Page 37 of Break My Heart

My eyes bug out as Dario chuckles. “That’s okay. Christin is allowed to share she’s led adaptive systems modeling during her NASA internship rotation.”

What? My brain scrambles. When we were together, neither of us spoke much about work, but I thought that had more to do with my reticence than her own. But this? My mind is already putting pieces together when Dario confirms, “She’s been assigned by Castor to redesign our telemetry software.”

Christin adds, “The new software will include full compliance with FIA regulations. No automated driver aids. Manual input integrity and no predictive correction layers.”

Even as my mind struggles to wrap around this, Dario remarks, “While she’ll be working with the entire engineering team, her most critical feedback will come from our drivers.”

Christin clarifies, “Driver input is only as effective as the system interpreting it.” There’s no edge to her words. No hidden agenda.

Just fact.

I let out a slow breath. “You’re the one Dario hired to burn down the old software.”

“What I’ve started to build will far exceed your requirements.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

“How?”

But before she can answer, Christin’s attention is diverted. The smile I seek out in my dreams blooms on her face. “If you both will excuse me, I just spotted my godfather. I really need to go say hello.”

Dario nods. “Of course. See you at the track tomorrow?”

“Yes. I look forward to working with the team.” Christin’s eyes dart to mine. “Mr. Hawthorne. Until tomorrow.”

I’ve barely parted my lips to respond before she practically jogs over to Sebastian Kessler. I murmur to Dario, “Did she say godfather?”

“She did.”

My brow furrows. “Kessler is her godfather. I wonder how that happened.”

Dario faces me fully, his expression is one of total shock. “You haven’t pieced together who she is, have you?”

An uneasy feeling crawls through me. “My Christin.”

His eyes follow Christin to where she’s being hugged enthusiastically by a small group of people, including the F1 legend she just admitted is her godfather. “When I hired Castor, I demanded a comprehensive security dossier on their top security engineer.”

“Christin,” I confirm.

“Yes.”

“So you hired her?”

“Of course I did.”

“For me?” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.

“No, for us. The team needs the best, and she’s it.” He leans in close as if he’s about to impart a state secret. “Leo, why didn’t you ever tell me that your Christin is Lewis Porter’s daughter? That her legal name is Christin Gage Porter?”

My head spins as I absorb the impact of his words. “Lewis Porter? The Lewis Porter?”

“Yes.” Then his jaw falls slack. “You didn’t know?”

I shake my head. “Everything’s starting to make sense.”

“Like?”