn't true. The meeting with the sponsors had presented him with an ultimatum: steal the Porsche seat from under Aurora for the next F1 season or lose everything they had worked so hard for.
He couldn't tell her.
He knew she would do the honourable thing and risk her career for him. He knew she would loathe him for the rest of her life. So he had made the decision for her. He would take the Porsche seat, and she would continue to have their sponsorship, eventually joining him in F1. It wasn't fair, and it wasn't ideal, but it was the only viable option. He couldn't let her ruin everything they had worked for just because she was stubborn.
"I didn't see you at the podium," she murmured, hurt flashing across her face.
Ezra's heart twisted. He should have been there to support her, but his own jealousy and pride were too wounded.
