The vacation had come to an end, and it was time for both Mila and Lando to get back to work. Mila's music label was already pushing her to start working on a new album, even though she had just finished her first tour.

Meanwhile, Lando had to return to racing, with the next race being Monaco—one of the most prestigious events of the year. Since Monaco was also where Lando lived, it felt like a home race for him in many ways.

He was determined to have Mila with him for race week, and with his insistence, along with encouragement from their friends, Mila couldn't say no. So, here she was, unpacking her things in Lando's guest room while he was away handling media duties for the day.

Charles' girlfriend, Charlotte, had kindly offered to host a welcome brunch for all the WAGs attending the weekend's event. Mila quickly got ready and waited downstairs for Kelly to pick her up.

Soon, all the WAGs were seated together, enjoying brunch, gossiping, and planning fun activities for the weekend. Since Monaco had so much to offer, there were plenty of ideas floating around.

"We could have a yacht day," Charlotte suggested, "we can take Charles' new yacht out."

"Yeah, that sounds fun," Rebecca agreed. "I've also heard great things about a restaurant we could visit."

"Lando asked me to keep Monday free, so besides that, I'm in for any plan," Mila added, smiling as Kika nudged her teasingly.

"Ooh, secret plans?" Kika teased, causing Mila to roll her eyes playfully, though she couldn't help but smile. "Where's he taking you?" Kika asked.

"I don't know," Mila replied. "He just said we'd be away on Monday. Then I have to head back because my label is pushing me to record a new album, but I barely have any songs written or the motivation to write them."

"Write some about Lando," Kelly suggested with a grin. "You've got that motivation now."

"Ah, writing about relationships never works for me," Mila said with a small, sad smile. "I don't want to jinx this."

Charlotte nodded understandingly. "You'll start writing when the inspiration hits or when you find something worth writing about. That's what happens with Charles. He just comes up with tunes when he's in the zone."

"Maybe I could ask to sample one of his tunes for my songs," Mila said, thinking aloud.

"Oh my gosh, yes! That would be amazing!" Charlotte exclaimed excitedly. "You should definitely talk to him about it."

The conversation at brunch went on for hours, and even though Mila was new to the group, she felt like she fit right in. Mila had never been part of a big friend group before, usually sticking to a few close friends, so this was a new experience for her.

But whether it was the drivers from the Grid or the WAGs, she quickly felt comfortable around everyone, as if she'd known them for years. Mila loved every moment of it and finally understood the excitement of being in a large, friendly group like this one.

Not long after, the drivers finished their media day and decided to join the brunch. Kika had accidentally leaked their location by sending a snap to Pierre, so now most of the drivers had shown up. Of course, the girls weren't too thrilled about their girl-time being interrupted.

"Why are you guys here again?" Charlotte joked, making Charles pretend to be offended.

"I thought you'd be happy to see me," Charles said, acting hurt.

"Of course I am, but we were supposed to meet later anyway," Charlotte teased back. "We were having a girls' brunch."

"Well, good thing it's almost lunchtime now," Carlos added with a grin.

Mila turned to Lando, who was sitting beside her with his arm casually resting on the back of her chair. "How was media day?" she asked softly.

"Just the usual," Lando replied. "But my PR team warned me there's going to be a lot of questions about us this weekend. They asked if it's something I want to talk about or not."

"And what did you say?"

"Well, it's not like we're hiding this," Lando said, motioning between them, "but I don't want to give the media too much access to us. So, I'll keep the answers short and just say we'd appreciate our privacy and that we'll share what we want, when we want."

"That sounds good," Mila agreed with a smile, which Lando mirrored. He was happy to see her in good spirits since they had arrived in Monaco.

After their trip to Ibiza, Mila had been feeling down for a few days due to the pressure her label was putting on her to start writing for a new album. Even though Mila wanted a break, the label was focused on releasing her album in time for the 2024 Grammys, which was causing her stress. Writing, something she usually found therapeutic, had become overwhelming for her.

This was why Lando had insisted Mila come with him to Monaco. He hoped she could relax and enjoy herself, and if she found inspiration to write, that would be a bonus. So far, his plan seemed to be working, as Mila was smiling and happy to be around his friends.

Charlotte spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "So we have all the plans set for the weekend, besides the race, of course," she said. "I'll make Charles send everyone the itinerary so we're all on the same page."

"Thanks, Cha," Kika smiled, feeling relieved that everything was finally organized. "It's a good thing we're in charge this year. The boys made such a mess last year."

"What happened?" Mila asked, confused since she wasn't there last year.

"Oh, where do I even begin?" Kelly sighed dramatically, as all the boys rolled their eyes, knowing they were about to get called out. "First, they forgot to book the yacht for the day, and we ended up waiting three hours in the sun, stranded on an island while they tried to figure out what to do. Then, after the race, they all got drunk and decided to swim in an area with high-tide warnings. Security guards came and tried to fine us, but luckily Charles knows the Prince of Monaco, so we didn't get into too much trouble. And—"

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Max cut in with a short laugh. "No need to dig up the past. What's done is done."

"You guys are really too chaotic," Mila chuckled.

"Lando is the most chaotic of us," Carlos added with a grin, "well, maybe besides Daniel. Or Max, if he's drunk."

Everyone laughed, and soon a playful argument broke out over who was the most troublemaker in the group. The lunch became loud, chaotic, and fun, as everyone enjoyed their time together, sharing laughs and teasing each other.

In the middle of all this, a sad thought slipped into Mila's mind. None of this was real. She and Lando weren't actually a couple, and while pretending had been easy so far, she was starting to get attached to the group.

What would happen when they found out the truth or when the 'relationship' ended after both had fulfilled their part of the deal? It was going to hurt to say goodbye, even if she and Lando decided to stay friends. It wouldn't be the same. Was this all a mistake? Had they rushed into this without thinking about what they stood to lose?

"Hey, you okay, Lani?" Lando's gentle voice and the warmth of his hand holding hers broke her thoughts. She looked up to see his concerned eyes.

With a shrug, Mila quickly smiled and reassured him, "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Don't worry."

Lando nodded hesitantly. He could sense something was bothering her and wondered if it was about her label, but he knew this wasn't the right moment to talk. He decided he'd check in on her again, once they were back home.

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