He parked in Parc Fermé, ripping off his helmet, sweat dripping down his face, his heart still racing. His manager clapped his back, shaking his head in disbelief.
"That was one hell of a drive I've seen in years, Leo." Marco patted his shoulder.
Leo barely heard him. His eyes were already searching the crowd. And then he saw her—Ava, standing in the stands, her lips curved into a proud smile.
He smirked, locking eyes with her, mouthing two words. "Told you."
The checkered flag waved, and though Leo crossed the finish line in second place, it didn't matter. The moment he stepped out of his car, the entire circuit seemed to revolve around him. The crowd's cheers were deafening, drowning out the celebration of the race winner.
Fans chanted his name, camera flashes sparked like fireworks, and reporters swarmed toward him before he even reached the podium. As he walked through Parc Fermé, other drivers clapped him on the back, their admiration evident. His comeback had been nothing short of spectacular, and even the Ferrari vice president sought him out, offering a firm handshake.
"That, " the older man said, his expression one of genuine respect, " was one of the most impressive drives I've seen in a long time. You have the heart of a champion, Leo."
Leo smirked, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Guess I just hate losing."
The cameras loved him. The reporters couldn't get enough. Every screen in the paddock replayed his overtakes, his calculated aggression, his unwavering determination. He wasn't the race winner—but he was the star.
And he knew exactly who he wanted to share this moment with. Breaking through the crowd, he found her. Ava stood near the barriers, watching him, hesitant amidst the sea of cameras and flashing lights. He didn't hesitate.
Without a word, he reached for her, pulling her against his side, his arm firm around her waist as if he had no intention of letting her go. A murmur rippled through the media. The cameras turned their focus entirely on them.
Leo smirked and pulled Ava closer. "You want a headline?" he said, voice smooth but commanding. "Here's one. This woman, Ava Sinclair, is my lucky charm."
The reporters erupted with questions, flashes illuminating their faces.
"Are you implying that she's your girlfriend?" someone shouted.
Leo didn't even blink. He turned to Ava, his smirk softening just slightly, and then faced the cameras. "Damn right she is."
Ava's eyes widened in shock, her lips parting as she turned toward him, but Leo only grinned. He squeezed her waist, as if daring her to challenge him in front of the entire world.
The interviewers fired more questions, eager for every detail, until someone brought up another name.
"What about Ethan Vescovi? Isn't he involved with Ava?" The atmosphere tensed, waiting for Leo to snap, for his infamous temper to flare. Instead, he chuckled—low, confident.
"He's a client. He hired my girl to decorate his hotel." Leo said simply, meeting their gazes head-on. "That's all."
The air shifted. His calm, unwavering response silenced any further speculation. And just like that, Leo Vargas-Clairmont wasn't just the second-place driver anymore—he was the most talked-about man in Barcelona.
The energy in the paddock was electric. Leo was the center of attention—reporters surrounded him, flashing cameras, and microphones shoved toward his face as he answered questions with a smirk, his arm still firmly around Ava. He could feel the way she tensed under the attention, her fingers twitching slightly against his sleeve, but she stayed by his side. That alone made his heart race.
He had claimed her in front of the world, declared her as his girlfriend without hesitation, and she hadn't pushed him away. For the first time, everything felt right.
Until it wasn't.
Leo turned slightly to respond to another question, his hand instinctively reaching for Ava's. She wasn't there. His breath caught. His head snapped to the side, scanning the crowd. Where did she go?
Then, a flash of white. His heart stopped.
Just beyond the barriers, he glimpsed that Ava was being pulled into a black van.
Leo's body moved before his mind could catch up. "AVA!"
He shoved through the crowd, sprinting toward the street as the van's tires screeched against the asphalt. He took Ava's phone that had hit the ground, the screen flickering as it skidded across the pavement.
Leo ran. His legs burned as he chased the van, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Faster. He had to be faster. But it was gone. The van disappeared into the city streets, leaving nothing behind but silence.
His chest heaved. His fingers curled into tight fists. His pulse was a deafening roar in his ears. Then, his phone rang. He yanked it from his pocket, his hands shaking as he answered without looking at the caller ID.
"Where the hell is she, Leo?!" Ethan's voice came through, frantic and sharp. "Leo? Where's Ava?!"
Leo's stomach dropped. "She was taken, " he gritted out. "Black van. Just now. I saw it happen."
A sharp, choked sound came from Ethan, followed by a single, ragged curse. "DAMN IT!"
Leo's eyes narrowed. Ethan knew. "What the fuck is going on?" he demanded. "Who took her?" But the line went dead.
