Dopamine | Adrenaline Book Two

27.2- My Turn To Speak

"Did what?" Max mumbled, looking up at her.

Kelly opened her mouth, feeling as if her heart wanted to escape her, unable to speak. Max stared at her, waiting, clueless and confused about what she wanted to say. "I stole the strategies."

"You did what?" Max's eyes widened in realization and complete shock. Speechless, he watched as the older woman continued to explain herself. "I did it last season, and I did it this season," she spoke, her heart pounding against her chest in desperation as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"It wasn't Charles, it was me." She looked away from his gaze, in fear. "I... I told them you needed a second copy in a few of the races, and they sent it to me." She confessed her crimes in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Max." She cried, desperation and panic translated in her voice.

"Why?" Max spoke, barely able to breathe, his voice sounding like someone on the verge of choking.

"I..." She cried harder, looking back up at him. "I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want you to lose. I thought that if you stayed with him you'd lose focus and..."

Max ran his hand over his face in complete shock, lost in the memories of every time he had attacked and blamed Charles for something he was never guilty of. How could he have possibly hurt him that much?

Max began to hyperventilate, his eyes filling with tears that he tried to fight back. "I blamed him..." he said, his voice filled with complete despair.

"Who gave you the right?" Max said, his voice now coated with the deepest shade of anger, his eyes tinted by the rage of betrayal as he looked back at her.

Kelly looked up at him, hiccuping. "I wanted to help you..."

"Help me?" Max's eyes began to grow red with rage, mirroring the eyes of his father. "You destroyed me!" he shouted, stepping closer to her.

"You're so fucking selfish... You watched me rip myself apart and blame someone who was innocent! And for what? Because you wanted me to keep winning?" Every step Max took towards her, Kelly took one back, fear evident in her eyes. "You're no better than my father and everybody else! You all think I'm some racing horse you put a bet on to win money and fame. I'm not a thing! Me winning races was never up to you, or him, or anybody!" He shouted louder, his words landing on her like daggers, "I can't believe I trusted you..."

"I never thought of you like that, Max. I love you! I wanted the best for you." Kelly said, her back pressing against one of the walls of the room.

"The best for me was for you to stay the fuck out of my life," he snapped at her. "You're twisted."

"You're not going to tell anyone... Are you? I... don't forget I know about you and him..." she mumbled in desperation.

"You're pathetic," Max stated, holding his ground. "I think you should start praying that I continue to care about what people think of me, 'cause I'm really close to not."

"Max, please..." she whispered.

"Max, please?" Max mocked her, "How many more lies did you use to benefit yourself while hurting others?" He asked. "Did Penelope's father even cheat on you? Or did you leave him because he lost his seat to me?"

"How dare you?" She pushed him, her voice drowning in her tears. "I'm not some manipulative social climber!"

"Then what are you, Kelly? You're a liar, you used me," he said.

"Max, I didn't use you, I'd never-"

"Get the fuck out of here, and out of my fucking life," he cursed her.

"No, Max," she began, descending into desperation as she sensed finality in his tone. She knew that stepping through that door would mark the end for them. "Please, Max. I did what I did to protect you... I thought he meant to harm you..." She cried, reaching for his shirt, her fist clenching onto the fabric.

"Let go of me!" Max pushed her away. "You don't get to choose who's good for me or not, Kelly. You just wanted to control me! You're sick."

"I'm not sick," she cried, reaching out for him again, leaning her head against his chest in a final attempt to cling to the last semblance of closeness she might have with him. "I love you, Max. I love you. I'd do anything for you," she pleaded, wrapping her arms around him.

"Let go!" Max insisted sharply, pushing her away abruptly, creating space between them.

Nevertheless, Kelly seemed willing to appear desperate to hold onto him, fighting his attempts to push her away by clutching onto his arm.

"What about Penelope...? What about our family, Max? Isn't it worth forgiveness?" she mumbled, refusing to release her grip on him.

At the mention of their daughter, Max lost his patience. He grabbed her face and brought it close to his own, inches apart. "I'd never leave her life, Kelly. I pity Penelope for having a mother like you. She needs at least one person who doesn't use her for their own benefit."

Triggered by his words, Kelly aggressively pushed his grip away from her, finally giving up on her desperate attempts to keep him and emotionally manipulate him with her tears. "You asshole," she frowned, stepping away from him to reach for her bag on one of the tables. "I don't deserve this."

"You think he's going to forgive you?" she hissed at him, brushing the tears away from her cheeks. "I never forced you into making the decisions you made. You never believed in him, and that was your choice. Whatever you did, all I did was enable you to unleash what's inside you. If you think I'm selfish then you're just as bad; don't you dare tell yourself otherwise."

"All I did was help him see who you really are too," she breathed out, fixing her dress before she headed out of the room. "And nobody, except for me, will ever love how fucking ugly you are inside. Not even him." She spoke with disdain, spitting her words before she left the room. "You're going to die alone and miserable, Max."

Once Kelly was out of the room, Max immediately reached for his phone. He felt desperate to hear Charles's voice, to ask for forgiveness for doubting him, to express his regret for accusing him wrongly, and to plead for a chance to mend their relationship. However, his calls were rejected, not just once but twice.

Facing this, Max resolved to immediately seek Charles's forgiveness that day. He approached his management team to inquire about the whereabouts of the Ferrari team for the weekend. Upon obtaining their hotel address, the blond hurried into his own hotel's lobby to locate a driver who could take him there.

"Max Verstappen! Max!" Fans gathered at the doors of the Ferrari hotel called out his name excitedly upon spotting him, eager for a photo or an autograph with the driver. However, any voice that did not directly guide him to Charles was lost on him.

The blond hurried past the crowds and informed the receptionist that he needed to visit one of the Ferrari drivers. Observing the commotion outside, the receptionists swiftly assumed Max was a Formula One driver and promptly allowed him access, providing Charles's room number upon request.

In the quiet of the elevator, Max felt anxiety grip him, fearing Kelly's prophecy might come true and Charles would not forgive his doubts. He prayed it wouldn't be so. As the elevator doors opened on the floor designated for Ferrari drivers, Max dashed through the corridors until he found room 3016.

"Charles!" Max pounded on the door, calling out loudly. "Please open the door!"