My Formula 1 System

Back in London, England, everything was moving smoothly. It was still a regimented city bustling with its remarked essence. But since the British Grand Prix was the next race on the calendar, the city and the country as a whole had begun adopting new norms that had been abandoned since last year's June.

Luca's villa property remained standing strong, its everlasting soft mood still intact. The afternoon light glowed gently through the wide glass panes that faced the courtyard, and this ventilated that usual narcotic aura. The villa had been very quiet for many days and weeks because Luca was now living in Germany, and Mrs. Rennick preferred to mostly stay in Clapham.

So, the property was left in the care of cleaners who came regularly to make sure it remained sparkling clean and beautiful. Sophia and Isabella also had unrestricted access to the villa, so they always came here just when feeling like it, or to work in peace, like in Isabella's case.

Today, both of them had just come straight from their different campus. Isabella and Sophia's friendship had not always been something tangible, so Isabella had begun to attempt more investment. So, when Sophia asked her to tag along, she agreed since she also wanted some space to stretch and be free.

Sophia also dragged two more friends too to the villa. This was a habit she had been doing, and since Luca wasn't present, neither Mrs. Rennick nor Isabella could give a complaint about the recklessness. And Sophia's friends, who knew very well she was Luca Rennick's sister, never hesitated to hop on the ride to his home.

"Cynthia and Tiffany are coming with us?"

Isabella had asked with concern, seeing the two friends behind Sophia.

"Yes. Yes."

Sophia muttered her reply in a manner that hinted finalization, and Isabella couldn't refuse it. Sophia always felt like since she was Luca's sister, she had more power over things that concerned him if he wasn't there to supercede. But if Luca were to assign a clear hierarchy, she would be at the very last of the list.

Isabella had no choice but to agree, and so, they moved to the villa to spend their free day with their friends. They arrived in the middle of the day, unhindered and undisturbed.

"Oh my God! This is unreal."

Cynthia, who had never been at the villa before, expressed her amazement while looking around. Sophia, in contrast, walked in like a princess and presented the place while spinning around. A tired Isabella just went straight to Luca's room, and Tiffany had begun to take selfies.

"I'll call Lacey we've arrived, so she can come right away."

The moment Isabella heard that leave Cynthia's lips, she turned around and asked with a calm tone that sheathed her irritation.

"Someone else is coming? Lacey?"

Sophia then confirmed Cynthia's words, saying that they were indeed not complete, and were waiting for Lacey, who was Sophia's second best friend after Tiffany, whom she'd known since like forever.

With a quiet sigh, Isabella retreated back into the room. She was later summoned again when Lacey finally showed. Though she didn't attend the same university as Sophia and the rest, Isabella was familiar with all of them through Sophia. So Lacey, in particular, was eager to see her.

But the reunion came with an errand. The fridge was bare, and stomachs were growling. Sophia asked Isabella to run out for groceries and maybe cook something quick too. After all, Isabella had been learning to cook lately, something she had put her mind to, and the others didn't know where to start.

Isabella couldn't believe what had just been asked of her. She had just paused her work to catch a break with them, but that didn't mean she could head out to a supermarket and then come back and cook.

So, what she did instead was dial the head caretaker of the villa and asked her to delegate a worker to do the job. The head caretaker agreed without protest, and after Isabella sent the required amount of money and extra, a worker was sent to buy food from an esteemed restaurant, and also get groceries because Isabella planned for what would be dinner.

"Ugh, I swear if someone doesn't feed me in the next ten minutes, I might actually vanish. Where's the chef?"

All of them had begun flopping to the couch, stretching their legs in exhaustion, dropping to the rug and sighing.

"Girl, I haven't eaten since that croissant this morning. And I burned that off arguing with my project supervisor."

Sophia kept pressuring Isabella.

"When is the food coming?! Is it coming prepared or will you prepare? I can't wait. You're the wifey-in-training now, no?"

