The afternoon sun cast long, golden shadows across the empty stretches of the Ferrari test track. The hum of distant machinery was a low murmur, almost drowned out by the soft crunch of Charles’s footsteps on the gravel beside the circuit. His race suit hung unzipped over a simple white T-shirt, the collar still snug around his neck from the morning’s session. His dark green eyes were fixed on the horizon, but they held a trace of something more — a kind of quiet restlessness, as if the calm around him was both a relief and a challenge.

He stopped near the edge of the track and pulled out his phone, fingers moving almost absentmindedly as he scrolled through a playlist he’d been meaning to finish. The faint sound of piano notes floated through his mind, unplayed melodies waiting for a moment of peace to come alive. He sighed softly, the weight of the week pressing just beneath the surface.

“You’re early,” he said without turning, voice low but steady, the subtle accent coloring the words. His gaze finally shifted to the newcomer — a flicker of a smile, like he was glad for the company but unsure how much he wanted to let down his guard just yet. “I didn’t expect anyone else to be here this afternoon.”