Putting down her phone, Valentina rose with a grin, preparing to join Charles, Carlos, and Rebecca for dinner. Since returning, she had been exchanging texts with her sister, Chloe, seeking explanations.

Why had neither she nor their mother ever mentioned their past as neighbors with the Leclerc family? And how come Charles claimed there were photo albums in his home with pictures of their childhood, yet he appeared in none of her own childhood photo albums?

She longed for answers, but she knew she wouldn't get them anytime soon, as it was currently 2AM where her sister was, likely fast asleep.

 
Hastily selecting a black silk dress from her suitcase, Valentina got ready, applying some light makeup and brushing her hair.

Just as she finished spritzing on her perfume, her phone chimed with a message. Grabbing her phone, she saw a text from an unknown number, saying: "Will be there in about 10 minutes, Bubbles." She smiled at the message.

He was really embracing that nickname. And for the first time since her mother's passing, the nickname didn't sting as much. It felt strange, but she couldn't deny she liked it. After all, she had always been fond of that nickname.

Quickly putting her wallet and phone into her bag, Valentina left her hotel room, heading to the lobby to meet her long-lost childhood friend. Who would have thought this is where she'd end up today?

If someone had told her just 24 hours ago that she was childhood friends and neighbors with Charles Leclerc, she would have laughed. But now, it was the reality she was living in.

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Pulling up to the hotel's entrance in his Ferrari, Charles handed the key to the valet as he stepped out of the car, straightening his clothes. He couldn't shake off the nerves he was feeling, even though he didn't quite understand why.

Charles had stopped to buy flowers for Valentina, and he also picked up another bouquet for Rebecca. He didn't want things to feel awkward by only getting flowers for Valentina, as if they were going on a date. He wasn't sure how she would react, so he thought getting flowers for both women would make the situation less uncomfortable and prevent his actions from being misunderstood.

As he waited in the lobby, he could sense eyes on him. He hoped this wouldn't turn into a PR issue, as people might misinterpret his intentions. Deciding to leave the flowers in the car for the time being, he planned to give them to Valentina later.

As he waited, Charles absentmindedly whistled, his attention snapping to the elevator's ding followed by the click of heels on the floor. Turning around, he was momentarily taken aback by Valentina's beauty.

Despite everyone being able to see her beauty, Charles had been too preoccupied with racing earlier to notice the details. Now, with his focus solely on her, he couldn't help but admire her beautiful eyes and sweet smile as she approached him.

"Hey there," Valentina greeted with a wide smile as she faced Charles, a grin forming on his face in response. "Fancy seeing you here," she joked.

"Small world, huh?" he played along, echoing Carlos' earlier words. "Ready to go?"

Valentina nodded as Charles took her hand, leading them towards the exit where the valet was waiting with his car. The valet opened the door for Valentina, but Charles intervened, holding it open himself. Valentina murmured a soft "thank you" before slipping into the car.

After closing the door, Charles settled into the driver's seat, fastening his seatbelt before starting the car. "Mind if I play something?" Valentina asked after a few minutes of silence as they headed to the restaurant. Charles nodded, and Valentina connected her phone to the car's sound system, playing Taylor Swift's "Daylight."

"That's a nice song. Who's it by?" Charles inquired after a few verses, prompting Valentina to turn to him with surprise. "What?" she asked, taken aback. "Don't tell me you don't know who Taylor Swift is, Charles."

"Oh, I do know her," Charles replied with a chuckle. "I just haven't listened to too many of her songs."

"That's a shame, actually," Valentina remarked, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

"Sorry, I'll be sure to go back home tonight and listen to some of her songs," Charles promised.

"I'll send you my playlist," Valentina offered, to which Charles nodded in agreement.

"So, how did you find today?" Charles inquired, "did it live up to your expectations?"

"It exceeded them!" Valentina exclaimed enthusiastically, causing Charles to involuntarily smile again, "I was so nervous initially, but finally witnessing the race, the excitement, live—it was surreal."

"Are you a big fan of the sport?"

"The biggest fan!" Valentina gushed, causing Charles to laugh. "I grew up watching F1 with my mom and sister for as long as I can remember. Which makes it even weirder that they never mentioned knowing you."

Charles hummed, wondering about that too. Perhaps they could have reconnected sooner if they had.

"Do you still get pre-race nerves?" Valentina asked in return, "or are you used to them by now?"

"No, the nerves are still there. It's just so unpredictable, you know?" Charles replied, to which Valentina nodded in understanding, "but it's not just nerves. It's more like the thrill of being back in the car, racing against the wind."

"I can't even imagine what that must be like," Valentina murmured.

"The guys asked about you today," Charles mentioned after a few seconds of silence, catching her attention.

"Who?" Valentina asked, curious.

"You know, the guys. Pierre, Lando, and the others," Charles replied.

"Oh?" Valentina said, intrigued. "What did they say?"

"Alex's girlfriend is a big fan of yours. She was sad she didn't get to meet you," Charles replied.

"Lily He is a fan of mine?" Valentina repeated in disbelief, playfully punching Charles' arm in warning. "Don't joke with me, Charles."

"No, I'm not. Ask Carlos when we get there, if you don't believe me," he suggested. "She's probably coming tomorrow to meet you."

"No way!" Valentina exclaimed once more. "This is...woah."

Charles smiled at her reaction before she asked, "What about Lando? What did he say?"

At this, his smile faltered a little. He remembered how Carlos had revealed Valentina's "innocent crush" on Lando. And now she was asking what he had said about her. Did she really like him that much?

"Oh, not much," Charles replied, "Just saying it was nice to meet you. When did you even meet him?"

"When I was leaving," Valentina answered, "Ran into him and Pierre. Totally fangirled over them and embarrassed myself."

"How come you didn't fangirl over me?" Charles asked in a joking tone, but the question was genuine. Did she not enjoy his racing?

"Well, thanks to you, I was too shocked to get the chance to fangirl," she said with an eye-roll, "But you know who I was the most starstruck meeting?"

"Who?"

"Sergio," she answered.

"Sarah introduced me to him and Max, and I was too nervous to even say more than a few words. I'm sure they thought I was a weirdo," Valentina grimaced, recalling the interaction.

"Max said you were sweet," Charles reassured her.

"And Sergio?"

"He wasn't active," he replied, "But why were you the most starstruck with him?"

"It's a bit embarrassing," she admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly, a detail Charles noticed, "I had a huge crush on him when I was younger. I had posters of him all over my room, and I'd even fake being sick to skip school just to watch him race. I always dreamed of meeting him in person, and today, when I finally did, all those old memories came rushing back. I was too nervous to say anything. As if he'd be able to read it on my face that I once had such a huge crush on him."

Charles simply nodded in understanding. He was glad she got to meet her idol, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Why did it bother him that she talked about other drivers besides him, or even Carlos? Even if she favored Red Bull or McLaren over Ferrari, why did it irk him? He couldn't quite put his finger on it.