Standing at the corridor was Isabella, her arms crossed as she stared at them flatly. She was hungry too, but never hungry to the extent where she'd behave like a spoilt Barbie princess. She did her best to sound homely.

"Y'all are so dramatic. Chill. Wait a bit, okay?"

They kept groaning in protest until the worker finally arrived. Isabella, not wanting the girls to crowd the front like a pack of lions at feeding time, stepped out of the property herself to receive the delivery. The heat outside slapped her gently, but she handled it with grace, handing over a thank-you note and confirming everything in the bags before returning inside.

She dropped the groceries in the kitchen then sniffed the aroma of the warm packages that were already steaming through their wrappers. A satisfied nod later, she carried the already prepared food into the living area where the girls had now clustered like children at a sleepover.

"Omg finally!"

All girls began springing up from where they were slumped.

"What's on the menu? Tell me it's not salad."

Isabella dropped the bags carefully on the wide coffee table and began unpacking—rice dishes, a mix of sauced beef and shredded chicken, spiced fries, dumplings, and desserts. The aroma changed the air in the room instantly. Even Sophia, who had been lounging without energy, sat up as though someone had whispered magic in her ear.

Within seconds, plates were drawn, wrappers tossed aside, and the girls began dishing food.

Isabella took her own food to the counter to eat and decided to listen to their conversations from that short distance instead of being right in the center. But it didn't take time before their female conversations turned to her.

"Wifey skills unlocked," Tiffany said with a raised brow, biting into a dumpling. "She even ordered and unpacked. You're like a 'pick me', Isabella."

Cynthia laughed, almost choking on her rice. "But it's working, clearly. She bagged Luca Rennick, didn't she? No ring on the finger, yet already acting like she's married. Girl, just live your life abeg."

Isabella immediately felt small, and she swallowed hard on her food.

"Like don't let him tie you down," added Lacey. "You've got potential—your face, your shape... And this dress—he definitely got it for you, didn't he? You didn't buy that yourself."

Isabella looked down at the pale green dress she was wearing. It was very light, rosy and slim, starting from her shoulders and ending just two inches below her knees. It was a very beautiful dress that even Luca had not seen. So, no he didn't buy that dress.

"No," Isabella confidently said, though their words perturbed her. "Luca never buys my home clothes. Only our date dresses."

"Oh, dates..." Lacey's voice faded off. "He takes you to those?"

All the girls laughed, including Sophia, who was on her phone. None of them realized how sharp their words were, and Isabella stood there with nothing else to say.

"Think about it," Tiffany said with concern that wasn't truly genuine. "You've already shown him all your cards, babe. All. What else are you holding back? He's probably already on to the next girl—if he hasn't started."

Others nodded with conviction.

"Being the perfect wife isn't a flex, not when men like that treat loyalty like second sport. You don't win them by serving them, Isabella. Luca Rennick? He's just TWENTY, top-tier driver, public darling, on the front of magazines, has endorsements falling on his lap... and his jawline?"

All of them laughed again because Lacey made her eyes dreamy while speaking.

"Do you really think someone like that's gonna be loyal to just you?" they said casually. "Come on. He's literally travelling the world, different city every week, surrounded by richer, finer girls who don't cook."

Isabella felt a heavy lump in her throat as they spoke. She wanted to defend by saying something, but she spoke in jumbles.

"That's... I mean, we're—he's not—"

"Oh babe," Tiffany cut in. "You're stammering."

Sophia, who had been mostly silent, finally shrugged with a sip of her drink. "Have you seen his PA?? She's literally better looking than all of us combined. Not to talk of Sara."

"Who's Sara?"

"I think I've seen this Sara in a photo. She's the tall one with a full chest, right?"

"Exactly."

Sophia shrugged again, betraying Isabella. "Anything can happen when you're with a man that has everything."

Tears welled up in Isabella's eyes, and when the girls saw it, they felt satisfied. It must be nice saddening the spouse of the very man they all had a crush on.

Isabella abandoned her food and quickly returned to her room.