“Which room?I’m coming over.”
Another pause, longer this time.“1247.Henri, what’s this about?”
“I’ll explain when I get there.”
I hung up before he could ask more questions—before I could second-guess this decision again.The walk to his hotel took less than ten minutes through the rain.Each step felt heavier than the last.
Felix opened the door on the first knock.His expression was wary, guarded, in a way that reminded me he’d spent years managing difficult personalities and navigating team politics.
“This is unexpected,” he said, stepping aside to let me in.
The hotel room was immaculate, as I’d expected from Felix.His laptop sat open on the desk, displaying some racing data from last week.A half-eaten room-service meal rested on the table by the window.The man never stopped working.
“You want to sit?”Felix gestured to the chairs.
I shook my head.Sitting felt too casual for this conversation.“I need to tell you something.About Lily.”
His expression changed, concern replacing wariness.“If this is about your attachment—”
I stopped him, putting my hand up.He thought I’d come to tell him about my feelings for Lily—a gesture that would have been dramatic, although not warranting a hotel conversation like this.
That was a conversation hopefully for another time.
He studied me for a long moment.“What is it, Henri?I have work—”
“She’s been receiving threats.”The worlds fell out of my mouth.
The color drained from Felix’s face.For several seconds, he simply stared at me, processing.When he finally spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet.“Excuse me?”
“She received the first one in Miami.Then another in Monaco.There’s been a few, almost one per race.”The words were tumbling out faster now.“I told her to tell you, but she refused.And now they seem to be escalating.”
“And she told you this?”Felix’s tone carried an edge I’d never heard before.“She confided in you?”He seemed almost not to believe me.
“I found one.”I almost added “in her hotel room” but thought better of it.No need to get Lily in more trouble.
Felix turned away, moving to the window.His reflection in the glass looked older somehow, the weight of responsibility visible in the set of his shoulders.“How specific were these threats?”
“I don’t know all the details.You’ll have to ask her.”
“Oh, I intend to.”He spun back around, and I was struck by the fury in his eyes—not directed at me, but at the situation.At himself.“Why wouldn’t she tell me?I’m her team principal.Her…” He stopped, composing himself.
“She’s proud and stubborn.She didn’t want to make a big deal of it.”I paused, running a hand through my damp hair.“But I think it’s more than that.Silverstone destroyed her confidence.She’s been spiraling all week.I can see it, even if she won’t admit it.And these threats?”I shook my head.“She doesn’t have the bandwidth to deal with them.Not right now.”
“I wish she’d come to me.”Felix scratched his head, his face turning slightly pink.“I just don’t understand why.”
“Because of the sponsor.”
Felix’s hand froze mid-scratch.His eyes locked onto mine.
“BetHere,” I said.“She knows how much that deal means to Rennen.She was terrified that if she raised the alarm, it would spook them.The threats mention losses from sports betting.”
Felix closed his eyes.A vein pulsed at his temple.When he opened them again, his expression changed—the anger was still there, but underneath it, guilt clawed its way onto his face.That was a look I recognized all too well.
“You did the right thing, telling me,” he said finally.“Even if it was difficult.”
The words should’ve have brought relief.Instead they settled like lead.
“She’s going to hate me for this.”
