Nellenein
The closer you get to the line, the harder the crash.
Emeretta Lauda swore she was done.
Done with the rivalry that consumed her.
Done with the man who nearly destroyed her.
Done with the team that let it all happen.
After the flames of Abu Dhabi, she leaves Ferrari behind and signs with Mercedes-a new car, a new chapter, and a promise to herself that she'll never let anyone close enough to hurt her again. Especially not him.
But in Formula 1, nothing stays buried.
Charles Leclerc may have won the championship, but victory came with a cost he can't ignore. The guilt, the anger, the ghost of her-none of it fades, no matter how many races he wins. And when the new season begins, he finds her again on the other side of the garage, wearing silver instead of red, colder than he's ever seen her.
On the track, they are enemies.
Off the track, they are unfinished business.
Every glance across the paddock is a spark.
Every interview, every press photo, every time their names are spoken in the same sentence, it feeds the fire they swore was dead. But under the weight of fame, family legacy, and their own impossible history, control is a myth.
She's the only one who can match his speed.
He's the only one who can reach her breaking point.
And this time, there's no contract. No rules. No pretending.
Only the truth they've both been running from:
That sometimes love doesn't fix you-it wrecks you.