For the next two days, Ava accompanied Leo at the circuit, where he introduced her to his race engineers and mechanics, teasingly telling them to take care of his "precious cargo."
In the evenings, Leo insisted on taking her around Barcelona. She initially declined, seeing how exhausted he was, but he was persistent. The next day, he brought her to the track again.
Once they arrived, he took her hand and led her toward one of the racing cars. He helped her into the seat, explaining braking zones and overtaking spots.
"Look at you, acting like a real racer," she teased.
Leo smirked. "I am a real racer."
Later, during media interviews, Leo was asked about bringing someone special to the race. He smirked and glanced off-camera toward Ava, making reporters murmur and smile at this rare side of him.
After his press duties, he snuck her into the team's motorhome, stealing kisses between debriefs. Ava felt ecstatic. Leo pampered her like no one else ever had. She was perfectly capable of handling things on her own, but with Leo, she didn't have to—because he always wanted to do it first. And she couldn't deny how much she loved that.
On Thursday morning, Leo woke up later than usual since the day's practice would be lighter than the previous ones. After three consecutive early mornings, he decided to stay in bed a little longer.
Ava, on the other hand, was already up. She ordered breakfast and scrolled through her phone when a message popped up on her notifications. Then suddenly her phone rang. Both from Ethan. Ava refused to pick it up. Thankfully, she was wearing her earbuds, so Leo wouldn't overhear—even though she had nothing to hide.
As she turned around, she froze. Leo was standing behind her, looking grumpy. 'Great. Another problem' she muttered under her breath.
"Ethan? Why is he calling you this early?" Leo questioned, his voice firm. "Didn't you already tell him you were taking the week off? What does he want?" He fired off one question after another, clearly irritated.
"Hey, hey, hey… First of all, I have no idea why he called. Second, yes, I already told him about my week off. Third, I don't know what he wants, and honestly, I don't care." She stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on his chest. "The only person I care about right now is you."
Leo's tense expression softened. Without another word, he disappeared into the bathroom. Moments later, she heard the sound of the shower running.
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Leo finished his training early today, leaving the entire evening for them. To surprise her, he took her to see the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, followed by a visit to Mercat de la Boqueria, and finally, a stop at Park Güell.
As the sun set, they sat near Olot Restaurante, sharing a quiet dinner. After their meal, they moved to a nearby bench, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. That was when she spotted a small gelato stand across the street.
"I'm going to get some gelato, okay? Wait for me here," she said, pressing a quick kiss to Leo's cheek.
Leo smiled and nodded, watching her cross the road. She chose Gelato All'Amarena, a creamy latte-based gelato swirled with sour cherry sauce. After paying, she turned back towards Leo.
Then, out of nowhere—"AVA!"
She barely had time to process the familiar voice before she was forcefully shoved to the side. The world blurred as she stumbled, catching a glimpse of Leo rushing toward her. Her gelato hit the pavement, forgotten. The next second, her breath hitched. Ethan.
His body lay frozen in the middle of the road. Ava screamed. Panic surged through her veins as she ran to him. Ethan looked lifeless—too still, too pale. Her heart pounded in terror.
Leo knelt beside him and pressed two fingers to Ethan's neck. "No pulse," he said quickly before pumping Ethan's chest while Ava then pulled out her phone to call an ambulance.
Ava dropped to her knees, shaking. "Ethan? Ethan, wake up!" She pressed her hands to his face, smearing blood. It was everywhere—on her hands, on her clothes. She could barely breathe. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.
The ambulance arrived in fifteen minutes. They rushed Ethan to Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, one of the best hospitals in Barcelona.
Inside, Ava handled his registration, her hands trembling as she signed the forms. Leo held her waist, grounding her as silent support. This was the second time Ethan had been admitted to a hospital in less than a month.
She sat outside the Operating Room, staring at the doors, her body rigid with fear. Leo sat beside her. "Baby, do you need anything? I can grab something from the café downstairs," he asked softly. She shook her head.
Leo pressed a kiss to her temple before heading off. Half an hour later, the door to the operating room opened, and a nurse stepped out. Ava jumped to her feet, rushing over."Hi, nurse! The guy who just came in—how is he? Is he okay?" she asked frantically, gripping the nurse's shoulders.
"Don't shake my nurse like that," a familiar voice cut in from behind. "We'll update you if there's any change."
Ava froze.
That voice.
Slowly, she turned around—and her heart dropped. The man in the white doctor's coat looked just as stunned as she was.
"I-Ichika?" His voice wavered in disbelief. She sucked in a breath. Only one person had ever called her by her middle name.
"Siddharth." she whispered, realization crashing over her.
Her ex.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, still reeling. As far as she knew, Siddharth Roy had been interning in California. How the hell was he standing here in Barcelona?
"I work here now. Well, technically, I'm in my last year of residency. But yeah," he smirked. "What about you? What are you doing here? How can you even afford this place?"Ava felt a familiar, unwelcome irritation bubble inside her.
This. This was exactly why breaking up with him had been the best decision of her life. Siddharth had always been arrogant—always belittling her. He had grown up with privilege, the legacy of Dr. Anand Roy, one of California's top neurosurgeons. He never let her forget it.
Before she could respond, a warm, familiar arm wrapped around her waist. "She's here with me," Leo's voice cut through the tension. His grip tightened protectively. Siddharth's smirk faltered. His brows furrowed as he finally took a good look at Leo—really looked at him. Then his eyes widened.
"Oh my God. Leo Vargas-Clairmont? You won Monaco and Montreal the last few weeks right?" Siddharth turned excitedly, waving a colleague over. "Howard, get over here! You won't believe who I just ran into!"
Within seconds, the hospital staff was buzzing. People stared, whispering, some even pulling out their phones. Leo sighed, clearly used to the attention. But his patience was wearing thin.
"Enough of this. How's our friend?" Leo's voice turned sharp, cutting through the excitement like a blade. The crowd immediately cleared.
Siddharth shrugged. "I just came to check in. They won't call me unless there's an issue, so I'd say your friend should be fine." Then he glanced back at Ava. His gaze darkened slightly.
Leo took one look at him and clenched his jaw. Pulling Ava to the side, he lowered his voice. "Who is that guy, Ava? Why does he act like he knows you?"
Ava exhaled slowly, keeping her voice steady. "Because he does know me. We dated for four whole years. Since college. We broke up because he cheated… multiple times." Ava said while shaking her head.
Leo's expression darkened instantly. His eyes flicked back to Siddharth—full of pure, burning hatred.