🧡 ᴜɴᴘʟᴀɴɴᴇᴅ — ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 28: ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡꜱ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀᴠᴇ 🧡
ꜰ1 x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ʟᴀɴᴅᴏ ɴᴏʀʀɪꜱ ᴀᴜ | ᴀɴɢꜱᴛ + ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀ
⚠️ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ:
ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ʟᴀɴᴅᴏ’ꜱ ᴇx (ᴍᴀɢᴜɪ) ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴜʙᴛʟᴇ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴛᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ
ɪɴᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛ ᴄᴏɴꜰʀᴏɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴠᴇɪʟᴇᴅ ᴅɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ (ᴇx-ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀ)
ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ ꜱᴄʀᴜᴛɪɴʏ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴀꜱᴇᴅ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴀ ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴄᴇ
ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴀᴡᴀʀᴇɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ
ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀʀɪꜱᴏɴ, ɪɴꜱᴇᴄᴜʀɪᴛʏ, ᴀɴᴅ Qᴜɪᴇᴛ ʀᴇꜱɪʟɪᴇɴᴄᴇ
ɴᴀᴠɪɢᴀᴛɪɴɢ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘꜱ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟ ᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴜʀᴇ
ꜱᴜʙᴛᴇxᴛᴜᴀʟ ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜꜱʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏᴜɴᴅᴀʀʏ-ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴅɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ
The second day in Austria brought a heavier kind of heat. Not the sweltering kind that made people sweat, but the kind that settled beneath the skin when something felt off.
(Y/n) sensed it almost immediately.
It was in the way the paddock buzzed with a certain hush. The way a few photographers angled their shots too carefully. And then, the way Lando tensed for just a second as he scrolled through his phone that morning.
“What is it?” she asked, adjusting the scarf draped over her shoulder, her bump already prominent in the pale silk fabric of her fitted dress.
He hesitated, then gave her a slow glance. “She’s here.”
“Who?”
“Magui.”
(Y/n) blinked. That name hadn’t come up in weeks, maybe even months. But she remembered the few late-night Google spirals. The old interviews. The photos. The fandom theories.
She didn’t flinch. “Alright. Should I be worried?”
Lando looked her square in the eyes. “No. I promise.”
But still, the tension followed them.
Mid-morning, she decided to step out for air while Lando handled simulator runs and engineering meetings. She stood just outside the McLaren hospitality area, sipping lemon water, trying not to feel too self-conscious about the way her belly seemed to lead every step she took now.
Then she saw her.
Magui was effortlessly styled in white linen pants and a sleeveless cropped blouse, oversized sunglasses perched on her head. A small pass hung around her neck, guest of another team, maybe, or someone generous. She walked like she belonged.
And she walked right up to (Y/n).
“Hi,” Magui said, her accent soft but her smile tight.
“Hi,” (Y/n) replied, calmly. One hand unconsciously rested over her belly.
“I’ve heard… things,” Magui continued, eyes flicking down. “Congratulations. Twins, right?”
(Y/n) nodded. “Yes.”
There was silence, but it wasn’t awkward. It was a loaded pause, the kind that required careful breath.
Magui tilted her head, smile still in place. “You must be very special to him.”
“I didn’t ask to be,” (Y/n) replied, her voice steady. “But I am.”
Something in Magui’s gaze flickered, just slightly. Maybe envy. Maybe acceptance. Maybe both.
“Well,” she said, stepping back, “he always did care too much. Maybe now, he finally got it right.”
(Y/n) didn’t answer. She didn’t have to.
The moment passed, and Magui walked away, melting back into the background noise of the paddock.
Later that afternoon, Lando returned to the motorhome and found her seated by the tinted window, looking out at the track.
“She talked to you,” he said, not even asking.
“She did.”
He sank onto the armrest beside her. “I didn’t know she’d be here.”
“I know.”
He reached for her hand. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Surprisingly, yes.”
They stayed like that, quietly leaning into each other while the track roared to life outside.
But (Y/n) knew now, this wasn’t just about growing into the role of Lando’s partner, or carrying his twins. It was about navigating every ghost that still hovered around him, gracefully, without losing herself.
The race was tomorrow. But she was already playing hers. To be continued... 🧡
🧡 ᴜɴᴘʟᴀɴɴᴇᴅ — ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 29: ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴏɪꜱᴇ ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ 🧡
📝 Note from the Author: Tenth day on Tumblr, and we're diving deeper into the layers now.
Magui's unexpected return? Yep, I planted that tension for a reason. This story was never just about soft moments and shared lemon water. It's also about what it means to hold your ground, to stay gracious even when the past walks up to your face in linen pants and a guest pass.
(Y/n) handled it the only way she knows how: quietly, calmly, with power.
Thank you for journeying through all of this with me. Tomorrow, the race begins. But tonight, sit with that tension. Let it simmer.
With love, me 🧡