Leo didn't hesitate. He grabbed his keys and drove straight to the hospital where Ethan was recovering. His fingers clenched the steering wheel, his mind racing. Who the hell was after Ava? And why was Ethan acting like this wasn't a surprise?
By the time he stormed into Ethan's hospital room, his patience was gone. Ethan was pacing, phone pressed to his ear, barking orders in rapid Italian. His normally composed expression was shattered—his face pale, his jaw clenched tight. Leo didn't stop. He grabbed Ethan by the collar, slamming him against the nearest wall.
"Who the fuck took Ava?!" Leo snarled.
Ethan barely reacted, his hands gripping Leo's wrists, but he didn't fight back. His dark eyes were filled with something Leo had never seen before.
Fear.
"I don 't know, " Ethan gritted out. "But I know why."
Leo's breath hitched. "Then start talking. Now."
Ethan exhaled sharply, shoving Leo away. He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers trembling. "It's because of me," he admitted, his voice rough. "Ava was taken because of me."
Leo's stomach twisted. "What the hell does that mean?"
Ethan's gaze met Leo's eyes, dark and filled with guilt. "I'm about to accept my inheritance," he said slowly. "And in doing that… I made enemies. Powerful ones." He swallowed hard. "The Marchesi Empire isn't just a business. It's a battleground. The people who wanted me out aren't going to play fair. They are literally mafia."
Leo's blood ran cold.
Ethan clenched his fists. "They must have thought Ava was leveraged against me." His voice shook. "And now she's in danger because of it."
Leo's hands curled into tight fists. His jaw clenched so hard it hurt. "So what the fuck are we waiting for?" he growled. "We need to find her. Now!"
The tension in the hospital room was suffocating. Leo stood rigid, his fists still clenched at his sides, his knuckles white from how hard he had gripped Ethan earlier.
The weight of what had just happened crushed down on him like a ton of bricks. Ava was gone. Kidnapped. And it was because of Ethan.
Ethan paced the room, phone pressed to his ear, his face pale and grim as he barked orders in Italian. His personal assistant, Luca, was at his laptop, fingers flying over the keyboard as he sifted through surveillance footage, hacked security feeds, and cross-checked information on Marchesi family movements.
His expression was tight, his sharp eyes scanning the screen with laser focus. The tension in the room finally snapped when Leo slammed his fist against the table.
"This is fucking ridiculous!" he growled. "You knew this could happen, and you still let her get caught up in your damn mess?"
Ethan's head snapped up, his own temper flaring. "And where the fuck were you, Leo? You were supposed to be with her!"
Leo's blood boiled. He stepped forward, rage burning in his chest. "I turned around for ONE SECOND, Ethan! One fucking second! And if someone had told me she was in danger, I would have NEVER let her out of my sight!"
"Enough!" Luca's voice cut through the room, sharp as a blade. He didn't even look up from his screen. "We don't have time for this bullshit. Ava is out there, and if you two don't stop acting like children, she's going to suffer for it."
That shut them both up.
Leo gritted his teeth, his chest rising and falling heavily. Ethan exhaled sharply, rubbing his face before shoving his hand through his disheveled hair.
Neither of them wanted to admit it, but Luca was right.
"Where is she?" Ethan asked, his voice quieter now. Luca tapped a few more keys before finally looking up. His expression was grim.
"I've been tracking Marchesi family movements, and based on recent reports, I'm almost certain Ava was taken by Dominic Marchesi's men." He leaned forward, fingers steepled under his chin. "There's a fortress near Messina—an old, heavily guarded estate. It's not officially owned by Dominic, but all signs point to it being his base of operations."
Leo's stomach twisted. Messina. That was nearly a thousand kilometers away. They had no time to waste.
"I'll go," Ethan said immediately, grabbing his jacket.
"I'm coming with you," Leo shot back.
Ethan turned, scowling. "No. You 're staying here."
"The hell I am!" Leo snapped. "Ava is my girlfriend. You think I'm just going to sit here and wait for you to fix the mess you created?"
Ethan's eyes darkened. "Leo, you don't understand how these people operate—"
"And you don't understand how much she means to me!" Leo's voice was raw, filled with something dangerous and desperate. "So either we do this together, or I'll find her on my own."
Ethan exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. For a moment, they just stared at each other, both unwilling to back down.
Luca groaned, rubbing his temples. "For fuck's sake," he muttered. "Both of you are going. End of discussion. Now get your shit together, because the longer we stand here arguing, the further away Ava gets."
Leo and Ethan exchanged one last glare before grabbing their things. They didn't have to like each other. They just had to save Ava.