𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒚 // ᶜʰᵃʳˡᵉˢ ˡᵉᶜˡᵉʳᶜ

𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨¹¹

Valentina quickly joined the other WAGs in the VIP booth, where they were all excitedly chatting and fangirling over each other.

As Q1 was about to start, everyone settled in to watch the action unfold. The checkered flag waved, signaling the beginning, and the cars roared onto the track, jostling for position and aiming for fast lap times.

However, just as the cars approached Turn 1, Charles's car suddenly experienced a lock-up, scattering debris across the track. Valentina gasped, jumping up from her seat to get a better view of the situation. The race was immediately halted with a red flag, and all the cars began to return to the pitlane.

Without wasting a moment, Valentina hurried down to the Ferrari paddock. She arrived just as Charles's damaged car was being removed, and Charles himself walked into the paddock, engaged in a serious discussion with the head engineer. His expression was tense, brows furrowed, and frustration evident on his face.

Seeing Charles' tense mood, it seemed like everyone was avoiding him, not wanting to approach. After Charles finished talking with the head engineer, he turned and met Valentina's worried gaze from a distance. She offered him a soft, sympathetic smile, prompting him to walk over to her.

"Bad luck," Valentina murmured as Charles joined her, but he shook his head.

"It's not just luck," he explained. "It's mostly about hard work and skill. The car wasn't prepared today, and we rushed it, paying the price."

"You still set a good lap time, though," Valentina remarked, trying to lighten the mood. She playfully punched his arm with a grin. "So, cheer up."

Charles glanced at where she had punched him before returning his gaze to her face. He chuckled softly, which only widened Valentina's smile, glad to see him lighten up a bit.

"What happens now?" she asked after a brief silence. "Are they getting you another car?"

"It was just the front-right wheel brow that came off. They'll fix it before Q2. Let's hope I don't get eliminated before then," Charles replied.

Valentina nodded, and just then, Lando walked into the paddock, sipping his water bottle.

"Hey, man, you alright?" Lando asked Charles before turning to Valentina with a grin. "Hi, Val."

"Hey, Lando, how's it going?" she replied, matching his friendly tone.

"Better now that you're here," Lando flirted with a wink, earning a chuckle from Valentina. "I was thinking... how about you watch Q2 from the McLaren paddock?" he suggested.

Charles mood soured at his advances, already unhappy with the day's events, and Lando's flirting wasn't helping.

"I think she's fine here, mate," Charles intervened firmly, though he kept a smile on his face.

"She was here for Q1," Lando argued, but Charles cut him off.

"Yes, and she'll be here for Q2 and Q3 too. She's my guest, after all," Charles asserted, his tone firm but his smile still in place.

"How about I decide where I want to watch the rest of Qualifying from?" Valentina interjected before Lando or Charles could respond, drawing their attention back to her.

But before she could make a decision, Rebecca entered the paddock, seeking out Valentina.

"There you are! I've been looking for you," Rebecca exclaimed, "the girls and I are going to grab lunch and hang out since Q2 and Q3 are being delayed. Come on," she said, taking Valentina's hand and leading her away from the boys, leaving Charles and Lando behind.

˖⁺‧₊˚ ˚₊‧⁺˖✮------------✮˖⁺‧₊˚ ˚₊‧⁺˖

 

After spending a few hours shopping at the mall, Valentina and the WAGs were feeling worn out, especially little Penelope, so they decided to take a break and grab some coffee.

"So, I hear your hot costar is joining us from tomorrow?" Kika teased, nudging Valentina with a smirk.

"Ew, you have a boyfriend, Ki," Lily chimed in, wrinkling her nose in mock-disgust as Kika rolled her eyes.

"I know that," Kika retorted, "I'm just saying, he's pretty good looking, right Val?"

"Whatever you're thinking, it's not that," Valentina dismissed, rolling her eyes at Kika's attempts to get her to admit that Gabriel was attractive.

"Oh, please, I've seen your press interviews so far," Kika persisted, "he can't keep his eyes off you, or his hands."

"He's just a childhood friend, so we're comfortable like that," Valentina explained.

"How are you childhood friends with everyone?" Kylie interjected, holding Penelope who had fallen asleep in her arms. "First Charles, and now Gabriel too."

"I didn't even know Charles was a childhood friend until yesterday," Valentina reminded them, "I was pretty young when we moved from Monaco, and we never really settled in one place for too long. Spain, Argentina, France, and then finally, USA."

"Why did you move so much?" Rebecca asked.

"It was because of my mom's job," Valentina explained, "Monaco was our home. Both my mom and dad were from there. My sister and I were born there, but after my dad passed away, it was too much for my mom to stay in our family home. So, we sold the place, and my mom got a job at a fashion agency. We moved every few years as she got promoted until three years ago when she passed away too. After that, my sister moved to France, and I moved to Spain for work."

"I'm sorry," Rebecca said, realizing it was a sensitive topic for Valentina, "Did you ever go back to Monaco?"

"No, I couldn't bring myself to," Valentina replied, "It was my mom's last wish to visit Monaco one last time. She and my sister went, but I was busy with work. Mom passed away a week after they returned, and I just couldn't bear to go back to a place that holds so many memories of my parents. It's like... I feel like she gave up after coming back from Monaco, like she was content and just let go of herself, of us."

"I don't think that's stupid," Lily reassured her, tears welling up in Valentina's eyes, "Your mom was happy to visit her home one last time, to feel connected to her roots, to your dad - one last time. She didn't let go of you because she wanted to. She was just... ready to be with your dad again."

Tears streamed down Valentina's face as she listened to Lily's comforting words. It was a new perspective, one that brought her comfort. She knew how much her parents loved each other, and the thought of them being together again made her happy.

"T-thank you for saying that, Lils," Valentina stuttered as Lily and Kika got up to wrap her in a hug, with Kylie placing a supportive hand on Valentina's shoulder.

Valentina cherished this moment. She appreciated the instant connection she felt with these girls, who already felt like older sisters and best friends. She wanted to hold onto this feeling for as long as possible.