[3] MARANELLO || C. LECLERC

FORTY FOUR

* it has taken me so long to update and i am so sorry! but finally, here we are. please stick around to read the note at the end of this chapter regarding updates of this story, and my other books. the trigger warning for this chapter is LOW. please note that i am a writer, not a medical professional and everything included in this chapter is just what i have found out during my research as planning for this story. as always, please vote and comment as you read. your support is truly appreciated! *

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CAMILLE

"Brake failure," Charles muttered, as he read the message on his phone from Mattia. I assumed Christian had been in touch with him at Ferrari, since my phone was off because I couldn't bring myself to check any social media or messages due to the extreme fear of seeing the crash I so desperately did not want to see. Charles, however, kept his ringer volume on the highest. He wanted me to relax, so he took every message and every call, still pacing around the room in his race suit. "Christian messaged Mattia, asking him to pass the message on to me. The brakes failed as he came out of Wellington Straight and round towards Brooklands."

"What about his start?"

"He was behind me when it happened. Mustn't have had a bad start after all," Charles' words sent shivers down my spine because I knew he could've been involved, too. My whole world would've collapsed inwards if I was sitting here all alone without Max and Charles. My God, I don't even want to think about it. "Red Bull are looking into all the data and everything. There'll be a full investigation, especially when they find out what's going on with Max."

An hour had passed since Charles arrived but it felt like an entire lifetime or two for me. The nice lady from reception continued to check on us and ask if we needed anything, like water or something to eat, but each time Charles politely declined. It was obvious that the only thing we needed was space, and information about Max's condition, but we were still waiting for that.

Realisation suddenly hit me as I allowed my mind to drift elsewhere with the thought of Max's accident. There was every small chance that Charles could've also been involved in Max's accident, potentially if they were too close together and Max didn't know about his brakes until he applied pressure. I had no idea how they failed on him, but I didn't want to think about it. Me, being the over thinker I am, would let it rot in the subconscious part of my brain, and everything would hit me at once. Not yet, though, not here.

"Don't worry about me, Camille," Charles knew me too well. He sat down beside me and began to wipe the tears away from my face. I'd never cried so much in my life, not even after everything Stefan did to me. The pain I felt right now was indescribable. "I'm safe. Max is safe, too, now that he's here with the doctors who will do everything they can to help him recover."

"We don't even know what's wrong with him," I sniffled. "Or if he's even alive."

"Don't think like that." Charles caressed my face, continuing to brush my tears away with his thumb. I could see him smiling, albeit weakly, but he just wanted to see me smile back at him. I couldn't bring myself to do it, not when I was totally clueless about Max's current state.

I was so pleased to have Charles here. If the race restarted and lasted in its entirety, I would be here all alone and even the thought of that made me feel nauseous. Just having a familiar face made all the difference, and because it was Charles, I felt a lot better than I potentially could've done.