My Formula 1 System-Chapter 618: Hawthorne Empire

Seeing former F1 Champion, Marcellus Rodnick, after nearly a year was the last thing Luca expected. But the Hawthorne gathering eventually delivered a lot of surprises, forcing him to quickly adapt to the face of his long-lost ex-teammate.

In the crowd, there were many people from the past, bringing memories and growth nostalgia. Luca even got to meet Mrs. Coastfield again. Unfortunately, she was still interested in him, shamelessly so, and Luca had to turn her down again.

After Adrian had returned with two bottles of rum, Luca had to ask him if that was indeed Rodnick, and Adrian answered positively. Since Rodnick had gotten a shorter haircut, subtle facial hair, and added muscle mass, it made sense for Luca to doubt, even though his frame and aura were unmistakable.

Before either man could consider approaching each other, Adrian bogged the idea away, and led Luca into the center of the event in the mansion, where Mrs. Hawthorne was happy to receive him.

Most times, many wondered what Luca Rennick, a 20-year-old F1 driver, had done to earn such proximity to the Hawthorne family. He was able to reach a level that some have been trying to attain with resources or acquire through some form of leverage, without any tangible effort shown on his part.

This unclear setup brought a tang to the empire’s inner circle, even though everyone was on the same page.

Luca introduced himself to selected VIPs, individuals, and families who were the pillars that actually let Mrs. Hawthorne sit calmly at the summit of the syndicate. Present in the gathering was John Abruzzesse, Chairman of Ferrari. The man alone was worth billions, but Luca already expected him to be in the gathering. What he didn’t expect was the presence of Mercedes-tied figures.

First in the hierarchy was Ola Källenius, and then, amongst the bottom was an old friend Luca could recognize anywhere—Kim.

Luckily, Kim spared Luca a storm of assumptions as they spent some time over a few glasses.

Mercedes had never been Ferrari’s outright enemy, only like a diplomatic rival, bound more by competition than actual internal hostility. This explanation made sense because Luca had suspected it since the dramatic gun-pullout incident in the middle of London.

In that case, this readily meant Ferrari and Mercedes were technically teaming up. But who were they standing against?

Red Bull. The easiest question Luca had ever answered.

Mrs. Hawthorne stood as the only real bridge between Ferrari and Red Bull because of her long, complicated history with the Kingstons. That was the true reason this gathering existed. By hosting it, she was making her position clear, and also siding with Ferrari and Mercedes, though she would face consequences from the families and conglomerates within Red Bull.

The last viable route to a quick peace rested on the possibility of Mrs. Hawthorne having a reasonable sway over Daniel Kingston himself. Even then, power was never singular. Behind Daniel stood others who were unwilling to loosen their grip on power.

After Mrs. Hawthorne confirmed his assumptions by telling him the truth of the history, Henry’s paternity, and her affair with Charles Kingston, Luca felt very satisfied like a detective who had pieced together the hidden clues. Everything made sense now.

But despite the confession, there was still something deeper he hadn’t revealed. Only the top circle knew, and he was left out of it.

Fortunately, this was where his old teammate, Marcellus Rodnick, came in.

Luca and Rodnick eventually met when the gathering was nearing its end. For most of the night, they had only acknowledged each other through distance. It was strange seeing the other in such a place, after so long and with so much unsaid between them.

When the guests began to thin out, Luca bridged the distance to initiate conversation in the drawing room. Rodnick was filling up his glass from the vodka fountain, and he caught Luca approaching from the reflections on the rim.

"Happy New Year," Luca said, and Rodnick chucked lightly.

As he drank his vodka, Luca studied him, wondering what this man had gone through in the past year. He stood at 186 cm—no braids, no earrings, a sharp chinstrap beard, and heavier eyes. The old Marcellus Rodnick had been drawn to aesthetics and attention. This one looked like a man perpetually counting the days to Friday.

Rodnick refused to tell Luca how the past year had treated him, so their conversation remained surface-level, skimming the nature and nuance of the gathering—until, of course, Rodnick steered it toward what would lend Luca indelible knowledge.

Firstly, since he had changed numbers, Rodnick handed Luca the new one. Secondly, he asked for an audience with "Ansel’s family," meaning Ansel’s fiancée and child, whom he’d heard about recently.

When Luca asked why, Rodnick didn’t dodge the question. With a lot of regret in his tone, he said some apologies could not be sent through lawyers or messages. As the driver who caused Ansel’s crash, Laura and Martin deserved a personal apology from him.

~~~~~~~

After the encounter with Rodnick, Luca remembered Laura and Martin and decided to check on them with a call.

Laura answered, saying they were doing just fine, though she quickly added that Martin had been unusually restless lately. According to her, the doctors say it’s part of the baby’s growth, but she confessed that it had been giving her constant headaches and little sleep.

If there was one thing all women had in common, it was the habit of talking on and on, whether asked or not.

When she asked if he would be coming to see them soon, or if they should come to him instead, Luca said there was a chance, but he avoided mentioning Rodnick.

Asking permission for Laura to meet someone was a respectful gesture, but naming Rodnick now could cheapen his apology before it was even made. So, Luca simply said that when he did visit, he would be accompanied by an ex-driver who wished to see them.

Anything that left his mouth always sounded pleasing to Laura, so she happily accepted.

After the call, Luca exhaled and let himself rest for a moment.

Seeing Rodnick again after last season, after he had gone insane, still sent shivers down his spine.

Being under the same roof as so many influential figures made Luca feel unexpectedly small, forcing him to wonder how many layers of power existed above him.

What did Rodnick know? Did it have anything to do with his madness last year?

Luca gasped silently.

Could it be that, now that he was banned and might never drive again, Rodnick had nothing left to lose? Was that why he had chosen to tell Luca something important, hoping for a chance at forgiveness before Ansel’s family?

Luca couldn’t wait to hear what Rodnick had to say. They would meet in Germany for that conversation.

In the meantime, he had to keep moving. Mrs. Hawthorne had just lost $9.4B overnight after the rupture with Red Bull, and Luca could sense the tension, blood pumping, and legs shaking.

He’d better play his part out there on the track for the empire, or he’d be contributing in other ways he didn’t want to.