The day of the Bybit Gala had arrived, and at around 1 PM, the doorbell rang. Max got up from the couch to answer it, greeted by the tired face of Celia's stylist, Alex, who stood with a big hotel rack full of dress bags behind him.

"Sorry I'm late," Alex panted, as Max made way for him to enter the hotel room, followed by the hotel valet pushing in the rack of clothes.

"I didn't know you were coming," Max mumbled as Alex poured himself a glass of water.

"How else is C gonna get ready for the gala if I'm not here?" Alex said in an obvious tone. "You know she's helpless without me."

"That's a lie, and we both know it," came Celia's voice as she walked into the room, Harper following behind. Celia and Alex hugged before he crouched down to hug Harper tightly, saying, "I've missed you so much, Princess."

"I missed you too, Alex," Harper smiled. Alex then took out one of the dress bags and handed it to Harper, saying, "I know your parents aren't taking you to the Gala, but you can still play princess with this on."

Harper quickly unzipped the bag and squealed loudly at the sight of the blue Cinderella-style gown Alex had brought her.

"Thank you, Alex!" she exclaimed, hugging him again in excitement. Max and Celia smiled, seeing their little girl so happy as she ran off to try on the gown.

"So, what did you bring for me?" Celia asked, getting down to business.

Knowing what was about to happen, Max decided to excuse himself. He was well aware of how long Celia and Alex would take to evaluate each dress option and decide on the perfect one for the event, something he'd seen them do countless times before.

"I'm gonna go out for a run," Max told Celia.

"Now?" she asked, checking the time.

"Yeah, I don't need that long to shower and get ready," Max replied. "Christian already sent me a suit."

Celia nodded as Max said goodbye to Alex and headed out for his run.

"You two are literally like a married couple," Alex said with a big smile once Max left, causing Celia's eyes to widen.

"Shut up," she mumbled, but Alex continued.

"Am I wrong? You're living together, have a daughter together, and you guys just act so...so married, you know," he explained as Celia rolled her eyes.

"Can you talk about what you're here for, Alex?" Celia sighed, tired of hearing him say the same things every time he saw her with Max.

"It's clear he's still in love with you," Alex said, causing Celia to pause for a second from flipping through the bags of clothes, but she quickly continued, choosing to ignore Alex's comment.

Alex sighed, realizing she didn't want to talk about it.

Alex had been Celia's friend for years. He was assigned to help her when she first signed her deal with Chanel in 2016. He saw her and Max get together, and he saw them break up. He saw how much it affected and changed who Celia was.

She was still radiant—no one could dampen her shine—but she didn't shine as brightly as she used to. The sadness behind her eyes was constant, something not only Alex but everyone close to her could see whenever they looked at her.

Of course, Alex was not happy with how Max had handled things leading to the breakup, but he saw how much Max has tried since then to make it up to her, to be better for her, and for Harper. Alex appreciated that. He liked that Max never stopped trying for Celia, even now, in small ways.

So, he made it his mission to try to talk sense into Celia whenever he got the chance, although it was pointless most of the time as Celia only ignored his words when it came to this.

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Twenty minutes later, Max came back from his run, tired and sweaty. When he unlocked the door and entered the hotel room, he saw clothes scattered all over the couch—a typical result of Celia and Alex brainstorming fashion ideas.

As he walked towards his room, he noticed the door to Celia's room was slightly open. Without thinking, his feet led him towards it. He gently pushed the door open and saw Celia in a long royal blue gown with a low-cut back, her hair in soft, loose curls.

"Alex, good you're back," Celia said, struggling to zip the dress. "I can't pull this up. Help me."

Max hesitated for a moment, still caught in awe of her. He was brought back to reality when Celia sighed in frustration.

Taking two short steps, Max was now right behind her. He hesitantly reached for the zipper, and Celia let go, allowing him to pull it up. As he did, his cold fingers brushed against her skin, causing goosebumps to rise. Celia knew instantly it wasn't Alex.

