Illicit Affairs

Chapter 1

I stared at my black coffin shaped nails as I had my hand on my grandfather's office door ready to enter. I felt a smirk curving my lips upwards. These nails suited my mood. They looked wicked and vengeful. Someone was getting fired. A certain driver was going to have his life implode on him and I had to fight the urge not to cackle. He was going to pay for humiliating me. I always get what I want. Sucks that it was only days away from the Daytona 500, but that's life. He's replaceable. There's a ton of hungry young drivers who would sell their souls to drive his car. To be a part of this race team. To be a part of this legacy.

I straightened my Chanel skirt and tossed my newly dyed and slightly shorter wavy dark brown hair over my shoulder, held my head up high and walked confidently into my grandfather's office, where he was hunched over his desk reading something on his computer. I cleared my throat and spoke "hi grandpa."

He looked up and his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. "Mia? You...you look so much like...you look so different." He stammered.

"New year. New look. Do you like it?" I asked, spinning around on my Christian Louboutin heels. I was dressed the part of a wealthy CEO.

"Of course I do. My granddaughter is always the most beautiful girl ever. It's just going to take some getting used to. What can I do for you sweetheart?" He smiled adoringly at me.

"I'd like to talk to you if you're not too busy." I replied.

"Never too busy for you princess. Have a seat. You look like you have something on your mind."

I took a seat across from his imposing desk, crossed my legs, placed my hands on my lap like the perfect lady I was raised to be and looked him straight in the eye. "I want Alex Bowman let go from this team and replaced immediately." I was not beating around the bush.

My grandfather, the Rick Hendrick, was way more than just my grandfather. He and my grandmother had raised me since the age of seven when my parents, his daughter and son in law were sadly killed in a plane crash. Grandpa looked at me in complete and utter shock. It took him a few moments to compose himself.

"I know Alex had a rough season last year, but Mia, you know I..."

"He had a rough season because he got injured running a non NASCAR event. And even when he came back, supposedly recovered, he still wasn't performing up to this team's standards." I argued, cutting my grandfather off.

"I am well aware of that Mia. We dealt with the same thing with Chase. Do you want me to release him as well?" My grandfather looked at me mockingly.

"I'm not worried about Chase. He will be fine. Chase's injury was different. His was snowboarding. Alex was injured racing in an entirely different race car, one of which he should not have been allowed in in the first place."

"What is this really about Mia? You know we don't restrict our drivers from having a life outside of this sport." Grandfather said sternly.

"Then maybe we should." I snapped. "William runs a few late models races that we may need to rethink as well. I'm not worried about Chase. I know he will bounce back. I can understand Kyle being allowed to run other types of cars, that's his background. His contract specifically states he be allowed to do so, as does Chase's, but Alex's contract does not. For that matter, neither does William's. There are no stipulations. His injury cost us a lot of money and it was a PR nightmare with his sponsors."

Was I wrong for throwing William under the bus too? Not really. William Byron irritated me. He was constantly going over my head and challenging my authority. I'd deal with him later. This was about Alex.