Mon Amour | 𝑪.𝑳

Part 27

The race made everyone feel things that they hadn't felt during a formula one race since the rivalry of Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher.

When Charles LeClerc took that chequered flag - he took it for Ferrari. But at the same time he took it for his lost loved ones - Jules Bianchi, Herve LeClerc and Antonine Hubert. He took it for Lyla - his other half...his girl.

And he took it for himself - to prove that no matter what, he could do it.

He wanted to make sure that everyone knew it would be him...he would be the 2022 world champion and the world champion for the years after that, he would be the one to bring Ferrari back from a dying team to a dominating team just like Michael Schumacher had done. When he stood on the top step of that podium, trophy and bottle of champagne in front of him listening to the Monaco and Italian national anthem play as his team screamed from down below.

In that moment, Charles LeClerc embodied everything Ferrari needed and represented.

The first victory for the Scuderia since Sebastian Vettel won the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix...

He had promised himself the day before that if he won, he would dedicate it to her.

So when the Prince of Monaco pushed that trophy into the air, instead of pointing up to the sky he pointed straight at his Princess who was stood in the crowd below.

He looked at her like she was his whole world and she looked at him in exactly the same way.

Lyla Andre-Accardi had never felt prouder than she did in that moment right there. Stood at the front of a sea of nothing but pure red, listening to the shouts of the entire Ferrari team behind her and feeling the gaze of the camera lenes on her as she looked up at the podium - people all around the world currently seeing the glassy look to her eyes.

Knowing that the man on the top step of the podium was hers and no one else's.

She didn't manage to see the Grand Prix winner until later on back at the hotel. Since they had an early flight to Nice the next morning majority of the grid travelling on the flight had opted out of Daniel's late night celebrations and returned to their hotel rooms. Lyla had just walked out of the shower and was drying her hair with a towel when her phone rang, the young Italian woman immediately grabbing the device and swiping to answer the call at the contact name.

"Yes, Charlie." She grins, leaning back against the desk unknowing of the automatic smile that formed on her lips as she spoke.

"Open your door." His voice came back, calm and steady.

Lyla pushes herself up, quickly placing the towel in the bathroom before walking to the door and pulling on the door handle. The phone call hung up immediately and she tucked the device away into her pocket before looking around in confusion when she didn't spot the awaiting Monegasque she had expected to see on the other side.

Instead, she found a small piece of paper on the floor with her name written on the front.

That was his handwriting - she knew that.

Unfolding the paper, she was greeted with the simple instruction going out into the hotel gardens. She made sure to pull some shoes on first and grab her room key before leaving, shaking her head at the sheer dorkiness of the man she was forced to call her best friend.

She practically jogged down to the gardens, using her hand to shield her eyes from the slowly setting sun as she looked around. After not being able to find him again she returned her gaze to the note, almost squealing when someone placed their hands over her eyes and rested their chin on her shoulder.