She knew it was Max.

His touch was unmistakable.

Max realized how close he was standing when he saw Celia gently shake her head, reacting to his warm breath on her neck. As if in a trance, he squeezed her waist and turned her around, bringing them face-to-face. Celia found herself pushed against the coffee table, trapped between it and Max's body as his hands rested on her waist again.

Her breath hitched at their proximity, their breaths mingling as Max's eyes flickered down to her lips. "You look..." he started, unable to find the right words to express how beautiful she looked.

"Max," Celia sighed, her voice sending chills down Max's spine.

"Lia, you're so beautiful, Schat," he murmured, their faces inching closer without them realizing it.

"Max, we ca-"

"Blue looks good on you," he interrupted, "it brings out your eyes even more."

His grip on her waist tightened, and now their noses were touching. Celia looked up to meet Max's eyes, which flicked down to her lips. As he leaned in, he could swear Celia leaned in too.

They were so close. If one of them moved even a little, their lips would touch. How did they end up like this? They didn't know, but in this moment, they didn't seem to mind.

As Max took a breath, Celia's eyes closed instinctively, both of them knowing what was about to happen.

Suddenly, the sound of the door opening and loud voices broke their trance. Celia's eyes snapped open as Max released his grip and stepped back.

Harper walked in with a big smile and a muffin in her hand. "Here's your coffee," Alex said, entering the room and noticing Max and Celia's shocked expressions. "What happened?" he asked.

"Um, nothing," Max replied, clearing his throat. "Lia needed help with her dress. She was looking for you," he explained before quickly leaving the room.

Alex raised an eyebrow at Celia, who avoided his gaze. Harper, unaware of the situation, hummed a song as she walked out and sat on the couch to eat her muffin.

"What took you so long?" Celia snapped at Alex once Harper was out of earshot. "I thought it was you, so I asked Max to help me with the zipper and—"

"And what? What did you guys do? Did you kiss?" Alex asked, eager for details.

'Almost' she thought to herself, but when she didn't answer, he pressed again, "C, did you kiss him?"

"No, we didn't kiss, Alex," Celia said, frustrated.

"Were you about to?" he asked. Celia's eyes widened, and a blush spread across her face. She quickly turned around, rolling her eyes as Alex chuckled softly.

"Dammit, I told Harper not to run," he mumbled to himself. Celia glared at him, telling him to fix the dress and hurry up as they needed to leave soon.

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After 15 minutes and a cold shower, Max came out of the bathroom and dressed in his suit. He couldn't stop thinking about his recent moment with Celia. It wasn't the first time they'd been close since their breakup, but it felt different this time.

Max still had feelings for Celia, and he didn't hide it. And he'd asked her many times to get back together, especially after they had Harper. But Celia always said no, keeping a wall around her heart that Max just couldn't break through, no matter how hard he tried.

But sometimes, like now, when they were close, Max could sense that Celia still had feelings for him, even if she didn't say it. Max hoped that one day, he could make Celia see how much he loved her and break down the walls she'd built around herself, no matter how long it took.

Max's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his room's door opening, and in walked Harper. "You look nice, Dada," she complimented, bringing a smile to Max's face. "Mama was asking if you're ready," Harper continued, "she said you're going to be late."

"Yeah, I'll be out in 2 minutes, baby," Max assured her. As they waited, Harper asked why she couldn't go with him.

"Because it's a work event, baby," Max explained, putting on cologne. "Aren't you excited for movie night with Alex?" he asked, taking her hand as they left the room.

"I am!" Harper exclaimed. "We're going to watch Cinderella!"

"Okay, have fun, baby," Max said, kissing her head. "And don't stay up past your bedtime or Mama will get mad at you."

"Ready to go?" Celia's voice came out as she exited her room. Her makeup was done, and she looked stunning to Max, even more than usual.

"Y-yeah, let's go," Max replied, grabbing the car keys. Celia said goodbye to Harper and instructed Alex to call if there was an emergency.

