"How are things going?"

"Okay." I sighed, holding the phone to my ear. "We just got here."

By "here" I meant the café his mother had chosen; a small place in the outskirts of San Francisco. They only offered four wooden tables outside, one of which was currently occupied by Phoenix. He stared out into nothing, and adjusted the cap on his head that protected him from both unwanted spectators and the glaring sun.

"Has he looked at the folder?" Amara asked warily.

I shook my head, so deep in thought that it took me a second to realize she didn't see me. "No. You told me not to, so we agreed to look at neither yours nor Connor's..."

My best friend exhaled. "Good. Thanks. I just think it's better if you've talked to his mom before you get too deep into this."

Secrets weren't my thing. I hated having to lie or not being able to talk about things, especially now that we were trying to be more transparent. It irked me that we were meeting his mom unprepared, but I trusted my best friend and her judgment. "How bad is it, Ames?" I asked nonetheless.

The silence she offered said more than she ever could. "Well... It's bad. We know about the fraud allegations, about the bank statements that support them. We even have witnesses to more heinous crimes, such as attempted sexual assault or harassment..." She sighed. "And somehow, that's not even all of it. There's a lot more to it."

Amara had insisted neither Phoenix nor I looked at the research her P.I. and Cem had done, always saying it's for the best if we found out after the talk to Phoenix's mom. She had filled me in on the countless crimes Sebastian Williams had been a part of, though. Some of which had happened within the past ten years, which meant Phoenix's mother and her relationship with him was an issue, as well.

"Then why don't you want me to know?"

"Because it's not my secret to tell. I'm sure Phoenix wouldn't appreciate you knowing about this before he does, and his mother should be the one to break the news to him."

I sighed for the nth time today. Truth was, I appreciated Amara's care for my relationship amid all this chaos, all those lies and schemes. She knew what I valued most: Honesty.

"Thank you."

"Sure thing, Flo." Her voice was soft, calming the short stretch of silence that followed. "Besides, I know how you'll react."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see. Now go, it's almost two. That's when she's coming, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Okay. I'll call you when this is all over."

"Obviously. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Ending the call, I made my way over to Phoenix, who was still sitting in the same seat I'd left him in, not having moved a muscle.

"Hey." I squeezed his shoulder and took the seat next to him.

Even in the dread of today's meeting, his eyes lit up when he looked at me, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile. "Hi."

It was obvious he was trying to keep it together, but the way his leg bounced beneath the table told me more than he needed to. He was nervous, probably anxious, too.

I could see it in the way he glanced around the café, its only guests being an elderly couple who sat just a few feet away from us on the cobblestone terrace. The four small, wooden folding tables stood around us, a white vase with a single yellow tulip in the center of each of them giving this place a calm vibe.

If I hadn't known any better, I'd have thought we were sitting in a small coffee shop in a Dutch small town, and not a tiny café in the outskirts of San Francisco.

Phoenix took a sip of his coffee, his leg bouncing against mine as he scanned the area. I put a hand on his jittery knee. "It'll be okay."

His leg calmed beneath my grip as he looked up at me. The storm in his green irises made me want to throw my arms around him, just to keep him grounded and safe. That was all I ever wanted, honestly.

He responded with a simple nod of his head before his eyes flicked behind me again, studying our surroundings while his leg bounced again.

I didn't stop him this time; I didn't try to calm the raging storm in his eyes. Instead, I watched him closely, getting ready to jump in when needed. I'd already experienced how hard it was to stop this man whenever he'd set his mind on something, and this was as personal as it could get.

Besides, it didn't take long for his gaze to halt, the storm in his eyes lighting up as his entire body tensed. I followed his glance and spotted a tall woman just a few feet away from us, her chocolate hair tied into a messy bun that framed her face with loose, curly strands.

The similarity of her green eyes to the man sitting next to me was astounding. So much so that it took me a full minute to let my gaze wander, taking in the jeans jacket and yellow flowery dress she wore.

She was as beautiful as I'd expected her to be, given she'd produced this stunning specimen by my side. Even so, I couldn't help but be in awe when she moved closer, revealing even more of her softly aged features. Laughter lines graced both her eyes and lips, but she still looked incredibly young for the mother of a thirty-year-old racing driver.

"Phoenix." Her voice was hesitantly soft, glassy eyes meeting her son's.

Phoenix didn't move — he just sat there, staring up at his mother without moving a muscle.

