leclerc legacy

Chapter 37 - Message?

Carlos sat in the hospital room, cradling his newborn son in his arms. His phone buzzed on the table next to him, breaking through the stillness. He ignored it at first, focused entirely on his son's soft breathing. But the buzzing continued, insistent.

With a sigh, he picked up the phone. The screen displayed unknown number. His heart skipped a beat, a sense of dread creeping over him. Swiping to open the message, his stomach dropped.

"10 million euros or you never see her again. Retire from Formula 1 permanently, and she'll be safe. No police. You have 48 hours."

Carlos stared at the message, his hands trembling as the reality of it hit him. Camille was gone, and the stakes couldn't be higher. They were threatening her life.

He had to act fast.

Dialing Charles's number, he fought back the rising panic. It rang twice before Charles answered.

"Carlos? What's going on?" Charles's voice was thick with concern.

"They've taken Camille," Carlos said, barely able to get the words out. "They've kidnapped her, and they want 10 million euros... or for me to retire from F1. I don't know what to do."

There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end of the line.

"I'm coming to you," Charles finally said, his voice steady despite the worry Carlos knew he felt. "We'll figure this out together."

An hour later, Charles arrived at the hospital, his expression grim. He took one look at Carlos, still holding his newborn son, and knew the weight of the situation was crushing him.

Carlos handed over his phone, showing Charles the encrypted message. Charles's eyes darkened as he read it.

"This is serious," Charles said quietly. "We can't give them what they want. If you retire or give them the money, who knows what they'll do next?"

Carlos nodded, his jaw clenched. "But Camille... what if they—"

"We'll find her," Charles interrupted, his voice firm. "We have 48 hours. That's enough time to track the origin of the message. We've got connections. We'll use every resource we have."

Carlos looked down at his son, who was peacefully asleep, oblivious to the danger. "I can't lose her, Charles."

"You won't," Charles said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll bring her back."

At Charles and Alexandra's house, Julie and Elise sat together on the living room floor, surrounded by toys and dolls. Their innocent giggles filled the room as they played.

Julie, only two years old, clutched a toy car, pushing it across the floor with a squeal. "Vroom, vroom! Go fast, car!"

Elise, who was only a few months older, laughed and picked up another toy. "Vroom too! Go so fast!"

Alexandra, sitting nearby, kept a watchful eye on the girls, though her mind was elsewhere. She hadn't told Julie what had happened yet. The little girl didn't know that her mother was missing, that something terrible had happened.

Julie paused her game, looking up at Alexandra with wide eyes. "Where's Mama?" she asked in a tiny, sweet voice. "I want Mama."

Alexandra's heart clenched. Julie's big brown eyes looked so much like Camille's, filled with innocence and trust. She forced a smile, trying to keep her voice light. "Mama's... taking care of your baby brother, sweetie. She'll be back soon."

Julie frowned, not entirely satisfied with that answer. "I want Mama now." She pouted, her little face scrunching up in frustration.

Elise chimed in, her voice equally tiny and soft. "Me too. I love Auntie Camie."

Alexandra swallowed the lump in her throat. The girls were too young to understand what was really going on, but they could feel that something was off. She knelt down beside them, pulling them into a gentle hug.

"How about we keep playing for a little while?" Alexandra suggested, brushing a strand of hair from Julie's face. "And then, maybe we can have some dinner, okay?"

Julie hesitated, glancing at Elise. "Okay," she finally agreed, though her voice was quieter than usual.

The two girls went back to their toys, but Alexandra could tell their hearts weren't fully in the game. As they played, she kept glancing at the clock, wondering how much longer they could keep this secret. Julie adored her mother, and soon she'd start asking harder questions.

Back at the hospital, Carlos and Charles sat in silence, waiting for a tech expert to trace the origin of the message. The minutes stretched on, each one feeling like an eternity.

Charles glanced at his phone and sighed. "Alexandra says Julie's asking for Camille. I don't know how much longer we can keep this quiet."

Carlos's chest tightened. "She's just a baby. How do I explain to her that her mother's been kidnapped?"

"We'll find her," Charles said, his voice steady, though Carlos could see the worry in his eyes.

"I know," Carlos replied, though he wasn't sure he believed it. The weight of the situation was suffocating him.

Later that evening, Carlos returned home to check on Julie. As soon as he walked through the door, the sound of giggles met his ears. Julie and Elise were still playing, their laughter like music in the tense atmosphere.

When Julie spotted her father, she jumped to her feet and toddled over to him, her little hands reaching up to grab his pants. "Daddy! Daddy! Where's Mama?" she asked, her baby voice sweet and innocent.

Carlos knelt down, his heart aching. "Mama's... resting, sweetheart. She's taking care of your brother right now."

Julie's big eyes filled with concern, and she tilted her head, looking up at him. "Why you crying, Daddy?"

Carlos froze. He hadn't realized she had seen him crying earlier, but there was no hiding it now. He forced a smile, his voice trembling. "Daddy's just tired, Julie. It's been a long day."

Julie didn't seem convinced. "But why?" she asked again, tugging at his shirt. "Why you sad?"

Carlos's throat tightened. He wanted to protect her from the truth, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he pulled her into a tight hug, holding her close as tears filled his eyes again.

"I love you, Julie," he whispered into her hair. "I love you so much."

Julie wrapped her little arms around his neck, her tiny voice soothing. "I love you too, Daddy. Don't be sad."

Carlos held her close, his heart breaking. He couldn't let her see just how scared he was. He had to stay strong, for her and for Camille.

Elise, sitting nearby, looked up at Carlos with wide eyes. "Auntie Camie come back soon?"

Carlos gave her a weak smile. "Yes, Elise. Auntie Camille will be back soon."

The words felt hollow, but it was the only hope he could hold onto. He had to believe it. He had to.