Book 1 of Monte Carlo Series
Escaping her chaotic past, Katrina moves to Monaco to start a new life. With a single bag and a guitar, she sets on a brand new journey to reacquaint with herself and maybe find love along the way.
aria's note : this part was not yet supposed to be published until wednesday but the whole Brazil GP is frustrating. Anyways, here's an update while were waiting for the feature race.
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The results of the remaining free practices weren't what Charles had hoped for, and he didn't want Katrina to see them. In Free Practice two and three, he finished ninth and fourth, respectively. He apologized repeatedly for not showing better results, but Katrina reassured him time and time again that it was okay. After all, it was just practice, and what really mattered was the qualifying and the actual race. When it counted, he didn't disappoint.
Max claimed pole position, with Charles right behind him, only three-tenths of a second separating them. The race itself was a close battle. At one point, Charles set the fastest lap, but Max eventually claimed the bonus point. It was an exciting contest between the Red Bulls and the Ferraris. In the end, the Red Bulls took the victory, with the Ferraris securing second place. Max extended his winning streak, while Charles dropped two places, finishing in P4.
Visibly disappointed, Charles lined up to get weighed. He had a strong start, but wished he could've held onto his position. He had never wanted to win or podium more than he did in this race.
"I'm so sorry I didn't win today," he apologized the moment he reached the garage where Katrina and her friends were waiting.
Katrina smiled and gently touched his cheek. "My love, you don't have to apologize. I don't care if you win or lose, all I care about is that you did your best and that you're back here with me safely."
"This was your race... I really wanted to win for you," Charles admitted.
"There are 23 more races, 23 more chances to win, Charles," she reassured him, knowing how hard he was on himself. She understood his perfectionist nature, always striving to do well in everything.
"I promise I'll do better next time. I'll make you proud."
"Thank you for wanting to do well, my love," she replied softly. "Just remember, I'm always proud of you, no matter where you finish."
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charles_leclerc : thank you my love for surprising me. maxverstappen1 : thank you trina, I'm happy you enjoyed the race yukitsunoda0511 : you should also watch the other races trina sofialeclerc : awww you should've told me T.T ↳ jkhale : sorry fia, It was really last minute. If it helps, I'll be watching the other races too. Charles convinced me. ↳ sofialeclerc : good job charlie!
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charles_leclerc : why is Samara not in the picture? ↳jkhale : she's always been camera shy ↳samarajade : if it helps, I took your picture with Max because k is too shy to go near the parc ferme
maxverstappen1 : Thank you for the support K and Maxie. Looks like M has a good taste in teams ↳ jkhale : you're only happy coz she picked red bull over ferrari ↳ maxverstappen1 : what can I say, everybody loves Red Bull ↳ jkhale : you mean, everybody loves ferrari ↳ mavivers : I think it's only normal to root for the reigning champion, isn't it 💁♀️ ↳ maxverstappen1 : I'm honored to have such a beautiful girl like you supporting me ↳ mavivers : aww thank you handsome!
sofialeclerc : I can't wait to meet you @mavivers @samarajade, I heard so many things about you 🤩🤩🤩 ↳ mavivers : can't wait to meet you too!
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"What's going on with Mavi and Max?" Charles asked once they were back in his hotel room.
"Nothing really, they just met when we arrived," Katrina replied casually.
"They're flirting on Instagram, huh? Max doesn't know how to flirt," he laughed.
"I haven't talked to Max about it, but I know my friend is kind of interested in him."
"But you said none of your friends care about Formula 1. How come M likes Max?" Charles asked, a little confused.
"From what I know, when I told them about all of you, it piqued her interest. She didn't tell me at first, but she started researching everyone—especially you and Max because I talked about the two of you the most. I only found out about it when she mentioned your crash. She told me she tried watching one of the races that were most suggested on Twitter. She ended up watching one of your races with Max, and since then, the girl's been smitten."
"Does she like Max as Max or Max the racer?" Charles asked, trying to clarify.
"Honestly, I don't know yet, love. I think she's genuinely interested in Max."
"Well, that's good. It's been a while since he last dated," Charles said thoughtfully.
"It's the same with M. She hasn't dated anyone in years. I don't think she'd get into another relationship unless she's 100% serious about it. She has too much at stake."
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
Katrina hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should tell him. It wasn't a secret, but it wasn't something she shared with everyone. After a moment, she sighed and decided to tell him. Leaning in, she whispered the 'secret' to him. Charles' eyes widened in shock, now fully understanding.
"...That's why I don't think she'd enter a relationship without thinking it through," Katrina added.
"You know, if they do end up together, Max would be perfect for M," Charles said, his voice thoughtful.
"I know... both of them deserve to be happy," Katrina replied softly.
"Trina, promise me you won't play cupid with them. Let them figure things out on their own if they're interested in each other."
"I won't meddle, love," she said with a reassuring smile.
Charles motioned for her to come closer, and when she did, he pulled her into his arms.
"Have I told you how happy I am that you're here?" he asked, his voice soft as he looked down at her.
"You did, but I wouldn't mind hearing it again," she replied, playfully poking the dimples in his cheek.
"Thank you for being here, Katrina. You have no idea what this means to me," he said sincerely.
She leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