I could see it right then; I could see the little boy who only ever had his mother to rely on. I could see the son who just wanted his mother to be happy, but didn't know how to tell her that the path she'd struck wasn't what she'd thought it was.

His boyish features vanished the second he looked at me, though, an abundance of questions in his stormy green eyes. My heart ached from how hesitant he seemed, how unsure he was of what to do next. This chaos must've been a lot to sort through for him.

But at this moment, I could tell he wanted to be the man by my side, above anything else. He was the man whose mother wanted to marry a guy who'd probably hurt my father. This whole thing was complicated, and Phoenix was trying to find a middle ground between the two women he loved.

I squeezed his hand and brought it up to my lips, feathering a kiss on his knuckles before I nodded at him. "Go," I said with a smile.

That was all he needed.

It took all but three seconds for Phoenix to get out of his chair, round the table, and embrace his mom. She dropped her handbag to hug him properly, long arms coming around him the way a mother hugged her son:

Full of love, and ready to protect him from the evil of the world.

"My boy, it's so good to see you." The Irish accent lay heavily on her tongue as she stroked Phoenix's hair, who'd only tightened their embrace with his head buried in her neck. I could practically feel the connection between the two, the love they held for each other practically seeping off of them.

"Come on, let me look at you." She chuckled with a sniff, wiping beneath her eyes before she moved back to look at her son.

Phoenix followed the motion, a deep exhale coming from his lips as he stared back at his mother.

The sorrow in his gaze made me swallow hard, and I had a hard time watching the pair interact without tearing up. I couldn't even imagine spending a day being at odds with my parents, much less an entire decade. The pain Phoenix must've gone through was unimaginable.

"You look good. Healthy." She smiled, combing her fingers through Phoenix's hair. "I hope that's not just the Guinness giving you a few extra kilos, huh?"

"Mom..." Phoenix chuckled.

"What? I bloody hope you're not just dieting your way through life, a stór." //my treasure// "Life's too exciting to not have the best of foods."

Phoenix rolled his eyes, though it was hard to miss the warmth of his gaze as he looked back at his mom with a shake of his head. "I know, I know."

"Good." She grinned at him, her hand once again gliding over his cheek. "I've missed you."

Phoenix swallowed and took the hand from his face, interlacing it with his own. "Missed you, too, mom."

There was a slight undertone of an Irish accent beneath his words when he spoke to his mother, almost like her mere presence jumpstarted a different side of him he didn't tap into much.

It was fascinating.

"This must be her, then?" The question made me look up.

I took that as my cue to rise and face her. She was just a few inches shorter than me, almost unnoticeable through the mere strength of her aura. This woman definitely knew how to make herself taller by character.

"It's so nice to meet you, Ms. McCoy. I'm Florence Nyx." I shook her hand and smiled at the strength of her grip. She really knew how to introduce herself.

Her warm eyes ran up and down my body, ruthlessly scanning the woman her son brought to this meeting. "Are you eating enough, child?"

I laughed. "I am. This one makes sure I do." I nodded to Phoenix, who released a nervous laugh while his cheeks turned into a beautiful rose color.

"He does? Well, that's my son for you." She chuckled, her hand tightening around my own as she glanced over at her son, who was watching us with wide eyes. A smile spread on her lips before she looked back at me, the sudden warmth in her gaze startling me. "Please, call me Maeve."

"Thank you." It was hard not to stare at her, the flowery dress dancing in the light morning breeze. She was mesmerizing. "You look stunning, Maeve."

"Oh!" She released the hand and fanned her face with it, an amused glance thrown at her son. "I like her. Beautiful and charming."

A snort coming from Phoenix's direction made me raise a brow at him, but he didn't make any effort to hide his amusement. "Yup. I know," he said and stepped toward me, his hand sneaking around my waist.

The smile on his lips made my heart soar, and I had to swallow from the sheer love glimmering in his green irises. I would never tire of being looked at like that.

"Beautiful." His mother's sigh made me look back at her. She was watching us with wide green eyes, a bright smile on her lips. "Such a pretty couple."

"Mom..." Phoenix grumbled, scratching the spot between his brows.

"Oh, stop. Let a mother be happy that her son is happy, Phoenix," she scolded him, the warmth in her eyes not matching the tone of her voice. Maeve was genuinely joyful watching us, the glimmer in her gaze showing just how much she wanted the best for her son.

