Racing For Love

Chapter Seventy Three

After the whirlwind of the Italian Grand Prix, we were all hoping for an easier week to recover before the next race in Singapore, but that wasn't to be the case. The atmosphere at Bianchi HQ was far from calm - each department carried on work as normal, but there was a constant undertone of stress. People being called into meetings at a moments' notice, and all the legal team seemed to be permanently holed up in the boardroom with boxes and files piled up around them. On Tuesday, Kate was pulled into one of these meetings - she gave me a quick smile before she left the department, and I looked around hearing the quiet whispers that surrounded me. Everyone was on edge, unsure about what was going on - most thought this was still linked to Andrea's dismissal, but I knew that it wasn't.

During the following day however, people started to realise that this latest investigation wasn't exclusively to do with Andrea. In the marketing department, were asked to pull adverts for Federici Coffee, and in the graphics department, they were asked to create new designs for the car, omitting Federici from the livery. In every corner, there seemed to be people whispering, deep in conversation as they tried to work out what was happening. I was sat at my desk, busily updating the posting schedule for Singapore when I got a call on my direct line. I picked up, noting that the call was coming from the boardroom, and I felt my stomach tense as the person on the other end asked me to come upstairs for a quick conversation. I sent a message to Kate before standing up and brushing myself down nervously. I picked at my nails as I made my way up to the top floor and knocked softly on the door before I was invited in.

"Ah, Miss Stephens. How are you?" A kind looking man asked, inviting me to take a seat as I nervously bit my lip.

"Hello. I'm ok thank you. Um, why am I here?" I asked hesitantly.

"Oh, please don't worry. If you can sign the paperwork in front of you, I can go into that."

I looked down, realising that in front of me was an NDA, specifically related to the meeting today, and the investigation into Federici Coffee. Realising the seriousness of what was going on, I signed the paperwork and handed it back. The guy checked it before passing it to his assistant and then looked at me warmly.

"Thank you, Miss Stephens. I appreciate you signing quickly, so we can continue our investigation with haste. I'm not sure what you understand about what we are doing here, but as you may have understood by signing the NDA, we are not only investigating Mr Bianchi, we are also looking into his business arrangements with sponsors. As a primary sponsor, Federici are required to provide certain information regarding their contract with us, but we believe this to be fabricated in parts. Given the tip off you gave Mr Al-Mansoori, we were hoping you might be able to provide some further insight or context into what you understand as the dealings between Bianchi Racing and Federici Coffee."

The gravity of the situation settled heavily upon me as the suited man spoke. The initial apprehension of being summoned to the boardroom now seemed like a mere preamble to the web of deceit that they were planning to uncover. It was clear that Federici's involvement was more intricate than I had initially understood, and the tip-off I had given to Mr. Al-Mansoori had secured my involvement with the investigation.

Nervously, I nodded, acknowledging his words. "I believed that there would be some inconsistencies with that relationship, due to information that was given to me by an anonymous source. Do I have to share this source?" I asked - unwilling to give away Giovanni's involvement.

The room grew still, the silence almost palpable, as the man's gaze remained fixed on me. I could sense that my question had created a potential issue and the decision was as critical for him as it was for me. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke, his tone measured and thoughtful. "Miss Stephens, we understand the importance of protecting sensitive sources. We value your cooperation and recognise the significance of your position. If revealing the identity of your source puts anyone at risk, we will respect your discretion."