Chapter 47 Adeline
Adeline's POV
Three Months Later
New York in the winter is biting, gray, and utterly chaotic, and I love every inch of it. I'm one of those girls that use winter as an excuse to wear and show off all my cute outfits I got for winter.
I walk into the Royal & Associates lobby, shaking the snow off my umbrella. My cane is completely gone even though my leg still aches when the temperature drops below freezing as a permanent reminder of the metal rod inside, but I can walk in heels again, which is good news.
"Good morning, Miss Volkov," the receptionist beams.
"Morning, Sarah."
I head up to the 40th floor and walk straight to my office, which is cluttered with files for the Vance vs. State case I’m second-chairing. It’s grueling work with long hours that requires lots of coffee. It is as boring as it sounds, but that is exactly what I need right now.
After Tokyo and all that went down with Sienna and her wanting to trap me, it is exactly what I need. Staring at and living law jargon calms my heart down and helps me forget my worries.
Sienna didn't sue. Percy’s threat about the surveillance logs was enough to make her ghost us completely. The Apex contract was shredded, and the helmet is collecting dust on a shelf in the penthouse, and my "career" as a professional racer ended before it really began, but I don't have any regrets. It’s one of those things that wasn't meant to work out.
I glance at the clock on my wall, and it's exactly 5 on the dot. Technically, I could leave, but the still small pile on my table begs to differ.
My phone buzzes with a text from Percy, and I smile, discarding the thought of work.
Percy: Dad is asking if we’re still on for dinner. He says he found a vintage Cabernet that will make me cry.
I smile as I type back.
Me: Tell him yes. But warn him that Mom might actually show up this time. She’s in a mood.
I've barely hit send when I hear a knock on my door. I look up to find Percy leaning against my doorway. He’s wearing the navy suit that I told him fits him perfectly. His hair is slightly disheveled from running his hands through it all day. He looks tired but content. It's the look he gets after a long, successful day at work.
"Ready to go?" he asks.
"You were texting me when you were already on your way here?"
"Yes, I was eager to see you." He smiled, and I shook my head at him. "Are you ready to go, though?"
"Almost," I say, closing a file. "I just need to sign this brief."
He walks in and closes the door behind him. He comes around my desk and spins my chair so I’m facing him.
"You look beautiful," he says, leaning down to kiss me.
"I look tired." I laugh against his lips.
"Exactly," he murmurs. "My favorite look. You look tired but at peace, and that's all I need from you. For you to be at peace."
He pulls back, resting his hands on the arms of my chair. "I have a surprise for you."
I raise an eyebrow. "Is it another contract? Because if it is, I’m calling HR."
"No contracts," he promises. "It’s in the garage." I quickly gather my things, and we take the elevator down. We don't hold hands because we don't know for sure that someone is not still in the building.
The surprise that is waiting for me in his garage next to his car is a bike. It's not flashy or fancy like the one Sienna gave me. It's a vintage black bike that has character. I immediately know that it's a bike for enjoying, not for cruising.
"Percy," I breathe, walking over to it. "What is this?"
"I bought it from a collector in London," he says, standing behind me. "It’s not for the track, Adeline. It’s for the road, it's for feeling the wind without the pressure to win."
I run my hand over the leather seat and understand what he's saying.
"It’s perfect," I whisper.
"I didn't want you on a racing bike again," Percy says quietly. "Not after what I found out."
I pause, my hand freezing on the handlebars. I turn to face him. "What did you find out? You mean the surveillance?"
Percy shakes his head. He leans against the hood of his car and crosses his arms. His expression is serious, so I know whatever he's about to tell me is serious.
"It wasn't just the cameras, Adeline. That was enough to void the contract, but it wasn't what scared me."
"Scared?" I frown. "You didn't look scared. You were angry."
"I was scared, but I couldn't let you know that," he admits.
"Why?"
"Because Tiny found an archived police report from Italy. About her last rider, Luca Rossi."
"She said he was reckless and never listened to her."
"She lied," Percy says flatly. "Luca died at Imola three years ago. His brakes failed on a dangerous turn. The investigation was inconclusive because the bike was destroyed, but Tiny found the insurance filings."
"What?"
"Sienna took out a life insurance policy on him two weeks before the race. Ten million dollars. Payable only in the event of death."
My blood runs cold as I comprehend what I'm hearing.
"You think... you think she sabotaged him?"
"I think she grooms riders who have a death wish," Percy says. "She finds people like you, people who are hurt and desperate to prove they aren't broken, and she pushes them."
I take a shuddering breath, and he grounds me with a hand on my face. "When I saw you on that track in Tokyo, when I heard her telling you to throttle through after you complained about the twitch, I knew it then that she was looking for a payout."
The memory of Sienna’s hands on my leg and her voice in my ear telling me that immortality is beautiful becomes more haunting.
"She wanted a crash," I whisper. "She wanted a legend."
"She wanted a tragedy, but she didn't get one because you’re smart and because I wasn't going to let her turn you into a check."
"Thank you."
"This is why I got you this bike, because I want to keep you around forever. This bike is safe and built to last. I never want you to gamble with your life again."
"Thank you for saving me again." I smile at him gratefully.
"Always," he vows fiercely.
"Come on," Percy says, breaking the tension with a squeeze of my hand. "We’re going to be late for dinner, and if we’re late, Richard will drink all the good wine."
I laugh, wiping a stray tear from my cheek.
"Let's go."
As we walk toward the car, I look back at the vintage bike one last time. It's a promise of the future, and for the first time, I have a future that's worth looking forward to.