And as I looked at Phoenix at that moment, I could see a mirror of my own thoughts in his stormy green eyes. He knew as well as I did that we had to burst the bubble eventually.

Rather sooner than later, honestly.

But part of me didn't want to break the carefree atmosphere lingering in the air just yet. Part of me just wanted to see my partner enjoy some time with his mother.

I just wanted to forget reality for a moment.

And so I did.

***

We'd spent the past hour and a half catching up with Maeve, skilfully avoiding Sebastian Williams.

"So, how is it working in the same team so many years later?" she asked.

"Well, Michael is weird, as always." Phoenix chuckled. "But the rest of the team has done an incredible job. I wouldn't be championship leader if they hadn't worked so hard to improve the car."

Phoenix glanced over at me, the smile on his lips making me soar with pride. Few people showed their appreciation for the hard work my team and I had put in over the past few months, but Phoenix definitely knew how to make me feel accomplished as hell.

"So that's what you're there for, right?" Maeve asked, looking over at me. "You're the mechanic?"

"Head mechanic," Phoenix corrected her. "Flo's not just some mechanic. She's also an engineer, strategist, and front woman of the entire department. I'd be driving a trash can of a car if it weren't for the way she managed the mechanical team."

My eyes widened, my jaw dropped, and I'm pretty sure I was having a heart attack, too.

Phoenix could be so gentle, so thoughtful and calm... But he also knew when to speak up, when to use his voice he so rarely utilized. That he defended my job like that showed just how much he knew me. He knew what my whole life was about.

"I see." His mother nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

"I have one hell of a team, though." I felt the need to add. "They're incredible people."

"I bet they are." She smiled and took another sip of her coffee, the white porcelain a stark contrast to her red lips. "Do you see Connor a lot, too?"

Phoenix tensed instantly, the carefree smile on his lips vanishing.

It was time, then.

"Not that much," I admitted, slipping my hand into Phoenix's beneath the table. "He's in a different team, so most we see of him is on the podium or at the press conferences..."

"Why do you ask?" Phoenix chimed in, the icy undertone of his voice revealing he too had realized where this conversation was going. "Don't you talk to him a lot?"

For the first time today, Phoenix's mother seemed surprised by his actions. Her eyes were wide when she shook her head slowly. "Um... No. I mean, yes. He calls a lot."

"Of course he does." Phoenix chuckled humorlessly. He focused on the cup in front of him, completely zoning out of reality.

"Well, he also answers his phone." Maeve's words were light, but I could see the blow they delivered on Phoenix in the way his head shot up and he stared at his mom.

"Yeah. 'Cause he's not the one losing his mother to a fucking psychopath."

The bouncing of his leg stopped, but the grip he had on my hand became painfully tight. Phoenix was doing his best to stay calm, but I could almost sense the storm brewing inside of him, the anger and fury bubbling to the surface. He'd kept his cool for this entire thing, even in the preparation stages, so this was long due. I just hoped he wouldn't regret it.

"Sebastian's not a—"

"With all due respect, Maeve, but he is." I reached inside my bag and pulled out the manila folder Amara had given to me, a few dozen pages full of information waiting inside. "Maybe you should have a look at this before you continue to defend him."

"What is it?"

"You'll see." I pushed the folder over to her. She stared at it for a long moment, almost as if she could wish it away, before reaching for it with a sigh.

Phoenix was still staring at his cup with an empty glare, his jaw clenched as he kept applying and loosening the pressure he held on my fingers. Placing my other hand on top of ours, I waited until he looked up at me, the green in his eyes so haunted all of a sudden. He was just a boy wanting his mom to understand, just a man asking for an autonomous life with his partner.

I took a deep breath, visibly inhaling and raising my chest. After I repeated the motion a few times, Phoenix finally picked up on it and mirrored the action. He followed my breathing pattern: eight seconds of inhaling, four of keeping it in, and seven of exhaling.

Only when he'd calmed did I face his mother again, who grew paler and paler with every page she turned. Her worrying gaze met mine for just a split second before she turned the last page, and all the color drained from her face.

She stared at the page for a few moments, then glanced back up at her son. Phoenix was back to glaring at the cup in front of him, though, and so she turned to me. "Have you looked at these?"

I shook my head. "No. Our... lawyer told us about most of it, but insisted you had a look at them before we did." Phoenix didn't approve of this method, but trusted Amara enough to go along with it. "We'll have a look at it once you leave, though," I added, hoping she understood that whatever was written on those pages would not stay there. This was her only chance to come clean herself.

