Page 41 of Racing for Redemption
I resist the urge to shrug off his arm. “It’s William,” I correct him immediately. “And we’re finding our rhythm.”
Violet’s eyes narrow slightly, seeing more than I’d like. “Good. Team harmony is essential this season. We can’t afford internal rivalries, or ego clashes.”
“Absolutely,” Nicholas agrees, with his media-ready smile.
I simply nod, not trusting myself to speak honestly without revealing the friction between us.
“We should go,” Blake says, checking his watch. “Johnson, can you finish up here?”
“Of course,” he agrees. “I’ll walk the drivers through the rest of the changes.”
Violet gives the car one last look—almost tender, like a parent watching their child sleep—before turning to leave.
I watch her go, trying not to be obvious about it. The way she walks—confident, determined, like someone with purpose.
“Ice queen strikes again,” Nicholas mutters once they’re out of earshot. “Would it kill her to lighten up a bit?”
I frown. “She’s running a Formula 1 team. It’s not exactly a lightweight job.”
“She’s been like that since she took over,” Nicholas continues, leaning against the car despite Johnson’s wince. “Cold, demanding, impossible to please. The previous CEO was fun to be around, at least.”
“The previous CEO ran this team into the ground,” I counter, unable to keep the edge from my voice.
Nicholas shrugs. “But he knew how to throw a party. Violet Colton wouldn’t know fun if it ran her over in the pitlane.”
My eye twitches. After our confrontation in the marketing studio, you’d think he’d watch his mouth. But no, this guy really loves the attention. And he’s getting on my nerves. I’m dreading being around him for 9 months. “She’s focused on turning this team around, not entertaining you.”
“Whatever you say, Will.” Nicholas pushes off from the car. “Just warning you—don’t expect any warmth from that quarter. They don’t call her the ice queen for nothing.”
“She’s trying to save the team,” I say, my voice hard.
“Yeah, yeah. Noble cause and all that.” Nicholas waves dismissively. “But would it kill her to smile once in a while? To act like a normal human being instead of a robot in designer suits?”
The unfairness of his assessment makes my blood simmer. He doesn’t see what I see—the weight she carries, the determination that drives her, the flashes of passion that slip through her professional facade when she talks about the team’s potential.
A queen, I think. She’s a queen. Powerful, smart, beautiful, and unwilling to back down in the face of adversity. She’s fighting to preserve her father’s legacy, while proving herself in a paddock full of men waiting for her to fail.She's fucking amazing, if you ask me.
She can be an ice queen if that’s what it takes. I’d follow her, regardless.
Instead of voicing these thoughts, I turn back to Johnson. “Tell me more about the power unit mapping. Any changes to fuel consumption strategies from last year?”
As Johnson launches into the technical details, I force myself to focus on the information rather than the lingering scent of vanilla in the air, or the memory of Violet’s almost-smile when she said my observations were impressive.
I’m here to race. To rebuild my reputation. To grab this one chance at F1 with both hands and prove I belong.
Not to notice the way my Team Principal’s eyes light up when she looks at the car that represents her family’s legacy. Not to wonder what it would take to make her actually smile… at me.
Definitely not that.
Chapter 13
Ciao Sponsorship
Violet
The unveiling of the CR-39 should have been a moment of pride—our new car for the season, the culmination of months of work. Instead, I’d spent it watching the tension crackling between our drivers like a faulty electrical circuit.
“Nicholas has always been…” Blake hesitates, searching for a diplomatic word.
