Page 65 of Formula Chance

“Call her,” I say tersely. “Try your best.”

“I object to this,” Hendrik snarls.

“Fuck off,” I mutter to him as I turn on my heel and walk out, my heart pounding with adrenaline. I don’t bother to stop and collect my thoughts—I head straight for Bex’s apartment. I need to see her, to tell her what I’ve done, to convince her that we can fix this together.

When I reach her building, I park haphazardly and sprint to her door, pounding on it with urgency. No answer. I knock again, harder this time.

An elderly lady with curly gray hair steps out of her apartment, a curious look on her face. “You looking for Bex?”

“Yeah,” I say, my voice tight. “Do you know where she is?”

“She moved out yesterday,” the neighbor says with a sad smile. “Packed everything up. Said she was heading back to her family in London for a while.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. She’s gone. She didn’t just leave the team—she left me.

Luca’s words ring in my head.She won’t come back. I could tell… she was done.

Hendrik and Matthieu have made her life at Titans Racing hell. Hendrik wants her fired and is blaming Melbourne on her when that’s just not true. Luca accepted her resignation without any attempt to work things out. No wonder she packed up and went to London.

I take a steadying breath and pull out my phone, scrolling through my contacts. This isn’t something I can fix on my own—not this time, and I suspect Luca is right… Bex won’t come back if he asks her. My thumb hovers over the call button because it’s damn early in Pittsburgh, but I can’t worry about that now.

I push the button and Brienne Norcross answers on the second ring, her voice brisk but warm. “Nash. This is a surprise.”

“I’m sorry I’m calling so early,” I say.

“It’s quite all right. I’m an early riser and have been up for a while. What can I do for you?”

“There’s a problem,” I say without preamble, my voice tight. “Bex resigned yesterday.”

During a long pause, I can almost hear the wheels turning in her mind. “Resigned? Why?”

“She’s been put through hell by Hendrik and Matthieu since she joined the team,” I explain, my frustration spilling out. “They’ve questioned her every decision, undermined her authority and made it impossible for her to do her job. Hendrik practically ran her out.”

Brienne’s tone sharpens. “Start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”

I take a deep breath and recount the events from the very first strategy meeting where Matthieu was such an ass to Bex. I spare no details, including the way Matthieu blew up after the race, Hendrik’s public confrontation with Bex, and the constant pushback she’s faced. I don’t sugarcoat anything, and by the time I finish, my chest feels hollow.

“She didn’t just leave because of one bad race,” I say, my voice breaking slightly. “She left because she didn’t think she could fight them anymore. And now she’s gone. Packed up her apartment and left.”

There’s a long silence on the other end of the line before Brienne finally speaks, her voice steely. “That’s something Luca should handle, Nash. As the team owner, I have very little say in these things.”

“Please don’t insult my intelligence like that, Ms. Norcross. You shoved me down the team’s throat and I happen to know you value women in the sport. Now, I tried to go to Luca and he said he’d call her, but he’s pretty adamant she won’t come back. I think this needs your touch. Besides that, Hendrik’s threatening to quit if she returns, and he claims others will follow. Luca’s hands are tied.”

I almost think the line has been disconnected when Brienne says, “I’ll make travel arrangements and be in Guildford by morning.”

I blink, startled by her decisiveness. “You’re really coming here?”

“You bet I am,” she says. “I won’t let toxic egos destroy this team—or Bex. She’s too valuable, and frankly, I’m furious I wasn’t informed about this sooner. Luca and I are going to have a very pointed conversation.”

“In fairness to Luca, I’m not sure he knew much. Bex really wanted to handle it on her own. She wanted to prove that she could.”

“I can understand that.” There’s no mistaking the fondness in her tone and I know I’ve made the right decision in calling her.

A surge of relief washes over me. “Thank you, Brienne.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” she says firmly. “You and I both know Bex is worth fighting for. Now do whatever it is you should be doing to get ready for the Japan race. I’ll handle the rest when I get there.”

The line goes dead, and for the first time in hours, I feel a glimmer of hope. Brienne Norcross is on her way, and if anyone can set this right, it’s her.

---