Bonjour ma chérie || Charles Leclerc

•Chapter 32•

°Cross your thoughtless heart
Only liquor anoints you
She's the albatross
She is here to destroy you
Devils that you know
Raise worse hell than a stranger
She's the death you chose
You're in terrible danger°

Diana soon called a taxi and went to the restaurant they've been dining at, for as long as their cooperation was lasting. She found him already there, waiting for her. Bell was wearing a suit that highlighted his trained figure underneath. It was no news that he was handsome and charismatic. For some reason, he wasn't wearing a tie that day. Instead he had unbuttoned two of the buttons of his shirt, making him look like he was a summer love affair, the kind that Lana del Rey would've written a song about.

For the first time since the beginning of their cooperation, Dean Bell had already ordered for both of them. This initiative confused Diana, but what confused her more is that he had ordered exactly what she wanted, pasta with salmon. She sat, and after he greeted her warmly, he filled her glass with some red wine. They raised their glasses, and Bell took a moment to study her.

She was wearing a yellow satin dress that was hugging her body in a flattering way. She was wearing a fine piece of jewelry around her neck and a ring that looked very expensive. Bell couldn't possibly know this, but it was the ring that Charles had bought her, early on their relationship. Her face was angelic, calm with a warm undertone that highlighted her cheekbones. Her brown hair was falling softly on her shoulders, and Bell was sure that she had done something to them, maybe curl the edges to add a little bit of volume.

They touched their glasses, making a small sound before taking a sip. Bell gave her a little smile before actually starting a proper conversation.

This time, they actually started discussing how they were going to write the last report and the prosecution proposal, and after about an hour and a half of this stuff, they started chatting about other things as well. It wasn't weird for them by now, since they had to spend a lot of time together for work.

"So this week is the British grand prix." Said Bell. "Are you planning on going?" He asked, in a calculated way, knowing about Diana and Charles.

"Yes, actually, I am." Diana said, not wanting to mention her relationship. She never had to be exact. She was a really private person and didn't want to seem like she was taking advantage of Charles' fame.

"Oh, so are you into Formula One? How come you never mentioned that." He added, trying to force her to mention the monegacque driver.

"Yes, you can phrase it that way. I have a very close person there, and I want to show my support to him." She said, not giving up her struggle to not expose her personal life.

"Oh, maybe a mechanic?" He asked, supposedly indifferently.

"Not really. More like a driver." She finally said.

"Is that so?" He said, trying to sound surprised. "Who is it?" He added.

"Leclerc. Charles Leclerc." She responded as she finished her dish.

"Oh, the Ferrari driver. He is a good one, isn't he?" Bell asked.

"Yes, he is very talented." Diana said and smiled at the thought of Charles, a gesture that Bell noticed and made him kind of jealous.

"And handsome as well." He added, making Diana choke on her water. After some moments, she finally found her breathing.

Thankfully, the subject was dropped without her saying what Charles was to her, not that it would be much of a difference since Bell knew. Diana had already texted Charles where and when to come in order to pick her up. After eating their meal and discussing some final details regarding their case, they called it night. Bell suggested returning her home, but she politely refused again, just like any other time.

As they were walking out, Diana was Bell decided to express the thoughts he was hiding all that time.

"Diana, I want you to know that it was a pleasure working with you. You are truly one of the most intelligent people I've ever met. And to be brutally honest, I don't think I've ever met any woman as interesting and as magnetizing as you." He began. Bell took a deep breath before continuing.
"From the moment I first saw you when you came a year ago, I knew that you would turn my world upside down. I asked Mr. Willson to let us cooperate. I was so desperate to meet you in person and to get to know you." He said.

Meanwhile, Diana was frozen in front of him, trying to process everything he was saying. Bale took another deep breath and took her hands in his, holding them softly.

"And that feeling I had from the beginning turned out to be so right. So right, I myself was even surprised. It genuinely drives me crazy how kind and sweet you are, how you help people at any chance, how you are so independent and tough but also sensitive and how can a person have such a good heart." He added. Diana was still confused and especially shocked by the outcome of this evening.

"I know it's not the ideal place to say all of this but i know really well that once the case closes i'll no longer be able to see you on a daily basis and especially that close. I'm not a man who expresses so deep feelings that easily, but I know I can't do anything but this.." He said as he pulled her in and kissed her.

Just then, the deafening sound of a speeding car fills the place, and all Diana could see, once she pulled away, was Charles' custom-made Ferrari getting lost in the busy streets of London, making her heart drop.