Monza (Formula Men)

Chapter 5

Cinque

After the disastrous visit, I had refrained from allowing anyone in who wanted to see me. No one was exempted. It was already stressful to be bound to this place for a while, not to mention the aches and throbbing pains I was having sporadically. Top that with people misplacing their good will and concern on me, and I simply couldn't deal with it.

Thankfully, I was discharged to go home to my villa in Milan four days later, accompanied by nurses to make rounds, making sure I wasn't faint, overstressing my body, doing things I was prohibited to do, and most likely the possibility of being suicidal.

No one had said it out loud, but I got the inclination that the doctor thought it and, well, to the rest of the folks who were tuning in along with all the media spectacle, nitpicking every single "angle" they thought had been behind my accident. There wasn't anything to analyze about the damn thing. My car slid and hit the wall. It went up in flames, and they had to smash the window glass to pull my unconscious body out, end of story.

I wasn't psychologically challenged before it happened. I wasn't an alcoholic as they reported, though I had something to drink before I went behind the wheel. I knew it was prohibited, but I fucking needed it. I was sure, once the (FIA) got a whiff of this, they would suspend me for the rest of the season, but hell, I was taking my chances.

When a short rap came at the door, I yelled out a curt response to let them through. I had anticipated it was one of the nurses but was relieved to see that it was my assistant Gino. It was odd, but seeing him was the only thing normal in my life. It reminded me that I had a routine—I had a life—before the crash.

He carried what seemed to be a file of some sort. I wasn't sure what it was. He always had paperwork and folders with him most times, but there was this odd inkling that this folder was about her and that my world was going to shift once more.

Porca troia, my heart felt like it was having contractions.

"I have the information you asked me for in the hospital," Gino informed me as I uncomfortably shifted in my seat.

"Give me the rundown." I gritted my teeth, anticipating the dread that was about to hit me once again. I loathed that I minded, that I cared enough to hate her to this extent. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't take action and let the hatred ruin me.

"She stopped going to school the moment she got married to the prominent lawyer Anton Gallo. She seems to be leading a quiet life. She only leaves their marital home in Via Margutta when she sees family. As far as we know, she doesn't have that many friends in the city, so she socializes amongst Signore Anton's circle. She also visits her father and brother on a daily basis and dines with them a few times a week." Anton conveyed the facts as if he was reading a grocery list, nonchalant and expressionless.

If he had any opinions or reservations about my inquiry into some woman he had never heard of, he didn't show it. He was a trusted man who had worked for me since I was eighteen and barely learning the ropes in the industry.

Apart from my career in racing, I also had various sports' merchandise that was distributed internationally. Though I partied like an animal, it didn't make it an excuse to slack on being successful in the business arena. I began young because my father was determined that starting at an early age was instrumental to one's success. It was one piece of advice that could truly benefit a lot of people in this day and age.

Clearing his throat to get my attention, Gino peered at me. "Is there anything else you need from me in regards to this ... business, Luca?"

Steadily gazing at him, I wondered out loud, "Is there a reason why she stopped going to school to finish her degree?" After all, from what I recalled in our short stint together, she was rather passionate about the future and what she had planned to do with it. Therefore, it was rather bizarre to hear she had waylaid said plans.