𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒 | 𝐋𝐍𝟒

𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈

The party was elegant yet lively.. The rooftop lounge was alive with music, laughter, and the soft clinking of glasses. Lando leaned against the bar, looking out at the city skyline while Martin made conversation with some of the guests he knew ... Martin knew everyone and although Lando had some acquaintances but it was mostly in the motorsport world , He wasn't on a Lewis Hamilton level yet ..

He had no business being here. The Chinese Grand Prix was days away, and he should have already been in Shanghai preparing. But she had invited him to the charity match—and then Viv had extended the afterparty invitation, saying Milaine herself wouldn't take no for an answer. And when it came to Milaine, Lando found it hard to say no. Plus he felt guilty for not showing up in Australia when she ended up loosing .. He still blames himself for that..

He glanced around, subtly scanning the crowd for her. It was almost reflexive at this point—his eyes just searched for her, like an instinct . And then he saw her.

Milaine was standing near the edge of the terrace.. She wore a stunning two-piece white set: a fitted crop top and a short, elegant skirt that accentuated her athletic frame. Her hair fell in loose waves down her shoulders, framing her face in a way that made her look effortlessly angelic.

But what caught his attention was the boy standing beside her—a kid who couldn't have been older than eight or nine. The boy was speaking to her and making motions with his hands in excitement, and Milaine laughed at something he said, and he could tell that was a genuine laugh , not a fake one she gave in press conferences after a match, or the one she gave out of courtesy.. It was real ..

«found her, huh?» Martin teased, appearing beside him with a knowing grin.

«I wasn't looking» Lando lied, a little too quickly.

«Right. Totally believable, mate.» Martin chuckled..

«Well, go on then. Make a move» He said, patting Lando's shoulder in encouragement and walked away ...

Lando hesitated for a moment, watching as Milaine reciprocated the kid's energy, oblivious to the world around her. .. He gathered his confidence and decided to just go for it ... He stepped forward, but before he could take more than a few steps, a voice called out behind him.

«Norris!»

Lando stopped in his tracks and turned around. The voice belonged to a middle-aged man— with a British accent..

It was Ralph, Milaine's stepfather, whom Lando had met briefly before in the McLaren start of the season party .. But Ralph wasn't alone. Beside him stood an elegant woman whose sharp eyes inspected Lando from head to toe.

He didn't need an introduction to know who she was. She looked too much like Milaine ... This was Lucie—his late mentor's ex-wife and Milaine's mother.

Lando immediately tensed, a flicker of nervousness crossing his face as he smiled awkwardly and nodded. «Pleasure to see you again, sir.»

Ralph chuckled and clapped a hand on Lando's shoulder. «No need for formality, son. Just call me Ralph.»

Lando exhaled quietly, feeling some of the tension ease. «Ralph. Got it.»

Ralph gestured to the woman beside him. «And this is Lucie, my wife. You know Milaine's mother.»

Lucie's sharp gaze didn't look away as she said, «He already knows, Ralph. Isn't that right, Lando?»

The smile on Lando's face dropped slightly .. He cleared his throat, trying to mask his discomfort. «Um... yes, of course.»

Lucie gave a small nod, her expression unreadable. Then, after a moment, she asked «How is Zak?»

He shifted uncomfortably, straightening his posture as he considered how to answer her question. «Zak's doing well» Lando replied politely. «Busy as ever, you know, managing McLaren.»