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.
The week between the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the Australian Grand Prix offered a rare pocket of relaxation amid the relentless pace of the Formula 1 season. Rather than jetting off to their usual homes, a handful of drivers who were particularly close to Daniel Ricciardo accepted his invitation to unwind at his countryside retreat in Australia. It was a brief but much-needed escape before their schedules became a whirlwind of media duties, training sessions, and race preparations.
For Charles and Katrina, this time together was especially precious. Being in a public relationship meant they never had to hide from fans or sneak around in secret. But even with their love out in the open, the reality of their careers meant they were often apart more than they were together. So, whenever they got the chance, they made every moment count.
This was Katrina's first time in Australia, and Charles was determined to make it memorable. He took it upon himself to be her personal tour guide, eager to share the beauty of a country that had long been part of the F1 calendar but one he had never truly explored outside of racing.
Their first day was slow and intimate—just the way they liked it. Instead of tourist-heavy attractions, they wandered through charming local cafés, browsed independent bookstores, and strolled through hidden alleyways filled with street art. It was in these simple moments that they saw new sides of each other—little details neither had noticed before, quirks that made their love deepen with every passing day.
Charles discovered how passionate Katrina was about books—her eyes would light up at the sight of a well-stocked bookshelf, her fingers skimming over the spines as if each one held a secret waiting to be unraveled. He found himself fascinated, watching her get lost in fictional worlds, her excitement contagious as she explained her favorite stories to him.
Katrina learned that Charles had a peculiar habit of scrunching his nose whenever he took a sip of coffee, especially if it was too bitter. She found it adorable—something so small, yet so distinctly him.
Charles was surprised to learn that Katrina had a deep love for stationery. She wasn't just a casual admirer; she adored the feeling of crisp, new notebooks, the elegance of handwritten letters, and the nostalgia of sealing an envelope with wax. She was an old-fashioned romantic at heart, believing in love expressed not just through grand gestures, but in ink and paper.
Katrina, in turn, discovered Charles' ultimate guilty pleasure—pizza loaded with an almost obscene amount of mozzarella. "The cheesier, the better," he had declared with a grin, unapologetically indulging in the gooey perfection of his favorite cheat meal.
With each day that passed, they uncovered something new about each other. Each laugh, each shared glance, each accidental discovery made their connection stronger.
They had fallen in love long ago. But here, in the quiet serenity of Australia, with nothing but time and each other, they were falling all over again.
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(text in the photo : breakfast with you)
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