Bonjour ma chérie || Charles Leclerc

•Chapter 33•

°I cried a million rivers for you, but that's over now
You're just a stranger I know everything about°

Diana had just clicked the "sent" button on her screen. The button that was the start of a brand new life. The button that had just sent one of the most important emails of her life. The email which contained her her resignation. She needed a new start, something to make her feel better after that torturous summer. She had already deleted all of her social media profiles since the media were fed by that news and were waiting for her grief. She also moved to a different apartment. Of course, those were some things that happened after a long period of continuous crying, missed calls, and messages that were never delivered.

It took her 3 months to realize it was over. Most importantly, it took her 3 months to realize why it was over. To be brutally honest, she can't even remember many things from that night. The sound of Charles' car, the blinding lights of London, the disgusting feeling on her lips after Bell's kiss, all those had made her lose complete track of time and place. She doesn't remember that she just walked away from the man that had destroyed her relationship nor that she got in a taxi without saying where to go. The taxi driver had to ask multiple times before Diana was actually able to answer.

When she arrived at her apartment, no trace of Charles was anywhere to be found there. It was like he never even walked in. After walking around every room, screaming his name, with tears running down her cheeks, she realized that he had really left. She reached for her phone and tried to call him but the phone didn't even ring. She texted him right after that, but the only message that popped up on her phone was, "This number does not exist." She tried to find him on Instagram. The "Instagram user" made her heart sink. There was no way she could find him.

She needed to talk to him. She passed the first two months trying to find him. Diana was calling his number every day, but still no trace of him. She was only able to see him on her TV screen when he was racing. It would be an insult to say that she didn't cry, not that it made any difference. The same messages were appearing on her phone after every call or text again and again and again. She hadn't realized that she had stopped eating. She would even go for days without a single bite of food.

Thankfully, her friends were almost daily by her side, making her eat despite her complaints. Lia and Juliette made her feel much better as time was passing. After discussing with them, they agreed that she should resign from her job and start over. Diana had some extra saved money, which she used to start another masters degree in business consulting. She had a plan, and she was going to succeed.

The months went by pretty quickly. Soon, it was December. The Formula 1 season was over, and it was a disaster for Ferrari. She never missed a race, really. After obtaining her master's degree, she applied for the position of legal advisor at Ferrari, just like she had planned. She wanted to see him and she was going to see him, nobody could be an obstacle to that. She owed him an explanation. He had to know the truth.

It was no surprise to her when her phone rang, informing her that her application was accepted. She knew she was qualified for the job and she managed to get it. Then she took another big step by moving to Italy to be able to work at Maranello, leaving her family and friends behind. She realized how crazy this plan was when she landed in Italy. She was changing her whole life for this man. But she knew that he was worth it.

After finding an apartment and decorating it in a way she felt like home, she paid her first visit to the business office. She entered the building and went straight to the office of the team principal, Fred Vasseur. She knocked on the door and got in.

Fred seemed a bit shocked when he saw her. She greeted him warmly and sat at the chair in front of his office.

"I am here as the new legal advisor of the team." She said.

Fred took some time before speaking. "Diana, I'm glad to have you in our team. I really hope you find a nice atmosphere here. After all, we are like a family. I must ask, though, why did you come here? I mean.." He said, but Diana stopped him.

"You mean that Charles and I are not together anymore, so there is no need for me to come closer to him?" She assumed, and Fred nodded.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Mr. Vasseur. Being a legal advisor was not the career I was dreaming of. I was doing what I loved until everything changed. I'm here to clear some things up, and I'm very determined to do so. I understand if you don't like my reasoning, but I think you should consider something important. I'm here to get back with the person I love the most on this earth, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. I'm going to make up for another person's mistakes. I think that determination is actually an advantage for Ferrari. I'm willing to work as hard as I can, and even more, if that means I can get the chance to talk to Charles." She said, and to her surprise, Fred seemed pleased by this answer.

"I believe in you, Diana. I know you've been a hard-working person all your life, let alone now. I trust you with this, and I'm sure you'll make things better. Honestly, Charles needs it. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but it surely has affected his performance. I'm willing to help you as much as you want if that means that Charles will get better, both personally and professionally." He finally said, making Diana smile.

"Thank you, sir, you're not going to regret it." She said.

"We have a general meeting tomorrow. I'm going to introduce our new staff members, including you. Everyone is going to be there. We are going to talk about the problems we faced last season and how to fix them. More information will be sent to you in your email, which you have to check all the time. I expect you there." He said.

"I'll be right on time, sir. Have a nice day." She said and left his office, with hopes of something better from now on.