There it was.
The jab beneath the joke. Jackson had been waiting for it.
The elephant in the room they had been ignoring all night now slipped back into the open.
The father-son tension returned, thick and suffocating, until the lights went out on the screen and the first lap pulled their attention to the track.
Engines screamed. Tires screeched. The race began.
Rio leaned forward, eyes sharp and keen. "Come on, Lando."
"Poor kid's gonna crash under pressure," Jackson said dryly, motioning to the bartender for another round of drinks. "I think he's an underdog. Ferrari isn't looking good for him, and I'm just waiting for him to leave, so I can start liking him again."
"You never liked underdogs," Rio's tone was clipped.
"I was an underdog." Jackson lifted his glas
