I can't .

~17~

POV Carlos:

I wake up to the sound of loud, urgent knocking at my hotel room door. Groggy, I glance to my side—y/n is still asleep, her body curled under the sheets, peaceful and unaware of the storm brewing outside the room.

Another sharp knock. I throw the covers off and quickly walk to the door, cracking it open just enough to see who it is. My stomach drops.

Toto.

He looks furious—his expression stone-cold, jaw clenched, eyes locked on me with fire.

"Where's my daughter, Sainz?"

I barely get a word out before he pushes the door open wider and strides into the room like a man on a mission.

"Toto! You can't just barge in here!" I protest, stepping in front of him.

He glares at me, his fury barely restrained. I catch the twitch in his jaw and the vein pulsing in his neck. He's beyond angry.

"If I were you, I'd stay far away from her," he snaps. "Since she met you, she's been distracted, careless. Her head hasn't been in the game. You're nothing but a liability to her, and frankly, I'm sick of cleaning up the mess!"

Before I can respond, I hear movement behind us. y/n sits up in bed, her face pale with shock when she sees who's in the room.

"Dad?" she croaks. "What are you doing here?"

He whirls around and marches toward her, his voice rising. "No, the real question is—what are you doing here?! What did I tell you, huh? You said you wanted a future at Mercedes. That means proving yourself. And yet here you are, in his bed!"

He throws a hand toward me, frustration boiling over. "You think this is how you earn respect in the paddock? And what the hell happened with George? You're lucky I haven't pulled you off the team already!"

"Get dressed," he barks. "You've got five minutes. I'll see you in my office."

With that, he turns on his heel and slams the door behind him.

Silence.

I sit beside her on the bed, placing a hand gently on her back. I can see her holding back tears, shoulders tight, breath shaky. She's trying to stay strong, but I can feel the storm under her skin.

"You can cry if you need to," I say softly.

She leans into me, resting her head on my chest. A second later, I feel her body jerk as quiet sobs break free. I wrap my arms around her, letting her bury herself against me.

"It's not fair," she whispers, her voice cracking. "I'm an adult. I should be able to choose who I love and who I work for without being treated like a child."

"I know," I murmur, stroking her back. "He's just... scared to lose you. He doesn't know how to show it without pushing too hard."

She lets out a bitter laugh, muffled against my chest.

"I just want to be with you, Carlos. That's all I want. And I don't regret any of it."

Her words hit me like a weight, equal parts comforting and heartbreaking.

"I don't want you to lose everything because of me," I admit quietly. "But I don't want to let you go either."

We sit there for a moment, the world outside forgotten, lost in the quiet chaos of our reality. There's still so much left unsaid—but for now, this is enough.

POV y/n:

After getting dressed in a hurry, I make my way to my father's office. My heart is still heavy from this morning's conversation with Carlos, but my mind is made up—I'm going to tell my father that I'm not a little girl anymore. I don't always follow his plans, and I want to be with Carlos, no matter how complicated it might be.