Chapter 151: A Mother Always Knows
Alaric
"Hello, Mother," I greeted warmly as I stepped through the grand double doors of my family’s mansion. It had been months since I last saw her or my siblings—not since the Bahrain Grand Prix—and the familiar scent of home immediately wrapped around me, easing a fraction of the tension locked in my shoulders.
My mother rushed forward, her eyes lighting up as she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. "My baby... it is so good to see you again," she murmured, resting her cheek against my chest.
"Alaric!"
A loud, excited shout echoed from the top of the marble staircase. I looked up just in time to see my younger sister, Catherine, practically sprinting down the steps. She threw herself into my arms, hugging me tightly. "Hello, big brother," she giggled, pulling back to inspect my face. "Honestly, seeing you in person feels like meeting a famous celebrity!"
My mother smiled softly, keeping her hand resting comfortably on my arm. "Well, he is a celebrity, darling."
Before I could reply, the soft, rhythmic hum of rubber wheels against the polished hardwood floor caught my attention. I turned my head toward the hallway. A maid was carefully guiding my brother, Bastien, forward in his wheelchair.
The moment our eyes met, the atmosphere shifted. Bastien froze, his gaze locking onto mine for a fraction of a second. I saw the flash of hesitation in his eyes, but before I could even open my mouth to say hello, he abruptly looked away, his expression hardening. He leaned over and whispered something low to the maid, gesturing for her to turn him around and wheel him back toward his room.
I swallowed hard, watching his retreating back with a dull ache in my chest. I knew Bastien was still holding a grudge and refusing to speak to me. Maybe he was disappointed because Dami hadn’t come along with me today, or maybe the resentment ran deeper than that. I had thought he had forgotten and forgiven me about the crash.
Either way, I silently prayed that one day my brother would finally let his guard down and talk to me again.
"When I heard you were coming home today, I made sure the chef prepared all your favorite meals," my mother announced, breaking the heavy silence. She gently grabbed my hand, pulling my attention away from the hallway as she guided me toward the sunlit dining area. "You’ve been driving so hard, Alaric. You need a proper, home-cooked feast."
We sat down at the long mahogany dining table, which was filled with an incredible spread of my absolute favorite dishes.
Then Bastien joined us later.
As we began eating, Catherine leaned her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her hands with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"So... are you and Nico Park actually real?" she asked, not wasting a single second. "Because I am the official leader of the ’Alnico’ shippers online, and you two have been giving us nothing lately!"
I almost choked on my food, quickly reaching for my water glass. "Catherine, please. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet."
Catherine smirked, giving me a knowing wink. "Oh, come on! Lie all you want, but Nico is gorgeous. He’s a very pretty man, Alaric. You’d be crazy not to hang onto him."
My mother chuckled softly from the head of the table, shaking her head at Catherine before looking at me with proud eyes. "Ignore your sister. I watch every single one of your races, Alaric, and I am so incredibly proud of how far you’ve come."
From across the table, Bastien let out a loud, bitter scoff, not even looking up from his plate. "Please. Nico is just better. He took P1 in Miami without even sweating."
I kept my composure, offering Bastien a soft, genuine smile instead of taking the bait. "How is your physiotherapy going, Bastien? Is the new doctor helping?"
Bastien’s head snapped up, his jaw clenching tightly. "You don’t get to act like you care about my life or ask me questions, Alaric!"
"Bastien! That is enough!" my mother scolded sharply, her voice echoing through the room.
"It’s okay, Mum," I said quickly, holding up a hand to calm her down. "It’s fine. I just hope the sessions are going well for him."
Catherine suddenly gasped, pulling out her phone and tapping rapidly on the screen. "Wait! Speaking of Nico... did you see what he just posted on Instagram? He uploaded a photo with Sophia, and they are literally trending everywhere right now! Everyone in the comments is asking if they’re secretly dating!’’
My heart instantly dropped into my stomach.
A sharp, ugly pang of jealousy shot through my chest before I could even stop it. Deep down, I knew there was nothing going on between them. Sophia was a close friend who knew the truth about Nico and me, and she was likely just helping him divert the media’s attention. But seeing his name attached to someone else—especially while we were on such terrible terms—made my chest burn.
I pushed my plate away and slowly stood up from the table. "Thank you for the food, Mum. Everything was delicious, but I think I’m going to step out onto the balcony for some fresh air."
I walked out onto the private balcony, placing my hands on the stone railing as I stared out over the vast estate grounds. The cool breeze brushed against my face, but it did nothing to soothe the anxiety roaring inside me.
"Alaric?"
I turned around to see my mother stepping out onto the terrace. She walked over, leaning against the railing beside me and giving me a soft, maternal look. "You look exhausted, my sweet boy. And not just from racing. What’s bothering you?"
I looked at her, the weight of everything I had been carrying finally breaking my resolve. I took a deep, shaky breath.
"Mum... what I’m about to tell you is a huge secret," I began softly, looking down at my hands. "It could ruin everything if it got out to the public. There’s... there’s a man I’ve been dating."
My mother didn’t even flinch. A warm, gentle smile spread across her face. "It’s Nico, right?"
My eyes widened in complete shock, my jaw dropping. "Wait—what?! How did you—is it really that obvious?!"
My mother let out a soft laugh, reaching over to pat my arm playfully. "Alaric, I am your mother. I have caught the way you two look at each other on television once or twice. A mother always knows."
"Mum..." I groaned, rubbing the back of my neck as a faint blush warmed my cheeks. But then my expression fell, the pain returning in full force.
I opened up to her, spilling the entire story—our argument, my foolish reaction, the ten days of silence, and how cold Nico had been with me in Miami.
My mother listened quietly, her eyes filled with deep empathy. When I finally finished, she reached out and took both of my hands in hers.
"Listen to me, Alaric," she said gently, her voice steady and wise. "Love is never smooth sailing, especially when you are both carrying so much pressure on your shoulders. You let your pride get in the way, and he put up his walls to protect himself. But real love requires patience, darling. You have to swallow your pride, go to him, and communicate openly. Show him that you are willing to fight for him, just as hard as you fight on the track."
Her words settled deep into my chest, clearing away the lingering fog of doubt. She was completely right. I couldn’t just sit around moping or letting petty jealousy consume me. I had to make things right.
"Thank you, Mum," I murmured, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "I... I need to go meet him right now. I need to resolve this."
Just as I pulled away, my phone began vibrating frantically in my pocket. I pulled it out to see Dami’s caller ID flashing on the screen.
"Alaric! Get your shoes on," Dami’s excited voice barked through the speaker the moment I answered. "I pulled some strings, and I set up that private meeting with Nico just like I promised. He’s expecting you. Get over here right now!"
"I’m on my way," I said, a wave of nervous adrenaline surging through my veins as I ended the call.
I rushed back into the hallway toward the front door, but as I passed the staircase, I caught sight of Catherine leaning against the wall, a massive, triumphant grin plastered across her face. She raised her eyebrows and gave me a playful wink.
"Don’t you dare say a single word, Cat," I warned, pointing a finger at her as I grabbed my jacket.
She pressed her hands over her mouth, but as I opened the front door, she couldn’t contain herself any longer and squealed at the top of her lungs:
"ALNICO FOREVER!"
I rolled my eyes, a small, helpless smile finally tugging at the corners of my lips as I stepped out into the afternoon sun.
God help me... we really were Alnico.