Chapter 4: The Night Circuit
1349 Words
Elena slapped Logan as soon as they succeeded in hiding from the press.
"Are you insane? Why are you bringing my name up? I don't want to be the center of attention, I just want to work in peace!"
"The news will fade away in a few days. I was just joking anyway."
Elena slapped him once more. "Joking is when the person you're joking with laughs! Do I look happy now?"
"No, you're angry."
Elena ruffled her hair in frustration. "I'll be known as the woman who wants Logan Vance instead of the woman who works in F1."
Only when Elena looked down sadly, Logan finally realised what he had done wrong.
"Elena, sorry."
Elena dismissed his hand. "How are you going to take responsibility for this? Do you want to explain it to them? Hurry up and leave then. Deny what you said earlier. Go!"
If Logan clarified now, the media would surely find out about his wolf reflexes that were captured on video. Logan did not want that to happen, not now.
"If I clarify now, they'll be more suspicious and more convinced we have a relationship."
"You're messing things up!"
"Yes, I know, I am sorry."
Elena reached into her pocket and threw the necklace Logan had given her into his face, causing a small scratch on his nose.
There was a feeling of guilt but Elena quickly pushed it away.
"Take your necklace back. I don't need a bad luck charm!"
Elena left Logan and returned to her team.
Meanwhile Logan picked up the necklace. He gripped it so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"I'm just trying to protect you, my mate."
*****
Elena threw her phone away after seeing the news of her relationship with Logan until this day, the race day.
It had been two days since media day and it was still the number one most popular topic to read.
"He lied. He said the news would die down, but what is this? It's getting worse."
Elena picked up her phone again and headed out of the restroom. She tried to ignore the stares of the others as she went to the pit line to monitor the data on her laptop before the race started.
That's when Elena looked at the small band-aid on Logan's nose.
Elena remembered that two days ago she had thrown a necklace at him and now she felt guilty for putting a cut on his face.
"All clear?"
"Yes, clear."
Elena didn't have time to say anything to Logan because of the hectic moment. She planned to meet him after the race.
*****
It turned out that even after the race Elena still didn't have a chance to meet Logan because he was busy in the paddock with VIPs and others having dinner. Especially since Logan won again at the United States Grand Prix today.
So Elena decided to take a walk alone on the track while enjoying the cool night air.
Elena took out her phone and smiled at a photo of someone.
"You wouldn't expect me to be in your favorite place. You should know that there is a person who looks like you, who is only used for his team and is too excited with the innocent thought that everyone loves him. He doesn't know that he can be replaced by anyone at any time when he is no longer useful."
Elena continued to monologue while looking at the photo because it was the only way to relieve her longing for that man.
She slipped over the fence into the grandstand, looking forward to seeing the beautiful track at night when it was quiet. But her attention was drawn to the tyre marks on the ground.
"Why are there tyre marks here?"
When she flashed forward, it turned out that the tyre marks continued into the forest.
So she followed it with great curiosity.
Elena entered the dense forest with courage. This place was dark because there was no lighting other than her phone's flashlight. And the tyre marks were still continuing.
"This forest has an unusual path. The track is passable for a car but the trees here are too dense to be used as a race track."
She went even deeper while pointing the flashlight around.
"Elena Ruiz!"
Elena reflexively clutched her chest in shock.
Her secret investigation had to end because of Logan. She ran out of the forest. And he rushed over to her.
"I didn't see you with the others. I wondered where you were and here you are."
Elena looked at Logan's nose.
"What about your nose? I'm sorry I didn't mean to. I didn't intentionally put a scratch on your face."
Logan grabbed his band-aid nose and grimaced. There was actually no wound underneath the band-aid.
"Although it's a bit painful, but this band-aid makes me look cool, right?"
"I regret asking you. What a narcissist!"
"Oh yeah, what are you looking for here? Why did you go into the forest?"
"I saw tyre marks that led here. But I don't remember any cars leaving the track today. Moreover, this forest can be said to be quite far from the track and is also behind the fence. Unless a car jumped over that fence, there wouldn't be these tyre marks."
"Then you found a car or something? It could have been the marks of another car that wasn't the car for the race."
"There's nothing but tyre marks. But I don't know if if I go deeper I might find something. Since you called me, I came back before finding anything."
Logan looked straight into the forest behind Elena expressionlessly with a sharp look in his eyes.
"We better get back before some stalker films you again," Elena said.
But Logan stayed where he was.
"Do you want to look into the forest again? You might find something."
Elena cheered inwardly because she actually wanted to go back after Logan left.
"Ok, let's go! I brought my phone to light the way."
Elena excitedly led a path ahead. She was fearless, didn't believe in the supernatural, and her curiosity was sky-high.
They finally entered the dark forest again with only their flashlight and no moonlight.
"You're not scared?" asked Logan.
"I'm curious. What can we find here, hm?"
"I have no idea. But next time you should be careful. Don't just go to places you don't recognize, especially at night after an event like this. After all, you're a stranger in this place and you could be accused of disturbing their peace."
Elena's steps stopped.
"Who are they? Are you trying to scare me with horror stories?"
"I don't mean ghosts."
"Then what, psychopaths? I have you, we can fight psychopaths together."
"Not that either."
Suddenly there was a very long wolf howl.
"I mean animals. There are many wild animals in the forest that you don't know about. Wild animals can attack you when you're alone because they consider you a weak enemy who gets separated from the group."
Elena reflexively looked around her when she heard a voice from behind the bushes.
"Now I'm not alone, there's you. We're a group now, no one would dare to attack us."
"You can't predict them like you predict the race," Logan said in a deep voice.
His eyes watched a pair of eyes that glowed red behind a dense tree.
Soon there was another wolf howl but this time it was shorter.
"Let's go back, you don't have to go this far for your curiosity. The tyre marks also stopped a few meters before and it looks like the car turning back before it got too far into the forest."
Elena reluctantly turned around. When she had only taken two steps, she felt a very fast wind passing behind her. When she looked back, there was nothing.
"What was that?"
"Just your feelings."
Then Elena saw the pair of eyes Logan had seen earlier, but only for a moment.
The forest warden just wanted to show itself to give a little welcome to its territory.
- Writer