"I see... Give your lawyer my thanks, please." Maeve nodded and closed the folder, leaving it on the front page. "From what I understand, this is also about your father, Florence?"

"It's about an accident Sebastian caused. He rigged my father's brakes, which made him collide with Phoenix. I'm sure you've seen the crash ten years ago."

From the corner of my eyes, I spotted the image of that accident on the first page of the folder. It'd been a while since I'd seen it like that. My father's car pressed against the wall, and Phoenix's wedged into Dad's rear wing... Two of the people I loved most, in the greatest danger of all.

"I have." The look in her eyes told me she hadn't known about Sebastian's involvement. It was one thing watching your father or partner be in an accident like that, but I couldn't even fathom how hard it must've been as a mother, watching your son get into a car that could take his life weekend after weekend. "I'm sorry about your father."

"Don't be," I interjected. "People need to stop acting like he's dead. He's still here, living life to his fullest. Just 'cause he's tied to a wheelchair doesn't mean he's someone you should feel sorry for."

Maeve nodded, her eyes flicking from the picture to Phoenix, who was slowly breaking out of his trance. "Do you believe any of this?" she asked.

"There's nothing to believe, mom. Those are facts. Sebastian is not just an asshole — he's dangerous. What do you think he wanted to achieve with that accident?" He finally looked up at his mother, his eyes full of fire and determination. "You think his goal was to send him into a wheelchair? No. Those are the fastest cars in the world. There was no way he knew this was the outcome of that accident. Williams didn't care if Jeremiah lived or died. He didn't care if I lived or died. He just wanted him gone."

The truth of his words pierced straight into my heart. I'd thought a lot about Sebastian's intentions, but I'd never considered that his goal hadn't just been to ruin my father's career. Maybe this had been more than just rivalry. Maybe this had been pure hatred. Hatred that would fuel a psychopath like him enough to commit attempted murder.

"He wouldn't have wanted you to die," Maeve said. I didn't miss how she spoke of Phoenix only. Not once had she said she didn't believe Sebastian had wanted to hurt my father.

"Sebastian couldn't give less of a shit about my life, mom. I would've been collateral damage."

"No." She shook his head, glancing back at the picture. "He probably didn't know..."

Maeve made no sense. Everyone had known Phoenix would sit in that car. Yeah, it'd been an emergency situation that'd only been decided a few days before, and Phoenix had only ended up next to my dad because he'd qualified that spot... But that didn't mean people hadn't known he'd race my father.

Sebastian Williams just hadn't cared about the consequences.

"What are you on about? As soon as Saturday's Qualifier was over, everyone knew I'd be racing Jeremiah. That's how it works. Sebastian knew that, too. He just didn't give a fuck."

"No." Maeve shook her head once more. "It can't be. He wouldn't..." Her eyes flicked from the folder to Phoenix and then to me, the confusion in them glaringly obvious.

"Maeve, Sebastian is a horrible human being. Assault, fraud, blackmail... He thinks he's above the law. He just doesn't care."

"He cares about Phoenix!" She was shaking, her jittery fingers closing the folder in front of her. "He wouldn't have... Not to his own... No, he wouldn't..."

Both Phoenix and I stared at her with furrowed brows, trying to understand what exactly she was saying. Why would Sebastian care about Phoenix? He was nothing more but his girlfriend's son... Wasn't he?

Unless...

"No." The realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

Connor's cryptic behavior ever since Cem had given him more information about his father. Both he and Amara insisting Maeve should see the folder before we do. The way Cem had looked at Phoenix when he'd sat in my office...

There was a reason Maeve hadn't left Sebastian. He must've had something on her she wouldn't risk, not for anything.

Her son's happiness.

And I could see it when I looked at Phoenix, too. He was connecting the dots, was understanding his mother's behavior.

"Don't say it, mom..." he said, his tight grip on my hand cutting off all circulation.

All I could think about was how this would crush him, how the impact this truth had on him would turn his whole life upside down. This wasn't about my dad or Sebastian's crimes anymore.

This was about Phoenix's wellbeing.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she whispered. "But you're Sebastian's son."

Author's Note

Well... Yeah.

Anyone here who would've expected that? Lol.

Shit's just getting started!

Hope you're all well! I'll be hiding away at my desk and trying to finish the report that's due on Friday. No more updates until then!

Lots of love

Jane