AND IT CONTINUES - Max Verstappen

27

Daniella had an annoyed look on her face as she joined her friends for breakfast at the hotel lobby. They were in Austin for the US Grand Prix and Daniella is not very excited about it, mostly because of the unnecessarily extra media duties. Of course, there were a lot of dedicated and passionate fans of the sport and her in the US but the marketing team is aiming to gain even more and has given her a hectic schedule for the next two days.

"Did you not sleep well or are you pissed at the marketing team just like I am?" Alex Albon asked the Mercedes driver who sat back in her chair and was already sipping her cup of coffee. Alex too had the same look of annoyance on his face and it is already very known that no one hates the marketing team more than Alex and Daniella.

"I am pissed," Daniella grumpily replied. She was even more pissed that Lewis is arriving a day later so his part of the media responsibility fell on her.

"Come on guys, it can't be that bad," Charles let out a small laugh, earning glares from the other two drivers.

"It's bad, Charles. It's really bad," Alex complained.

Daniella pulled out her phone and opened her email from the Formula One marketing team and showed it to Charles.

The Ferrari driver didn't think much of it and just lightly chuckled as he took her phone. As he read through the email his eyes slowly went wide.

"They have even arranged where you will have lunch and dinner?" He asked in disbelief.

Daniella gave him an 'I told you so look'.

Alex moved over to look at the email as well.

"Your schedule is worse than mine," Alex looked at Daniella. "How will you survive?"

"Don't worry about it," Daniella shrugged before taking a bite of her breakfast. "I will have a terrible headache by the afternoon and Myra will cancel the rest of the schedule."

"What do you mean?" Charles looked confused. "You look completely fine. Wait, are you really not well?"

Daniella gave him a look and blinked a few times, waiting for Charles to realize what she was saying. It took him a while but after seeing the same look on Alex the words clicked in his brain.

"Ohh! You are going to fake it," He said out loud. "Now I get it."

"See, you are not that stupid after all," Daniella sarcastically said as she took back her phone from him.

"I am going for a refill, does anyone need anything?" Alex asked as he picked up his plate and looked at Charles and Daniella.

"Can you get me another cup of coffee?" The Mercedes driver asked politely.

"Of course, I can, you poor thing," Alex messed up her hair before walking over to the breakfast buffet.

Daniella just gave him the finger before frightening up her hair.

"So, umm.. Dani," Charles cleared his throat. "Were you ever going to tell me that my sister is dating Mick Schumacher?"

This time Daniella's eyes went wide as she slowly looked at Charles. She knows Sophie is keeping her relationship with Mick a secret from everyone, even her family, and only a couple of people know about it. Daniella had no idea how Charles found out about it.

"Wha... what?" She tried to play ignorant but failed miserably. "What are you talking about? Sophie is dating Mick?"

"I know you know about them," Charles said confidently.

"No I don't," Daniella lied. "But... but how do you know about them?"

"She arrived in Texas a week early, when I asked where she was staying she said she was living on a ranch," Charles replied. "And coincidentally Mick's family has a ranch here and then she accidentally sent me a photo of her kissing her teammate and then deleted it."

"That doesn't prove that I knew," Daniella let out a nervous laugh and avoided making eye contact with him.

"When I asked more questions she said you were the first one to find out about them."

"Nahh, I don't recall anything about that," Once again she lied through her teeth.

"There you go," Alex came back and gave her the coffee cup. "What are you two talking about? Is it about the fight between Max and George?"

"Everyone knows about that?" Daniella almost spilled her coffee.

"Umm..Charles told me about it," Alex pointed at the Ferrari driver, not knowing that the topic was supposed to be a secret.

The look of betrayal was evident on Charles' face.

"Pierre told me," Charles immediately threw his best friend under the bus. Pierre told him about the scene in Japan in confidence but of course, Charles accidentally blurted out.

"Who else have you told?" Daniella asked in disbelief as she looked at Charles who now avoided looking at her.

"No one..."

"Charles," Daniella warned him not to lie.

"I told Carlos... and Arthur, and Sophie, and Mattia," Charles looked down, feeling scared and ashamed that he didn't keep his promise to Pierre.

"Why the hell Mattia is on the list?"

**********

A/N: Another non racing, boring chapter but we got Alex and Charles. 

So Charles now knows about his sister and Mick. Thoughts? 

Also, the Japan incident is slowly spreading and Pierre and Charles are responsible for it😅 Thoughts? 

Next is US GP week. How do you think it will go?