Max held the door for Celia, who murmured a 'thank you', clutching her dress as they walked out.

Max helped Celia with her long dress, holding the back of its train, as they walked from the elevator to his car. He opened the door for her and made sure she got in comfortably before taking the driver's seat. Then, they drove to the Gala together.

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The drive to the venue was quiet. Soft music played on the car's radio while Celia looked out the window, and Max occasionally glanced at her, wondering what she was thinking. He wanted to start a conversation but couldn't find the right words. His mind was still preoccupied with their earlier interaction, wondering if they would discuss it later.

When they reached the venue, Max stopped the car in line at the entrance. He got out, handed the keys to the valet, and walked around to open the door for Celia. She quietly said 'thank you' as she took his hand and got out, smoothing her dress. They walked hand-in-hand to the Gala, which was organized in her honor by one of their main sponsors.

Walking in, they were immediately greeted by flashing lights as photographers at the gate turned to them, yelling to get their attention and asking them to pose. Max gently let go of Celia's hand, and she looked at him in confusion, asking, "Where are you going?"

"This is your moment, take some solo pictures," Max smiled, encouraging her to step forward and pose. Hesitantly, Celia walked up to the photo backdrop and posed as the photographers snapped pictures. From the side, Max admired her, smiling at how amazing she looked.

Suddenly, Celia walked back to him, took his hand, and pulled him to join her. Max smiled and joined her in front of the cameras, his hand resting on her waist. The photographers enjoyed taking pictures of them together, with some even asking, "are you two back together?"

The two ignored the questions, finished taking pictures, and thanked the photographers before heading into the main party, Max's arm still around Celia's waist.

Entering the main party, Celia was amazed at how extravagant it was and felt grateful that Red Bull and the sponsors were putting in so much effort to make her feel welcome in their 'family.'

"Do you want a drink?" Max asked, leaning close to her. She nodded slowly.

"Okay, be right back," he said, letting go of her and walking to the bar to get drinks. Celia missed the warmth of having him close almost immediately. She loved attending events and socializing but sometimes found them intimidating. At those times, Max was always there to comfort her, and today, she needed his presence.

"Celia, welcome!" Christian's voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned and greeted him with a big smile, "You look beautiful."

"Thanks, Christian. You look great too," she replied.

"Where's Max?" he asked, looking around.

"He went to get us drinks."

Christian nodded, "Okay, come let me introduce you to our sponsors."

Celia smiled and followed Christian to the representatives of ByBit, who were hosting the Gala in her honor.

"Celia, this is Mark, the son of one of our main sponsors at Red Bull Racing," Christian introduced. Mark was a tall guy, about her age. Celia smiled and shook his hand, noticing him look her up and down before meeting her eyes.

"Welcome to the team," he said, and Celia smiled appreciatively.

From the bar, Max watched the interaction. He never liked Mark, who flaunted his dad's money, and now he disliked him even more as he saw Mark's eyes wandering over Celia's body and his flirty smile.

"Can you please hurry up?" Max asked the bartender, rushing him so he could get back to Celia, who looked uncomfortable with whatever Mark was saying.

The bartender nodded and quickly served Max the drinks. Max turned to walk to the group but frowned, noticing Celia and Mark were missing.

"Where did Lia go?" he asked Christian as he walked up to them.

"Uh, Max, meet our sponsors first," Christian said awkwardly. Max gave a tight-lipped smile before trying to spot Celia. He finally saw her and Mark on the dance floor, dancing close together, with Mark's arms around her waist and her hands on his neck.

Max watched with a tight smile as Mark's hand slid lower and lower.

"Max?" Christian tried to get his attention, but Max had zoned out. He put the drinks on a nearby table and walked to the dance floor just as the song ended.

"May I have this dance?" Max asked, looking at Celia.

"Max, I was dancing with-"

"I'm sure Mark doesn't mind, right?" Max said, turning to Mark with raised brows.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Mark said, letting go of Celia and walking off the dance floor. Max took his place, pulling her close by her waist with one hand while intertwining his other hand with hers as the piano version of 'Margaret' by Lana Del Rey began to play.

