Chapter 6 Chapter 0006

•ADRIAN•

Marcus was panicking when we left the hospital and I didn't know why he made this whole thing a big deal when accidents like those happened in the field.

No one was guaranteed to be safe while driving. We knew the risks of the job, but we still did it anyway, even though we wouldn't likely make it out after the race.

"Nick O'Neal's parents are anticipating your arrest, so we can't go to the hospital anymore. We would be in trouble right now if someone saw you inside Nick's room," Marcus said when we got inside the car.

The car pulled up outside my house around 10 p.m. It was already almost my bedtime, and I didn't want to spend the remaining hour talking about Nick.

"There's a press meeting tomorrow afternoon, so I will try to use that opportunity to apologize to Nick's parents and explain to them what happened during the accident, and not what the cameras captured."

"Are you sure that's going to work?" he scoffed as the housekeeper unlocked the door and let us inside.

"It will work," I answered as I pushed the door open and led the way to the living room. Marcus kept sighing heavily when we sat down on the couch.

"I have sent an email to the racing competition company that you were supposed to participate in next week, that you are currently dealing with some personal issues. We don't want to draw unnecessary attention until the gossip settles."

"That's good," I answered as I stood up from the couch. "If the conference meeting goes well tomorrow, then we will reschedule the date of our other plans."

"Sleeping early?"

"You should be home," I redirected with a smirk as I grabbed my jacket from the couch.

Marcus sighed. "I am not rushing anywhere. Hailey and I are going through a rough patch right now."

"Oh." I looked at him and shook my head.

I applauded Hailey for being a woman who knew what was best for her and didn't tolerate a man who gambled a lot.

"It's a good thing that you didn't go to the casino and gamble your money away because of stress," I scoffed. "There's a guest room upstairs."

"She didn't kick me out."

"Yes, but you're here," I chuckled as I turned to the stairwell. Marcus scoffed behind me and settled on the couch.

•••

The following day, I went with Marcus, Ellis, and Liana to the conference meeting.

The conference room was louder than usual when I walked in beside Liana.

Camera flashes exploded from every direction, and the sound of reporters shouting my name blended into one irritating wave of noise. None of it surprised me.

The media had already made up their minds about what happened on that track. This press conference was nothing more than an opportunity for them to watch me burn.

Marcus walked ahead of us while Ellis directed Liana toward the seat beside mine at the long table in front of the room.

I noticed the slight tension in her posture as she sat down.

She looked exhausted.

There were dark shadows beneath her eyes despite the effort she had made to conceal them, and her jaw was set tightly enough to tell me something was wrong.

Still, she said nothing.

Ellis stepped toward the podium and adjusted the microphone before clearing his throat.

“Thank you all for attending. Mr. Vale would like to address the incident involving Nick O’Neal.”

The room quieted.

I leaned forward and folded my hands together.

“First, I want to apologize to Nick O’Neal’s parents for what happened during Saturday’s race. I understand the pain and fear they are experiencing right now, and I sincerely hope for Nick’s full recovery. What happened was not intentional. Everything happened too fast, and the collision was an unfortunate racing incident.”

The silence lasted less than a second. Then the room erupted.

“That is a lie!

“You expect us to believe that?”

“You nearly killed him!”

Voices came from every direction. One reporter stood up from his chair, his face twisted with disgust.

“Nick O’Neal is fighting for his life in intensive care while you sit here pretending this was an accident. How do you respond to accusations of attempted murder?”

Another reporter rose beside him.

“People are saying this happened because you were threatened by Nick replacing you as Formula One’s rising star. Were you jealous?”

The questions became more aggressive.

“Murderer!”

“Psychopath!”

“You have no accountability!”

I felt my jaw tighten. It took everything in me not to walk out of that room.

“It was not intentional,” I answered. "Nick O'Neal and I were friends. He knew that I would never hurt him, or any of our colleagues."

A woman near the front scoffed loudly. “Then explain why the footage clearly shows you forcing him off the road. Everyone can see what you did. Stop insulting the public’s intelligence.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could speak, the sharp scrape of a chair against the floor cut through the room.

Liana stood up and the room fell silent instantly. Every camera turned toward her. Her expression was hard, her eyes blazing with a fire I had not seen before.

“You all seem very comfortable accusing someone without knowing the full truth,” she said, her voice calm but cutting enough to command attention.

No one interrupted.

She took a step forward.

“Adrian Vale has dedicated his entire life to this sport. He has spent years mentoring younger drivers, including Nick O’Neal at the beginning of his career. He has advocated for driver safety and has consistently shown loyalty to his team and this profession.”

The room remained still.

Her voice sharpened.

“Racing is dangerous. Every driver who gets behind that wheel accepts that risk. Accidents happen in seconds, and unless any of you have concrete proof that this was intentional, none of you has the right to stand here and condemn him.”

I stared at her.

For the first time since we met, I met another side of her that took me by storm. And hearing her defend me stirred something in my chest that I couldn't explain.

A reporter near the front lifted her microphone. “And who exactly are you to Adrian Vale?”

Liana froze and Ellis looked horrified. The announcement was supposed to happen next week.

Without thinking, I stood up and moved beside her. My hand settled around her waist, pulling her gently against my side.

I looked directly at the cameras.

"She’s my girlfriend."