The Break (Championship Romance #4)

Chapter 1

Molly

“Absolutely not,” I say, the frustration growing for every second as I stand in front of my father.

No matter the age I reach, I’ll always feel like a little girl whenever I’m in his office.

Especially now, when he’s giving me those sorrowful eyes, tearing at my conscience.

“Molly, I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”

My dear father, my biggest supporter in life—whom I love dearly…most of the time.

Right now, though, all I feel is irritation and defeat.

“You can have any sport, Dad. Please don’t take Formula 1 away from me,” I plead, hoping I can sway him away from this particular idea.

To me, he’s the best father anyone could have, always there with a warm hug and a shoulder to cry on when I need it.

To others, he’s the almighty businessman and investor, who’s always on the lookout for the next big thing in sports.

And right now, that next big thing is investing in Formula 1.

“I won’t take it away from you, I’ll just see you more,” he says, making it all sound so easy.

But I know better.

As soon as people realise who I am, or rather who I am to my dad, they change.

I’ve worked hard for my spot in the editor’s room at Star News, a leading team in Formula 1 media.

I’ve climbed every ladder and worked my way up, without using my dad and all his connections, even when he’s offered more times than I can count.

I want to make a name for myself, and I want to do it based on merit, not my surname.

My dad has always respected this and stayed away from the F1 world, but it seems that has changed now.

“Dad, you know everyone will treat me differently when they know,” I mutter, feeling torn as I basically tell my own father to stay away from my place of work.

I would love to see him more, but when people learn that my millionaire dad is walking around the paddock, I know I’ll retreat into my shell, afraid of getting burned again for trusting the wrong person.

In the paddock, everyone simply knows me as Molly May.

They don’t know that it’s short for Molly MayWilder.

The MayWilder name is associated with my father and his wealth, largely built on his investments in TV and broadcasting.

In later years, he moved over to sports after working in politics for as long as I can remember. Having my own interest in sports, I’ve been happy for him to change direction.

As long as it stayed away from my home turf, which is Formula 1.

“I’m afraid it’s already a done deal, Moll doll.”

He always brings out the nickname when he’s feeling bad.

This is no different.

He also knows I’m not capable of staying mad at him for too long. Still, I’m annoyed that he’s gone ahead and invested in the one sport I’d always wanted for myself.

At least I’ve already made my spot, fair and square, before he makes an appearance.

“Ah, okay. Tell me about this deal then.”

My father smiles, and I can already tell he’s going to spend some dollars making it up to me.

Even if extravagant gifts are the last thing I want. Sometimes it will be a designer bag, other times an expensive holiday somewhere.

What I’d really like though, is to spend more time with him, which I guess I’ll have now, even if it’s in a different arrangement than I’d like.

“I’ve bought the Audi team.”

Well shit.

This is way more than a small investment.

Bought an F1 team?

I didn’t even know Audi was for sale.

Not that those things are marketed the same way as regular commodities.

Audi has had a tough season, losing the title to BMW last year. Before this, they were the reigning champions in both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.

The sudden change seems drastic given that their struggles have only been evident for one season.

“That sounds extreme. They have their struggles, but I didn’t think it was this bad,” I tell him.

My father tells me that the team is apparently fed up with their leading driver, who always causes scandals and never shows any gratitude to the team behind him.

Peter Centimo.

A man I know from the few interactions we had last season.

At first, I was intrigued by his bad-boy demeanour, curious to see what lay beneath his facade. I quickly realised that Peter Centimo isn’t serious about anything in his life.

He’s a notorious flirt—happy to pick up any lady who pays him attention—but that won’t be me.

That became clear when I thought he had invited me on a date, only for me to show up and find him with two other ladies on his arm.

If I hadn’t had the upbringing I’ve had, I might have been embarrassed, but I know my worth, and no man like that is worth my time.

Hearing that his own team can’t stand him only reinforces my impression of him.

The season is starting up again in a few weeks, and I’m excited to get back to the paddock and my team. We had a great season last year, growing on several platforms.

I’ll never tire of seeing my name in the credits whenever they roll around after a broadcast.

Knowing I made it there—all on my own—is even better.

My father tells me that he’ll be there for most of the season, overseeing operations and trying to get the team’s spirit back.

I might have preferred to have F1 for myself, but I’m confident my father is the right man for the job.

A man with warmth and integrity is exactly what Audi needs.

～

As soon as I approach the Star News team, I run straight into the arms of my paddock bestie, Jessica.

I hug her tightly, happy to be back in the world of F1.

She started her internship with us last year and landed a job with her stellar results.

She also got herself a boyfriend, the golden boy of Formula 1 himself, Luke Hastings.

He was the topic of every big story last year, alongside Peter and their rivalry.

“You made it! I’ve missed you so much,” Jessica says, her own excitement shining as we approach the first race weekend of this season.

Usually, I would have been back in the paddock earlier for testing, but Dad insisted on one last family vacation with Mom before he takes the reins at Audi.

I still can’t believe he bought the team and will be here—or away in an office—for most of the season.

The Star News team don’t even know my connection to the man, and I’m set on keeping that under wraps.

Working in media, you quickly learn that anything can leak and make a big story.

It also means I know the people around me care about me for who I am, not for the money or connections I could offer.

“Anything exciting happen while I was gone?” I ask her, eager to hear the latest gossip of the paddock.

“The usual. Another scandal involving the bad boy Centimo, this one seems bigger though,” Jessica says sheepishly, probably thinking like me that if he keeps this up, he may be kicked out of this whole sport, talent or not.

Apparently, there’s been some rather drastic pictures splattered across media platforms, featuring Peter and his adventures.

I’m tempted to tell Jessica about my dad, but decide against it, at least for now. I’ll do it when the time feels right. Right now, I’m focused on getting back to work.

The sun beams down on me, the Qatar heat intense as I go around greeting the rest of the team. I’ve seen them occasionally over the break for meetings and season planning.

It’s not just me who’s spent time in the sun during our winter break.

Steve, who is our main cameraman, has even gotten a tan, but it’s nothing compared to the one Andrew is sporting.

Andrew is our leading reporter, a former driver himself.

“You’re almost at my level with your tan,” I say to him with a chuckle.

“I’d kill for your skin,” comes from Jessica.

“Good to have you back, Molly.”

I look around their setup for the weekend, noting that it’s one of the better ones we’ve had in Qatar.

Star News is climbing the ranks, and it shows.

Not that I will spend much time here. I’m usually cramped up in our editors’ van with screens lining the walls, and the sunlight kept out.

I sigh, a smile taking over.

Now we’re finally here, and I’m excited for the season to begin.