"What did he say to you?" Max asked as they danced, close to each other.

"Who?" Celia asked.

"Mark. What did Mark say to you?" Max repeated, "you looked uncomfortable."

"Oh, it was nothing," Celia shrugged, but Max's grip on her waist tightened. She looked up to meet his eyes.

"Lia, tell me," he said sternly, concerned.

"I'm sure he wasn't trying to sound sexist," Celia tried to explain, "but he was... talking about how I'm the only female racer, so they'll have to take extra precautions for me. He suggested maybe he should personally follow me around to ensure everything was well."

"That asshole," Max cursed. Celia laughed at how worked up he was over it.

"Relax, Max, I've had people say worse things to me," she said, and Max sighed.

"That doesn't make this okay, Lia," he countered. Celia sighed and nodded.

"You look really nice, by the way," Celia said with a smile.

"I know you're just trying to change the topic right now," Max said, "but thank you. You look... so beautiful. I don't have the right words to do you justice right now."

Celia blushed and quickly looked away from his gaze, but Max squeezed her waist, catching her attention. She looked back at him again and saw him smiling warmly, lost in her eyes.

Celia found herself unable to look away as they gazed into each other's eyes and continued dancing until the song ended. When it did, they only realized it when everyone applauded, snapping them out of their trance. They soon noticed it was only the two of them dancing, and all eyes had turned to them.

"If they have the same chemistry when racing, our team is in safe hands," one of the sponsors laughed beside Christian, who nodded with a big smile.

On the dance floor, Max quickly let go of Celia's hand, mumbling, "I need a drink."

"Yeah, me too," Celia sighed, nodding as they awkwardly walked off the dance floor, feeling the weight of everyone's gaze.

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celiamorales

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Liked by - sukiwaterhouse, maxverstappen1 and 1,234,432 others

Tagged - redbullracing , bybit_official

Thank you for tonight💙
#ByBitGala

Comments

bybit_official Welcome to the family, Celia💙
[liked by author]

sukiwaterhouse Breathtaking😍
[liked by author]

sabrinacarpenter IN LOVE 😍😍
[liked by author]

maxverstappen1 💙💙
[liked by author]

charles_leclerc Ma meilleure amie est belle comme toujours
[liked by author]

francisca.cgomes Ma'am, I love you😍
↳ celiamorales Love you more, Kiks💋

sophiekumpen Zo mooi, mijn liefste
↳ celiamorales Bedankt❤️

user1 MOTHER😩😍
↳ user2 Quite literally, Mother.

user3 CAN MAX FIGHT
↳ user4 Lol fr tho, how did Max let her go

user5 Marry me, please

oscarpiastri You look beautiful, Celia😊
↳ celiamorales Aw thanks, Oscar
↳ landonorris 👀
↳ user4 LOL not again🤣 Poor Oscar

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maxverstappen1

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Liked by - danielricciardo, celiamorales and 2,234,375 others

Tagged - celiamorales

#ByBitGala tonight

Comments

christianhorner Looking sharp, guys

danielricciardo My favorites
[liked by author]

celiamorales Not the second picture😡😭
↳ maxverstappen1 I had to, Lia☺️

lewishamilton Happy to see Cece's tradition of ending all posh events with junk food is still intact
↳ maxverstappen1 We drove for 40 minutes to find a good taco place for her
↳ georgerussell63 SIMP
[georgerussell63 deleted a comment]

maximo_morales 💞
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user1 Max driving 40 minutes to find her a taco place after the event is so🥹
↳ user2 RIGHT??
↳ user4 It still doesn't sit right with me that these two aren't together anymore

user3 MY #MERSTAPPEN HEART🥹🥹

user4 PARENTS😩
↳ user5 Literally.

user6 Mr. World Champion ur so hot😩😩😍
↳ user7 Real

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